Our friend Nono

[Steven-Nono]

Hello, I have come here to talk about our friend Nono. We have lost him last Tuesday and I feel heartbroken and empty. 
I thought if I write our story here it might help.

We adopted Nono from an animal shelter in Antwerp on February 19th 2022. Nono is a beautiful cat that apparently couldn't find a home.
In the description on the shelters website, it mentioned that Nono could not go to a family with small children as he had a tendency to bite without warning.
As we don't have children we went to meet him, and although he came rubbing his small face against my hand he did bite me.
But still, there and then, he was already in my heart, so we decided to take him home.

At home he stayed on a small cabinet for about two hours. 
Then, when I sad next to the cabinet on the ground for a while, he jumped in my lap and nested himself in my arms.
We discovered the living room together, and after about one hour he was brave enough to start exploring the house by himself.

From then on we became best friends. He constantly followed us around the house.
He would join me upstairs to the bedroom when I went to sleep. He almost always slept at our feed on the bed. 
We didn't need an alarm clock anymore because Nono would wake us. Then he would wait outside the bathroom or at the stairs for me to get ready. 
When he saw me, he ran down the stairs because he knew it was time for breakfast.

While I was painting the house, Nono would be my assistant. Always interested in what I was doing.
Although I considered myself a "dog person", Nono really changed this.

He was such a good, sweet and intelligent cat. But a very scared one. He only trusted me and my wife. When someone else came into the house, he hid himself.
The moment they left again, there was Nono. Sweet as ever.

Last week, I noticed he barely made his jump on the bed. The next morning, I noticed that he was going down the stairs very slowly and with difficulty.
So in the evening (Thursday, December 8th) we took him to the vet. 
His lymfe nodes were really swollen and he had a high fever. The fever was the reason he couldn't jump or walk the stairs according to the vet (muscle pain).
It was clear his body was fighting something. The vet gave something for the fever, broad spectrum anti-biotics, and drew some blood for analysis.

The next day, Friday December 9th, we seemed to have our old sweet Nono back. He was walking around the house, playing with his toys, calling for attention. He ate as normal.
So we though the anti-biotics was working, and he just had some infection.
But in the afternoon we got the terrible news that he was infected with FeLV, leucose virus. And that he was suffering from anemia.
The vet told us that the only thing we could try was start a treatment with anti viral medication, so we decided to order the medicine.
(We had vacinated him against FeLV when we addopted him, but according to the vet he probably was born with the FeLV infection. 
I do blame the aninmal shelter for not reporting this, and will never adopt an animal from that shelter again.)

On Saturday morning we saw he was getting worse again. Not eating and just lying on his blanket on the bed.
We took him to the vet, as we thought he was having a fever again. But in fact his body temperature was too low.
As he wouldn't eat we brought him to a nearby animal clinic.
They have him an intravenous drip for fluids, and a probe for food. They agreed that the anti-viral medicine was the way to go. 

On Sunday evening, December 11th, we went to visit him in the clinic. He was doing fine according to the vet and was eating very well.

On Monday evening, December 12th, we went back to see him, and again he was doing fine. All the assistants loved him as he purred when they came checking on him.
We were allowed to take him home, as the anti viral treatment would start on Thursday.

On Tuesday morning, December 13th, we got the call saying our friend Nono had passed that morning.
Watching him lying on his small bed was devasting. I couldn't let go of him.

Our house is now only filled with sadness.
I can't stop crying, especially in the morning when I wake up.
I have lost animals in the past... but loosing Nono seems to be something else.
I take long walks outside, but coming back home my heart breaks again every time.

I miss you so much my friend. You really didn't deserve this fate. You we're such a good boy. Always happy to see us.
You will be forever in our hearts.

Attached some pictures.

Thank you for reading Nono's story.
Steven

[kayc]

2 hours ago, Steven-Nono said:

I do blame the aninmal shelter for not reporting this, and will never adopt an animal from that shelter again.

I went through similar with a rescue I adopted, my Arlie had acute chronic Colitis lifelong, I had to cook for him, since he got up to 140 that's more than I eat! 4 cups/day.  He also got Kennel Cough at the shelter, was very sick!  I'd tried vet's food, $100 back then and still he was sick, so I told him I'd take care of him and did....a friend cooked for her dog also and I read online about it.  Ultimately he got cancer and died 3 1/2 years ago.

Your little kitty is so beautiful and I am so sorry you lost him.  He looks so much like my Miss Mocha, blue eyes, such a sweet girl, died 6/3/16.  We never forget them.

