Obit: Wee Little Kitten

Subject: Obit: Wee Little Kitten
From: GUEST,Just Sad
Date: 02 Jan 07 - 09:11 AM

Let me start off by saying that my head knows I'm being ridiculous. My heart, however, is entirely a different matter.

One of our cats had kittens about 10 weeks ago. Gray tiger kittens. Every single one of them is adorable. They are full of get up and go, except for the Wee One. He has been sick but improving. We have been giving him extra care and medical attention. Last night, his eyes were all gummy but he was happily purring away while sleeping on my husbands chest (while he was sleeping too). They were so cute together...so cute that I got the camera out and took pictures. Before we went to bed, I cleaned his eyes and put him on a large dog bed with 2 of his siblings and another kitty. He didn't feel as warm as he should have and I thought the body heat from the others would make him more comfortable. This morning, my husband told me that the Wee One had passed and that 2 of his siblings were sleeping beside him when he found them this morning.
   I am so sad about this little kitten. He was fighting and improving. I was rooting for him. I know that he had something wrong from birth but I loved his spirit and will miss his sweet, little self.
   Rest in peace Wee One. I'm glad I got to share in your life.

Subject: RE: Obit: Wee Little Kitten
From: Cats
Date: 02 Jan 07 - 09:24 AM

Bathsheba and Isolde [and their Mum, Cats, and Uncle Jon] send loads of purrs and snuggles to you both. They thank you for looking after Wee One while he was here and hope that you will get comfort from the remaining kittens. xxx

Subject: RE: Obit: Wee Little Kitten
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 02 Jan 07 - 05:48 PM

It hurts when furry friends go.. even after 3 weeks without my Max, I still look for the third bowl to fill when feeding them.

Wee One will take with him the memory of warmth, care and love, that's all you need.

LTS

Subject: RE: Obit: Wee Little Kitten
From: Gizmo
Date: 02 Jan 07 - 05:52 PM

It's always heartbreaking when a pet (or animal dies), but at least the Wee one had comfort for the little time he was here.

Sometimes these things happen, despite every attempt to preserve the life they have. He seems to have gone peacefully, all for your care, so take pride in yourself. Just reading it has made feel sad too.

All the best

Nicci

Subject: RE: Obit: Wee Little Kitten
From: Epona
Date: 02 Jan 07 - 05:56 PM

I'm so sorry to hear this...I love my cats so much and hate the thought of any of them passing. But, I agree with Gizmo and you should be proud of yourself for giving him so much love and attention and making him comfortable from birth.

E

Subject: RE: Obit: Wee Little Kitten
From: Peace
Date: 02 Jan 07 - 05:56 PM

I don't see how your little kitten could have had a more caring, loving person to spend his short life with.

Subject: RE: Obit: Wee Little Kitten
From: Becca72
Date: 02 Jan 07 - 06:02 PM

I'm so sorry to hear this. I'm teary-eyed just reading it. I'm going to go home and give all 3 of mine a great big hug.

Deepest sympathies from Becca, Madmardigan, Mikey and Sheldon.

Subject: RE: Obit: Wee Little Kitten
From: Bill D
Date: 02 Jan 07 - 06:32 PM

*nod* I know how that is...35 years ago we had a litter of kittens, and against my usual tendencies, I fell for one of them and got attached. It caught something and died at about 7 weeks. I carried it around in my hands for the last day....there's no easy way to get over that.

Perhaps experiences like that teach us something about caring and about ourselves.

Subject: RE: Obit: Wee Little Kitten
From: jacqui.c
Date: 02 Jan 07 - 08:01 PM

I had a puppy when I was in my early teens. Father had bought it in a street market and the poor little thing had, I think, distemper. He died in my lap and I sobbed for ages. Still makes me feel sad so I know where you are.

Your kittie had a good home and the right attention for his short life.

Subject: RE: Obit: Wee Little Kitten
From: ragdall
Date: 02 Jan 07 - 08:32 PM

I'm sorry for your loss. You're a caring nurturing person. I know how much it hurts to lose someone so much cared about.

