Your daily cat and kitten news

[Orang Utan]

Go well Sonic, love and strength to you, Epona x

 

[trabuquera]

Rest Intensely Purring dear soppy beloved Sonic. Big hug to you Epona, it's so hard.

 

[Cloo]

I'm very glad you could be with Sonic Epona - May his memory be a blessing x

 

[Epona]

Every so often Jakey wanders over to the door and yells at the top of his voice. In previous times when we took Sonic to the vet, Jakey was always waiting at the door for us to come back and let his best friend out of the carrier, to be greeted with a very enthusiastic grooming session. I think (hope!) he will be OK but it will be a big adjustment to being an only cat (in fact Jakey has never in his life up until today been an only cat).

They had been inseparable for 14 years. Sometimes grumpy with one another and always getting into a spat about who owned today's prime sleeping place, but always curled up together at the end of the day.

 

[Epona]

Jakey also was particularly attentive to Sonic last night, to the point where when I was out of the room for a few minutes he gave Sonic a bath that was so enthusiastic that all of Sonic's fur was soaked through and standing up in wet clumps, I had to dry him with a fleece and keep him warm after. So I do think Jakey on some level understood that Sonic was very ill.

 

[LeytonCatLady]

Jakey also was particularly attentive to Sonic last night, to the point where when I was out of the room for a few minutes he gave Sonic a bath that was so enthusiastic that all of Sonic's fur was soaked through and standing up in wet clumps, I had to dry him with a fleece and keep him warm after. So I do think Jakey on some level understood that Sonic was very ill.

Jakey will need love, kindness and support, and so will you. I hope us Urbs can provide you with that strength to be there for Jakey.

 

[seeformiles]

Sonic was put to sleep this afternoon.

He had declined over the last couple of days and was barely eating and very frail. He wasn't in pain and up until the end was still incredibly loving (we had lovely cuddles this morning, I think he was tired and instinctively knew he was nearing the end and just like he has always been he wanted to be near me).

We were able to be with him at the end.

View attachment 305100

Sonic Boom: 1st Nov 2006 - 8th Jan 2022.
Love you always.

So Sorry Epona. You gave him a brilliant long loving life and you covered him in love right until the end - you couldn’t have done any more and I bet he felt it too.
Can’t think of anything else to say but I like to think this thread is a community support network for all kitty lovers (certainly helped me in the past) and I hope I’m not overstepping my bounds by saying we’re all here for you x

 

[Epona]

Thank you everyone for your kind words and support.

I have for years said about Sonic "nothing in this universe will ever love me as much as this cat does" and I was never joking about that - he wasn't at all aloof like a lot of cats and was incredibly loving and loyal, he made it clear each and every day that he absolutely adored me, followed me round like a puppy all the time, always wanted to be picked up and carried and on occasion headbutted me so hard in the face in enthusiastic greeting that I feared for my teeth.

I was so lucky to have that, I was also lucky to have the horrendously mischievous destructicat that was Radar (still much missed) - unique little beings and I am truly blessed to have known them both.

 

[philosophical]

Epona I am so sorry. hard to know what to say, but this community feels for you.

 

[Elpenor]

What everyone else has said.

From your post, Sonic couldn’t have had a better owner, and he knew it. I’m glad you know that too.

Take care of yourself

 

[Epona]

I just found out that one of Sonic's brothers from the same litter died 2 weeks ago, at least Sonic made it through Xmas (we had a very happy one, he was mildly unwell and I'd phoned on Xmas eve to see when I could get an appointment, but he was in good spirits and only just starting to be ill), that must have been particularly difficult for Yoshi's humans to have him die at Xmas.

 

[20Bees]

I know it is going to hit me like a truck later, but this was so much better than the way Radar went (2 years ago yesterday - this week sucks!!) - I had time to say goodbye and although seeing his gradual decline was difficult, I knew when it was the right time without it being a sudden tragedy and had already done some pre-grieving if that makes sense.

My immediate feeling when he was gone was deep sadness but tinged with slight relief if that makes sense. He was just on the verge of starting to suffer, and I was able to judge that over a period of days while giving him all the love and attention possible, rather than everything being a shock.

I will miss him forever and will no doubt grieve deeply once it sinks in, and I do wish that tests had picked it up in time to manage it - but I do feel content about his end of life and the way it was handled (by us and the vet) and that it was the right thing at the right time - I think that is the best we can ask for really.

