Pillow Fort

[Sweetintoxikation]

*hugs* So very sorry Minkey. My heart and prayers go out to you and your family. <3

[Angel_of_Music]

I'm a touch late on this, but I'm sorry for your losses Minkey. That...that would break me down so bad. I send hugs to you and prayers to you and your family

[Phoenix Stardancer]

So I spent yesterday at the ER for most ost of the day. I had to go due to blisters and rash from my ear canal to the inside of my mouth. It turns out I have shingles so I am on a heavy antibiotics, antiviral and even some steroids due to all the swelling I had from it. I got some recommendations to help with eating until the inside of my mouth heals enough to actually eat my usual food.

Apparently stress can cause the ear and inside of mouth mouth to get shingles. Apparently I stressed out a bit much with the hurricane coming so close. Add in stressing as we try to get things done around here with the influx of people as most of the surrounding areas got hit hard.

Any other suggestions beyond pudding, mashed taters, protein shakes, and ice cream would be very welcome while my mouth heals.

[Sweetintoxikation]

Today is a little surreal and difficult.

Our youngest cat, Seifer, has crossed the rainbow bridge. We knew about 2 weeks after our corgi's original lymphoma diagnosis that Seifer had a heart defect (structural and basically was just a ticking time bomb). But we'd ignored it because he was doing so well on his medication.

Unfortunately there was always that little part of me that's been paranoid and watching him for signs/symptoms to do with his heart. So, about 3 weeks ago he started getting picky about his food. We thought it was due to tartar on his teeth. (We couldn't get his teeth fixed due to his heart; how we originally found out etc.)

So we'd swapped him to soft food. This was fine for those weeks though about a week ago he started not eating anything but the soft food. Like... literally cleaned the kibble of the food then left kibble. And finally about 36 hours ago he'd turned his nose up at all food offered.

This sign was the most blaring 'NOT GOOD' sign I've had from him in over a year. So we took him into the vet and he had blood work and x-rays done. The sad conclusion being he apparently was doing alright in his heart but had a mass/tumor in his stomach. The vet let us know this type of mass was either carcinoma or lymphoma. We could try to get him seen for emergency surgery to remove the mass and test it. But the procedure was extra dangerous because of his heart. And which time we'd know if he'd have months to a couple years left or weeks. His red blood cell count was very low; they suspected he was bleeding. The palliative 'care' options were not going to be easy on him and he'd have to transfer him from our normal vet's office to an emergency facility to do more tests before trying to schedule the surgery.

I've been through the lymphoma treatments with our corgi, and while we appreciated the time we got ... it had a lot of other emotional tolls as well. My husband and I made the choice to let Seifer rest instead of draw out a very traumatic series of 'maybe we can pull him through'. The maybes weren't worth his quality of life and his life is more important than our pain.

Paul went to be with him in the end and gave him all the cuddles and kisses. I had given him my cuddles in the vet's office before he was dropped off for the tests.

Seifer left us too early and yet had a very well loved and chaotic 10 whole years with us as his family.

He tormented all his sisters and was the very best cuddler. Even when he'd turn around and nip your nose in on of his 'I need chaos' moods. He'll be missed. He is loved. And today is both painful and surreal.

He was my first male kitty, my orange tabby monster. The one my husband named (aptly) for a jerk of a character from Final Fantasy. And he was too darned smart for a cat. (Dude learned to open our doors... too smart.) R.I.P Seifer. Until we meet again.

[wolfrysk]

Toxi I'm so terribly sorry big hugs for you and Paul

[Operetta]

Sorry to hear that you lost a furry family member. *hugs*

[Sweetintoxikation]

Thank you both. Its the sort of sadness that comes in waves. and I've had my first 2 nights and morning without him trying to murder me for food. Its...different not having him lead me down the hallway.

It is the first time I don't have regrets about how long we tried to keep him going. His heart medication WAS doing what it was supposed to. The poor little guy just lost the genetic lottery with the addition of the tumor in his stomach.

I complain about him being a jerk but really he was just a feisty love-bug. He was the best cuddler of all my kitties and I love him so dearly. I have good memories with him and he really did have a good life with us.

Its weird to be a household of 6 now... instead of 7. It's going to be rough for a long time and it doesn't happen that I know he was my youngest cat. But he is loved and he isn't suffering now. Likely he's over that rainbow bridge playing with Beau and meeting his predecessor fur-siblings (Simba, Smokey, Kyona, Dakota, Shadow. Etc).

He's in good company over that rainbow bridge.

[Angel_of_Music]

I'm sorry for your loss Toxi. It's always hard losing a furbaby that you've had for so long. They are always missed and always loved and when they pass, they take a piece of our heart with them so they can always carry your love with them.