(copy from journal - my mom's cat Socrates)
Sad News
It's been a bad few weeks for animals. Several people I know have recently lost beloved pets. It's been heartbreaking seeing one after another. Then my mom called me today in tears.
The vet believs her cat, Socrates, has cancer. Of the liver. And there's nothing they can do about it and the vet has no way to tell her how long he has. This is very sudden. Back in May, his liver enzymes were up so he had some medication and he was doing great. Then, the other day, he was swollen. Puffed with fluids. She took him to the vet and they ran around $400 worth of tests and bloodwork. Everything came back fine. The vet was stumped. They removed some fluid but were going to extract more to make him comfortable Thursday.
She brought him back in today (er, technically Thursday since I'm writing this after midnight) and they ran a pathology on the fluid. They're pretty sure it's cancer. She's absolutely devestated.
For those of you who are newer readers to this journal, I struggled for two years with my cat, Kush-ka with cancer. It was some of the hardest times of my life. Kush to me was family in the deepest sense of the word. Not just "some cat" or "pet." It was heartbreaking. Socrates is that special to my mom. She says he is her best friend. And anyone who's had a special relationship with an animal can understand that.
Socrates was the third kitty in a brief period of time to come into our lives. Kush was found and I knew he was meant to be with me. A few months later, Panda was found and rescued and he joined the household. Shortly after that, Socrates came into our lives too. In 1990, we went from no kitties to three kitties. My mom still has both Panda and Soc. And while Panda is loved, he's always been a shy, cranky kitty that's more gruff. He does his own thing. Soc on the other hand, has always been my mom's cat. He's loved up on her his entire life.
Soc will be 16 this October. But now, with this horrible news, we don't know how long he has. And it's breaking my mom's heart. She called me in tears today and I started crying too. I know how hard going through cancer is with your cat. I know how you wonder every day how many more days you have. And I know how awful it is when you come to a point where you have to let them go.
My mom doesn't need this kind of sorrow. With her health so poor, losing Soc like this is going to be a crushing blow. I wish I could do something or say something or somehow just make it better. In the end, there's not much any of us can do but wait and let her enjoy him as long as possible.
Sad, sad day. It's one thing to know your kitty is getting old, it's quite another to be hit with this out of the blue.
Warm thoughts for my mother are greatly appreciated.
It's been a bad few weeks for animals. Several people I know have recently lost beloved pets. It's been heartbreaking seeing one after another. Then my mom called me today in tears.
The vet believs her cat, Socrates, has cancer. Of the liver. And there's nothing they can do about it and the vet has no way to tell her how long he has. This is very sudden. Back in May, his liver enzymes were up so he had some medication and he was doing great. Then, the other day, he was swollen. Puffed with fluids. She took him to the vet and they ran around $400 worth of tests and bloodwork. Everything came back fine. The vet was stumped. They removed some fluid but were going to extract more to make him comfortable Thursday.
She brought him back in today (er, technically Thursday since I'm writing this after midnight) and they ran a pathology on the fluid. They're pretty sure it's cancer. She's absolutely devestated.
For those of you who are newer readers to this journal, I struggled for two years with my cat, Kush-ka with cancer. It was some of the hardest times of my life. Kush to me was family in the deepest sense of the word. Not just "some cat" or "pet." It was heartbreaking. Socrates is that special to my mom. She says he is her best friend. And anyone who's had a special relationship with an animal can understand that.
Socrates was the third kitty in a brief period of time to come into our lives. Kush was found and I knew he was meant to be with me. A few months later, Panda was found and rescued and he joined the household. Shortly after that, Socrates came into our lives too. In 1990, we went from no kitties to three kitties. My mom still has both Panda and Soc. And while Panda is loved, he's always been a shy, cranky kitty that's more gruff. He does his own thing. Soc on the other hand, has always been my mom's cat. He's loved up on her his entire life.
Soc will be 16 this October. But now, with this horrible news, we don't know how long he has. And it's breaking my mom's heart. She called me in tears today and I started crying too. I know how hard going through cancer is with your cat. I know how you wonder every day how many more days you have. And I know how awful it is when you come to a point where you have to let them go.
My mom doesn't need this kind of sorrow. With her health so poor, losing Soc like this is going to be a crushing blow. I wish I could do something or say something or somehow just make it better. In the end, there's not much any of us can do but wait and let her enjoy him as long as possible.
Sad, sad day. It's one thing to know your kitty is getting old, it's quite another to be hit with this out of the blue.
Warm thoughts for my mother are greatly appreciated.