He was an old boy - at least 16 and very likely 18 years old. He lived a long and good life, but somehow that is little comfort when you lose a pet. Ironically, and thankfully, my friend Sharon came to visit me today. Sharon was Brian's hospice nurse. She took care of him, and she took care of me. She is one of the most beautiful, kind, and compassionate people I know. We planned a short visit and a chance to catch up with each other. When we sat down to talk, and Tater came over for some loving, I knew that something was very wrong. His eye, which has been weepy on and off for a few months was covered with a bloody puss. He smelled like infection - a horrible hospital smell that signals the worst kind of wrong. I pulled him to me and saw that his beautiful coat was lackluster and course, and that he seemed to have blood, or puss, or something on his coat. Then I pulled back his lip, and saw what I thought was a huge abscess in his mouth.
Sharon, who knows more about end of life care than I ever hope to know, agreed that I should call the vet right away. I'm not allowed to lift, so she put him in his crate and drove us to the vet. While his vitals were ok, his mouth and eye weren't. The vet said that the infection and swelling in his mouth was almost certainly a malignant tumor. She let me know that I could bring him back during the week to biopsy it, but that if it was malignant, nothing could be done. How could I put my aged kitty through anesthesia and the pain of recovery if there was nothing to be done? His temperature wasn't high enough to suggest an infection. And then it all sort of clicked. That adorable snaggle tooth that he developed about five years ago was actually the result of a growing tumor. His weepy eye that never responded to medications was actually caused by the growing tumor pressing up through the roof of his mouth into his orbit. My sweet, loveable, purring kitty was very very sick, and beyond medical help.
Having seen cancer in cruel action, I knew that the kindest thing to do for Tater would be the hardest thing for me to do. So with a broken heart, I told the vet that it was time to euthanize him. She and Sharon both sadly agreed.
This is the fifth time I've had to euthanize a pet. Every other time, the decision was clear; they were in pain and suffering and had no quality of life left. Tater was purring - even as they put in his IV. As bad as things were, he didn't indicate that he has been in pain. He had slown down a lot,and slept most of the time, but he still ate and drank and purred so loudly that you couldn't believe anything could be wrong. But my once robust 25 pound kitty was down to 12.4 pounds, and as horrible as it felt, keeping him alive would have been incredibly selfish of me.
Life is so unfair. Things have been so hard lately. I can't stand any more loss or pain. I know that AI did the right thing. I know that if Brian had been here to help me with this decision, we would have done the same thing, and then we would have come home and cried together. I don't want to be selfish, but I want a break.
Today I was supposed to be in Fort Wayne attending my niece's wedding. Instead, I am home recuperating from another back surgery, and mourning the sweetest cat I have ever known. I have missed so many celebrations lately, and have dealt with so much loss. This just isn't the way life is supposed to be.
Goodbye, my Sweet Tater. I will miss you so much.
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