Chris, What a very moving and inspiring story you write of your sweet little Romeo. What a vivid picture you paint--I can imagine him meowing like crazy as he headed towards you and the food. I'm so very, very sorry that you've lost him--I know how devastatingly quickly and suddenly it happens with our FeLV babies--but I'm glad he had such a loving and caring home for these past 5 years, and he never had to worry about where his next meal was coming from, or where he might find shelter. You truly gave him a life worth living. Love and hugs Kerry M
-----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Chris Sent: Monday, November 10, 2008 3:37 PM To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Subject: [Felvtalk] Romeo is gone.... It is with a very heavy heart that I tell you that I lost my Romeo today to lymphoma. I write not out of grief but to encourage all the newbies who wonder whether they can hang on with a FELV positive, whether they know enough to take care of them, whether they should mix, etc. And the resounding answer is YES YES YES. My Romeo was a throw away stray that I first met 7+ years ago when I helped someone out feeding a little colony near me. He was already an adult (3-4 years old) who would come running across the field when I'd whistle and meow the whole way so I wouldn't miss him. He would get underfoot, get bullied by the other cats, bury everybody's food, and just rub up against my leg for some loving. I knew someone had been unkind to him cause if I raised my hand, he'd scamper away, just out of reach, cowering. Fast forward two years and we had one of the coldest NY winters we've had in a long time. One weekend, we were expecting zero degree temps and a major snowstorm. Romeo was the last of the colony and I knew I had to bring him in. I even had an adoptive home ready-but he turned out to be positive and they couldn't handle it. Soooooo, he stayed in my room for a few weeks, watching my every move, figuring out the TV and the vacuum cleaner weren't that bad. Slowly, he started coming out of his crate at night when he thought I was asleep. Little baby steps-first the food dish got moved next to his crate. Then the litter box in the bathroom. And slowly, he'd come out during the day. I knew we won the battle when I peeked out over my monitor to spot him on my bed. You could see it in his face-this is niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiice and from that point on, he was totally comfortable being in and around we humans. Funny thing is that he never really wanted to get out-he rarely sat at the window-the couch and the bed were always much more comfortable for him! Over these last 4 ½ years, Romeo turned into the most loving cat you'd ever want to meet. Only thing I could never do was pick him up or restrain him in any way---he was just too scared. But he'd jump up on me, lie on my chest as I was trying to get to sleep, follow me around like a puppy dog and otherwise just kept thanking all the humans he met for being safe and warm and loved. My other cats were a bit leary of him and Tucson never did take much of a liking to him-all jealousy, I'm sure. But Romeo persevered and the two of them had come to terms with each other... His final illness took him quickly. He'd never been real sick before-had some gum and teeth problems a couple of times, but that was it. Going to the vet was a major trauma for him so I'd always worked with my wonderful vet to keep those visits to a bare minimum. But today was one of those days that I knew he had to get to the vet asap. He'd been feeling poorly during the week and over the weekend, he started breathing very hard-like he couldn't catch his breath. He'd been on antibiotics for what I thought was another gum problem but when we got to the vet, I knew it was a whole lot more. My vet sent me immediately to our local specialty hospital and they confirmed the lymphoma. He had a large mass in his chest, his lungs had filled up with fluid, and I knew that emotionally and physically, he could never withstand an aggressive course of treatment that in all likelihood would only give him a short extension of his life. So, I made that decision we all dread after I looked in his eyes and knew he was telling me it was time. I stroked him to the end and told him I loved him. And do I regret taking him in-ABSOLUTELY NOT. He gave me so many wonderful memories and he will always be in my heart. And did he regret coming inside-ABSOLUTELY NOT-he had almost 5 years of a wonderful life and I know that had he stayed out, he would have died a miserable death from the cold and hunger or an infection and he would have been alone. We can't save them forever-but we can give them some wonderful time and we can all learn so very much about life from these little guys. Christiane Biagi [EMAIL PROTECTED] _______________________________________________ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org _____________________________________________________________________________ IRS CIRCULAR 230 NOTICE. 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