Stripey No More
We had to euthanize my favorite cat at approximately 9:30 am today. I cannot put into words how sad I am right now...
We noticed a growth in his mouth a couple months ago and took him to the vet-- this was shortly after we brought David home from the hospital. The vet told us to call a cat dentist-- that they would likely have to remove Clovis' jaw. We got busy with baby-things, and didn't think about anything 'till we started seeing bloody paw prints all over the house. His mouth got worse last week. This past Thursday or Friday, we called another doctor who scheduled a visit for today... and the prognosis wasn't good.
Clovis had bone cancer that had spread through his whole jaw. At his visit today, they weighed him. He'd lost weight. As this weekend progressed, we noticed that he had only been eating one kibble at a time. The cancer was so bad that the bone between his canines was protruding between his teeth. They gave us the option of removing his lower jaw-- which would give him 3-6 months to live... or to have him put down....
...
We decided to put him to sleep-- one of the most difficult decisions Jordan and I've ever had to make together. Of all 4 of our cats, I always had a soft spot for Clovis. He was my favorite. He was such an adventurous cat-- and smart too! He was the one who learned to open cupboards first, and then taught all the other cats how to open cupboards. He was the one who used to get into the shower with me (He accidentally clawed my eye while I played with him from the other side of the shower curtain.) ... or he would meow at the faucet and wait for us to turn it on. I'll bet he was the one who opened the pantry and got the catnip from the top shelf so the cats could throw a catnip party in the kitchen. He was the one who opened the back door and spent a day in the wild and bit Jordan in fright after getting in a fight with 2 dogs when Jordan found him in the neighbor's back yard. He loved chasing lizards and eating bread. He liked ripping up paper towels to shreds. He loved milk and curling up on Jordan's lap while he watched movies on his computer. We knew he'd be mischievous because of his stripey raccoon tail and he didn't disappoint.
We knew he'd do big things because of his big paws. He was found with his brother, Nicodemus, on a median here in town. I'd always wanted a stripey cat and a black cat, so to get these two guys for a two-for-one deal was a sign-- these cats were meant to be my cats. I re-named the stripey cat "Clovis" and Jordan named his black brother "Nicodemus". Clovis was named after the cat in Stephen King's "Sleepwalkers"... because he saved the day. Clovis always watched out for his brother.
The more Jordan and I talk, the more stories we remember... Like how his tail would make a perfect question mark curve-- so we used to call him "Question Mark Tail Cat"... or how he'd do "Ninja Kicks" on the walls in the hall and make all the pictures crooked. He'd also get this wild hair and go tearing down the hall and kicky-foot the rugs. I loved how he'd bring the towels from the kitchen upstairs and leave them outside our bedroom door every morning. I'd always tell him "thank you" for the gifts. There were a couple times when he brought clean socks upstairs-- once when I asked Jordan to get me some socks and he opened the door and there they were. He loved milk and tuna.... and going outside. We'll miss how he used to hide in our closet. Jordan will especially miss how he would make a nest in his pile of neck ties.
I hope my kitty is in kitty heaven. I know he'll get into trouble there too.
We noticed a growth in his mouth a couple months ago and took him to the vet-- this was shortly after we brought David home from the hospital. The vet told us to call a cat dentist-- that they would likely have to remove Clovis' jaw. We got busy with baby-things, and didn't think about anything 'till we started seeing bloody paw prints all over the house. His mouth got worse last week. This past Thursday or Friday, we called another doctor who scheduled a visit for today... and the prognosis wasn't good.
Clovis had bone cancer that had spread through his whole jaw. At his visit today, they weighed him. He'd lost weight. As this weekend progressed, we noticed that he had only been eating one kibble at a time. The cancer was so bad that the bone between his canines was protruding between his teeth. They gave us the option of removing his lower jaw-- which would give him 3-6 months to live... or to have him put down....
...
We decided to put him to sleep-- one of the most difficult decisions Jordan and I've ever had to make together. Of all 4 of our cats, I always had a soft spot for Clovis. He was my favorite. He was such an adventurous cat-- and smart too! He was the one who learned to open cupboards first, and then taught all the other cats how to open cupboards. He was the one who used to get into the shower with me (He accidentally clawed my eye while I played with him from the other side of the shower curtain.) ... or he would meow at the faucet and wait for us to turn it on. I'll bet he was the one who opened the pantry and got the catnip from the top shelf so the cats could throw a catnip party in the kitchen. He was the one who opened the back door and spent a day in the wild and bit Jordan in fright after getting in a fight with 2 dogs when Jordan found him in the neighbor's back yard. He loved chasing lizards and eating bread. He liked ripping up paper towels to shreds. He loved milk and curling up on Jordan's lap while he watched movies on his computer. We knew he'd be mischievous because of his stripey raccoon tail and he didn't disappoint.
We knew he'd do big things because of his big paws. He was found with his brother, Nicodemus, on a median here in town. I'd always wanted a stripey cat and a black cat, so to get these two guys for a two-for-one deal was a sign-- these cats were meant to be my cats. I re-named the stripey cat "Clovis" and Jordan named his black brother "Nicodemus". Clovis was named after the cat in Stephen King's "Sleepwalkers"... because he saved the day. Clovis always watched out for his brother.
The more Jordan and I talk, the more stories we remember... Like how his tail would make a perfect question mark curve-- so we used to call him "Question Mark Tail Cat"... or how he'd do "Ninja Kicks" on the walls in the hall and make all the pictures crooked. He'd also get this wild hair and go tearing down the hall and kicky-foot the rugs. I loved how he'd bring the towels from the kitchen upstairs and leave them outside our bedroom door every morning. I'd always tell him "thank you" for the gifts. There were a couple times when he brought clean socks upstairs-- once when I asked Jordan to get me some socks and he opened the door and there they were. He loved milk and tuna.... and going outside. We'll miss how he used to hide in our closet. Jordan will especially miss how he would make a nest in his pile of neck ties.
I hope my kitty is in kitty heaven. I know he'll get into trouble there too.