Hawthorn’s nasal tumor is getting quite a bit larger. It’s begun to affect his breathing, and in the last day or two it’s started to ulcerate. Those were my criteria for “it’s time”. I’ll give him a week full of treats, but next Friday he’s going to come to work with me for the final time.
Apparently I wasn’t joking all those years ago when I said my senior cats would all go in the same year.
Please take down your bird feeders if you’re in the US - there’s a massive spread of bird flu in 2022 and it’s already killed millions of poultry, let alone all the affected wild birds. This disease doesn’t affect just birds - it can spread to humans and other animals like your pets.
This is Yuri, she had to be euthanized Nov 24, 2020. I am uploading this video for those worried about breathing problems in their cats.
-She turned 12 on April 5 of 2020. -it wasn’t long after that she started losing weight in her hips, and spine (it was difficult to tell in other areas) -And it wasn’t long after that that she started breathing like this -Thinking she has an upper respiratory infection (like another cat we have) i figured she was just fighting it off better. -By the time we got the money to take both her and the other sick cat to the vet Yuri’s thoracic cavity and lungs were filled with fluid. I could have paid a lot of money to get the fluid taken out, and bought medications to put her on that would have made her feel awful as well in order to extend her life by 6 months at most. -I couldn’t afford to do that, but i also couldn’t handle the idea of extending her life when, after looking back at her behavior changes in the past 6 months, i knew she wasn’t living a good life. In addition my other cat with the upper respiratory disease might have other conditions that we didn’t test for yet (Yuri took precedence over that appointment)
her behavior changes were mostly in that she didn’t do many activities, she slept and lounged more often, especially on flat surfaces. she had a short fuse with the other cats and often hiss and swatted at them when she was once a mother hen to them. she didn’t like being held like she once did, she didn’t meow as loudly as often (she was always chatty before) and while all these things were easy to attribute to old age it was much more than that.
you can’t cure congestive heart failure, but i could have spared her several months of pain. please be aware that you can do so too. even though the decision is hard and i wish i didn’t have to make it, and i feel like the would is unfair. At least she’s not in pain right now. and She was happy when i saw her before she was euthanized. she was more relaxed than i had seen her in months (on pain meds) and she purred louder than i had heard in ages. I hope to make a memorial video someday, but that wont be for a while. she was my baby and my best friend and there is a void in my home and i miss her so much. I wish i had been able to relieve her pain earlier, but i’m glad i was able to end her suffering before her heart failed her.
things i learned at the vet:
her lungs and pleural cavity were so filled with fluid that i can’t even find a comparative x-ray picture on google. it was solid white. you could see one set of ribs, barely, but that was all. and she had a heart murmur (i couldn’t hear shit with my stethoscope cause the cats purr too much when i touch them, but i did try.)
I started this blog primarily because i wanted a reason to share pictures of her with everyone cause she was adorable, photogenic af and the best thing to ever happen to me. I know i haven’t posted in months, but. this feels necessary
There’s a lot of reasons someone may choose to purchase a cat from a (responsible) breeder instead of adopting. Sometimes that reason is “I just like this breed.” That is a valid reason.
I got my two cats from a rescue. I’m glad I did, and I will probably continue to adopt rather than buy from breeders.
However.
The rescue didn’t tell us they were sick. Both kittens came home with bad cases of ear mites and giardia. (They were in a foster home, so I really don’t know how these went untreated if they were getting proper vet care.) This would not have happened with a responsible breeder.
A year later I found out they had dental problems. Their teeth were so bad that one vet didn’t believe they were only a year old — he said they had the tooth decay of cats several years older. After a couple of expensive dental cleanings from that vet (and over a year of regular teeth brushing) our next vet said it was most likely genetic, dental care would slow the damage but not prevent it, they would continue to lose teeth, and I should have their teeth removed preemptively to prevent further pain and worse mouth disease later on.
This would not have happened with a responsible breeder.
