I knew it was coming, but I still wasn't prepared. A few weeks ago, Mr. Spock had a stroke and I thought he wouldn't make it. He just laid there on his side and couldn't even get up to go to the bathroom. I called the vet and we decided to just keep him comfortable and that he probably wouldn't make it through the night. But he did, and he even improved. He was up eating and getting on the couch to sleep, not back to where he was, but he was happy. But finally his kidneys couldn't keep up. Within the week, he began to be extremely thirsty, so thirsty he couldn't get enough water, even with the fluids we gave him. His legs began to get weak and he hardly had any energy and couldn't or wouldn't eat. He never liked going to the vet and didn't really like strangers coming over, so I had hoped he would die a peaceful death at home, surrounded by his family. At first I thought it would be that way, but it he began to snore and I was afraid he might start struggling to breath and didn't want that for him. He was pretty out of it when we took him, so he wasn't upset when we went to the vet's office. My husband and I got to be there with him at the end and that mattered a lot to us. We miss him so much--he has been a part of our life for over 16 years! I am glad that he isn't suffering and I know it was time to go. That helps me cope with it, but doesn't keep me from being sad or missing him. I have been taking care of him for 3
½ years with his kidney disease and had been with him almost 24 hours a day (except when my husband stayed with him when for short periods of time) for that last 2 weeks, so I really feel lost without him. The picture I shared looks just like I remember him--bright eyes, beautiful shiny black coat and just looking like he
loves you! He had already lost a good bit of weight in this photo (he used to weigh 18½ lbs!) and naturally he lost a whole lot more as his kidney disease progressed. It is always hard to lose each one, always so sad. If there is a kitty heaven, I know he is reunited with Sweet Pea, Bilbo & Elvis now!
