Aww Maggie, thanks so much for this post. I couldn't agree with you
more. I went through the same agonies with decisions, should I separate
them, should I let them play outside, all the medical decisions,
conflicting advice, but like you, I soon realized it was the decision to
let them live their lives with as much loving quality as possible that
really mattered. Bless you and your sweet little family, may your
'kittens be kittens' for a very long time to come!! Enjoy those babies,
and thanks for sharing the joy with us!
Nina
[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
Welcome!
I've only been on this board a little over a month, so I don't have a
lot of practical advice to give you. I can tell you that my kitten was
diagnosed at 6 months after being sick off and on from the time I got
her at 4 months. The vet believes she contracted it from her mother. I
went through a lot of tears and agonizing in the beginning too. At
first there were some family members and friends who said I should
euthanize Lucy to keep her from endangering her sister Izzie, who was
negative at the time, some said to separate them, others said I should
start her on various drug treatments. Four weeks ago I was told Lucy
was days away from death, I just gave her antibiotics, love, and her
sister spent lots of time with her, and she bounced back. When Lucy
was diagnosed as positive her sister Izzie tested negative but I
decided to keep them together. Izzie is now positive, but there is no
way to know if the first negative was a false negative or if she
actuall y did contract it in the time after I made the decision to
keep them together.When Izzie was diagnosed two weeks ago I went
through the tears again - with the added guilt of wondering if
deciding to keep them together was the right decision or not.
Last night, when it finally cooled down a bit, my girls spent the
evening trying a new cat food with shrimp, crab, and sardines,
then running laps around my place, and then woke me up at 3 am to show
me that they had taken the drain cap off the bath tub and dropped four
of their toy mice down the pipe - they desparately wanted me to get
the mice out for them. In other words, they were kittens being
kittens - and while I may have cursed them at 3:00 by 3:01 they had me
laughing. What I have come to realize is that there is a ton of
information out there and lots of opinions - it is great to hear them
all, but to make your own decisions. I stand by my decisions, because
I see the way they love each other and love their time together. I
truly believe that they would rather be together for a shorter time on
this earth than apart for a longer time. So my advice is this, collect
information, seek advice and opinions, and then make a choice and
stick t o it with no regrets or recriminations. I am so glad I didn't
euthanize Lucy, so glad I didn't separate them, and so glad they know
they can count on me at 3:00 am to rescue their toy mice. I don't
know what to expect - they could be gone by a year, or last several
more. It is frustrating not knowing, but for now I'm just enjoying
their company. Good luck to you and your kitty!
Maggie
