Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you Jess

[Mrs Magpie]

A 14-YEAR OLD CONVALESCENT CAT IN THE WINTER

By Gavin Ewart


I want him to have another living summer,

to lie in the sun and enjoy the douceur de vivre –

because the sun, like golden rum in a rummer,

is what makes an idle cat un tout petit peu ivre* –



I want him to lie stretched out, contented,

revelling in the heat, his fur all dry and warm,

an Old Age Pensioner, retired, resented

by no one, and happinesses in a beelike swarm



to settle on him – postponed for another season

that last fated hateful journey to the vet

from which there is no return (and age the reason),

which must soon come – as I cannot forget.




* a little bit drunk

 

[moose]

I really feel for you HV - I come home from work every day expecting our Sparky to be gone, and get up in the middle of the night to go creeping round the house looking for him if he isn't in his basket. It's horrible. Hope Jess continues to enjoy life for a little while longer, make the most of these precious days.

 

[Intastella]

Lovely, sad and funny stories HV

Your Jess is almost the spit of my KatyKat, my one eyed pirate puttytat She'd gone thru a helluva lot before i got her...lost her eye 3 years ago, then an argument with a car last year At least that was quick tho, i can't imagine how hard it is to watch your friend fade like that.

Stay strong bruv xx

 

[High Voltage]

Thanks Mrs M - that's lovely - exactly what I'd hoped for.


A general question to all.

What Izz and I would like to know is:

When is enough, enough? The vet was of the opinion that, given she's got kidney problems as well (didn't mention that either did I) she could have the odd bad day here and there and to not really worry about it.

Up until, literally 48hrs ago she was, to all intents and purposes acting almost kitten'ish (well, not but then NOT an 18 year old cat either)

Again, the vet, looking at her coat and skin condition and seeing how she was moving around the room after he'd examined her was almost the one telling us NO rather than the usual other way around.

And I know every one says "You'll know" except that it's pretty damn obvious that I don't know. I've never had to make this call EVER

Izz hasn't had cats either, so talk about the blind leading the blind.

She's not in pain, she's not in discomfort, she's just an old cat who's getting old.

 

[trashpony]

I have always known with my cats because they've been miserable or obviously in pain or both. You will know, trust me.

 

[kittyP]

Oh honey!

Your doing your beautiful cat justice with your writing!

I feel for you hugely!

 

[starfish]

((((HV,Izz,Jess))))

We lost ms starfishs cat Rusty to stomach cancer 10 years ago now. He had an op to try & remove the tumour but it was too big, so we had him at home for about a week after that but knew we wouldnt have long. In the end he couldnt keep any food down & the stitches burst, that was whan we knew enough was enough for the wee fella.

Mrs Magpies poem is lovely, she posted it on a thread i did 5 years ago when we lost our other cat Charlie.

We too have a ginger tom called Bob.

 

[izz]

Mr Voltage doesn't yet know, as he's sleeping, but Jess has had five goes on her milk since he went to bed. So she's not ready to go just yet.

We're still in a quandary, how do we know ? We love her and every minute is a blessing but we've been so lucky, she's been so spry and full of life, only the other day i came home ill from work and she insisted on going to bed with me and helping me by sitting on my chest, so how do we tell the difference between old and quiet and knocking on heaven's door ?


and thanks so much everyone, and everyone's pusscats.

 

[liberty]

Very glad to hear she has had a drink all small signs are good.

A few friends who have had older animals said the animal just let them know when it was time. Sorry I cannot elaborate on that as it has mot happened to me yet. I am however dreading the time when my two dogs are old.

 

[High Voltage]

Well, this morning (probably about 4.00am ) started pretty much as any other morning for the last god knows how long.

Rusty-pig fast asleep at the bottom of the bed, not even thinking about moving, not even for a quick game of "kill-toes"

And Fat-Bob was clamped to my right hand side spark out, just being Bob, enjoying having his tummy rubbed and purring that deep, bed shaking purr of his.

Then, from the bottom of the stairs comes Jess's familiar "YEEEOOOWWWWWLLLL" followed closely by another one.

The next thing I knew she was up on the bed, standing on my chest, purring her little head off about 6" from my face. She sat down and carried on purring away fit to burst.

Izz tried ALL of her tricks and whiles to get Jess to go and sit on her but NO. She was staying on me for . . . not very long actually. But it was a lovely "5-in-a-Bed-cuddle" that is so nice to wake up to. Granted, not at 5.30am but what the hey.

As I'm off this week (partly, it must be said, because we felt that "this" might happen), I came down and sat on the settee to have Jess jump up and sit on my lap for a good 40 minutes. When she was "full" she hopped off and is now curled up in her little house.

And that's where she is now. I'll put some milk and water out for her, can't really put any food down as (Fat) Bob, (wonder how he got that name then?) will come along and, naturally, presume it is a little extra for him, just for being Stripey!

 

[cesare]

Awr

 

[High Voltage]

Amazing really, what a small amount of ROAST CHICKEN will do to a cat.

It's dragging this one back from the very gates . . .

And the other two are paying attention the other side of the kitchen door.

You can almost here the "Nah, nah, nah nah naaaah I've got Chiiiccckkkeeeeennnn!! and yooooooouuuuu haven't"

 

[Vintage Paw]

There's life in the old girl yet HV.

 

[cesare]

They're wily, these older cats.

 

[High Voltage]

A day at a time. That's all we can hope for.

And as long as she seems to be "happy" then that's what we'll aim for.

She's eating, not a lot, but she's eating. And she's drinking, not a lot, but she's drinking.

