GA 7/4/2019 Leoberry is fading

Losing Leoberry has touched so many people from across the globe. How amazing is that? I can tell you tears have flowed from as far away as Australia and that you are being thought of during these hard days. My friend Jeff, who I've never met, was one of the people who caught me when I was in a free-fall after my Tucker was diagnosed last year. Without his support, wisdom and empathy I don't know if I could have brought Tucker's diabetes under control. I'll always be grateful and hope when it is Tucker's time to leave us, I'll be half the bean you were to Leo. I also hope we stay friends and you won't be disappearing from this group as you are important to many people here.
Take care of one another and shower Little Dude with love. I'm so sorry for your heartache. X
 
((((Jeff & Teresa))))
Your description of LD searching the house made me recall what it was like after Gabby crossed the Bridge. My description is similar. (See Gabby's Legacy in my signature -- my post in #7.) I don't think still Gizmo searches for her but then again, I'm not home the better part of the day. I do think we both continue to miss her presence but have found a new balance with each other.
 
Oh Jeff, I am so so sorry to reading about this. I'm literally tearing up about poor Leo. My 2 guys have multitudes of health issues right now, so this hits me hard. He may be gone, but he will forever be in your hearts.
 
Dear Jeff, Teresa, and Little Dude,
Leoberry arrived safely at the Bridge, swept aloft on his new golden wings by your love. cat_wings>o The GAs welcomed him with open paws, and he will be "in good paws" until that wonderful day when when the family is reunited.
Leo was such a fine kitty and he will be missed by all of us. I am glad that his crossing was peaceful. Now he is at home in that special place in your hearts that belongs only to him. Please give LD extra special scritches from us as you share your memories of dear Leo.

Fly free, sweet Leo!

In loving remembrance and deepest sympathy,

Ella & Edward, Rusty (GA), and Stu (GA)
 
When Alice’s brother passed, I didn’t get to show her why he was never coming home again. I hope LD manages to find new comforts. And you as well.

When someone we don’t know how to live without leaves us.... there are very empty moments. The space they held in our daily routines can feel very lonely sometimes. Like something hollow.

I have been in tears for you all through his passing. I think being able to save Leo from having to pass in a scary, cold veterinary office is amazing and good. Alice’s brother passed in an oxygen chamber at the emergency vet and I never forgave myself for not being there to hold him as he left us.

:bighug::bighug::bighug:
 
Jeff, I am so sorry for your loss. Leoberry touched so many hearts here & Bronx lost a fellow acro brother. The void here will be felt forever. Leo's SRT journey inspired Bronx & myself on our decision to do the same, I can't thank you and Leo enough for that. Leo was so special and such a trooper, your love for him was second to none. He had the best life ever, he was blessed to have you. And you, Theresa & Little Dude were blessed to have him.
 
Heartfelt tears for you & Teresa. Know your sadness is felt by many here that understand how difficult this is for you.
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I’m so sorry for your loss. :bighug: Take comfort in knowing you gave him the very best life possible. So much of your experience with Leoberry reminds me of Gizmo ... from the extreme weight loss, outside adventures in the last month, to the constant reminders that he isn’t physically here with us anymore ... although his presence is still very much felt even a year later. Just this week on a camping trip, our civvie sat at the camper door where Gizmo used to sit and rolled around on the mat purring and meowing (she rarely comes out of the back bunk, let alone to the door). May time comfort and heal your grief.
 
(((((Jeff, Theresa, and Little Dude))))

I don’t have the words to express how deep my condolences are. Your posts have been poignant and such a beautiful story of the love you all share with Leo. I am certain he knew your greatest gift of love would set him free. After my Gracie crossed from SCL, people would say, “she will always be in your heart”. I knew this but I wanted her in my arms. What I have found is that she is always with me; I always feel her presence and so I hope, in the stillness, you will always feel Leo there with you because he is.

Be sure and take care of yourselves and honor your grief. It’s a long, necessary process.

Fly free, Leo; romp through the grass and enjoy your new journey.

:bighug::bighug::bighug::bighug:
 
Our first orange boy, Ernie, literally did a daily room-by-room canvassing for about a week looking for his buddy, JT, after JT died. It was heartbreaking, but we gave Ernie extra love, and I explained to him many times what happened to his best friend. Eventually Ernie stopped and seemed to understand.

Now, for the scheduling of your every move around testing, meds, feeding and shooting was harder for me to break. In our case, I lasted 9 months after our first diabetic cat Brady passed on, when a late night perusal of petfinder.com for special needs cats, you know, just "browsing" :p, popped up a spitting image of Brady 6 hours away in Maryland - and so we began our journey with Whispy who had been in that rescue for years after being diagnosed with diabetes. Other strange coincidences happened too that absolutely led us to believe that Brady led us directly to Whispy. I guess all I am saying is that, if your mind is open to it, Leo might lead you on your next adventure. It isn't necessarily to adopt another diabetic or an acro, but I think Leo will help take care of the whole in your hearts.:bighug:
 
Jeff, I’m so, so sorry to hear about Leoberry, he was such a beautiful cat and I wish you could have had more time with him. I’m thinking of you and your family. Please take care :bighug:
 
Theresa and I have read through the condolences here a couple of times. We appreciate the outpouring of love for our family and our beautiful boy Leoberry. It means the world to us. :bighug::bighug::bighug:

I can't respond to everyone. I appreciate the post from Patty, with Leo's positive impact across the globe. I hope to continue contributing to FDMB. In the past, I have tried to help many people with their diabetic and Acromegaly kittehs in the past.

