Saying Goodbye

I spent over 17 years with my mom and today I had to say goodbye. I have been so brave fighting my illnesses, but today I could not breathe and mom learned I had lung tumors that we did not know about. I could not breathe without oxygen and mom held me and gave me some treats and then let me go. She is so sad without me.

Liza and I are Somewhat Famous

Wow, mom went to work today and had an e-mail saying that our Shutterfly book was being featured in the pets section. We are so happy. We had no idea. Mom was making it for our grandma for Mother's Day and has been working so hard, but she did not know if it was good enough to be a featured book.

Mom misses Liza so much and well, I will be 17 next month. She wanted to finish it before anything happened to me, that would make it too hard.

If any of you would like to see our book, there is a link on each of our pages.

Mom is so proud of us. She wanted to do our book in a way that would show just how special we are. Hopefully she managed to do that.

My Anniversary Day

Tomorrow, March 30, 2007 will mark two years since I was diagnosed with chronic renal failure (CRF). Mom was afraid she would lose me, but she should have known I was not going without a fight.

I have suffered some back problems in the past few months, but my kidney failure is stable and I am as much of a brat as ever.

I have been a good girl though. I take my meds every day as long as mom gives me cat treats with them.

Mom found all of these wonderful cat groups because of my kidney failure. She went out searching for info on CRF and ended up finding more than she could have imagined. Now I have all of these great cat friends and mom gets and gives advice to other cat families with CRF.

Who knew that my getting sick would lead to all of this. Mom is counting on us being together for a long time still and she is so happy that I am doing so well after two years.

It is All About Me!!!

My Saga Continues:

Things went along fine again for a while and then, again at a check up in 2004, they told mom I had a heart murmur. Again, mom took me off to a specialist, only this time it was a long trip to a university and we got to stay in a hotel. I thought we were on vacation at first. They did an echocardiogram and told mom my heart was still in good shape for the most part and not to worry yet. We went home happy with that reprieve and I had a great Christmas a few days later.

Mom was so happy with that news and relaxed a little until March 2005 when I stopped eating. I went in for tests and then to yet another specialist. I will tell you, I have seen more of those than mom has. They told mom this time that I had chronic renal failure (CRF). Mom knew little about this, so she started reading. It was all very scary. She cried a lot, but tried not to let me see. I got some meds and started eating and feeling better just in time for mom to get a call that Liza was not feeling well. Mom had to leave me to take Liza to the doctor to learn that she had what they thought was liver cancer. She brought Liza back home with her and then she cried even more.

I got something called sub-q fluids. They made me feel better so I did not complain until a few weeks later. Mom got my cat fountain going and I drank more and did not need them anymore. Mom read all the time. She decided to give me Chinese herbs. I tried to tell her I was not Chinese, but I took them and I have been doing pretty well with my kidneys and my numbers have stayed stable.

So I was going along doing pretty good for a mature lady when mom noticed I was sitting in the box a lot. She got me some pills for a UTI, but they made my tummy sick. Off to the vet again. When this vet saw my book with all of my receipts, he told mom he knew where her retirement fund was. He gave me some different meds and mom asked them to trim my nails. Now, I always hate that because if I have some slapping to do to keep mom in line, it does not work as well after a trim. Mom held, while they trimmed. I was busy having a literal hissy fit.

We went home and I did not feel well. I kept going under the bed. Off to the vet I went again. This time, they made me nap while they took pictures of my insides. They told mom I have something called Cauda Equina Syndrome or a degenerative compression of the lower spine. It was pressing on my spinal cord. When mom held me for my nail trip, it made it hurt really bad. I could not jump, even on the couch. I had to get steroids and pain meds. Of course, that is not good for my heart and kidneys.

I am feeling better after my meds. Mom made me levels to get where I want to go. So far it has been a real adventure, but mom has stuck with me. I would like to see what the next 15 years have in store for me.

It's all about Me

My story part 1.

Hi. I want to share some more of my story with my fellow Catsters.

My name is Snuggle, as you know. I came to live with my mom in 1991. That number does not mean much to me, but mom says it means I am getting old like her.

