Pekoe (last post)

[Marlene Chornie]

This will be by last post to the list.  As you all know, our sweet little orange/white tabby Pekoe (for orange pekoe tea) went to the Bridge May 23rd.  Prior to that, he had been doing very well on Interferon Alpha and Prednisone since Jan.  The two things he loved most in his life were eating and curling up on our laps.  Several weeks before he died, he slowly went off his food and began vomiting occasionally.  He was definitely not the type of cat that would have appreciated being syringe-fed.  We always said, if he ever goes off his food, we'll know that something is seriously wrong with him.  Right up until the end, he was still taking food on his own but with much coaxing.  We are thankful that we didn't have to resort to syringe-feeding him.  His last blood work about a week before showed declines in several of the numbers, and an X-ray indicated something was wrong with his small intestines.     Rather than put him through any invasive tests/procedures, we decided to let him go with dignity.  A vet and vet tech came to our home, and Pekoe passed comfortably while curled up in his most favourite place - on my husband's lap. We told him we loved him and to look for Digby at the Bridge. We had him separately cremated, and his ashes returned in an urn.  He's back with us now, beside his buddy Digby.  As with Digby, we offered for our vet clinic to do a post-mortem for learning purposes, for any knowledge they may gain with FelV.  It is suspected that he may have had an infiltrative lymphoma, which eases our minds a little that we spared him any real pain and suffering.      I want to thank all of you for sharing your knowledge and experiences, and wish you and your furkids success in your trials and tribulations.   ~In Memory of~ Digby: June 2003 - May 24, 2005 & Pekoe: Nov. 2003 - May 23, 2006   "They will not go quietly, the cats who've shared our lives. In subtle ways they let us know their spirit still survives. Old habits still make us think we hear a meow at the door. Or step back when we drop a tasty morsel on the floor. Our feet still go around the place the food dish used to be, And, sometimes, coming home at night, we miss them terribly. And although time may bring new friends and a new food dish to fill, That one place in our hearts belongs to them ... and always will."   (Author Unknown)   Marlene