Osha’s story
I first met Osha in August of 2009. She was a friend’s cat at the time. For some reason, the friend’s girlfriend did not enjoy Osha being around. (still blows my mind that someone could feel that way about Osha) So, he asked if she could come stay with us for a little bit. Of course I said, yes. We instantly fell in love with her. She was a super sweet, fluffy, grey and white tuxedo. I finally reached out to the friend and told him, we need to know if we can keep her or if you are taking her back because we love her. Without hesitation, he said we could keep her. Osha officially became a part of our family on August 26, 2009. My daughter was almost 5 years old at the time and now she is 17, so she has grown up with Osha.
Osha was unlike any other cat I had met. She was super social and easy going. She loved being around her people and cat family members. We always joked that she was more like a dog than a cat. She would always greet anyone that came to the door and demand pets and attention. She loved snuggling and sitting in laps. She was unphased by anything…loud noises, young kids, dressing her up, car rides, vet visits, nail trims, dogs, vacuum cleaners….seriously….she wouldn’t even react or look at it when the Roomba would run directly into her. Super super chill kitty. Her favorite place to be scratched was right under her chin….that was t h e spot! Second favorite spot was to rub those super soft ears with the white fur poking out. There really was not a “no” spot, but those two were her favorites. You could pick her up and carry her anywhere with you. She was always ready to “go along for the ride”. She was such an active member in our family and daily routines.
Early spring of 2016 I noticed she was losing weight and drinking lots of water. I had two cats previously with hyperthyroid, so I thought this could be the culprit. I took her to her vet and the time and let him know what I was seeing. He agreed to test her thyroid and did it in house. He came back and said it was fine and wanted to send me on my way home. I was so confused. I knew something was wrong with my cat. I knew NOTHING about diabetes at the time, but I just said, “could you please test her blood sugar”. He shockingly cut her nail to the quick to get blood to test her sugar! Oh trust me, if I had known anything at the time, I would not have let him do that! Mind you, he never even offered to run a full blood panel. Her number came back in the 300’s, sent me home with prescription wet and dry food and said to come back in a few weeks.
Of course I started to google about feline diabetes and learned how to and how easy it is to test blood sugar on cats. I went back for a follow up at the same practice but requested another vet. She took her blood sugar, the correct way from her ear, and there was no change. She suggested to give it a few more weeks and if after that it was still high we would start insulin. I asked for a script for insulin to start then and voiced how concerned about Osha I was, but she insisted on waiting another couple weeks. A week later on 4/24/16 Osha was admitted to the emergency hospital with DKA, pancreatitis, hepatic lipidosis. She weighed 8lbs 2 oz.She spent 4 days at the ER vet. She came home with a feeding tube and the following meds to be given: cerenia, pepcid, potassium, clavamox, orbax, metronizadole, lantus. A follow up vet visit (not the original vet…never went back) on 5/7/16 and all bloodwork and urine cultures were great. Osha finished all her meds on 5/16. The feeding tube was removed on 5/21. At the time she was eating 2, 3oz cans fancy feast pate and on Lantus insulin and I was using a relion confirm meter. On June 5th she weighed 8lbs 12 oz. By July 17 she was up to a wonderfully healthy 10 lbs.
She survived. She really survived. It was touch and go, but this girl showed herself to be a fighter.
During this time, I found the FDMB, a feline diabetic message board. At first, I was so scared. I would just read the posts and not even understand what they were communicating, let alone understanding the format for how they were titling their posts each day. The amount of knowledge and support these people have is just like nothing other. They held my hand as I was going through a period of not trusting vets. They taught me about the blood sugar numbers, how to test, what kind of food to feed and did it with an immense amount of patience and caring.
In an amazing turn of events, my unknown, future husband’s cat was also in DKA near the same time as Osha. He also had recently joined the FDMB. We built a friendship, then a relationship, then love, and then he and his two cats moved to the United States and we got married.
Osha had quite the personality during this time. She became obsessed with food. She LOVED the fancy feast pate. But she also loved carbs! Oh this diabetic, carb loving girl. She was a handful! One morning, I walked into the kitchen with a slightly orange colored cat and a bag or Cheetos opens and all over the kitchen floor. But I think her favorite was bread….that girl loved bread. So much so, that I ended up putting child proof locks on the cabinets, so I wouldn’t wake up to bags of food open all over the floor. Oh my silly Osha!
About 2018 is when the slow decline began. She started to have high blood pressure and some protein in her urine and kidney issues. Blood pressure meds worked. The next downfall was when she started to have intestinal issues, I think in 2019. She began losing weight and having diarrhea. A few ultrasounds over the years showed thickening of the intestines. Diagnosed as possible IBD or possible Lymphoma. I always declined the option to do a biopsy and just treated symptomatically. Steroids, Pro biotics and novel protein foods helped. Occasionally she would have a flare up and many times you could hear her tummy making noises.