I did have their teeth pulled. It cost over $2k per cat. It was very worth it, they’re much happier and I’m glad I did, but my toothless shelter kitties now cost more than two healthy cats with genetic testing and healthy parents, from a responsible breeder.
Not to mention that a responsible breeder would ensure that kittens were well socialized from birth, as opposed to my cats, who had no human contact for their first seven weeks and then went to a shelter. They’re jumpy and people-shy and they likely always will be.
I love them more than anything, I wouldn’t do anything differently, but if someone would rather have happy, friendly cats whose genetic health they can be sure of? I can’t really begrudge that.
This is the time of year when wildlife rehabilitation facilities get filled up with “orphaned” babies brought in by well-meaning citizens. While plenty of these babies truly are orphans and need the care of a licensed rehabber to survive, there are also unfortunately plenty of babies brought in that were mistakenly thought to be abandoned. So, what do you do if you see a baby animal by itself? Information provided based on recommendations of the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center of Minnesota:
–Squirrels: Female squirrels move babies between nest sites, and during this process babies may be visible outside their nest or even at the base of a tree. If you see baby squirrels outside of a nest, leave them undisturbed and keep your pets contained. Keep an eye on them for a few hours–it may take her a while! If she doesn’t return for them by the next day, then it’s time to call your local rehabber. If you disturb a nest, as is common when trimming branches this time of year, leave them be as long as they are not injured. Again, if they are still alone the next day, take them in.
–Bunnies: If you find a nest, try and keep your pet contained and the area undisturbed for a few weeks while the bunnies grow. You likely will not see mom! You can monitor the nest if you’re concerned, you will quickly see a decline in the health of the babies if mom is not returning to nurse them. If your pet disturbs a nest, bring any injured babies to your local rehab center but leave the uninjured animals alone.
–Ducklings/goslings: Mom should lead the babies to the nearest body of water within a day or two of hatching. Do not try and move mom and all her babies as you will likely just end up stressing and potentially scattering them. If a baby is left behind, you can gently capture them and keep them in a warm, quiet place until you can take them to a rehabber. Be very gentle with ducklings and goslings, and do not handle them more than necessary! These babies are very easily stressed. Unhatched eggs should be left undisturbed–they are federally protected.
–Birds: It is a myth that handling a baby bird will prevent the parents from taking care of it. If you find a featherless bird or a bird with fluffy down feathers, you can gently put it back in the nest. If the same bird keeps getting pushed out of the nest, you should bring it to a rehabber as they may be something wrong with it. If the entire nest has fallen, try and put it back in the same place you found it. If you can’t put it right back where it was, keep it within 5 feet of the original location to ensure the parents continue to care for them. Fledgling birds will spend a significant amount of time on the ground as their immature wings develop. They flutter around, but they can’t really fly yet. Parents will still feed fledglings, so you can keep an eye on a grounded bird to see if adult birds are still in the area caring for them.
–In general: If you find a baby animal alone, leave it be and monitor it to see if mom comes back. Keep your pets away from the area, and don’t try to handle the baby unless absolutely necessary as this can result in you stressing out or hurting the animal. If mom doesn’t come back after several hours, you can take them in to a LICENSED REHABBER. Many rehabilitation facilities want you to call before bringing in an orphaned animal to ensure that they are truly orphaned. Do NOT bring the animal into your house to raise! Most people do not have the time or knowledge to raise orphaned wildlife, and by hand raising them, you habituate them to humans and prevent them from having a chance to be released. Also, it’s illegal. If the animal is injured, it is ok to take them to your local rehabber right away! When in doubt, call your local wildlife rehabilitation facility. They can give you more information about specific species and situations. If you really can’t find a wildlife rehabilitator or the animal is in need of immediate medical attention, you can take it to a vet clinic. Veterinarians can provide lifesaving care or humane euthanasia for an injured animal, before getting them to a rehabber.