Spends most of her day sleeping, except earlier this morning, just as I was due to pop out for a bit. She looked up with her lovely green eyes, Meowed and that "I want something" way of hers.

Picked her up and she immediately started purring fit to burst. Ended up holding her like you do when you're burping a baby (?) with her head rested on my shoulder and her body supported on my chest. And she stayed there purring away, happy as Larry for a good 20 minutes.

Then she got bored and made it clear that she wanted to be put on the settee, so off she hopped.

And it's these special moments that are becoming so increasingly precious, and so what if I was a bit late this morning, doesn't matter and I have a lovely Jessie cuddle, which is always nice.

 

[Vintage Paw]

 

[beeboo]

Glad to read she's perked up a bit, and enjoying all your Jess anecdotes

We had a black and white cat called Jess, and her brother Jules, when we growing up.

My current cat Donut doest that sitting on your chest and PURRING in the morning as well

 

[LilMissHissyFit]

How do you know? I guess you dont... but you follow your instincts as you did this time and let the vet help you decide if it comes to another period like this

Im so glad shes a happy little puss today, she really is lovely

 

[High Voltage]

Oh FFS!!

Now all she wants to eat is Bobs OBESITY BISCUITS. Which are, basically, celery for cats.

She (and Rusty for that matter) have just turned their noses up at Roast Chicken but are tucking into biscuits with no nutritional value at all, while Bob (because these are the last of his special diet biscuits) is joyfully tucking into FULL FAT cat food and he's struggling to get through the cat flap as it is.

Back on the diet tomorrow young Bobbie.

Honestly, if she wasn't dying, I'd Kill her

 

[Paulie Tandoori]

i haven't known what to say cos your op made me well up and i can't be doing with getting so emotional about cats and things.

but enjoying the dietary related cappers, it sounds familiar

 

[longdog]

I've had 4 cats before Jess and we've got another two at the moment, but of all of them Jess really is MY cat, like no other I've had before.

Every once in a while a pet comes along that's just that little bit more special than the others. Much as I adore Badger and Noodle and loved Amber and Tigger and Tess it will always be Meg who had that indefinable something extra that makes me still mourn for her eight years after she died.

I'm pleased the vet has given her nod for a little while yet. A few weeks ago I thought I was losing Badger but the vet's given him the all clear for a while yet.

She looks like a lovely cat. Give her a tickle behind the ear from me.

 

[Geri]

i haven't known what to say cos your op made me well up and i can't be doing with getting so emotional about cats and things.

Me too, I was in tears when I read it the other night.

I can't bear to think about losing mine - they are 12 & 13 now, so hopefully have a few years left in them.

 

[High Voltage]

Well, another day, another dollar.

The 'roid and Vit injections have perked her up a fair bit. Don't know how long they'll remain active . . . I'm guessing a week to ten days, maybe a bit longer.

In the mean time we're going to track down some liquid food and vitamins to see if we can keep her happy and bumping along for a bit longer.

Doesn't take away the main problem though, that's always there and that's what we've got to keep our attention on. I've got to remember the not eating and drinking is a symptom and not the problem.

And the worst thing for me is I'm back to work next week so little Miss Piggy is going to have to fend a little more for herself. We'll just have to lock the other two out first thing in the morning, make sure that there's plenty of food and drink about and that she can access the litter tray.

 

[High Voltage]

Definitely life in the old girl yet.

All three of them on the bed again this morning, which is a lovely way to start the day, just wish it wasn't so bloody early.

She's eating food that was left over from last night, turned her nose up (again) at roast chicken AND the remains of last nights Chinese Crispy Duck preferring skanky old cat food, until she got a bit bored with that and decided that FRESH skanky cat food was the order of the day.

Honestly, the bounce back of the last few days has been little short of miraculous. Still spends most of the day sleeping, but wouldn't we all

The other two at leaving her alone. That was another worry that as she starts to slide a bit the other two would start to challenge her No 1 cat position but they're pretty much letting this as they are.

She's still got a wicked right hook if she needs one.

 

[Geri]

Glad to hear this.

 

[Mrs Magpie]

Mrs Magpies poem is lovely, she posted it on a thread i did 5 years ago when we lost our other cat Charlie.

I heard Gavin Ewart read that years ago and knew that it was the perfect elderly much loved cat poem. A really wonderful poet, Gavin Ewart.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gavin_Ewart

 

[High Voltage]

Well, it's back to work this week and Little Piggy Cat must look after herself now.

She gets her breakfast, we keep the other two out for as long as possible, but to give Jess access to the outside we also end up giving the other two access to the inside (and her food).

So far she's holding up well after last weeks frightener.
The high calorie food, liquid vits and other knick knacks arrived from an on-line vets supplies and she's not turned her nose up at them . . . yet!!

On Sunday it was lovely and Sunny and I managed to get some pics of Jess in her natural habitat, I'll try and get something posted up soon.

Still, rather than turn this into an Urban 75 blog, I'll let this thread slide a bit until there's some more news, one way or another.

 

[High Voltage]

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Well, she likes her little pink camo house

But she's got a bit of sun to go out in at the moment.

 

[Vintage Paw]

Oh god she's absolutely beautiful

She looks well, HV

 

[izz]

Well, more news on Jess.

She has, so it seems, grown bored with high end cat food, home cooked chicken, fresh fish, smoked salmon etc. and decided to take her diet in her own paws and came home this morning with a mouse, which she proceeded to sit down and enjoy.




not bad for a cat wiv only free teefs