Thursday, October 26, 2006

Time is approaching

Elliott, my beloved long haired tuxedo cat, is starting to really fail. He does nothing but sleep, his walking is labored, and today he had trouble jumping up to the table where the food is served. TGF said she went to lift him up and he objected to the touch, which has become more common. He is very swollen and no doubt quite uncomfortable. I have been finding little puddles of very concentrated urine, which I am sure are his.

I have posted to a local resource list asking for contact information for a v
et who would come to the house to put him down. I simply cannot imagine taking him in somewhere and bringing his body home. I just can't. Not that doing it here will be easier really, but it just feel more "right" to me. Having him die at home fits with my idea that birth happens at home, unless it really needs to be elsewhere. It is about respecting life for me. I have no idea how I managed to live this long without having this experience.

Right now I am remembering when we lost a foster kitten, one the first ones - Larissa, she and Atticus (nee Lycus) came to us together on a Saturday in late May. We called her "calendar kitty", she was sure to be an absolute stunner. Atticus was far from a beauty, though he turned into an absolutely striking adult cat. She was vivacious and lively, but then suddenly she became sick and in about 3 or 4 days we woke up to her limp, tiny, and soft body. Actually I dealt with it really well, lifting her small, almost weightless body and cuddling her against my cheek. TGF solemnly took her body and buried her in our front yard. The spot is marked and next to her is planted lemon balm and strawberries. Now we will have another special spot to mark and honor. Soon, all too soon.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm so sorry to hear about your Elliot. I've had to make that decision about a couple of my dogs when I was breeding mastiffs and the first time I left it too long out of selfishness. I'll never make that mistake again.

Luckily for us, our vet was more than willing to come to our home and help our loved one leave with dignity.

I wish you luck finding someone who will help you with this.

Barbara
http://the-string-and-i.blogspot.com/

Jennie said...

I am so, so sorry, honey. You have shown him such love. This is one more time to show huge love.

Wyatt's Mom said...

At least we get this time with him. Our purring little guy.

reasonably prudent poet said...

so so sad! before i read the post, i started to jump on and post a comment about how that's the most awesome, hilarious, *perfect* picture of a cat i've ever seen, with his wide eyes and his flared nostrils, but then i read the post and now i'm just sad. i'm sorry, but it is a beautiful thing and a blessing to shepherd a loved one (human or animal) from this world to the next. good luck.

Dharma said...

Hi RPP

Actually the photo in this post is Larissa, there are photos of dear Elliott in few entries back.

Thank you for your kind thoughts.

Anonymous said...

I'm so sorry, sweetie, I know how hard it is to lose a pet, but he will be in both you and TGF's memories forever.

lousianaswamprat.blogspot.com

Diane said...

I'm really sorry. I've been there, and it's such a bad thing to go through. I hope you find a vet who will come to your house.