When I first picked out Clyde from the shelter he was the only little ball of fluff that just sat there and ignored me. Much like my choices in men I immediately was attracted to him and decided that he was the one that I wanted to love and cherish. When I took him home I remember how many times I would have to look around the house just to try and find his new hiding spot. He only wanted to hang out with me on his terms (Mainly few and far between and not without a sizeable dose of attitude).
Clyde grew up not wanting anyone to pick him up or hold him on their lap. Instead he wanted people to just sit there as he butted his head up against your hand in a means to pet him. Moving your hand would ignite a mean streak in this cat that nobody wanted to see. So instead you just sit there and let him do all the work. He’s such a moody cat that if you were in the middle of a grooming session with him (one of his favorite things) he would randomly turn to you and hiss and walk away. As if to let you know that “the king” is done now, please move on.
I picked Clyde out 11 years ago and yet it feels like it was only yesterday. He’s been through more than 10 moves with me 4 of which were in different states. When he was a kitten he used to sit in between my legs when I would drive home from college to visit my parents. He would stay there for the whole 3 hour trip, but he would always get sick within the last 2 miles of my parents house. Then he started getting to big to sit in my lap so he chose the back of my neck and shoulders. That was until he vomited on my shoulder and down the front of my shirt. At that point I made sure to leave him home on my trips to my parents. From there on out he was put in a large traveling crate and only allowed to travel with me when I was moving or he had a vet visit.
Clyde grew up not wanting anyone to pick him up or hold him on their lap. Instead he wanted people to just sit there as he butted his head up against your hand in a means to pet him. Moving your hand would ignite a mean streak in this cat that nobody wanted to see. So instead you just sit there and let him do all the work. He’s such a moody cat that if you were in the middle of a grooming session with him (one of his favorite things) he would randomly turn to you and hiss and walk away. As if to let you know that “the king” is done now, please move on.
Last week Clyde was showing signs of being a disgruntled sour puss. I watched him all weekend as he tucked himself away and pouted. I took this as a sign that he was pissed because I had friends over more often than he was used to. It wasn’t until I noticed that this 16lb Maine Coon wasn’t getting up for food or water. That’s when I realized he wasn’t just in a mood, but he was sick. So I grabbed the travel crate and my other recently sick cat took off like a bandit. Clyde on the other hand couldn’t even run from me. He just let his body go limp when I picked him up, as if to say “I don’t want to go”.
Last week Clyde was in the vets office for the whole week. They were treating him for Fatty Liver Syndrome along with some other problems. They gave him back to me over the weekend even though he wasn’t completely healthy. They thought it would be the best thing for him since it’s important for him to eat as much as possible. This may seem like an easy task, but it has been everything but easy. It’s hard to watch as my normally healthy overweight cat looks at me in disgust when I come to him with a syringe of baby food to feed him. My heart tells me that it’s time, but my vet tells me that it’s possible to make him better if I just get enough calories in him. I always believed that once my animals stop eating and drinking that that would be the time I take them in to be euthanized. However, it’s much harder when someone is telling you that it’s possible to reverse this life threatening liver failure issue. When do we say when? How many more horrible tests could I bare to put my cat through before I throw in the towel and thank god for the time I’ve had with him? This has been an awful week and I can only hope that it doesn’t become more awful for Clyde. At some point this week I have to make a decision that makes me believe that sometimes pet owners have to become god if only for a minute.
Clyde grew up not wanting anyone to pick him up or hold him on their lap. Instead he wanted people to just sit there as he butted his head up against your hand in a means to pet him. Moving your hand would ignite a mean streak in this cat that nobody wanted to see. So instead you just sit there and let him do all the work. He’s such a moody cat that if you were in the middle of a grooming session with him (one of his favorite things) he would randomly turn to you and hiss and walk away. As if to let you know that “the king” is done now, please move on.
I picked Clyde out 11 years ago and yet it feels like it was only yesterday. He’s been through more than 10 moves with me 4 of which were in different states. When he was a kitten he used to sit in between my legs when I would drive home from college to visit my parents. He would stay there for the whole 3 hour trip, but he would always get sick within the last 2 miles of my parents house. Then he started getting to big to sit in my lap so he chose the back of my neck and shoulders. That was until he vomited on my shoulder and down the front of my shirt. At that point I made sure to leave him home on my trips to my parents. From there on out he was put in a large traveling crate and only allowed to travel with me when I was moving or he had a vet visit.
Clyde grew up not wanting anyone to pick him up or hold him on their lap. Instead he wanted people to just sit there as he butted his head up against your hand in a means to pet him. Moving your hand would ignite a mean streak in this cat that nobody wanted to see. So instead you just sit there and let him do all the work. He’s such a moody cat that if you were in the middle of a grooming session with him (one of his favorite things) he would randomly turn to you and hiss and walk away. As if to let you know that “the king” is done now, please move on.
Last week Clyde was showing signs of being a disgruntled sour puss. I watched him all weekend as he tucked himself away and pouted. I took this as a sign that he was pissed because I had friends over more often than he was used to. It wasn’t until I noticed that this 16lb Maine Coon wasn’t getting up for food or water. That’s when I realized he wasn’t just in a mood, but he was sick. So I grabbed the travel crate and my other recently sick cat took off like a bandit. Clyde on the other hand couldn’t even run from me. He just let his body go limp when I picked him up, as if to say “I don’t want to go”.
Last week Clyde was in the vets office for the whole week. They were treating him for Fatty Liver Syndrome along with some other problems. They gave him back to me over the weekend even though he wasn’t completely healthy. They thought it would be the best thing for him since it’s important for him to eat as much as possible. This may seem like an easy task, but it has been everything but easy. It’s hard to watch as my normally healthy overweight cat looks at me in disgust when I come to him with a syringe of baby food to feed him. My heart tells me that it’s time, but my vet tells me that it’s possible to make him better if I just get enough calories in him. I always believed that once my animals stop eating and drinking that that would be the time I take them in to be euthanized. However, it’s much harder when someone is telling you that it’s possible to reverse this life threatening liver failure issue. When do we say when? How many more horrible tests could I bare to put my cat through before I throw in the towel and thank god for the time I’ve had with him? This has been an awful week and I can only hope that it doesn’t become more awful for Clyde. At some point this week I have to make a decision that makes me believe that sometimes pet owners have to become god if only for a minute.
This is Clyde the day after I got him back from the vet. Still very sick, but enjoying the sun.
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