Snuffles finally passed after almost 18 years.

 Today, Snuffles finally passed.  The last thing I told her was : Go be with Nero, Pringles.  

Her life was spectacular.  Never a lap cat - always afraid of her own shadow.  Never integrated with the other cats and the last to be moved whenever we changed residence.

She was terrified of everything and the other cats did not help by constantly stalking her.  Finally when we got this home, we gave up a room for her.  That way, she would never be chased or have to hide.  It was her space.  At one rental home,, she disappeared for a week.  We went searching for her floor to floor, everywhere on the ground floor and she never responded.  I thought it was finished.  But 6 days later, she came home - practically screamed outside our door.  We were on the higher floor and somehow she found her way home.  We overturned flowerpots, neighbours stuff, spoke to everyone but no one saw her.  Yet, she came home.

I knew she was dying, because her food consumption went from one can to half a can.  She was so old, she could not eat kibbles anymore.  So it was mush food.

Yesterday, she only ate a few mouthfuls - and she was staggering about.  

I made her 'basket' up with clean linen and put her in there.  She tried to climb out but found that a bit difficult.  I knew it was the beginning of her end.

Today I had some errands to run.  When I got home just 30mins ago, I went straight to her...I called her...no response...I called her louder and her paws moved.  Less than 10mins later, she stopped breathing.

She was waiting for me to come home.

That is sad.

I was never even her 'owner'.  She wouldn't let anyone near her unless she was cornered.  Those times I had to load her into the pet carrier were nightmares.  We had to corner her into the smallest room so that we could grab her.  That was her life.  

But because she waited for me, to take her last breath, I guess I was the closest to an owner in her mind.  

I hope Pringles and Nero are with her now.  It's an end of an era.  All 18 years of hits and misses.  

I told her, I apologise for not being the best owner that I could have been for her.  I told her I hoped that was enough - shelter, food always and her own room.  

Goodbye Snuffles, or Rat as we affectionately call her - skittish until yesterday.

Go play with Nero and Pringles...be free, be unafraid because now, you can be whatever you want to be.

Pewter left us - early morning 1st June 2022

 This morning before 9am, the vet called to say that Pewter passed.  He had a blockage, which didn't incapacitate him until it did.  He was always the more vocal and when his meow was different, I took him to the vet.  The vet confirmed that he was having a blockage - which apparently is common in male cats.  Now, having done a lot of rescue work years ago, this wasn't really a 'common' thing, yet 4 years later, I find myself losing another male cat to this.

We brought him home with meds - I hydrated him, he took his meds but he refused to eat.  The Vet was closed Mondays, but prognosis was not good already.  Monday evening, Pewter was running around, as if nothing bothered him.  Tuesday morning, I brought him to the Vet for the appointment.  They were going to try to insert a catheter and flush the bladder.  They got me down that afternoon, prognosis got worse.

I know, they have 3 days max once this happens - Pringles passed just as quickly.  He was meowing loudly when I got there - but once he heard my voice, he kept quiet.  His eyes were clear, he was not dehydrated at all.  Vet decided to try to go in to clear the bladder again and if that failed, they will do a PU surgery.  Which to me, is fine as long as he won't be in pain anymore.

I guess that wasn't what he wanted.  He passed just before his surgery day.

I dont' know how his brother is going to manage without him.  Pewter is the dumber one who takes cues from his brother.  He grooms his brother.  Now he's gone.

I wasn't even this affected when Pringles passed, perhaps because he had a long life after being rescued.  Pewter only had 4 years - there wasn't time.   I was busy working and hardly spent time with him daily.

That's my guilt.  The bill is large, but that's the least of my problem.  I don't know if I gave him enough.  Sure, he was unwanted, returned twice by adopters.  I always suspected it's because they adopted him w/o his brother.  Well, now he's gone and Chestnut is alone.

I don't know how to make his grief manageable.  

RIGHT PIC

Silly Pewter as a kitten, trying to grab clothes from the washing machine. 

