Re: Cricket

[Lernermichelle]

It sounds like you had an amazing relationship with Cricket. And you are right that it would not be as hard with the others, but don't fool yourself-- it will still be hard, when the time comes.  When I talked about going through it over and over, it was not just positive cats.  I have lost 3 positives, but I have also lost a lot of other animals-- dogs to cancer, horses to leg problems and age, cats to cancer and age and heart disease.  All animals reach the point when they are sick or debilitated or will not eat, except for the few that pass suddenly, and the feeling of going through it can be just the same as going through what we do with the FeLV+ cats-- with the one exception that hopefully the others are not as young in age when they go through it, and the early age at which positive cats go through this adds a tremendously heartbreaking horror to it all.  But debilitation and death are debilitation and death, and they happen to almost all of us at some point, except those of us who die from heart attack, stroke, aneurism, or die in our sleep, which is the exception. Michelle   In a message dated 11/10/2005 11:37:34 AM Eastern Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: Michelle, You are truly an angel.  I couldn't do this over and over.  I just couldn't.  All of us have special reasons why we are here, and caring for these FeLV kitties is definitely one of yours.  I know what you mean about the day to day struggle and trying to figure out courses of treatment, getting desperate, and trying to figure out if the vet is on the money or if there might be a better way.  You hit the nail right on the head.  Maybe if I wasn't so attached to Cricket, it might have been a little easier.  We have 11 cats, 3 are my nephews, 2 strays, 3 are my dad's (mine now), and 3 are mine.  My 3 live indoors, including Cricket, and Cricket and I had our little routine every day.  He would get in the shower with me in the mornings, and I would turn on the bathroom faucet for him to drink.  When I was home, he was always in whatever room of the house that I was in, keeping a watchful eye on me.  Like Belinda's cat Buddie, he wasn't overy affectionate, but did seek me out when he wanted to be petted.  He loved tuna fish and if I asked if he wanted to go outside, he would run to the door, as he loved basking in the sun.  I don't have that type of relationship with the outside kitties and I know it would be hard to let them go, but not as hard.  I feel as if I've lost a part of my day, you know?  Part of me in a way.