Why did my baby leave me?

[CC & The Pussycat Guys & Dolls]

I dont have any answers Amy, just wanted to say Im so very sorry 

[Desley (booktigger)]

I am sorry to hear this, I lost my first cat to a fit, and I know how hard they are to witness, espeically when there was no real sign before. I dont think there was anything you could have done, and at least this way he wasn't prodded and poked about, and was with the people he loved. I am glad the CP people have been able to give you some comfort, and that you got some enjoyment with the kittens. I am sure Josh will have a hand in your next furbabe. RIP little one

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

 

[Corporal Smokey]

I've been at a branch CP meeting all evening. They helped me to understand what happened in the same way you all have that it was a crash brought on by CRF and heart failure. They know me and my cat so it was nice to hear their views. They said I could have taken him to the vets but the vet would probably just have prolonged the agony for a couple of months at best. They put it to me "who would that benefit? A cat who hated any kind of medical meddling or a person who can't bear to let go of a loved cat?" Interesting, I hadn't considered that.

I also spent a little time in the pens playing with kittens. I recommend this to anyone ho has just lost a furbabe. I've been dwelling at work today and stupidly starting scouring CC for kittens. Playing with them helped me to clear my head and although I'm sure one day Smokey will once again have a friend, that cat has a hell of an act to follow so it needs to be one special cat. I think in the right time,  Josh will send a young apprentice to live with us and we'll know when the time's right.

Feeling a lot more positive now although I've got a long way to go and I am so grateful to you all for listening xxx

[Tiggy's Mum]

So sorry to hear this 

I know how painful it is for you at the moment but please try and focus on the happy parts of his life and your time together rather than dwelling on the end 

RIP little Josh, safe and sound at the Bridge by now, waiting until your Mum is ready to collect you xx

[cazzer]

sorry to hear about poor Josh 

[snarf]

  so sorry to hear this. it sounds to me like you did everything you could.  its not fair at all 

[Mark]

Sorry Amy   

Right at the end, Willow was doing a funny breathing thing like she had a cold. Her eyes were dilated and we think she was blind. The vet said she had't been given anything and it was the build up of toxins. She was oblivious to us. She was already at the vets on a drip by then.

I think they can suddenly go into a crash without warning with CRF. The forst time she crashed 6 months earlier, she was fine 5 minutes previously - you had no way of knowing 

[Daisymac]

Oh darling,  I am so sorry,  I cant help you with what was wrong,  but I am thinking of you 

[clarenmax]

Aw hunnie, its so hard when they leave us at any time, but when its so sudden, it must be such a shock 

I would definitely have a chat with the vet, they may be able to help explain the symptoms etc.

However, it doesn't sound as though you could have done anything different, his breathing did not sound bad all the time, so they was not cause to worry unduly  Poot always sounds snuffly before he starts to purr, but its normal for him, nobody knows a cat better than their loving slave 

[puggy1975 Zoe]

So sorry for your loss. Defo think chatting to vet is the best thing to do.

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

I am so terribly sorry to read this 

Like the others I would have a chat with the vet cos sure she can help more than we can.   

[Corporal Smokey]

I may try to call the vet when I have the strength not to blub every 5 seconds. In a way I don't want to know if I could have saved him. With the breathing thing I'd have taken him in straight away if he did it all the time but it was just now and again when he was having a really good purr-you know the tummy-rub kind of purr where they're so content. That's why I didn't worry but decided to take him in this week to be sure. I've read a bit about fluid build up and it looks like he might have been doing it all the time.

The only weeny bit of comfort I have is that he would have been so stressed with taking tablets and having trips to the vets as his crf got worse, at least he doesn't have to go through all that. I just wish he never left me at all, it's not fair 

[Janeyk]

Amy I'm so sorry but I would have a chat with the vet, I did after Schui died because there were things I needed to know.   I'm sure it will help   

[Kirst]

OH Amy I'm so sorry..

[angel-77]

So sorry for your loss 
 

[Michelle (furbabystar)]

oh Sweetheart I'm so sorry 
What a huge shock for you

I agree with the others to ring back the vet you were talking to at the time.......

RIP Josh xx

[Gillian Harvey]

Oh Amy, I'm so sorry  The open mouth breathing is something my Sam was doing before being diagnosed with heart failure due to fluid build up - so Josh may well have had a stroke, have you had a talk to the vet? she might be able to give you a better idea as to what it could have been. 

[JackSpratt]

I'm sorry Amy, I've read it and none of it sounds particularly familiar. I hope someone can explain things to you - maybe call the vet back and ask who was on and if they'd mind having a chat?

[JackSpratt]

Amy, I've not read this properly and will do so later. I just wanted to send you a hug, because losing a furbabe is indescribable in terms of the grief felt.

Hoping you're coping.

[Dawn F]

oh Amy I am so so sorry you had to witness something which sounds so distressing - Josh had a life full of love with you, try and focus on that instead 

[Corporal Smokey]

Sorry if this makes no sense, can't think straight.

My gorgeous boy Josh was 15 and early-stage renal. We had been managing his CRF with diet and his numbers at the last test were ok. This was a couple of months back and we were going to take him in shortly for another check up.

We'd noticed a couple of weeks ago that he was doing a weird thing when purring. At all other times he breathed normally but when he purred he would occasionally open his mouth slightly (about every 4th purr if that makes sense). We kept an eye on him but he was normal otherwise.

His coat looked a little shabby towards his back end but for a big 15 yo cat this didn't concern me too much either and we helped him out by giving him a little brush now and again.

He suffered occasionally with constipation too and we helped him with a little Katalax here and there. There had been littler tray activity in the day or two before Friday night so I wasn't worried there either.

Late on Friday, OH noticed he was breathing a little heavier than normal. He seemed to be acting fine apart from that and his eyes were bright and shiny. I even checked the scruff of his neck to check for dehydration but his lovely soft blue fur bounced right back.

We decided we'd take him in as soon as we could but as he seemed fine and in no immediate discomfort we didn't call the vet on Friday night.

At 4.30 Saturday morning I heard an almighty racket downstairs and assumed it was Smokey misbehaving. I ran down and heard the noise coming from the litter tray. I yanked the lid off and Josh was in there, covered in litter and having some kind of fit/seizure/heart attack. There was some kind of clear liquid outside the tray but I don't know which end it came from and it smelled really weird. There were also two little tiny hard poos on the kitchen floor.

Needless to say as soon as I saw what I saw I called the vet but by the time I'd got to the end of my first sentence he was all still and his head was facing down. The vet knew what I was seeing but calmly helped me through it. She said "sometimes they go like that" and it was comforting at the time. She was so nice but I didn't ask her what she thought it might be.

I now feel awful and so guilty I didn't take him in straight away. Does any of this sound familiar to anyone? Can anyone help me to understand what happened?

Thanks for reading xx