LEFT PIC

Recent picture of the boys. Pewter is always the more anxious one. But now that he passed, I'm not sure how Chestnut will manage.  They stabilise each other.  I did not want to adopt 2 kittens then, but I did not have the heart to separate them after hearing how both came back from separate adopters.   I don't have much to say except, the quality of pet food must have degraded over the decades.  Vet tells me, gotta feed them canned food, Urinary Tract food.  My question is, how come we never encountered all these issues 30 years ago?  I already bought new food for Chestnut and I have been reading up posts from the community anywhere and everywhere I can find about this.  I will not lose another cat to this silent killer disease.  Why rescue a cat only to kill him 4 years later just because he's on a kibble diet.  I have no one else to blame.  I did not measure his water intake, or whatever.  I assumed he drank enough.  I was wrong.  

LEFT PIC

When they were a little older, this was their past time.  Sharing a basket.  

This morning, I found Chestnut in there alone.  He's miserable and I'm miserable.

TOASTY - toasted

On the 'strength' of this picture, we decided to adopt this kitten. Visually, so many unflattering traits are obvious.

For starters, his face is too pointed, I mostly have round-faced kitties.
What the picture doesn't show is his missing tail.  This poor boy, somehow doesn't even own a stump.  It's just not there.

He's not even a flattering colour, evenly distributed, but nothing spectacular.

So why did we decide to adopt him? Well, for starters, his siblings, all with tails, got adopted.  He was left behind.

Next - when I called to enquire about young kittens, he was offered as available.

So, aesthetics aside, we confirmed the adoption and picked him up 2 days later.

Whatever he lacks in looks, this little guy makes up for it in personality.  He's spunky - is like a battery pack, just charges up and goes at supersonic speed.  He's still suckling whatever he can get to, tee-shirts or just the palm of your hand....that's a clear indication of how young he must have been when he lost his mother.

Sad thing is, his tummy was bloated...and when he released that load, it was loose and scary

First thoughts were, lets see what's the next puddle of poo will be - and it was no better.  I let the foster know (of course) and they were willing to take him back.

NO.

I keep people updated, not because I'm intending to return the kitty.  The kitty isn't a thing.  This is not shopping for an item and then returning the defective item in a few hours.

He has everything going against him.

NO TAIL - why would I want to adopt him? - we are all not born perfect.
DIARRHEA - who knows what's going on, but we do not abandon the plan because the situation isn't perfect!

So TOASTY, that's his name, is now with the Vet.
He had his first CAMP yesterday, will be picking him up this evening.

The interesting thing is, we named him before he actually did a number on us.....so, names do matter.....in this case, TOASTY, is toasted, coz he spent his second night in a VET CAMP....


Toasty, our latest addition, to take the place of Pringles, came home with us on Sunday 11th Feb 2018 at 2 mths old.

Pringles is dying - end of an era

 This is probably the last straight shot of Pringles that I have
taken some 4 years ago.

Pringles has lived his life.
He's going home soon - any day now.

I looked back, since when we have multiple rescued cats, it's hard to ascertain their real age....well, looks like he's 12/13 years.

Of the many qualities that pets can have, Pringles has none....he's not friendly, he's not able to catch bugs, he sleeps where he isn't supposed to thereby leaving a mess of fur on the bed.....he can't fight for his territory, having allowed a stray ginger into the house one terrible day - and he stayed cowered in a corner.

But what he is a a walking potato....so it does matter what we name our pets....my son decided to name him Pringles and he ballooned over the years, like a potato.

We took him to the Vet last night....frankly, we knew that either way, he was going....but it's still worth a shot.  He was walking albeit slowly....

This started as a UTI and I guess, because of his age, became fatal.  He was still hydrated, but very uncomfortable.  Last night, I thought its best to at least keep him comfortable....so we lugged him to the Vet.

