Re: Not a great start on the vacation

[Guest guest]

Thank you, Challis! Your care is really heartwarming! much love/Reb>> Aw, Reb, I am so sorry. What a sweet story you shared. It made me cry for you two.> My love and hugs to both you and .> Challis> > > > Not a great start on the vacation> > > Hi all,> > This is the first week of my and 's vacation together, and we were going to spend most of it with my mother and sisters, with our cat Agnes (she can't be left a home without a "cat sitter" for that long, and vacation time is usually a time when finding someone with the time on their hands to take on cat sitting responsibility is hard or impossible). We were going to leave this past tuesday. But on Monday evening, when we returned home from an afternoon visit with 's grand mother at the assisted living center where she lives, Agnes greeted us looking tired and being short of breath. Other than that she didn't seem to be suffering or in pain, and she was sort of her old self (only dampened a bit). We hoped that it was just a result of the warm weather, but worried that it was rather a sign that her weak heart was giving up. We decided rather quickly that in any case she couldn't go on a train, and she could even less go by car (not a car loving> cat, that one...). So we decided that I should go as planned, and that should stay behind for a couple of days until Agnes either got better, or 's sister could come and stay with Agnes. > > There is an Animal Hospital locally, but it is not a very well renowed one, and, more especially, during Agnes last stay there they almost managed to kill her due to incompetence and neglect, and when we did take her home that time we promised her to never, ever take her there again, no matter what (yes, I know, she's a cat, what does cats know of promises, but it felt important to us to keep that promise), so we decided to, if it should prove necessary, try and get hold of a veterinarian who does home visits (we only know of one is this area who does), or, as a back-up alternative, if he was out of town or something, take her to a smaller local veterinarian clinic. > > When we spoke on the phone on Tuesday evening, said that Agnes was no better, but that neither was she any worse. Things changed during the night, though, at 4 in the morning, called to say that Agnes had woke her up by coming to the bed, and that she seemed particularly worse off, however still not in pain. We decided that should call the veterinarian as soon as he opened for business, to let Agnes go to the eternal sleep. But before that could take place, Agnes went there on her own. At 6 am called to say that Agnes wasn't breathing anymore. 's sister came to help her give Agnes a nice burial, next to Agnes' cat companion Thotmes, who died two years ago, and to clean out Agnes food and water bowl, and her litter box, so that didn't have to do that herself. > > Knowing about Agnes heart condition it was in a way expected, but somehow we both believed that Agnes still had many, many years in her (she would be 12 years old this month). That was never very realistic, and was probably just wishful thinking, but it still meant we were taken by surprise even though we shouldn't have.> > Now we are both back home, and trying to get used to not having Agnes around anymore. We are, however, grateful that she - the most home-loving cat there ever was, refusing to take as much as one step away from the house if she could help it - got to die at home, and not in a veterinarian clinic, and that it was so relatively quick and pain-free. > > We will most likely get a new cat, but we want to wait for a while, so that it really is a new cat, and not an Agnes replacement.> > Anyway, that's what's happening in our lives at the moment.> > love> /Reb> > >