Theresa and I were looking at pictures. Leo started sliding in December 2018. Then in the last month, he lost 1.5 pounds as disease coursed through him. His body was giving us the final message that the fight was over. We are happy the signs were clear, and it made the decision easier. We are happy he crossed over, in our loving embrace at home.

Yesterday we took 3 large boxes of food to the local SPCA, all of the varieties we had tried, to get Leo to eat something. It felt good to help some other kittehs, I hope they find beautiful homes for those shelter kittehs. The SPCA volunteer was surprised at the amount of food for one cat. I was too grief stricken to respond.

Theresa marked Leo's passing on the kitchen calendar, July 5th:
Dearest Leo
If Love could have saved you, then you would have lived forever.​
Love Mom and Dad
​
A few memories of Leo:
- Leo and Chinus babies in 2006
- Leo, Chinus, and Mom ~2008
- Scoobs and Leo in 2014, one of my favorite pics, Leo loved Scooby so much (Scoobs was a neighborhood stray we adopted).

Leo and Chinus in their new home 2006b.JPG

Leo and Chinus and Mom around 2008.JPG

Scooby-Leo-brothers b.jpg
 
Jeff, I am only just learning of this now from you replying on Cricket's thread.
I can't even imagine the strength to do so while you are so freshly grieving, so thank you.

I often feel that they see us as immortals as we are present for their whole lives and barely age in their eyes.
But the emotional burden is on us in this case.

I find that animals know when they want to go and tend to be very present with that. It doesn't make it any easier for us humans when we have bonded so deeply with our companions.

Sending you and Theresa virtual support in your grieving. It'll take time, it'll be hard until it is less hard.
I know Leoberry will always be with you.

Many hugs,
Teresa
 
(((Jeff, Theresa and LD)))))
I've visited your thread a number of times in the last couple of days and left in tears without posting.
It's clear that Leoberry was loved by you both and that he adored you, and in the end you gave him the greatest gift, I see him now at the bridge, chasing butterflies, making new friends and reunited with old.
Be kind to yourselves, take time to heal:bighug::bighug::bighug:
Fly Free and Land softly Sweet Leoberry
:rb_icon::rb_icon::rb_icon::rb_icon::rb_icon::rb_icon:

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Thank you all for the additional condolences. :bighug::bighug::bighug:

We are still processing Leo's passing. We have still left all his blankets in his favorite places. It feels so odd that he is not around. Twice today, I started to go check on him.:(

Teresa - you may be right. The kittehs may see us as immortals. And the burden is on us for the final time. For Leo, we are glad that it was clear he couldn't fight the diseases anymore.

Tonight we lit the memory candle, for past kittehs, and for tender Leoberry. I hope he is chasing butterflies and making new friends. We looked through pictures as the candle glowed. We couldn't find a bad picture. Leo looks happy and lovable in all of them. I miss my sweet boy so much.

Leo and Mom - December 2007
Scoobs loving on Leo - July 2010
Leo wants some too December 2007 IMG_0274.jpg

Scoobs loving Leo - July 2010.JPG
 
Jeff - I am not on this board much; my little guy passed away last year and everything is still painful. I haven't looked at his chart until this week when I was starting to bone up to help a friend who's little one was just diagnosed (not acro). I looked up a few folks I was starting to connect with last year and I saw that your little guy passed away. I am so very sorry and want to extend my heartfelt condolences. We all know how much this hurts.
 
Thanks Cynthia. The grief is subsiding a little. Leo was a great fur-kid. We are still lighting the candle every Monday night and looking through his pictures to cope. :(

Little Dude is now adjusted too. It took him about 3 weeks - he walked around the house and the backyard crying for Leo, and looking for him. He just kept looking and not finding Leo. It was hard on him. But now he realizes the change is permanent. They were the very best of brothers. I'll convey your condolences to Theresa too.:bighug:
 
JeffJ said:
Little Dude doesn't understand. We showed him Leo today, after passing. Several times in the afternoon and evening, Little Dude was walking around the house and the back porch - crying and looking for Leo. He misses his big brother. Leo and LD were such great soulmates, inseparable at times. I comforted LD on the couch tonight until he fell asleep.

Our home feels so empty without Leoberry. His big personality brought such joy to our house. It feels odd to not worry about testing him and recording numbers anymore. I used to brush him 10 times daily, and ensure his food was fresh. We did everything, but he wouldn't eat anymore. He had no body fat left, and his muscles were shrunken. Sometimes I had 10 bowls of food out so he would eat at least something. The compassionate vet said that our intervention saved Leo from an emergency passing on a sterile steel table at the emergency clinic.:(

Theresa took Leo out front for 30 minutes this morning. In the afternoon, I did the same. He just liked to look around and sit in the grass. I carried him around too. He liked to be held and carried in the last month. I tried to make his last months and days the best that were possible. We cuddled with him and talked to him after he passed today. We cuddled and talked to him during the procedure, so he wouldn't be afraid. Leo knew we were helping him. We gave Leo as much love as we could.

I miss him so much. Leo was a soulmate to everyone in the house. Oh my sweet boy.
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Jeff and Teresa my heart breaks for both of you and Little Dude. I have tears in my eyes just hearing about Little Dude looking for precious Leo. I was looking at the pictures of your kitties, such precious babies. I know how it feels to say goodbye to one of our babies. Years ago I had to say goodbye to 2 of my precious kitties. You just never forget them.
I'm sure that every kitty that has passed is now having the time of their lives just playing around and jumping from cloud to cloud , eating whatever they want to. I'm sure Leo knew that you both loved him so very much. Again my heart goes out to you both
 
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