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Kat
Starting Member
3 Posts |
 Posted - 01/18/2009 : 06:41:39
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I recently loss my cat Baby after 16 years. This is his story.
I was raised on a farm and we always had tons of cats around. I loved every animal we had on our farm but never really had a favorite. That would change when I turned 21. There was a new litter of kittens outside our back door. My sister and I would spend most of our days outside petting each one. The adult cats were wild. All the kittens were growing and very active except for one. He was the runt. A solid black sickly looking kitten. Didnt eat or move much. A couple of months later he disappeared. We assumed he had died. Several months went by and my sister happended to find this kitten we thought had died. It was underneath the neighbors butane tank. My sister came into the house yelling for me, "look what I found". This kitten was still sickly looking, skinny and didnt seem to have grown at all. We had never been allowed to keep animals in our home. But since our parents had separated, my sister and I decided that we would keep this kitten inside my room and keep him hidden from mom. We name him Baby because he was so tiny. Baby was very shy and spooked very easily. So keeping him hidden from mom was an easy task. 3 months went by and my mom began to ask us if there was a cat in the house because her allergies seem to have gotten worse in the past few months. Of course we said no way did we have a cat in the house. One afternoon my mom arrived home from work early. We did not hear her come inside. My sister and I were on my bed petting Baby when in walks mom. Her eyes were very wide at the site of this kitten in the house. She said she just knew we had a cat in the house and that it would have to go. We explained to her this whole story and begged her to let us keep him since we felt he would eventually die. But to no avail. So we had to play dirty. My sister and I had to cry. Well this worked and mom let us keep Baby inside. After a few trips to the vet for his shots, he had to get his tail amputated due to an infection. He was left with about an inch and a half. We called it his "stub" We nursed this tiny sickly kitten into a large, very healthy cat. At his peak, Baby weighed in at a fluffy 18lbs. Baby had a beautiful long furr-ed solid, shinny jet black coat. He was the most beautiful cat I had ever seen. I then moved to a home of my own and designated one of my spare rooms all to my Baby. He had every kind of toy, scratching post, window pirch and cat furniture. Plus extras all over the house. Baby loved sleeping under the covers with me and understood all of my baby talk to him. I never had loved anyone so unconditional and he to me. Baby was a very healty, happy and very spoiled kitty. His speacialty was opening cabinets, drawers and closet doors. His most favorite toy, a twist tie. He loved being held like a baby and being told he was king of the house. 7 years ago I adopted a blue point siamese, Mandi. Baby & Mandi were a match made in heaven. We were a purr-fect family. In early september 2008 I took Baby to the vet for some wheezing like breathing. Baby had a case of pneumonia & asthma. It wasnt until then that I realized that not every illness could be cured with medicine. Treatments were not working and Baby was quickly getting worse. He spent 6 days a week at the vet and then came home to continue his care with me at night. I always knew saying good bye to Baby was just totally out of the question. My vet and her staff were great. We were all determined to beat this. The entire staff knew us so well since Baby had been with them since he was so tiny. We all had the same determination we had when everyone thought he was too tiny and sickly to make it. We succeeded then and would now. I prayed even harder, but God had his own plan. It became harder and harder for him to breathe and was really taking its toll watching him suffer. But he still wasnt to a point of being put down. In mid september I rushed Baby to an after hour emergency vet clinic with extreme difficulty breathing. After being x-rayed it was found that his asthma was not letting up. Then due to his extreme panting and mouth only breathing, the vet was able to look down his throat and see a tumor on his esophagus. The tumor was not visible on any of the xrays. It was not operable and that dreaded moment of my life was staring me straight in the face. At that moment every moment and memory of his life flashed through my mind very chaotic. I was now having extreme trouble breathing and even standing up. Fortunately my aunt had met me at the emergency vets office. In late august I purchased "Saying good bye to your angel animals" & "Angel Cats" I guess some how deep deep down inside, my inner self must have known I would need it. I tried to remind myself that this had to be about Baby & his needs. Not mine. But I wanted to be selfish and keep him forever. This just couldnt be happening. But it was. After my hundreds of questions, the vet explained how this all worked. How he would not feel any pain. He would just go to sleep, but forever. I had to say goodbye. My heart and soul ripped out of my body and I wanted to go with him. Life without him,just could not be. So my aunt hugged him, talked to him, told him how much she would miss him. Then she kissed him good bye. Now, it was my turn. I never had to put a pet down. I know its the right thing to do. The humane thing. But I never knew it would be the one thing that would destroy my heart and soul. I thanked Baby for all the joy and love he gave me and brought to my life. I told him how I was a better person because of him and that I would NEVER EVER forget him and would ALWAYS LOVE HIM. It was now time, Baby looked me straight in the eyes peacefully. Then he left....I still cant talk about him without crying. Thankfully no one has told me anything insensitive even though most dont understand the extreme love a person can have for their pet. It has been very hard finding comfort, I just cant. Baby's ashes are at home with us. But his loving heart and soul are within us. Mandi has finally started being herself again. She misses Baby dearly. Tons of pictures hang in every room of the house. They bring me some very needed comfort. I beleive that he is looking down to us from heaven and when my day comes, he will greet me at the entrance to heaven wagging his cute little stub and meowing me a "welcome" Nothing can ever prepare you to say good bye to your Angel.....
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Forever Heartbroken
