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Boots, our tuxedo cat cutie pie, died two hours ago


Paul S

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Boots crossed the Rainbow Bridge about two hours ago. She had tried to get up from where she was and stumbled, attracting our attention. I picked her up and brought her over to a couch and cuddled her, a few minutes passed and her breathing began to become labored and she finally died in my arms. 

We'll bury her tomorrow. She was diagnosed with kidney failure. She hadn't eaten much this past week and we had been giving her subcutaneous fluids to help to. But these past few days she just declined in activity and today was her final day.

Boots was a cutie-pie. She absolutely loved getting belly rubs. She'd easily flop down on her side and spread her four legs wide and exposing her fluffy underside. She'd probably happily accept them for hours, if my hands were up to it!

She didn't meow, she squeaked.

Boots also was a shameless moocher. I mean, really: if I or my wife had food out, she'd be right nearby imitating a vulture perched awaiting a meal. (Our vet says that mooching is a sign that a cat has hyperthyoidism, which she did have.) This included our weekly pill-sorting out session. Rose and I have these weekly pill-box things and when we'd sort our meds and place them in the boxes, Boots would be right there, thinking "Oh, food! Gimme!" 

She also oftentimes threatened to interrupt the card games my wife and I frequently play; I sometimes tried to bribe Boots with extra tuna or bellyrubs if she would just jump on the playing table and mess up the cards (when my wife was winning. Nope. Wouldn't help me out. Grrls.)

She was a good lap cat, crawling into my lap and often burrowing her head in the crook of my arm. Sometimes she'd lick my shirt. Boots liked doing that; not my skin, the cloth.

And she ruled the house with a mighty paw. We have another cat, a male Bombay named Ninja who weighs in at 12.5 lbs, to Boots' 5 lbs. Boots totally intimidated him. She didn't care he was bigger. She called the shots. (Ninja is a total luvadub. Craves belly rubvs, too. Always tried to play with Boots, but she'd have none of it. :-(  )

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I am so sorry for your loss.  It's the hardest thing in the world to lose them, they are very much a part of our family and lives.

Your stories about her show your love for her and her uniqueness.  It helps to write about them, at least it did me, helps immortalize them in a way, and process our grief.
My Kitty used to be 9 lbs and lost to 4 1/2 at the end, her thyroid, plus kidneys, liver shut down, she was 25.  Two years later I'm missing her still.  Someone is pressing me to take their cat, not sure, I've always had one but losing Kitty, I haven't been feeling it.  :(

I hope this brings you some comfort...
Comfort for Grieving Animal Lovers

 

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 1/9/2022 at 2:05 AM, Paul S said:

Boots also was a shameless moocher. I mean, really: if I or my wife had food out, she'd be right nearby imitating a vulture perched awaiting a meal. (Our vet says that mooching is a sign that a cat has hyperthyoidism, which she did have

My beautiful Tiger was exactly the same with his eating because he had the same condition. Feel totally lost not giving his medicine twice daily. His medicine is just sitting on the side......

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3 hours ago, My beautuful Tiger said:

My beautiful Tiger was exactly the same with his eating because he had the same condition. Feel totally lost not giving his medicine twice daily. His medicine is just sitting on the side......

Yeah, we still have some of her meds. It seems strange not seeing her around; I keep expecting her to come around. I still check my rocking chair before sitting down just in case she's on it. (at only 5 pounds, she was little.) 

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8 hours ago, Paul S said:

Yeah, we still have some of her meds. It seems strange not seeing her around; I keep expecting her to come around. I still check my rocking chair before sitting down just in case she's on it. (at only 5 pounds, she was little.) 

Tiger had hyperthyroidsim for nearly 2 years. The vets used to say we did so well keeping his weight up as he used to be between 5.9kg-6.1kg. In his last days he went down to 3.6kg.

My heart is breaking. I sit in the cat room waiting for him to come and join me on the sofa ( I leave a space next to me for him) or to meow for food. Tigers personality is what made our house a home. Now its just empty and lonely. Even though his brother from the same litter of 12years is still here....

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16 hours ago, My beautuful Tiger said:

Feel totally lost not giving his medicine twice daily.

Those little rituals that are missing now seem a trigger, a huge reminder of their absence.  I miss Kitty's begging  demanding Easy Cheese!  I also miss her laying next to me on the loveseat...always as far away as she could get but she was near, it was her way.

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