A sad day

I was mainly going to use this my project blog, but it's a sad day and I have to share.

When I bought my house back in January, I had made the decision to rescue two cats from the shelter. I picked up Charlie and Jasmine, two black cats and about as opposite from each other as you could think. Jasmine is a 11 lbs eight year old bossy beech who's loud and proud, Charlie is a 8 lb three year old who's kind and gentle to everyone and everything he meets. He would frequently walk around the house and getting into everything at all hours of the night and day. When he set his mind to something, he'd do it, whether it was trying to sneak outside, get in your lap, eat your chili or sleep next to you in bed. You'd shoo him away and he'd just come right back, over and over.

He always was a clumsy cat, jumping onto window sills (and missing) and sometimes falling out of them at random. He had chronic problems with gingivitis, and was taking antibiotics to treat it all the time. Reading up on his condition later, that was a foreshadowing I could not have anticipated.

Things changed about two months ago. His clumsiness started getting a little worse, and he obviously hadn't been bathing himself. His gums had started getting red again and he wasn't eating much. He was also running a fever. Back to the vet, more antibiotics and some worming medication because they said he had worms. He seemed to get better for awhile, then it was back to the way it was before.

Eventually his back legs kept slipping ALL the time. Stairs he used to run up and down with impunity he'd walk up slowly, if at all. Instead of jumping into window sills, he'd try to climb up instead. He ran a mild fever for weeks.

I took him to the vet again. They said he could have FeHIV, Feline Leukemia, FIP, or diabetes. The glucosamine and fructosamine tests were the cheapest, I started with those. I waited a few days for the test results.

His conditioned worsened. He wasn't even be able to make it up the stairs. He'd try, slip, try again, slip and fall down all the stairs he'd climbed before giving up and going back to the sickbed, aka the couch. Watching him walk was like watching someone with polio walking on ice. He lost continence and was peeing and pooping where ever he happened to be(thank god for cover slips and hardwood floors!). I've washed so many towels....

The blood test results came back on Friday. His sugar levels are fine, but his protein is way too high. Because of his condition and symptoms the vet said its highly likely that it's [URL="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feline_infectious_peritonitis"]FIP[/URL]. There's no cure, and no palliative care. That was the last day he could walk up to the upstairs bedroom unassisted.

This weekend has been his swan song. I let him go outside a few times, and let him harass and try to chase the chickens like he used to. He meowed at the swallows that live in the neighbor's tree, never to chase after them again. He lounged in the sunlight out on the deck, happy as can be. I gave him some chili and he loved it, even though I myself had little appetite. He feasted on wet cat food and kitty treats for as much as he could stomach for the weekend. I gave him a little tuna can water earlier and he just threw it up. Last night I carried him upstairs to sleep with me, one last time. Jasmine doesn't even recognize him anymore, she hisses at him like she does any other strange cat.

The vets were super professional. I paid in advance so I could leave right after. I dug a plot for him on the side of the house where he always hid to catch those damned swallows.

I ask all of you to have your own version of a wake, whether it's just having a beer for me, hugging your pet, or just reading this for me.

I will miss you Charlie. You were, and always shall be, my friend. Hopefully the swallows wherever you are now are unladen.