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Little Friends to Leave
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Ruphus
Posts: 3782
Joined: Nov. 18 2010
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 Little Friends to Leave
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When looking at him like that ( pitcure from Thursday ) one might not estimate so, but this Tomcat is a methusalem, seeing its large framed breed which sees individuals seldomly becoming much older than 13 years, while he will be 16 in April.
It´s years already that he hasn´t jumped on anything higher than a meter ( which he wouldn´t be doing too often anyway, for being souvereign on the ground ). But last week he even slipped off the couch table while attempting to jump on it. Next he will limp at times when raising from rest, and in the last days I see him even tumble occasionally.
It is the first time for me to be with a hairy chum during his last period. With others I was either away from home, or they were hijacked, or I had to leave another one with an ex-girl friend.
With Igor, pictured above, there is that uncomplaining way he always had.
It is very obvious that he is puzzled about the late condition, wondering all the time, but still he is making the best of it.
He is calling me more often now for a kneeling and for being talked to.
In fact there appear to have been a couple of onsets already over past two years, when he would increase his inquiries for cuddling sessions and finally, twice over past months do what appeared as if curling in for a last time.
I would then beg him to stay, and may that be how it be, with him then coming back to normal ways.
Gradually, however he seem to be on the way. And today he puked some stomach acid that looked rather bloody.
There are no words to describe the gap he would be leaving. Some of you know pretty well what I am talking about.
This is the one thing about pets I could really do without. Their lifespan is just plain ridiculous.
All that refining, development, blossoming of theirs for what? Some meagre 15 or 20 years!? That is just cynical.
These days there are even dog breeds that will hardly get 8. How disproportionate is that.
Anyway, I am hoping for no signs of severe pain, so that he mustn´t be brought to the vet. May he instead peacefully just not wake up some day.
Noone knows me as in and out like he does. He even reads my mind perfectly. Something no most amicable human being could.
My fury, now greybearded pal, Nathan the wise.
Wish us calm, muchachos.
Ruphus
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Date Jan. 14 2013 11:29:28
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Ruphus
Posts: 3782
Joined: Nov. 18 2010
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RE: Little Friends to Leave (in reply to Ruphus)
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Hi Andi,
I saw your reply last night, and when Igor greated me this morning your words were in the back of my head, while laughing with this fuzzy little critter.
( He has made me laugh a lot every day over all those years.)
Obviously you perceived my mood exactly. :O)
As you know, these creatures that so many humans consider Descartes´ machines actually correspond to you incredibly if they can only find a conncetion, and when loving you will be going out of their way immensly.
For instance, when Igor was a kitten a friend used to come by to battle with me on the chessboard. And one day the kitten felt like participating in the game and jumped on the board, only to be cursed by me instantly.
Since that day, Igor will retract when there are visitors in the house, only because of his awareness of that I like to focus on the people.
Just like my cats before he will never make any noise whatsoever before I havn´t wakened up, which again he mysteriously notes happening to the very second. And too considerate, he will inquire his food only very temperately in case of my forgetting or being distracted. And should I still not react to his gentle asking he will let it be altogether.
He is the epitome of calmness and patience with me, with women and children. Though being a true patriarch with other cats or a knight with dogs. ( I could make him tolerate one of the dogs only to a degree.)
Considering his appearence, indeed his handsomeness has always being remarked by vets and by many of folks who encounter him. Here where a paradox mentality allows no pets in the house other than encaged ( cats hence usually being feral and in pity shape), diverse elated youngsters of acquintances have been coming by only to take a shot of his stature with their cell phones to show it to their friends.
So let me throw in another take of pantherus igorus.
In sight of digital photography, I only wished jpg would had made similar progress to compression formats for audio. It would be so great to see a more efficient encoding that would allow more retaining of raw detail.
Ruphus
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Date Jan. 15 2013 12:58:21
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Ruphus
Posts: 3782
Joined: Nov. 18 2010
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RE: Little Friends to Leave (in reply to Ruphus)
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I have not been reporting on the journey for to spare you the details.
Almost three months later and Igor was euthanasized yesterday.
His state had continuously worsened, with handicapped walking, then being completely blinded, and finally, after a while of been almost exclusively hand-fed he had only consumed maybe 3 spoons of food over the course of three days.
With failing kidneys he would be drinking ever more, and yet always schlepp himself accurately to the litter box to only not mess.
I had been calling for the vet since over a week, with the doc promissing to come, yet turning out hindered day and day again.
In a way that did fit me, because the cat was just too aware and present still / not semi-conscious / not appearing like ready to leave at all.
Though a bit less watchful and in the end so limited that he would have difficulties with locating meat crumbs in my hand, he was still all noticing my moves, often staggering to come and lay down near where I would be ... The connection between us strong as ever.
From there I was feeling relieved every time the vet hadn´t come, only in the last days it became clear that Igor would have to starve if no measures taken.
So yesterday the doc came elaborating on the horrible blood findings from last visit ( "I didn´t tell you when you inquired, for not to startle you") and when I started stumbling right away, losing control over myself ( how I hate such behaviour before strangers!) he suggested to take Igor with himself.
So, I went to dig out a kennel and put Igor in there.
Minutes after the doc had left I called him up to ask him silly questions. Then called him again ten minuttes later to tell him to please halt and wait until I be there too.
That way my little friend was only stressed needlessly instead of being put to sleep calmly at home.
- If you can call it that way at all.
In a culture that regards animals as things you can´t expect them to import euthanasia pharmaceutics.
Eventhough after the anaesthesia there was no visible sign of reaction anymore for some reason I had the absolute feeling as if Igor could still hear every single word that I was saying to him.
Before the final injection the doc asked us to leave the room.
