Complete Care for Your Aging Cat - Amy Shojai [67]
Then last April, Midgie began wheezing, and the veterinarian diagnosed asthma. “I told myself medication would take care of her. But something told me she didn’t have a whole lot longer to live,” says Wendy.
Wendy’s brother recommended she put the cat to sleep, and get a healthy cat that needed a home. “But she was my best friend,” says Wendy. The cat had been there for Wendy during her own illnesses, the death of close friends, and an extremely traumatic separation and divorce. Their deep love and special relationship made the thought of losing Midgie even more difficult. “It was the first time in my whole life that I cried,” says Wendy. She was determined to support her friend during this time of need.
Midgie fought being medicated, so Wendy devised creative schedules and a treatment box that the cat readily accepted. Wendy also learned to value the affection they shared during crises as much as the love felt during the peaceful times. “That’s a hard lesson to learn when you’re frightened,” says Wendy.
Eventually the cat stopped fighting and relaxed. “It was a whole different love. She literally put herself in my hands,” says Wendy, still moved to tears at the memory. Knowing the end was near, Wendy asked her veterinarian what to expect. “I had never seen an animal die, and Midgie didn’t need me being hysterical,” says Wendy. “She needed to draw on the love that I had for her rather than my fear.”
Midgie died at home, in Wendy’s arms, and felt her friend’s love until the end.
Dealing with the aftermath was difficult because other people didn’t understand or support her feelings. Wendy chose to honor the cat’s memory, despite what others thought. She took three days off from work, sought out grief counselors, posted to Internet message boards to talk about her loss, and slowly the pain grew less as she began to dwell more on happy memories.
A box with a picture of a tuxedo cat that looks like Midgie holds her ashes, and has a place of honor in Wendy’s office. The medication box the has become a planter memorial to the cat, and Wendy is making a scrapbook to hold pictures, a lock of her fur, and special favorite toys, like a feather Midgie loved.
“Cats bond with us at a level that most human beings don’t get to.” Wendy knows that Midgie will always be a part of her heart. “I miss her quiet steadfast, peaceful mature nature. Even though it’s sad she’s gone, I’ve learned to enjoy her legacy,” says Wendy. Midgie taught Wendy how to grieve, and then heal without giving up on love. “You can love in death as well as life.”
PART TWO: A-to-Z HEALTH CONCERNS
ARTHRITIS
Arthritis is a degenerative disease of the joints. It’s caused by inflammation and degradation of the cartilage that results in increasing pain that interferes with mobility. Unlike dogs, cats with arthritis often show few if any symptoms until the condition has become severe, says Kathleen Linn, DVM, an orthopedic surgeon at the University of Wisconsin (now at Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Canada). She attributes that to the cat’s lighter weight and athleticism. “Cats are very good at protecting things that hurt. They can have terrible arthritis on X-rays and you’d never know.”
Because of their habit of hiding infirmities, cats are less likely to be diagnosed with arthritis—but that doesn’t mean they aren’t suffering, says Dr. Little. You just have to look for the condition. “I see a lot of cats with arthritis,” she says. “In the past it was attributed to getting old, when in reality Kitty may not want to go down three flights of stairs to get to his litter box because his hips hurt. We have to start realizing there may actually be a medical reason that can be treated, instead of just blaming it on old age.” Recent surveys suggest up to 75 percent of senior cats suffer from some