Today, we may lug him back but maybe not.  Question is, do we let him die at home or in a cold unfamiliar place.
Pringles, is not brave...was never a brave cat.
Home might be the best option for him.

This was him last night - he has lost a bit of weight....over the year....old age...that's the thing about strays, we never know.....they come with all kinds of pre-disposed situations....and mostly, we adopt them to keep them off the streets, and give him some resemblance of a decent cat life.

I will miss him....not for his warmth, but for his silliness.


UPDATE : 1313 hours
Pringles passed peacefully. 

Kitties

WE adopted 2 more kittens - wanted just one more but it seems like the brothers are more of a bonded pair.

This ginger is Chestnut.
He's probably the older.  I was told they are about 12 weeks old, but I reckon, almost 4mths old.
He's been re-homed and returned - apparently with diarrhea from eating too much human food.  I guess people still don't understand that like people, not everyone is able to consume the same food type.  People think, they were strays to begin with, with no access to cat food but food scraps.  What people fail to realise is, how many of these strays actually live till a ripe old age?

This one is Pewter.  He's the 'smaller' so in a litter, that would make him the one born later.  He's not as bright, but has no health issues.  He was also returned after the initial rehome.

He seems to be the healthier of the two, yet he was returned to the foster.

Perhaps, they should have never been separated although that requirement will make it more difficult to find them a home.

Case in point, a little trouble goes a long way - In this day and age, people still buy or adopt pets without really thinking about how much time they have to invest.  Not so much in playing with them, since cats are generally self-sustaining creatures but in the cleaning up after them - their litter tray and their diet.  There must always be enough food and decent food.  Owners must make sure the food agrees with them.

The brothers love playing, like all kittens.  It might seem rough because they will be mewing and spitting at each other, but it's all for play.

My fat cat is not in agreement with this adoption but then, he has no choice.  He's the tenant in my home and he has to understand that these kitties need a home.

Dumpling on a hot afternoon

She loves laying against the clay pot.  I guess it's cool.

Soon, she won't have to, once I get all the a/c units going :)

She's so intelligent, it's amazing.

Dumpling - the last addition to our brood

 This is our new addition, Dumpling - a Holland Lop.  She's 3 years old and according to people who tried to adopt her before me, timid.

She's far from timid - perhaps there are still people who are not sure about bunny behaviour.

Dumpling, by day 3 knows her name.
It wasn't the name her original owner gave her - we changed it since her name was in Mandarin and we are not a Mandarin-speaking family.

Nways, we allowed her free run, because no one really told us she wasn't potty-trained - we had 2 minor toilet accidents, I built her an x-pen, and by day 3, learnt where she should do toilet.

Her x-pen has a gate, also made up of the NIC grating lookalike and when I'm awake, she hops to the gate, waiting to be let out.

New bunny owners, whether adult or younger bunny, must just take a day/two, confine them to a smaller area, let them know where the toilet is by wiping up the toilet accident puddle with a kitchen towel, then place that in their litter box.  After that, they will just go there.  Dumpling automatically used the box after that.

She's definitely larger than the NDs and well, they don't get along, so she's taken the large kitchen area as her playground.  The NDs are in the living/study area.

Our home has finally reached full capacity.
It's great to come home and see what each of them has been up to.

Dumpling had a tumour which was already out when I got her.  She passed away on the 25th of Sept 2018.  
No signs of illness or distress.  She was still hopping around the night before.  I knew something was amiss when she didn't come out for her treats in the morning.
And I was right.
She passed at the foot of my bedpost (under), on my denim shorts.  Eyes closed. 
She didn't come across as old.  She wasn't ill.  Her poop was fine. So I reckon, it's age.
We don't really know how old they are since pets do get passed from hand to hand.  But in her, I got closure for Rusty.
I know that she had the freedom her previous owner wanted her to have.  She owned the house....chasing the cats off her rugs.  I bought them so she wouldn't slip when hopping.
I'm sad, but glad that I gave her the life they wanted her to have....to be free to hop wherever, whenever.