When mom brought me home, I was already named Snuggle and I was about 3 months old. Mom worked with the lady who had my cat momma, but they did not know who my father was. Maybe that is why I have such a bad attitude. I did not get to meet my daddy. Anyway, my original human mom brought me to my adoptive human mom and handed me to her in a parking lot. I remember her saying, “if you decide not to keep her, you can bring her back�. Talk about getting a complex. Mom took a couple weeks off work and when she went back, my OH mom had quit. Mom started to worry about what type of kitty I might be (she had seen Rosemary’s Baby).

Mom took me home that first night and I promptly went under this large noisy box in the first room I was set down in. Mom calls it a TV. I called it a good place to hide. I stayed all night. The next night I curled up with mom and that is where I have stayed for over 15 years now.

Mom went to work and college (I do not know what they are, but it meant mom kept leaving me alone). My grandma came to visit and taught me to bring crumpled paper back to her. I loved to play fetch. I would take papers on the bed with mom and wake her up to throw them for me. It was great. Sometimes she did not wake up, but I kept taking more papers up there. She would wake up and they would be all around her. I became a mommy only girl and did not want to share her with people, cats or anyone else.

In January, 1994 mom did the unthinkable. She brought another cat in my home. Liza had had a rough life, but that was not my fault. Mom tried to get me make nice with her. I tried, but then she got in my cat apartment in the middle of the night about 9 months after she moved into my home. I was in the living room yelling for mom to come. She got up and told me to let Liza have a turn and then the final insult-she started taking photos of Liza in my place. I had finally had it with that cat. Mom had to keep us apart after that. A few times I tried to get to her to beat her up, but mom interfered. I just beat mom up instead.

We all went to visit grandma in St. Louis and to my horror, mom took Liza home with her and left me with grandma. How could she? She tried to tell me that Liza needed some extra care and she would be back for me. I settled in with grandma and looked forward to mom’s visits. I was there for a year.

One day mom came and said she was going to trade us and I went home and Liza stayed with grandma. I was just waiting for her to take me back, but she never did. Grandma and Liza came to visit for a few months a year and mom and I went there. Everyone kept saying Liza was so sweet and easier for grandma to handle. Then I had to keep up my tough cat demeanor so I could stay with mom. I know mom missed being with that “sweet� cat, but she was my mom first.

Things went along great for a while. I lounged in my many beds and played with my toys. I was happy and healthy for the most part. Then one day in June 1998 we went for my check up and the doctor said she was worried about the dark spot in my eye. They wanted me to go to an eye specialist-a what???.

Mom took me there one night and a man came in, looked at my eye and said, “I think it will have to come out�. Mom thought he meant the spot. It never occurred to her he meant my eye. When he explained, mom started crying. We could not even leave. He told her I had a melanoma and the only way to do a biopsy was to take my whole eye.

Mom took me to a photo studio to get my portrait done a few days later. I thought I was going to be a star. I had no idea what was coming. A few days later, we went back to the doctor. Mom wanted to stay with me, but they told her they would call her and she went away. They should have listened. They my have done that horrible thing to me, but first I really got some good scratching and biting in. I do not like to be without my mom. I recovered well. Mom had a hard time with it all. She was worried about my jumps, etc. but I did just fine.

More to come later.

November 1, 2005

Beautiful Snuggle, you woke up with a slight nose bleed again this morning so you will get to spend yoru morning tomorrow at the vet's office getting your blood pressure taken yet again. This starts your eighth month since being diagnosed with kidney faillure and you have been a very brave girl through the meds and the fluids and the vet visits.

Snuggle ate her breakfast good this morning, she loves her food. I fear for her future, but treasure every day we have to spend together. She was stretched out on her cat napper when I left this morning-routine: wake up, follow mom around while she prepares everyone's breakfast, sit on bed with mom while she holds my cat food bowl and rubs my back while I eat (back rubbing is required for eating), have a drink, maybe a stop at the box and then back on the napper for more beauty rest (it is working).

Snuggle stayed in her room for a while this morning her grandma will switch her and her sister Liza later in the morning (based on Snuggle's history of not liking Lady Liza or any other cat sharing her home). Taking turns seems to reduce stress for everyone. Love you Snug, have a great day and we will be praying today for good news at the vet's tomorrow.