Passages...

[deborahjross]

Two of our four animals are geriatric, and we are walking through the-beginning-of-the-end with them, one faster than the other.

Here's Cleo, the gray tortoiseshell who is also perched on my shoulder in the icon.


She's almost 20 and is the last of the cats I brought from Los Angeles. She's been hyperthyroid almost her entire adult life, and now at last she's shutting down. One of the challenges of managing hyperthyroidism is that if you lower the thyroid hormone too much, the cat goes into kidney failure. We suspect that's what has happened, but we're not going to stick her with needles to be sure. She's had a long, happy life, a life full of Tortoiseshell Attitude, and she absolutely hates blood draws.

She's pretty much stopped eating in the last day, although she curls up on her heating pad, looking out over the garden, and nestled next to me in bed last night, purring. She's so thin, I don't expect her to have more than a few days left. With any luck, she'll go to sleep in one of her happy places and just not wake up.

And here's Oka, who is over 12 now and was diagnosed with lymphoma a month ago. He's just finished his chemo and is in remission. We're hoping to celebrate his 13th birthday and have a good long time to say goodbye -- and lots of happy walks and pouncing on the laser pointer "bug". He also has degenerative myelopathy, although his hips are sound.



He's "blowing his coat" in the photo and has some obvious loss of muscle in his hind legs, but you can see what a beautiful, confident dog he is. (He's wearing a front-clip harness that's almost the same color as his coat.)

And here he is when Dave first got him:



And here he is a week or so ago, at the oncologist's, with his typical relaxed but alert demeanor. We ply him with liver treats, so he is convinced Many Good Things happen there. He, unlike Cleo, does not particularly object to being stuck by needles, especially when there are treats involved.

Comments

[klwilliams.livejournal.com]

I hate it that pets have such short lives. (The turtles are long-lived, but they doze during the winter.) I'm sorry yours are reaching the ends of theirs.

[deborahjross.livejournal.com]

Me, too, although 20 years isn't bad for a cat.

The usual life span of a German Shepherd Dog is 9-12 years, so Oka is doing well, too. We suspect the myelopathy (sort of MS for dogs) will get him before the cancer does.

The thing -- and it's true for the people we love as well -- is to fill each day with love.

[otana.livejournal.com]

I'm so sorry you're having to say goodbye, it's always hard. I will miss Cleo so much, she is such a lovely girl.

And poor Oka. At least he will get to play with the red bug lots!

[deborahjross.livejournal.com]

I'm so glad you got to meet both of them. They are such special fur-people.

Yes, we are giving Oka lots of laser bug play! And bones! And walkies!

[otana.livejournal.com]

Give them both big hugs and kisses from me. ♥

[deborahjross.livejournal.com]

Will do!

[sartorias.livejournal.com]

Two dear animals.

[deborahjross.livejournal.com]

They truly are. It will be interesting to watch the dynamics of the 2 younger cats as the household shifts.

I expect Oka will be back to his usual intense and bouncy self when you visit.

[aberwyn.livejournal.com]

Much sympathy from me! Losing the 4 footed friends is really hard.

[deborahjross.livejournal.com]

Thank you. The one good thing is that we know it's coming, so we appreciate them all the more in what time we have left.

[equesgal.livejournal.com]

My torie cat Jessie suffered from the same thing. It's hard when they get so thin.

[deborahjross.livejournal.com]

Yes, it's so plain when you pet them. I have to remember that petting Cleo is not an anatomy lesson, it's supposed to be source of pleasure for her.