Goodbye, Tigger.
After Thanksgiving dinner at Amelia's sister's house in Palo Alto, I came home to find Tigger in worse shape than last week. He was walking aimlessly around in circles and meowing loudly when he would get stuck in a corner. I didn't understand what was wrong, just thought it had something to do with his recent blindness. Throughout the night, he would just walk around and around, and meow when he got stuck. He didn't respond to my calling him, or to my petting. I stayed up with him the whole night; he didn't sleep, I didn't sleep. I tried to feed him some heated up canned food, which he ate vigorously. Then 10 minutes later, he threw it all up. I gave him water and he was able to keep that down. But then he went to the bathroom on the carpet a couple hours later.
I tried putting him outside, thinking the fresh air would make him feel better, but he just continued to walk around in circles. He was starting to get weaker as the sun came up. He tripped a couple times on his own feet, and sometimes would just lie there panting. Then would get up again and start walking around aimlessly.
Kenbo woke up and was going to go shopping with Amelia. I told him that Tigger wasn't doing so well, and I started to cry and said, "Maybe we should put him to sleep." Kenbo held me as I cried. He called the vet and made an appointment for 2:15pm. He went to Palo Alto to drop off Amelia. I stayed with Tigger and tried to get him to stop walking around.
When Kenbo returned, we took Tigger to the vet. I started to cry again, and we were called into the doctor's office. Tigger was underweight, dehydrated, and had a low temperature. He'd been diagnosed with early stages of kidney failure in March. His blindness and quickly deteriorating health were related to this diagnosis. The vet said we could give him blood pressure medicine, but that he was an old cat and didn't know how much more time that would buy us. I was still crying, even more so now, because I knew the inevitable was about to occur. Kenbo signed a form of consent for me as I held Tigger. The vet left the room to give us some more time with our kitty.
Kenbo and I pet Tigger and cried. The vet returned, touched my arm and told me I had made the right decision. She gathered Tigger in her arms, and I cried even more. I pet Tigger one last time and thanked the vet. She left the room with him and Kenbo and I hugged each other and cried.
I feel as though a part of my soul has died. He was over 17 years old, and I know it was the right thing to do, but it doesn't make the hurting any less. I'm trying to act normal, like remember to eat and sleep, but basically I'm in a very deep hole.
I already miss you so much, Tigger. And I hope I will get to see you again somehow. Thank you for all your love.
I tried putting him outside, thinking the fresh air would make him feel better, but he just continued to walk around in circles. He was starting to get weaker as the sun came up. He tripped a couple times on his own feet, and sometimes would just lie there panting. Then would get up again and start walking around aimlessly.
Kenbo woke up and was going to go shopping with Amelia. I told him that Tigger wasn't doing so well, and I started to cry and said, "Maybe we should put him to sleep." Kenbo held me as I cried. He called the vet and made an appointment for 2:15pm. He went to Palo Alto to drop off Amelia. I stayed with Tigger and tried to get him to stop walking around.
When Kenbo returned, we took Tigger to the vet. I started to cry again, and we were called into the doctor's office. Tigger was underweight, dehydrated, and had a low temperature. He'd been diagnosed with early stages of kidney failure in March. His blindness and quickly deteriorating health were related to this diagnosis. The vet said we could give him blood pressure medicine, but that he was an old cat and didn't know how much more time that would buy us. I was still crying, even more so now, because I knew the inevitable was about to occur. Kenbo signed a form of consent for me as I held Tigger. The vet left the room to give us some more time with our kitty.
Kenbo and I pet Tigger and cried. The vet returned, touched my arm and told me I had made the right decision. She gathered Tigger in her arms, and I cried even more. I pet Tigger one last time and thanked the vet. She left the room with him and Kenbo and I hugged each other and cried.
I feel as though a part of my soul has died. He was over 17 years old, and I know it was the right thing to do, but it doesn't make the hurting any less. I'm trying to act normal, like remember to eat and sleep, but basically I'm in a very deep hole.
I already miss you so much, Tigger. And I hope I will get to see you again somehow. Thank you for all your love.