Regular readers will remember Chickenfoot, the cat named after the band formed by Sammy Hagar and friends a couple of years ago.
I had to have him put down today.
Christmas night, he was his normal pain-in-the-ass self, chasing the older cats around the house and getting into things I would prefer he not get into.
Monday morning he seemed a little out of it, but nothing that concerned me.
This morning (Tuesday), I came out to feed them and he seemed to be having an epileptic fit. I ran him into the vet, and they spent all day with blood tests and fluids and oxegen and medications that are supposed to relieve pressure in the brain, and at 3pm they still did not know what was wrong. They said they could transfer him to some sort of specialty animal hospital, but did not think there was much optimism.
So I made the call. Watched as the needle plugged into the IV line and as his little heart slowed, and then stopped.
Very sad.
I'd gotten Foot (one of his nicknames I can actually print) because another cat was older (ten) and had been diagnosed with a heart murmur. She outlived him, and that was with him chasing her around the house every day.
Of course tonight I've been second guessing not taking him in yesterday, and wishing I'd not yelled at him so much for getting on the counters and other assorted infractions that do not seem so important tonight.
But I think he had a pretty good, if short, life.
He certainly demonstrated a whole lot of attitude.
And I'm gonna miss him.
Oh, man! I'm sorry to hear this. We have one cat in our house. I've been sick for a couple of days. It's hard to sleep when you're ill...and when there is a cat rolled into a ball right against my back and I really want to roll over!!
ReplyDeleteOnce again, I'm sorry.
-Jimmy
Oh, man, I'm extremely sorry to learn this!
ReplyDeleteI really liked Chickenfoot a lot; he reminded me, in a way, of a feline version of Mickie, a dog I once had.
Both "a pain-in-the-ass", but in a loving kinda way.
Sad news for sure.
Well, Chickenfoot is in God's hair now.
Larry, I'm really sorry! That is a tough call to make. Just sucks they don't live as long as we do. Bet Chickenfoot had a really good life with you though.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Stephen-
ReplyDeleteReally a shocker for a healthy indoor-only cat of two and a half years.
I looked around the house for a sign of anything that might explain it but didn't see anything.
I just hope God's not too attached to his sofa and doesn't leave his keys lying around, 'cause the Foot has been known to go for both.
LC
I thought if I posted a comment and replied I'd be responding in that order but it did not work out that way.
ReplyDeleteJames-they really do manage to find that one spot that makes you the most uncomfortable, don't they? And they always have that chuffed look on their face when they're there-like they know!
Alex-it was a tough call, but the fact that he was such a young and healthy cat, and that there's no sign of what he may have gotten into really bugs me. Christmas night he was draped across my shoulder and purring up a storm.