This probably is a bit off topic, but since we are discussing when cats pass
away, I thought it would be of interest.
I have a client that is a Buddhist,and he is also a Hospice caregiver.
He tends to the dying,of course, and is there to hold their hand in their final
hour.
Anyway, he was called out of town alot, I believe he took on cases where people
had no family, friends & very little money.
Sometimes prisons.
So I took care of his 18+ year old cat that was also in renal failure.
MIss Boots Big Tail, hated everyone but my client, Steve.
His girlfriend was from China, and although she loved Boots, Boots always made
a point to let her know she was second fiddle.
And his girlfriend wasn't used to the concept of "pets", for some reason (that
was how he explained it to me) due to the part of China that she was originally
from.
Boots would insist on always being in between them when they would be on the
couch, etc.........
Anyway, Boots would be visited by me 3 times perday when he was out of town and
2 of those times it would be for her meals (whipped Pet Guard or Wellness w/
her meds purified water added, and it had to be warmed up in a double sausepan.)
She also recieved fluids.
Boy, did he love this cat, only client I ever had that insisited on me removing
my shoes when I entered his home, he did not want any germs to be brought into
her from my other clients or my own cats.
(Now I have a policy where I always remove my shoes or wear the "nurse
booties". I liketo respect people's homes)
When Boots finally was in her last leg of her journey on earth, she could not
walk and had to be carried everywhere.
I of course, would need to clean her up,because she could not make it to the
box.
She was still so alert tho, and she was eating great.
On the night that she died, he knew her time had come.
He stayed up w/her all night, and about 4am he passed out from exhaustion for
just a few moments, when he woke up, she was gone.
We believe that she needed to go, but could not as long as he was awake.
And the interesting part was, this cat was the last of 3 cats that he inherited
from his ex wife when she died.
I don't know any details, I never ask clients, I just let them talk and tell me
what they feel they need to.
When his wife died, she was buried in a pet cemetary w/ her other cats out of
state.
Her reasoning was that she always liked & respected animals more than people,so
she choose to be buried amoung them.
He packed up Boots and took her out of state to be buried along side his ex
wife........
Susan J. DuBose >^..^<
www.PetGirlsPetsitting.com
www.Tx.SiameseRescue.org
www.shadowcats.net
"As Cleopatra lay in state,
Faithful Bast at her side did wait,
Purring welcomes of soft applause,
Ever guarding with sharpened claws."
Trajan Tennent
----- Original Message -----
From: Gloria B. Lane
To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org
Sent: Saturday, August 25, 2007 4:46 PM
Subject: Re: Sylvester died at home this morning
Tracy, what sad news. I know you will miss him. Sounds like he was blessed
- to have you, to be cared for, and to be able to pass away gently and where he
felt safest. What a wonderful, lucky cat. I am truly sorry for your loss.
Thoughts and prayers coming for Sylvester.
Gloria