An added note that if the weather is bad (cold temperatures, raining, etc.) and there’s a baby down that you’re worried about leaving too long, call your local rehab for advice on how long to wait & when to step in. Naked babies can get cold quickly when it’s cool outside, so your rehabber might want them brought in sooner than waiting overnight like you could with a slightly older baby that’s furred/feathered. I know my rehab sometimes instructed people to go ahead & bring in small babies right away rather than leave them to die from exposure.
Also if you don’t mind me adding an extra animal….
- Fawns! We would get people calling a LOT about fawns found alone (Michigan-based rehab, loooots of deer around). Mom often leaves the fawn on their own while she gets food. She’ll tell baby to stay put & stay quiet, so they’re less likely to be found by predators. You do NOT want to take a baby fawn away from their location if they are laying down & staying quiet. They’re doing what they’re supposed to! Signs that a fawn need help include: obvious injuries; walking around alone with no mom in sight, especially if they’re also calling out & making a lot of noise; if they have a dent in their forehead (indicates dehydration); if they’re near a dead adult female & show obvious reluctance to leave her. Deer take a ton of work to rehab & there are added restrictions in some states (at least in Michigan for sure) due to diseases like chronic wasting disease, so please make sure you’re not kidnapping a healthy fawn that’s just waiting for Mom to come back.
Reblogging for the added commentary on fawns!
Hey this is EXTRA IMPORTANT this year because we have some nasty diseases in our wildlife populations! Please PLEASE make an effort to leave baby animals alone unless they are truly injured or abandoned, because a lot of rehab centers are either at lower capacity or cannot take certain species. This primarily concerns rabbits, which are affected by rabbit hemorrhagic disease, and certain birds. In my area, the local rehab center is not taking waterfowl or raptors due to the concern for high path avian influenza. And even for those of us that are still taking these animals, we are limited too because we don’t have anywhere to send them. We are already struggling to find a place for healthy waterfowl “orphans”, because the local rehab center isn’t taking them right now. Plus we have to hold on to these patients so much longer, which limits space for other animals. Do not bring us animals that don’t need to be rehabilitated!
Hey, so I know I’ve been pretty quiet on here, and I apologize that I’m only coming back for this– I plan to stick around, though. But tumblr has always been best for crowdfunding type things. I’ve been fairly quiet about my private life, but this is Mango. He’s a year old. We got him last year, after my grandfather died. While my parents have never been ones to ask each other for permission, they like to agree on things and the only reason my father agreed to let us bring Mango home was as a gift to my mother to help her during her loss- she’d always wanted an orange tabby. So he has a lot of emotional significance to her, since my dad doesn’t usually do gifts, at all. He is a sweet, playful boy. Yesterday morning, I noticed he was squatting everywhere, as if he was peeing in places he wasn’t supposed to, but all that was coming out was little droplets of blood. We called the vet ASAP and they had us rush him over. He ended up having a urinary blockage, and he had to pay $800 after all was said and done. This morning he was having the same problem, even after I gave him the meds the vet prescribed and I had to take him back in. I’ve been on unemployment since my job furloughed me, but didn’t qualify for the executive order for the $300 assistance because I only get $78 from unemployment. I have a carecredit account, and so does my mom, but we had to put them together to pay off the bill yesterday, and put in a bit extra. I have no idea what they will have to do to him this time or how much more it will cost. But we cannot afford it. I would offer commissions but I haven’t drawn in two years. If you can spare a little to help, my paypal link is https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/reani . If you can’t, that’s fine, a reblog would be really helpful– I have honestly watched other people need help and been unable to help myself, and I know how bad it can feel, but shit is rough for all of us, this year has been a kick in the face, there’s no reason to pile on to those bad feels. In all honesty, just the good sentiment and the reblog are a big help. Anyway, thank you for reading this. I’m sorry it’s a downer. Hug your cats, or dogs, or whatever animals bring you joy right now. Tell them I love them.
