And then were 6: RIP Cash

Hi friends. It seems that we post only when one of my cats crosses the Rainbow Bridge.

It is with a heavy heart that I tell you that dear, sweet Cash has left us. Cash had been diagnosed with stage 3 kidney failure in January. He was doing well until the last week or so. Although he was interested in food, he wouldn't eat much. Besides his prescription kibble, he was also getting canned food. He ate like the Fancy Feast/Iams/Sheba pates as long as they were seafood. He reach a point from eating a full can, to only taking a couple of bites. I gave him the Friskies Lil' Soups, also seafood flavored. He would lap up the sauce/broth and leave the bits of fish behind. Over the past week he started leaving most of the broth behind.

Cash weighed around 14 lbs. when in his prime. His last weigh in yesterday had him at 6.5 lbs. Although he was alert and wanted all of the pets and cuddles he could get, he was restless. He took to pacing around the house. When he did rest, he would be hunched up with his front paws curled beneath him. I could tell he wasn't feeling well.

Yesterday is when I said goodbye. Cash passed peacefully at our vet's office. I was there to stroke his head and tell him how much he was loved. I'm sure his brother, Johnny (he passed in September 2017) was there to greet him. I told Cash to not let Johnny pick on him.

Johnny and Cash (I did not name them) came to me out of the blue. I was not looking for any kitties to adopt at that time. While in the vet's office (not my vet) with a friend, a young couple came in with those two handsome boys. The story they told the receptionist was that they had lost their apartment and the place where they were staying would not let them keep their cats. They wanted to surrender them to the vet's office. Unfortunately, the office could not take the cats in. They were told that the cats would have to go to a shelter. As the couple were getting ready to leave I told them I would take the cats. I explained that I had cats and I might have to re-home these two, but as long as they were with me they would have the best care. Of course I kept both of them.

They were such handsome tabby cats. They were 6 years old and were litter mates.I couldn't remember which one was Johnny and which one was Cash. One had some white on his throat so I said, "You're Johnny." That's how I could tell them apart. Johnny was the smaller of the two, yet he was the dominant one. They would participate in mutual "aggressive grooming" until Johnny would pin Cash down. He would bite Cash on the back of his neck until Cash "cried Uncle." Overall, they really did get along with each other and most of my other cats. Memphis, our Siamese, took a disliking to them right off the bat. I lost Memphis the same year I lost Johnny. 

I've lost so many over the past 4 years. Fred passed in 2016. Johnny, Spunky, Lily, and Memphis passed in 2017. Clarissa, Batman, and Fiona passed in 2018. Jazzpurr, Puff, Sable, and now Cash passed in 2019.

Cash was the only boy I had left. I now have 6 girls. Three are seniors and three are youngsters. 

While on the computer this morning, I caught a flash of something on my driveway. I thought it was a squirrel. And then I looked. There was a handsome, gray tabby cat strolling down my driveway. It was a lighter tabby that Johnny and Cash were. However, I want to believe that this was a sign from Cash that he was okay.

Hug your furbabies tonight and tell them how much they are loved.

Clarissa's mom,

Malinda.