Rest in Peace Sweet Mr. Mau

Yesterday was an okay day with Mr. Mau. We took a nice walk in the yard/garden and he enjoyed it very much. Since he was weak from not eating for some time, we were just sitting together outside in the big chair. Last night he went to sleep under my bed but still used the litterbox upstairs.

This morning (Sunday, May 30, 2021) he was still there sleeping, so, me and the cats layed down on the carpet with him, making sure he was okay and comfortable. After a couple hours of sleep, he came out and I noticed that he was wobbly and could not walk further. He peed on the floor. He cried and that sound made me hurt so much. Then he had another nap and after I took him outside to what he still loved. He enjoyed it for a while but then got restless because he was not able to walk and probably had pain.

My husband was working and I was left without a car. Our local vet was closed since it was Sunday. We called their other location (30+ miles away) since they had an emergency service. I called my husband to come home so we can take Mr. Mau for emergency euthanasia. I knew it will be better for Mau if we could help him over the Rainbow Bridge.

Mr. Mau came to us in August 2018. He was skinny and infested with multiple parasites. We gave him a forever home and he was a happy cat. He loved everyone and everyone loved him.

He was no trouble at all but was then diagnosed with Chronic Kidney Disease in January 29 2021, stage 2. His condition stabilized after a few months and giving us hope but then his numbers went up way too high. He was refusing to eat the special dietary food after a few days but we kept up with supplements and other medicines that we hoped would manage his condition. At least for a while. He lost half of his body weight and he was down to about 8 lbs. This all came to pass in a short amount of time and has broken my heart. We had such little time together.

He was one of our best kitties and radiated love.

I hope that all the pets he knew are awaiting him on the other side of The Rainbow Bridge. Rest in Peace sweet little baby.

When you have to be a nurse, not just being a fur-mommy...

     

With a long lifespan comes complications that are a normal part of life. Things break down. For some, things break more than for others. This is true for people just as much as it is for cats. A dislocated hip, pancreatitis, dental disease, kidney disease, arthritis, basal cell cancer, anemia, ataxia... etc... 

For Mr. Mau with CKD, one of the things that has eased the complications and given him resilience is our giving him subcutaneous fluids 100 mL every other days. He hates the needles but he's a good kitty and he knew that I am helping him. 

     Fluid therapy is one of the most common medical treatments cats receive. The purposes of fluid therapy are to increase blood volume (dehydration or hypovolemia), change the content of the blood (such as electrolyte, metabolic and acid disorders), change the distribution, increase excretion. The body keeps water levels in check by homeostasis. If there is an excess of water, the kidneys flush it out of the body via the urine, if there is too little water in the body, the kidneys concentrate the urine and the brain sends a signal to drink more water.

Subcutaneously

This involves lifting a tent of loose skin at the back of the neck and injecting the fluid into the area. It may be necessary for pet owners to give a cat subcutaneous fluids at home. A lump of fluid may occur after administration, but this will gradually spread throughout the body. If your veterinarian has recommended giving your cat subcutaneous fluids at
home, he or a veterinary nurse will demonstrate how to safely do this.

My heart hurts for all of you going through this. Hang in there...

Somewhere over the Rainbow... Honor for a CKD kitty Roscoe

After Mr. Mau was diagnosed with Chronic Kidney Disease, I've joined a group here on Facebook called: I Have a Cat with Kidney Disease and Feline Chronic Kidney Disease. Sure, I was and still learning a lot from people who are dealing with the same condition with their loving kitties.

Not long ago a handsome orange cat called Roscoe just crossed the Rainbow Bridge and his momma was offering some special K/D food for the cats in this group. Since Mr. Mau became so picky eater, I sent her a message, that I would more then be happy to take Roscoe's donation and give it a try with Mr. Mau. Special renal food for cats are very expensive and our vet gave Mau a few samples. Much our delight, he loved them.

Shortly after Roscoe crossed the Bridge, two packages and a very thoughtful card arrived from Roscoe's mommy. I would like to share this kindness and generosity to honor to this sweet elder gentleman, Roscoe.