A good summary of your feelings about a sad situation, there is some small comfort in knowing it was as gentle and dignified as it could be, and that both you and he knew it was time. He had a good life with you.
RIP Sonic xxx

 

[Epona]

All the staff at our vet surgery are locums or temps atm (basically the entire regular team has been Omicroned by all accounts) - they were great and lovely, but I asked if I could have a pawprint like I got when Radar was put down - they hunted round and found an inkpad and presented me with a sheet of A4 filled with loads of pawprints in red ink which was not quite the same as the dignified card with a single black pawprint that I had when Radar died - but honestly it will do and it made me laugh, it looked like he'd been on some sort of bloody rampage in a snow-covered landscape - which I found amusing. There are also a couple of good prints there that were worth the effort.

(I am not into tattoos but if I decided to get any, it would most likely be pawprints of my deceased cats, so having something to record it is better than nothing, or I can use that to do some artwork on paper to put in a frame with a photo or similar)

 

[Elpenor]

A paw print is a lovely idea

 

[Epona]

I still keep looking round for 2 cats, it isn't just the crushing grief when I think about Sonic, it is the small things like when I come back into the sitting room and see Jakey and automatically without thinking do a quick visual scan of the room to check where Sonic is (I am not used to seeing the one without the other nearby).

 

[Epona]

And Jakey is doing this weird thing where it almost seems like he is in fear of what may happen to him if he doesn't knead hard enough or purr loudly enough - he's clearly upset but dealing with it in a very Jakey way.

 

[Epona]

I was going to keep Sonic's blankie (found a nice little red fleece just big enough for a long cat to help keep him warm when he was ill) for myself to cuddle when I felt low but maybe Jakey would find it a comfort if it smells of Sonic.

He is being extremely clingy and not quite right, bless him.

 

[MrCurry]

So sorry for your loss Epona. Thinking of you X

 

[Epona]

I still haven't "crashed", emotionally speaking, since his death. It's been a difficult week and I have spent a lot of it crying and cuddling him, I have no doubt that at some point soon I will find myself laying on the floor and wailing like a child.

If I get to that point and post about it here in the depths of grief, please remind me of the things I know - that he had a great life with me, that he spent his last few days happy with me and mostly being cuddled, and that his death was kind and pain-free and dignified and done only after much consideration and from the deepest love and respect for him.

 

[Epona]

Also please everyone else post some pictures and stories of your cats, I am wallowing atm (which is a normal part of grieving and ok and healthy up to a point) but I love hearing about and seeing everyone's cats and I don't want anyone to feel like I am hogging the thread or they can't post happy stuff about their cats - I want to see your happy stuff

 

[Numbers]

Here’s Mr Best.

 

[Numbers]

RIP Sonic.

 

[Epona]

Here’s Mr Best.

View attachment 305138

He's so gorgeous and certainly knows how to relax to the max - look at him all spread-eagled on the rug

He has such clear and beautiful Classic Tabby markings too with the trademark bullseye on his side - he's a real looker

 

[strung out]

So sorry for your loss Epona.

This is Milo hiding under the table cloth from his insulin injection recently.

 

[Epona]

So sorry for your loss Epona.

This is Milo hiding under the table cloth from his insulin injection recently.

View attachment 305141

Did he get his jab eventually?

Gorgeous creature, look at his little face!

 

[Numbers]

He's so gorgeous and certainly knows how to relax to the max - look at him all spread-eagled on the rug

He has such clear and beautiful Classic Tabby markings too with the trademark bullseye on his side - he's a real looker

He’s a lovely cat too + he looks so healthy. Still can’t believe he was abandoned, but he’s fallen on his paws with us.

 

[High Voltage]

I am currently the "plate" in a Fifi sandwich

Casper being the top layer of bread, Clive's the bottom layer of bread and Fifi is the filling

Light levels permitting I shall try for a picture

Must be getting cold

 

[High Voltage]

Nah picture's not going to work

 

[Epona]

He’s a lovely cat too + he looks so healthy. Still can’t believe he was abandoned, but he’s fallen on his paws with us.

I don't get people who abandon pets, full stop. People sometimes have to give up an animal so it can have a better life if they fall on hard times (lose their job, relationship breakdown, loss of home, loss of income etc), but if they care about it they will find a new home for the animal or do it through a rescue or shelter and it will be a difficult but unavoidable decision for them, rather than just turfing it out on the streets.

 

[Numbers]

They just moved away but left him but also cos now he's with us.