When the shutdown happened in March 2020, all of the cats were not sure what to think. “Why are they home all the time now? When can we have our kitty parties now?” But quickly, they all became to love us being home. We started new routines and they all loved the attention. So many days I would be teaching virtually with Osha in my lap, or walking around my legs, or trying to walk across the keyboard. She was just a cat that always wanted to be in the center of the action.
Shockingly, on April 4, 2021, Osha went “off the juice”. NO more insulin!!! Her last insulin shot was on 3/21/21 and her blood sugar remained in the normal range for the rest of her life. Her last blood glucose check I did was on February 1, 2022 and it was 86! So amazing.
After a vet visit in May of 2021 when the labs came back, I was informed that Osha was at the end of life stage. I was not ready in any way to hear that news. Osha’s anemia was becoming worse and worse and eventually she could not live with those declining red blood cell numbers and protein loss. She was also having heart issues due to the anemia. Thankfully the vet worked very closely with me until she passed in making sure we were giving Osha the best chance at survival. From this time on, she was pretty much on the following medicines: Prednisolone, B 12, Proviable, Phos Bind, Renal K+, Telmisartan, Plavix, Spirnolactone, Miralax.
After this visit, Osha had a seizure. Clearly, I am not new to watching seizures, as Sebastien continues to have multiple seizures a month. But this was…terrifying. I thought she was passing away right in front of me in such a traumatic fashion (although logically I know from Sebastien, he has never had any recollection of a seizure. Traumatic for the observer, not the patient). We had another trip to the vet and it was decided not to give anti seizure meds unless she had another seizure. In July 2021, she had another seizure and we started phenobarbital. She never had another seizure after that. However, I do believe something neurological was going on. The last few months, she would do quick jerking movements to sounds like a treat bag, spoon banging on a dish.
A few months later, her anemia is at a tipping point. We give a last chance support effort of epogen. It did n o t h I n g. The vet said there is one last med to try, Darbepoetin. In January 2022 I got the amazing news that the Darbepoetin was working. It was such a wonderful day.
Since May 2021, Osha has slowly become weaker and weaker. This Sunday, February 13, there was a noticeable decline in Osha’s ability to walk. She’s just too weak. I spend the next few days agonizing over the choice I need to make. I need to stop making it about me and make it about her.
One of the most wonderful things is that Sebastien works from home. I was so so so nervous to leave her and the other kitties all day when they had become so used to us and Osha’s health was failing. Sebastien took such good care of her during the day when I went back to in person teaching. During lunch time, they would take walks around the neighborhood together. He always shared some of his chicken with her. They would have quality time together.
I wake up around 2am on Thursday morning and I decide it is time. I log in to email substitutes I know and to put my absence in the system and email admin. Amaya is also awake and comes out to talk with me. I tell her what is going on with Osha and that I think it’s time. She is sad but understands. I let her know she will stay home from school to be with us and Osha. I watch her play her video game for awhile and we chit chat and I go back to sleep.
Even though I am saying these things and planning this to happen, it’s like there is no way this can happen. She will get better. We will find another way to help. I can’t say goodbye.
I make a last hope phone call to her vet. She is on vacation. I ask the receptionist if any one of the vets could please just look at her information to see if anything else can be done and to share the symptoms to help confirm I am making the right decision in letting her go today. She said she would have someone call as soon as they could. Disappointingly, no one called. Fortunately, the vet that came to the home agreed it was time.
I am not going to fail her. I really really really really don’t want to do this at the vet. I need to do this at home. I call lap of love. They don’t have an appointment until Monday. That will not work. I call Gentle Vet Housecalls. I describe what is happening. She says she will be over in a few hours. I call my mom, let her know what is happening, and she immediately comes over.
This home experience was way different from any other euthanasia I have helped an animal through. At the vet, it has always been this kind of…instant death. Me, Sebastien, Amaya and Mom were all on the patio with Osha. It was an amazingly beautiful day in the 50’s with a light breeze. Osha always loved going on the patio, for walks and being in the grass. The vet helped to make this a very comfortable, loving passing.
The way this feels is indescribable. I feel worse today then I did yesterday. I just hurt. I absolutely hate this. A piece of me is missing. I want her back. I LOVE HER!
Osha had this favorite spot underneath the table buy the sliding glass window. I don’t remember how it started, but there was an amazon bag on the floor under the table. Osha laid down on it and then that became her “amazon shopping” spot. She loved siting there, looking out the window and getting sun.
I will miss her scratching at the door. Almost every morning at 5am, she would scratch at the door to be let out.
If she wanted you to wake up, she would come up and start chewing on my hair. It drove me crazy. It was very effective.
Osha was one of a kind. She took a piece of my heart with her.
I love you, Osha.
I will add pics later.
Amanda and Sebastien