Wee Kitten's life on earth was short, but he was loved as much as, or more than, any other kitten ever born. That must count for a lot.

Subject: RE: Obit: Wee Little Kitten
From: TRUBRIT
Date: 02 Jan 07 - 10:13 PM

I recently posted because we discovered one of our cats (5 of them) has cancer......I was so sad and so was my daughter. Posting helped me and I hope it helps you too -- the loss of an animal is so sad. Our cat is still with us but taking things very very slowly.....

Subject: RE: Obit: Wee Little Kitten
From: catspaw49
Date: 02 Jan 07 - 10:57 PM

Back in September, our sole female (now spayed) had 4 kittens. Sugar is very small and two of the kittens lived only a few days which was very sad. She had 3 white females like herself and a solid black male. The two surviving kittens were the largest female (Dot) and the black male(Sloop).

At 6 weeks Dot had some kind of seizure and we thought she would die but we sat up with her and kept her warm, fed her with a dropper......and after a few days she began to make a comeback. Four days later she was eating and playing again with us and Sloop. But then another seizure hit and when I picked her up there was this fearful look on her small face and then her eyes just went sort of blank. Her heart kept beating another 24 hours but Dot wasn't in there anymore. Karen and I both cried like babies. We took her to the Vet and had her euthanized.

Now we have only Sloop and he is the most spoiled kitten you have ever seen. He and Sugar are now best friends instead of mother and son. "Uncle Roamin" our monstous black and white tuxedo has become "Dad" and his hero. They're so cute as a family of sorts. Sloopy just follows Roamin around learning everything he can. Roamin, Bix, and Pepper (the three male adults) all seem to recognize that THIS little dude is some sort of Prince and will probably takeover Bixby's place as Boss sometime soon. We all have just spoiled Sloop rotten but he has an extra spark in him.....and maybe that's Dot. Maybe Wee One and Dot have met up somewhere.

Why are we so nuts about our pets? Mention "Luff" and Karen and I will tear up in a heartbeat.....and he's been gone over 15 years!

Spaw

Subject: RE: Obit: Wee Little Kitten
From: Genie
Date: 02 Jan 07 - 11:20 PM

There's always something especially heartbreaking about the death of a baby, even if it's a furry or feathered one, and especially when we've put so much of ourselves into loving and nursing it.   I still remember my sadness when "Runty" (our childhood name for the runt of our dog's litter) died of distemper when I was about 10).   
It is so good that your little Wee One knew such love and care during his too brief stay here. There is nothing ridiculous about the grief you feel or about sharing it with other mudcatters.

Genie

Subject: RE: Obit: Wee Little Kitten
From: Alison M
Date: 03 Jan 07 - 07:09 PM

The Wee One will take all the love you have given him with him. I am sad for your loss.

Subject: RE: Obit: Wee Little Kitten
From: Sorcha
Date: 03 Jan 07 - 08:47 PM

Have you had the others to the vet? Almost sounds like distemper. Get em vacced.

Subject: RE: Obit: Wee Little Kitten
From: WFDU - Ron Olesko
Date: 04 Jan 07 - 12:58 PM

Today, our 17 year old cat was put to sleep. She had been declining the last year or so. We first noticed her weight climbing up and the vet discovered a thyroid problem. Because of her age, he advised pills instead of an operation. Then she began urinating on a carpet in the living room. We could not break her of the habit, so we purchased a second litter box and put a few newspapers in it. She would use this box only to pee. Two months ago we noticed blood in the urine. An ultrasound revealed a small tumor on her kidney and another in her urinary tract. This time the vet advised an operation. The operation took place at the beginning of December, and we were so happy when the results came back negative and she was given a clean bill of health. The vet said she could be around several more years.

Over the last week we noticed that she was acting funny.   She began sleeping in the upstairs bathroom sink. At first we were amazed because before the operation she would not walk upstairs. We thought she was regaining her strength and doing things that she did not do in years. (In retrospect, she was probably doing something that animals are known to do - go off by themselves to find a place to die.) We noticed that she wasn't eating. She was thin before the operation, but it looked like she was losing more weight. Her eyes had a hollow look to them. She would just sit and stare at walls before getting up and moving to another spot. Last night my wife noticed that her back legs were shaking.

