Christie & Willie (GA)
Member Since 2010
Thanks to Cheryl for sharing on FB earlier today. It's with a most heavy heart that I share with our LL family that Willie went to the bridge yesterday afternoon. I'm absolutely heartbroken.
For those who didn't know of him, Willie was an old man. He was 20-21 years old and had blessed my life for the past 19 after taking advantage of an open front door on a cold night in November 1997 and announcing that he was now part of my family.
He was diagnosed with diabetes in December of 2010, which brought us here. We lost our dear Miss Jezebelle a week later, and for many months Willie struggled with grief, diabetes, and pemphigus, an auto-immune skin disorder. Through 30 long months of treatment with the support of the amazing family we made here, Willie went OTJ from both insulin and his pemphigus meds (which is apparently quite rare) and had only a couple very brief relapses. He was a CKD kitty for years and years and had a heart murmur, which made giving fluids something of a last resort for us as the vets were concerned they would overtax his heart.
Over the past several months, his kidneys had been in steady decline. We'd tried phosphorus binders, which helped a little. We tried fluids, though we never got to the point where the benefits really outweighed his agitation in getting the treatment. He was losing weight. While I was away for the holidays, he started eating even less. I was home ill for several days last week and got the chance to really spend time with him...and see how his quality of life had declined. I'd given him one more week to turn a corner, having purchased every food he might like. He tried hard, but by this past weekend, it was clear that it was time.
We had a most wonderful vet come to our home and my sweet boy left his earthly body cradled in a heated blanket in my arms after having spent the morning snuggled there with Herbie and I. I hope that his passing afforded him the dignity and honor that he so richly deserved.
You see, while every pet is special there are some that just touch you in ways you could never imagine. Willie was one of those pets. There was not a person that did not like him....no matter how much they proclaimed to not like cats. He had a personality like no other and a sweet gentle spirit that touched so many.
During his final minutes, he responded to the sedative so quickly and was sleeping so soundly that the vet remarked about how much he clearly had been fighting for his mama. Those words hit me like a ton of bricks today. You see, Willie had been giving me signs. Last week, when I called the vet to schedule his goodbye, they were short staffed and I broke down and said I'd have to call back later. He came, sat on me, purred for the first time in many months and then went to the litter box to show me he would use it (we'd been having issues with that). He then gobbled down greedily the food that I gave him for dinner.
Even yesterday, I had to set him up with his blanket on the sofa and then call the vet from the other room because every time I'd tried, he'd gotten in my lap and blocked the phone.
The vet's kind words made me realize that my sweet, sweet boy wasn't trying to tell me that he wanted to stay so much as he was telling me he would stay if that is what I needed. He didn't want his mama to be sad. I know someday I will be grateful for knowing this, but today? Today I would give anything in the world for just two more minutes to hold my boy and tell him just how much his unwavering and unconditional love has meant to me these past 19 years and that I'm so sorry for any pain he might have suffered because I'd waited to be sure.
So tonight, I ask that our Lantus Land family light a candle to pave his way and raise a glass to my sweet boy and keep Herbie and I in your thoughts as we figure out how to live our lives without his presence. I find tremendous comfort in knowing that all of his LL family will be there to welcome him to his new life, with his sweet Miss Jezebelle by his side. The party will epic. A neverending pile of sausages on the grill, the niptinis flowing freely and our angels all living free of worry and pain, having adventures and engaging in all kinds of shenanigans.
Thank you friends for reading. For being the kind of pet parents that understand how this feels. And for creating a place that has given me memories that will get me through the difficult days. Words cannot express my gratitude for this space and the family I will always have here.
Christie
For those who didn't know of him, Willie was an old man. He was 20-21 years old and had blessed my life for the past 19 after taking advantage of an open front door on a cold night in November 1997 and announcing that he was now part of my family.
He was diagnosed with diabetes in December of 2010, which brought us here. We lost our dear Miss Jezebelle a week later, and for many months Willie struggled with grief, diabetes, and pemphigus, an auto-immune skin disorder. Through 30 long months of treatment with the support of the amazing family we made here, Willie went OTJ from both insulin and his pemphigus meds (which is apparently quite rare) and had only a couple very brief relapses. He was a CKD kitty for years and years and had a heart murmur, which made giving fluids something of a last resort for us as the vets were concerned they would overtax his heart.
Over the past several months, his kidneys had been in steady decline. We'd tried phosphorus binders, which helped a little. We tried fluids, though we never got to the point where the benefits really outweighed his agitation in getting the treatment. He was losing weight. While I was away for the holidays, he started eating even less. I was home ill for several days last week and got the chance to really spend time with him...and see how his quality of life had declined. I'd given him one more week to turn a corner, having purchased every food he might like. He tried hard, but by this past weekend, it was clear that it was time.
We had a most wonderful vet come to our home and my sweet boy left his earthly body cradled in a heated blanket in my arms after having spent the morning snuggled there with Herbie and I. I hope that his passing afforded him the dignity and honor that he so richly deserved.
You see, while every pet is special there are some that just touch you in ways you could never imagine. Willie was one of those pets. There was not a person that did not like him....no matter how much they proclaimed to not like cats. He had a personality like no other and a sweet gentle spirit that touched so many.
During his final minutes, he responded to the sedative so quickly and was sleeping so soundly that the vet remarked about how much he clearly had been fighting for his mama. Those words hit me like a ton of bricks today. You see, Willie had been giving me signs. Last week, when I called the vet to schedule his goodbye, they were short staffed and I broke down and said I'd have to call back later. He came, sat on me, purred for the first time in many months and then went to the litter box to show me he would use it (we'd been having issues with that). He then gobbled down greedily the food that I gave him for dinner.
Even yesterday, I had to set him up with his blanket on the sofa and then call the vet from the other room because every time I'd tried, he'd gotten in my lap and blocked the phone.
The vet's kind words made me realize that my sweet, sweet boy wasn't trying to tell me that he wanted to stay so much as he was telling me he would stay if that is what I needed. He didn't want his mama to be sad. I know someday I will be grateful for knowing this, but today? Today I would give anything in the world for just two more minutes to hold my boy and tell him just how much his unwavering and unconditional love has meant to me these past 19 years and that I'm so sorry for any pain he might have suffered because I'd waited to be sure.
So tonight, I ask that our Lantus Land family light a candle to pave his way and raise a glass to my sweet boy and keep Herbie and I in your thoughts as we figure out how to live our lives without his presence. I find tremendous comfort in knowing that all of his LL family will be there to welcome him to his new life, with his sweet Miss Jezebelle by his side. The party will epic. A neverending pile of sausages on the grill, the niptinis flowing freely and our angels all living free of worry and pain, having adventures and engaging in all kinds of shenanigans.
Thank you friends for reading. For being the kind of pet parents that understand how this feels. And for creating a place that has given me memories that will get me through the difficult days. Words cannot express my gratitude for this space and the family I will always have here.
Christie
There are a host of our sugar cat GA's out there to greet you at the Bridge.
