Kitty Cat Blues

Kitty Cat Blues

I love animals, and I especially love my baby cat I’ve raised now for the past 16 years. And, without bragging, I’d have to say he’s the sweetest and best cat I’ve ever known. He cuddles, coos, and acts like a baby and has been fairly low maintenance. Plus, he’s as loyal as a dog. He listens and follows me around the house. He jumps up when I snap my fingers to him. And, he comes when I whistle and call him.

My family got him as a kitten when my other cat died of liver cancer. And, he’s just been a joy. Recently, I’ve gotten frustrated with him because he’s thrown up on the comforter a few times and on the carpet. Don’t get me wrong, he’s always thrown up every few months, but I had to wash the comforter 3 days in a row from him and it just got to be a little much. Just when I would clean it up, change the sheets and remake the bed, he would do it again. I never understood why he couldn’t puke on the tile floor. That’s easy to clean. Then after I cleaned it up, he’d do it again. You get frustrated and tired of cleaning it! Plus, how do you disinfect carpet? Yuck. So I thought to myself, I love him, but one day when it’s his time, it’ll be nice when I don’t have to deal with it: cleaning all the puke, the litter box and being extra careful removing any plastic from the house –as he eats it. In addition, I’ve developed a dog and cat allergy. I can deal with that. I’ve been taking allergy shots for the past two years.

Now I’m feeling guilty like I gave him a death sentence. He hasn’t been feeling well the past few weeks. I took him to a new vet, and she told me he has water surrounding his lungs and he’s in distress. At home, however, he’s been his normal self minus not eating his hard food.So I gave him soft food. I thought I was taking him in just to leave with a laxative–not a death sentence. The vet actually wants to put him down. And, I tell ya–I’m a wreck. That’s my baby. I lost his best friend, another good cat, to a mouth tumor two years ago and I cried every day for a week when I came home after putting him down. He used to greet me when I opened the door to the house.

I called another vet for a second opinion. It just sucks. There’s never a good time for any death–whether person or animal. It always is hard. I hope he’ll be ok. I’ll keep everyone informed.