Fletcher`

I don't have much to say really. It seems the only time I have anything worth writing about, its never good news.

We just had to put my cat to sleep earlier today. It's always a difficult decision to make, but honestly we think its for the best for him.

My cat Taz was a 10 year old tan-colored maine coon. He is what you'd call a lump. A loveable lump. Loved lazing around and purred when you pet him. You could do practically anything to him and he wouldn't run or bite. Except for DC. They were the only two male cats in the house and often fought for territory. Almost all cats do that; but other then him, he was a love to everyone else.

A couple days ago we noticed him laying by the water bowl, just sitting there barely breathing. We noticed that he wouldn't move or look up at us when we got near. At first, we though he was just dehydrated again. Then we noticed a bunch of fleas in a cobweb and thought it was flea anemia. It was a very hot day and knew the heat wasn't helping him. Their room unfortunately does not have much ventilation, only having one small window above a cat ledge in the hallway between sections of the house. So, I picked him up to take him to dad's room where it was air-conditioned. That's when I realized that he had been peeing blood. We called the vet's office in Richland (we've had bad experiences with the closer office downtown), and took him up.

They said he had sand blockage in his bladder, which is (relatively) common in some cats. They put him on a cathoder to flush the toxins out, hoping it would help him. Dad was worried the whole time that we would lose him, which was realistically possible to happen, as kidney/bladder problems in cats escalate much worse than in humans. Taz stayed overnight under their observation.

The next day I was at work (and having a really lousy day at it). Dad came in to tell me that he wasn't doing very well and they may have to let him go. I nodded and said if its the only thing left to do... do it. Then he went back to the vet's and I went back to work. When he came to pick me up later that night, he told me that Taz was home for now, on pain medication and antibiotics and a new diet. I knew that if he wasn't better in a few days, chances were he wouldn't be.

The day after, he seemed to be doing a little better. He was still groggy from the pain meds, but was starting to eat and drink a little, and peeing. But it didn't last long, because when we got home from the reunion the next day, he was doing worse again. We took him back to the office today for fluids and a checkup, and they noticed that he was already undergoing renal failure. They could keep him cathed for the rest of his life, but honestly, it wasn't an option. We didn't have the money for it and there was no guarantee that it would help anyway. So we made the decision to have them euthanized then and there. I was thankful for them that they let us stay with him for the whole thing. The other office downtown pretty much kicked us out when they put down one of my other sick cats from years ago, and that was the last involvement we had with them.

My dad is one of the tougher people I know of in my life, right up there with my mom, and he could barely talk the way he felt. Mom was there with taz, waiting for him. We knew he was safe now. We didn't take him home to bury him, we had nowhere to do so, so we left him in their capable hands. We weren't worried about the body anymore. It was just an empty shell now. Taz is somewhere out there with my mom, the denmother for all of our cats.

I love you Taz. I always will.