Update on Autumn & Stuff

[MommaOfMuse]

Well Autumn is doing wonderful considering her sensitive self and the sad times we are going through right now....You see we learned a week ago we are losing our oldest boy and Autumn's first and best friend here...Onyx.

After a rather scary trip to the ER a week ago thursday with Onyx screaming and his tongue turning blue we learned he has a tumor taking up about 1/2 of his right lung and pushing his heart out of place. Since then we have had to take him back to the vet's twice more to have fluid drained from his lungsand at this point they have removed more than 600ml of fluid.

Right now Onyx is maintaining a fairly good quality of life although he hates being pilled and so far as figured out all the tricks that mom has tried to hide the pills on him...sigh The vet has him on 5mg of pred 3x a day and albuterol every 4-6 hours, which seems to be maintaining him fairly well, but Autumn I think knows something is wrong with her buddy and everytime he has to go get fluid drained she will spike on me for a day or two, so I'm just holding her steady on her 1u dose and trying to not react to a higher day if it is around a trip with Onyx.

I do worry about how she is going to react when the day finally comes to release Onyx, as they have become pretty bonded since she has been with us. And he is about the only one that she will sleep or cuddle with. And he is absolutely the only one she will allow to eat out of her food dish. So I'm sure his eventual death is going to be extremely hard on her. Does anyone have a suggestion on anything I can do with her to make his passing easier on her? I am thinking about when that day comes to see if our vet will come to the house to help him cross so that the rest of the fur gang knows what is happening, as Onyx is the last of the original two cats that came with me when Jon and I got married.

Mel, Maxwell, Autumn & The Fur Gang

 

[Laura and Harley (GA)]

(((Mel))) I had the same exact situation with Hadley and Bagheera. They had bonded so closely that I was very worried about how Hadley would cope when it was time to say goodbye to his buddy. During the phone consultation with Dawn Allen when I found out both Harley and Baggy were ready to leave, I asked her to communicate with Princess, Hadley and Molly to let them know that both their furry brothers would be going to the Bridge soon. It was the only thing I could think of to do. Hadley was and is still a little lost since Bagheera died. He is getting closer to me and is trying to make friends with Vinny but Vinny is definitely not Bagheera. I can't say much now, but am hoping in the near future to introduce him to someone who he might become friends with in time...but it'll never be the same.

I don't suppose this is much help, but it's all I have.

Purrs, scritches and much love to you sweet Onyx. It's like losing my Baggy all over again. :cry:

 

[Sheila & Beau GA & Jeddie GA]

(((Mel & Jon & Autumn)))

Talking with an AC is the only thing I can think of proactively. And it is probably a good thing for both Onyx and Autumn. After the fact, only time can heal the loss they feel.

Beau has now lost three cuddle buddies, two of which he was very close to. After the first he was depressed for a while, but also had just been dx with the FD so was not feeling well either. He was not as close to Charlotte and by the time she was getting very old, Jeddie was here, so it wasn't as much of a blow to him. I think losing Jeddie was a big blow to him and he is still a little sad and depressed about it. He has made adjustments and tries to share cuddles with one of the two younger cats and tries to play with her and her sister. He also gets on my lap more. A lot more. Which I hope helps him. It is not the same, of course, but I think they are like people in that their pain eases over time and they meet a new cat or open up to an "old" friend a little more. And life goes on.

I am so very sorry to hear about Onyx. Prayers that he has more quality time to share with all of you. Give him a pat from me.

 

[Maresydotes]

I am sorry to hear about Onyx. I am sure that will be tough on Autumn. With my last 'set' of cats, two were very close. When we had to PTS one, the other broke my heart. He would go to all her special spots and cry for her. It made me cry every time. You cannot tell me that they don't feel love and they don't mourn after that experience. He clearly was mourning her absence. I hope Autumn handles it well.