Sable's Vet Visit (check up)

Sable was dropped off at the vet this morning for his annuals and to have a boo-boo looked at. Our Sable is considered to be a medium hair cat. At age 15, his coat isn't as shiny as it used to be, and he has started getting some mats in his fur. Although he is a black cat, his undercoat is a soft gray. Mom could brush him for hours and he would continue to shed. The problem is when those little mats form in Sable's fur, mom said it is like the beginning of a human "dredlock". She either has to cut them out or pick them apart before she brushes him.

When it was time for bed last night, mom found LOTS of tuffs of black and gray fur that looked like Sable's fur. She picked it up and threw it out. Then Sable jumped on the bed and mom noticed a bare looking spot on his hip/thigh area. She took him out to the family room and gave him a good brushing. He pulled away from her when she went over the bare-ish spot. Upon further inspection she said it looked scabbed over. When she rubbed over it with her finger tip the rough place pulled up and it was bloody beneath it. After cleaning it with some warm water (Sable hated that) she put a little antibiotic ointment on it.

Mom was concerned that the boo-boo might get infected, so it was off to the vet for Sable! The vet called and said the place is nothing to worry about and should heal up just fine. He trimmed some of the other mats off and trimmed up Sable's butt fur. He got his needed vaccines and mom will pick him up on her way home from work.

The vet did tell mom that Sable has lost some of his body mass (aka weight). It's been a gradual loss and the vet said it is age related. Sable has lost 3 lbs. over 3 years, going from a little over 12 lbs. to a little over 9 lbs. The vet recommended that Sable go on a prescription food so mom is going to give it a try. He loved Angel Fred's prescription food, so hopefully he will like this food.

We hope everyone has a fun weekend. If the hots are in your part of the country, take it easy and stay cool. If there are storms in your area, stay safe and stay dry!

Purrs,
Clarissa & Co.

One Week Later....

It's been one week since sweet Fred crossed that Bridge. We miss our brofur, as does mom, but have been doing our best to show her our love. Many of us have taken to laying on mom's right when she is watching t.v. That was Fred's favorite spot. Mom always laughed because white-furred Fred would always be on the right, and black-furred Sable would always lay on the left. The middle was reserved for me! None of us like to curl around mom's hand like Fred did, but she said that's okay. She knows we are all different. That just happened to be his thing to do.

Mom has some pictures of Fred on her phone. We wanted to share a couple of them now. Something Fred started doing as he started feeling worse was finding cooler places to lay down. Most of the time it would be the tile floor in the bathroom. However, mom walked into the kitchen one day to find this:

We think Fred was still a handsome boy, but he looks older than his 10 years. His face is thinner, and he isn't the shiny, clean white kitty that he had been. He still washed and tried to groom, but you can see how gray his tail looked, and his ears. Mom tried to keep him cleaner, but he would squirm and get so agitated that she would let him go.

Mom didn't fuss at him for being in the sink. She knew he didn't feel well. This was take about a month before he passed.

We would like to thank everybody who left messages of sympathy for us. It meant a lot to mom and us. There will always be a place in our hearts for Fred, but we know it was time for him to fly free. As long as we have memories of him then he will still live on in our hearts and home.

Fred is Home

Clarissa has graciously allowed me to take over her blog for the day.  I (and Clarissa & Co.) want to thank all of our friends in the blogosphere for your kind words regarding Fred's passing. If you've ever loved an animal, you know how hard it is when they are no long with you. Your words meant so much to us.

I pick up Fred's ashes late yesterday. Quite frankly, I was surprised that they were returned so quickly. Fred has taken his place of honor along side his siblings who went before him. The vet's office include a heart shape cast of Fred's paw print. This is the first time I've receive a paw print of one of my fur babies.

There are things I miss about Fred. He was always on the breakfast bar or the kitchen counter when I would get up in the morning. He would "yell" at me, demanding to be fed. When I would watch t.v. in the evening, Fred's spot would be on my right. He would curl up around my hand while I rubbed his belly. Soon he would be asleep. Those are the things I will miss about him.

Fred's physical presence will be missed in our house, but his spirit and his memory will live on in my heart.

Clarissa's mom,
Malinda

And then there were 14...

Our hearts are heavy with the news we must bring. We said goodbye to Fred today. As you know, he had kidney disease and has been on sub-q fluids for a little over a month. He rallied when he first started on them, and the B-12 shot probably helped, too. But that was not to last. Fred practically stopped eating. All he wanted was mom's almond milk.

On top of the kidney issues, Fred developed a very bad respiratory infection. Mom took him to see the vet this morning. She dropped him off and had planned to pick him up when she left work later today. She even took his bag of fluid so he could get it while he was there.

The vet called mom later in the morning and she said Fred's prognosis was not good. His kidneys were small and had shrank. His chest was congested as was his sinuses. She told mom she could prescribe an antibiotic for Fred, but his immune system was so compromised that even if it cleared up, something else would make him sick. Mom said she didn't want to put Fred through more knowing he really wasn't going to get any better. Mom left work and went to the vet's office so she could be with him when he crossed the Bridge.

Clarissa's mom here:  Frederick Jerome DeWinter was one of the gentlest, sweetest cats I've known. He didn't have a mean bone in his body. He loved everyone. He got along with all of the other cats in my household. It broke my heart to let him go today, but I don't regret the decision. His passing was very peaceful. I chose to have his body cremated and will pick up his ashes when they are returned to the vet's office.

It has been a very hard and difficult day for me. I also lost a friend who I only knew through a cat message board and then Facebook. Sue's health had been declining over the past years and she had moved into an assisted living facility earlier this year. She entered the hospital late last week and went into "comfort care" on Sunday. She passed during the night. I found out this morning.

Life is fragile. Cuddle your fur family. Tell your friends and family that you love them.

On behalf of Clarissa & Co. and me:  We love you and appreciate all you do.

Fred in his prime.

2006 - August 16, 2016.