Kraven the Bunker

[Kraven]

Sadness has filled our house today. Romeo, our 17 year old Maine Coon is deathly sick. He suffers from Chronic Heart Failure in his advanced age, it doesn't slow him down one bit, other than he has a cough from time to time.

We were blessed with another kitty yesterday, and she has been trying to love every cat of mine she sees. That's not working out too swell right now, they will adjust quickly but it has only been one day. She needs lots of love and attention, she has her own list of troubles. I'm very blessed to know her.

Romeo was kind and gentle enough last night to allow her to snuggle up to him and sleep, he is both kind and understanding. He sat with Mrs. K last night for a very long while, something he has not done in a minute. She chose to stay with him until he left so she was able to be with him a long time last night.

To our shock and horror this morning I had to go find him in the woods next door and carry him home. He was severely impacted with respiratory distress, and it was clearly uncertain if he would make the day. I got in touch with the vet and secured a large dose of broad spectrum long acting ABX and a week of Lasix to pull the water off him and ease his breathing to lower his distress. After about six hours of "nursing" so to speak he seemed to turn the corner and start improving slightly... At one point this morning his breathing had become extremely labored and quick and shallow with a very low O2 content. His gums and tongue blanched out white...we were both heartbroken as it seemed today really would be the beginning of his decline. After listening to him with my ears it was very clear he was in a big pickle, and I desperately wanted to help but felt helpless...it frustrated the shit outa me to the point my eyes leaked a bit.

We both know that his time is shorter than it was yesterday, and its bitter sweet to find a very special new friend and then turn around the next day and realize your about to loose your oldest one...... Today has been both difficult and wrought with hard choices and conversations. Hopefully tomorrow will be a much better day for us all.

Thank you all for listening, I really, really needed to tell my story today..

he never keeps his tongue in his mouth anymore lol....

[Scissor-Hanz]

Sorry Kraven,
That's one handsome boy. We'll be thinking about you, and doing a wish for Romeo. Stay strong my friend.

[G-paS]

My heart is with you. Our Brit we got as a pup went thru this. He was on Lasik for a long time. I was the one that had to make the call. His breathing was so labored going the bathroom was a chore. Are fur babies are so much a part of our lives.

[Kraven]

Seems like the meds are having a good effect, he spent the night outside under the carport in his favorite hide. I even got him to drink about 2-3 oz of kitten milk and he did OK w/o getting really sick..he still has a very long way to go, but he is not so bad off today. It very encouraging to see him try to eat /drink.

[cannabissequoia]

My sympathies Dr. K. After my last pet loss I waited a year before getting another. The distress & depression were rough & I checked petharbor every day. I won't make the same mistake again & plan to get a 2nd pet a couple of years before the inevitable, to ease the transition. I'm not much for omens & superstitions but sense that the kitten arriving is OK.

Not sure if I'm helping but that's the hope.

[Kraven]

Your helping a lot, and I really appreciate the effort. He had a really good day today and he is still sick but not at deaths bed....sadly his time will come sooner than later and were hoping to have a bit more time with him. He is my buddy, he has never ever let me down, and I'm trying to do the same for him now.

[Billy]

hey kraven, sorry to hear about what your going through keep your head up

[G-paS]

. I won't make the same mistake again & plan to get a 2nd pet a couple of years before the inevitable, to ease the transition

I did the same when I was told our Britany had heart issues. We got our little Potoon(Coton de Tulear-Toy poodle) a year before we lost him.

[SeymourGreen]

It's hard man. Don't mean to be cryptic or anything but I still have my cat Gustav, who I had for almost 14 years, wrapped like a mummy and kept in a large box in my chest freezer in my basement for the past 2 years. I can't seem to bring myself to burry him and want to get him cremated when I can afford to. I sometimes still think I see him coming down the steps every once in a while. I miss him like one of my kids died, which I guess in a way one did. This one gets me through those rough times

[argo945]

Sup Bro.

[Kraven]

Lots of love here today in the Bunker, thank you all for the kind words...Romeo is as well is he is gonna get and that's fine with us, he is moving around and eating a couple times a day, although small meals he is eating...his breathing is good so all in all we got fortunate this time it wasn't the right time yet.

@SeymourGreen - I dont find the weird of disturbing, when Misty dies a few months ago I was so grief stricken I coun't bear to dig a hole either, she got cremated and it was 400 bones, but I'm ok with that too.

[cannabissequoia]

You aren't alone in the struggle. I have leaned on a good friend twice to help me bury my dogs. They are next to one another but I haven't decorated the site yet(complicated). It's marked & safe.

I was able to vent through the anger & exercise of digging a large hole but the other half needed some support. They were both about 15 years old.
Maybe not a human child but a dear family member nonetheless.

As a bit of personal tragic humor, my sister posesses about 40lbs. of her late husband's cremated remains(he was big) and needs to get some of it into outer space.

There's apparently a company (in Switzerland i think) that converts cremation ash to synthetic diamond.

Best wishes, friends.

[Kraven]

All the babies are growing....

[99PerCent]

What a great story brother.

Brought up my day, thanks.

[Kraven]

Girls [some] are getting close, they start coming down Thursday, veg continues to veg.

[Kraven]

Well Romeo [ 17 yo Maine Coon] is doing well, he still has a lot of weigh to gain back but he is happy and as healthy as possible, for now he seems out of trouble. Misty, my FIV cat passed awhile ago so I befriended a feral 8 week old kitten, who was at deaths door. Six weeks later, shots and plenty of food, she is a regular kitten full of energy so we adopted 2 more kittens to be her playmates...we have three that are 17 or older now.....

Weezee when we first got her

Weezee today

And the two new kittens....

[G-paS]

WOW, what a difference.

[Kraven]

GG#4

Hippy Slayer

Frosted Orange

[toastyjakes]

beautiful plants man!

that gg has a style to it lol

[Kraven]

Thanks Jake, she is supposed to be the real deal.