Sally's Furbaby

 Sally reached out to me Friday afternoon and wanted to share some news.   Her long-time furbaby Kitty is unwell.   His appetite hasn't been great and she said that he's had a hard time pooping.   He's also been hiding under the bed a lot which is usually a sign that the pet is feeling like it may be the end.

I was recalling the day Sally first went to get her Kitty.    Actually prior to that she invited me along to go to the local humane society to look at some different pets.   I remember it was something about Kitty that caught Sally's attention.    She didn't see any other cats that caught her eye so her mind was made up that she had to have him.

The main reason she wanted a cat was because she had a rat problem at the time in the complex where she was living.    The idea was that the smell of a cat may drive the rats away.   I don't remember Kitty particularly helping in that department.    What I do remember is how much love he bought into Sally's life.   

I was there during his first days.  This was around 2009 or 2010.   I waited at Sally's apartment while she went to pick him up from the Humane Society.   He was a bit antsy so I held the makeshift cage he was held in while Sally went and opened the door to her apartment.   For the first day or so she kept him in the small bathroom, the idea being that Kitty would get used to that small area and then work his way to the rest of the house.

He escaped the bathroom by Day 2 and it wasn't long before he adapted to his new surroundings.  He followed Sally when she moved to Alabama for a new job.   Beforehand he made a pitstop in Detroit staying at her Mom's place for a couple months.

He was around 4 or 5 years old when she got Kitty.  So now he's around 18 years old which is an excellent age for a cat to reach.   He's in the high range of a cat's average lifespan.  But still it is so sad to hear the news.   I do hope that he somehow pulls through and gets past his illness.   The vet gave him some kind of probiotic that's supposed to be a Hail Mary to see if it helps or not.   But Sally is preparing for the worst.   She may have to make the decision to put him down which will not be easy.  I'm keeping them both in my thoughts and prayers.   It's definitely not an easy thing.   Both of my sisters also lost their furbabies a few years back.   They have other furbabies now.   I've never had a furbaby of my own but I can only imagine the pain of losing a loved one.   I've of course experienced that with my own parents and it would be no different with a pet.   I should know Kitty's fate by early next week.   Here's hoping for the best.