I have been dreading this since a vera long time, always knowing that it would be too hard to take.
But I wasn´t complettely aware of how much interwoven we actually are.
Each and every of my steps was routingly observed by him, and again his perception unconsciously realized by me.
Every move was noted in a mutual way, even the guitar playing.
Though he was not the greatest music fan of the cats I have had, I used to feel his appreciation when sounds were round and pleasant, and when in the opposite my improvisations went to far into dissonance you could either see him switch dozing position in an irked way or sometimes even hear him groan as if saying: "Jeez, you are messing up!"
Anyway, I see that I am failing with trying to describe something more intense than I had dared to envision.
I find myself howling like a wolf. It breaks through all of a sudden in whatever situation. Even this mornings waking up.
I can´t get out of my head how he dearly trusted me like always when I picked him up to bring him to his death.
I can´t look at the empty spots he used to prefer, and am outright dreading to remove his utensils.
My house is dead.
Ruphus
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Date Apr. 9 2013 9:17:37
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Ruphus
Posts: 3782
Joined: Nov. 18 2010
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RE: Little Friends to Leave (in reply to Ruphus)
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Hey PGH,
I suppose you are right with that it gets harder to part with age.
Yet, I have been holding dear animals from very early on. ( When I left kindergarden, reknown for drawings and specially of horses, I had to paint pictures of horses for each of the kids and staff.)
Only that somehow I had come around of wittnessing the passing of long-term animal fellows so far, with this time being my first real-time experience.
And man, is it devastating for certain.
Very fortunately, there are the dogs around me.
Been down in the yard for hours today with those clowns, hardly thinking of Igor once; only when enterring the upper floor it has me back instantly.
Everything here is him.
Can´t walk three meters here without noticing what is missing so essentially.
He has been so much more than just a pet. Filling the place with beauty and good nature.
Believe it or not, there have always been some who would come to see him and be inspired. ( Aside of kids who´d come to take pics with their cell phones.)
The vet and friends try to sooth by telling me that I cared specially well for him. But my main thoughts are basic / about how such treasure of a living being had to leave, and that possibly even under pain ( though, after calling the doc and expressing my displeasure about the procedure, I went and read a bit about euthanasia methods; in consequence sending him a message with apologies).
You are right, the memories will be cherrished like those of his predecessors too.
All fascinating personallities, like "Morle", son of a wild cat / king of the quarter and picking me up from school daily, or "R" the "Nathan The Wise", who everyone used to fall for.
Or my very first cat that used to crap on my mothers pillow while trying to communicate something. - As I learned just few years ago, that didn´t turn out too well, however.
Thank you for your kind words, my friend! :O)
Hi Erik,
You too; thank you for your good vibes.
From what you are saying your sister´s cat will then very likely be a Maine Coon too, like Igor.
It´s a very interesting breed. Robust and beautiful in the same time, and just the more, the less so called breeders may have messed around.
They also have a unique touch to them, with a solid sceleton coming through like with no other breed.
These are very gentle and patient types, yet in a position to defend themselves whenever someone could be misusing their well-tempered approach.
They will even not hold back if dogs won´t show enough respect.
Igor was already a very old hampered man, when he was about to attack Charlie the dog last summer despite the dogs weight and hight of about three times more. ( Man had I to fly, throwing a blanket over the cat and leading the dog outside asap!)
Maine Coon are natural farmer cats from Maine / and behind the border to Canada; cats with hair beneath their paws to accomodate running on snow, and they are known for picking larger prey like rabbits.
Folks call them the "calm giants".
Unfortunately, like with larger breeds in general their lifespan isn´t the greatest. While cats can reach age of up to 35 years, MCs are said to rarely be getting older than 13.
All smaller cat breeds present near full "equivalents" of large cats like say leopards or tigers, but never have I experienced a kitten that would be moving as much like a lion in the way Igor used to when young. And there was some lion-style with him still when he had grown up.
Too bad that idiots called "breeders" are already at messing up this beautiful and self-confident sub species.
That kind of profession is in need of some strict supervision anyway. - I hate the vast of their perverse branch.
Anyway, ... Thank you really for the related distraction. :O)
Ruphus
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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |
Date Apr. 9 2013 17:26:21
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Ruphus
Posts: 3782
Joined: Nov. 18 2010
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RE: Little Friends to Leave (in reply to Ruphus)
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Hi Grisha,
Thank you very much for your wise advice.
In fact I do have great dificulties with accepting thelike inevitable loss.
Still have to overcome my father´s, brother´s and mother´s passing away, and missed opportunities.
They still come up in my dreams, and any cheap TV-soap with a corresponding relative to cross the river will leave me cringe.
I need to change, but progress is only slow.
-
Talking to you about pets brings up memories of some Russian animal lovers in USA, and in regard of memories from stays in Russia I like to quote myself from an older thread where I was about friendships between dogs & cats: quote:
- At the extreme best like with that one cat on my cousin´s Russian datsha, that used to be the remarkable head of another tomcat and three dogs. Two German shepherds and a pudel. The cat had just beaten up the neighbour´s dreaded dog badly when he was trying to attack one of the spepherds. The cat was even sneaking up on me as a stranger, ready to attack, until I stopped playing with the excited, yelping shepherd and kneed down to show my good intentions to the catty. - Who then let himself be stroked and left again. What a brave cat.
Incredible, isn´t it?
Hello Pink,
Thank you for drawing my attention to that aspect. Actually, I hadn´t looked at it in this way, and I will remember to consciously reflect on his traces in me these days.
It surely is a calming perspective. :O)
Again linked from an older thread a picture from Igor´s better days. Failed photographically, but I quite like it as nice snapshot.
Ruphus
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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |
Date Apr. 9 2013 21:00:19
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