A emergency trip to the vet revealed that she was in critical condition and failing fast. Her blood pressure was dangerously low. They did another scan and were able to determine that her liver was now failing - although they could not figure out why.   They kept giving her intravenous fluids to bring the blood pressure back, but nothing worked. About an hour ago, we made the decision to put our dear friend out of her misery.

This cat became a member of our family at a very special time. My wife and I were married in 1985 and we had another cat. This cat was like a child to us.   When my wife was pregnant with our daughter, we discovered that the cat had cancer. It was a crushing blow.   So, in 1990 we got another cat - that cat that we said goodbye to today.   This cat grew up with my daughter and my son, who joined the clan in 1995. We all loved this cat and there was never a question that we would do everything we could to save her.

We do have another cat, who joined us a few years ago. These animals are truly special to us. Spaw asked the question, why are we so nuts over out pets? Our pets love us without conditions. They are there to come home to each night and give us comfort when the world is beating us up. We can complain to them and they will listen. We can reach out for companionship and they will respond. Even though our family is close and we rely on each other, having the cats as part of our family means a great deal. All they ask is for a square meal and an occasional scratch.

I am sitting here after a good long cry getting this out of my system. Whether a cat is a newborn or an older cat like mine, we become attached to them for honest reasons. We hated to say goodbye, and we questioned ourselves if we did the right thing. In the end, we realized that allowing her to continue to suffer was not right. The doctor assured us that we did the right thing, and even if we brought her in sooner there was nothing that could have saved her.

The important thing to remember is that life is full of circles. I can guarantee you that we will soon get another cat - not as a "replacement" for our old friend, but to continue the circle and to give another animal a home and companionship.

My old friend will be missed terribly. She was good friend.

Subject: RE: Obit: Wee Little Kitten
From: Alison M
Date: 04 Jan 07 - 01:06 PM

WFDU - Ron Olesko, thanks for sharing your storey with us. It does hurt to lose something that has always been there before, but your cat had 17 years and that means it has had a good life. They are never forgotten.

Subject: RE: Obit: Wee Little Kitten
From: Wesley S
Date: 04 Jan 07 - 01:12 PM

I've been told that all the pets you've ever loved will be the first ones to greet you when you get to the "other side". Let's hope so.

Subject: RE: Obit: Wee Little Kitten
From: Becca72
Date: 04 Jan 07 - 01:56 PM

Wesley, I absolutely hope that's true. I've had some really great pets (cats as well as dogs) in my life and I'd love to see them again.

Subject: RE: Obit: Wee Little Kitten
From: catspaw49
Date: 04 Jan 07 - 02:05 PM

Sorry Ron. I think everyone on this thread knows your feelings right now. I was trying to do some writing this morning and little Sloopy (who is growing quite large for his 4 month age, was just nuts for the screen. Frustrating as it was it was also fun and when I finally balled him up on his back in my arms, he purred loudly and fell asleep within a few minutes. And that took me back to another black cat named Cutter............

I hope Wesley is right and I do get to see all my wonderful companions again.................

Spaw

Subject: RE: Obit: Wee Little Kitten
From: WFDU - Ron Olesko
Date: 04 Jan 07 - 02:14 PM

Thanks everyone. My cats name was Keillor - yes, we named her after Garrision. Originally we thought it was a boy, only to discover that the marks the vet originally thought were male parts turned out to be simply markings on the fur.

Keillor would often come and sit at my feet, or on the keyboard, when I was recording my show. One day I heard a strange noise in the recording which I discovered was caused by static electricity as I was petting her while recording my program.

When I decided to pick up the violin after nearly two decades of not playing, Keillor became my harshest critic.   She would whine and headbut me when I tried to play. I think she saved the world from having me inflict my awful playing on it!

She was a friendly cat that greeted everyone who entered our house. While the other cat would hide, Keillor would be sure to make herself the center of attention.

It is real hard thinking that I won't be seeing her again.