I know you are left without a cat, but honestly I'd get my fees returned from them, for the principle, maybe it'd teach them to screen better but maybe not.
Comfort for Grieving Animal Lovers

 

 

[Steven-Nono]

19 hours ago, kayc said:

I know you are left without a cat, but honestly I'd get my fees returned from them, for the principle, maybe it'd teach them to screen better but maybe not.

I did send them an email, not in the hope of getting any fees back, but at least get some sort of explanation or apologies.

 

[kayc]

It doesn't hurt to try, but they'd probably just give you a credit...I got credit from city of Eugene spay and neuter clinic, I wouldn't let them touch my dog after what I went through with them but had to fight it with my credit card company, it's not what they'd promised if I canceled, took me about three months, but they found in my favor.  I won't get my dog neutered after all the deaths I've read about in pet grief forums...it seems unnecessary to me, esp. with a controlled life, not like he's out populating!

I hope you get an apology, it's the least they owe you.  Still I am glad he found a home with you, it sounds like it was a wonderful match I just wish it'd lasted longer.

[Georgiaroche]

I am so so sorry for your loss, Nono was a beautiful cat.. and I can tell how much you loved him, I am going through grief myself, a week ago today I lost my amazing boy Gucci, he was a dog,

Theyre not around for long but they fill our hearts so much that when they leave one day we just feel so empty.. but I can tell that Nono had a fantastic life with you, no matter how long it was! You rescued him and gave his last months purpose and love! And that’s all we can do for our beloved pets ❤️ 

I understand when you say the house feels empty.. I still talk to him though as if he is here, it’s quite comforting, although we may never see or feel them again, we have their memories, and that lasts forever! 
 

There are no right words I can say to help you heal, it’s tough.. I still cry everyday but I’m slowly turning my tears into smiles when I think about my little boy, and I hope you can soon too! I’m so so sorry he couldn’t be saved, but I’m glad he had a good life with you ❤️ my dearest sympathies!

[Steven-Nono]

Thank you for your kind words.

 

Today and tomorrow will be hard days again.

Exactly one week ago my friend died. And tomorrow he will be cremated and can come home again.

 

I miss you so much Nono.

[kayc]

Thinking of you today as you go through this.  It can be very emotional, but it will be good to have his ashes back with you.

[Steven-Nono]

My friend Nono is now gone for more than a month. I seem to miss him more each day.

I wake up crying, and go to sleep... crying.

I now feel so sad that he had to die all alone in that small cage of the animal clinic. I wish I was there to comfort him in those last moments.

He was with us during the entire time I painted the insides of our house. A lot of the times lying next to me as I was painting.

Now every wall of the house reminds me of my dear friend.

 

We adopted two kittens in the mean time. They are very sweet and I love them, but they will never replace Nono.

I feel like I will never get over this loss.

[kayc]

4 minutes ago, Steven-Nono said:

They are very sweet and I love them, but they will never replace Nono.

I understand your feelings you'll never get over this loss...we don't, we just learn to live with it.  Day 1000 does nott feel as day one, thankfully, only because we hone our coping skills and our bodies amazingly begin to adjust at some point, but it's so unnoticeable as to seem imperceptible.  My Arlie I carry in my heart always and I miss him always.  Kodie has been a godsend in the meanwhile...at first every time anyone mentioned how adorable Kodie was it hurt me for Arlie because people didn't mention him like that (he was huge, Kodie is little), Arlie will always be beautiful to me, but even if he'd been ugly I would have loved him just as much for him!   I now feel that about Kodie also,  it's been 3 1/2 years since I lost Arlie.

One never "replaces" another.  Our heart just grows big enough to hold them all.

[Novi]

Snowshoes are so beautiful. I had one named Sphinx, she was skittish too. I rescued her from the streets. She also died of leukemia, it's common with these pure breds or so I'm told. My vet says she was born with it too. 

I hope when the walls remind you of Nono they are good memories. Like Kayc said, they can't be replaced. The bonds are different but the love for them is so incredibly strong. 

[kayc]

Your Nono looks so much like my Miss Mocha (disappeared 6/3/16) still miss her.  She had blue eyes also, the flash kind of wrecked it here.

[Clematis]

On 12/18/2022 at 1:19 AM, Steven-Nono said:

Thank you for reading Nono's story.

Nono is so beautiful and absolutely adorable - what a loss! I feel for you, to have lost him, and especially after such a short time together. It is heartwarming that you were able to provide a safe and loving home for him at the end of his life.

[Steven-Nono]

16 hours ago, Clematis said:

Nono is so beautiful and absolutely adorable - what a loss! I feel for you, to have lost him, and especially after such a short time together. It is heartwarming that you were able to provide a safe and loving home for him at the end of his life.

Thank you for you kind words. The pictures captured his outer beaty... his inner beauty will be forever in my heart.