A new addition!

Well, my sisfur, JoJo, already wrote about it in her diary. So, I won't make a long post of it. Mommy and Daddy got a, GULP, PUPPY! Imagine that. A puppy! In the McCormick house? Puppy toys on the floor? A leash? Mommy's officially lost it! I sure wish I could be there. I know I would get along with the puppy REALLY well. She likes to play, and chase her tail...just like I used to do! But, she sure is loud! Mommy always ends up with "talkers". Can't help it...we always seem to have a lot to say!
Hope you are all doing well! I miss you BUNCHES and BUNCHES!
Love and head-bonks,
The Shep

Happy Easter Catster friends!

Just wanted to stop by and wish you all a VERY happy Easter! Thank you, to each and every one of you, for being such good kitty friends! We love you all!
xoxoxoxoxo,
Sheppy

We found our sun beam.

To my kitty friends,
This is an open invitation for all of our Bridge friends to join us in the biggest sun beam we could find. There's plenty of room, so squeeze in for a good snuggle and a nap. JoJo and I fought over who gets to snuggle next to Hazel Lucy, since Buddie has already set up camp on one side of her. We decided to compromise, and use her as a pillow. We're still waiting on Scooter....we think she's chasing a roadrunner, and sweet Little Bit, and Dude are already sacked out.
Much love to you all, and thank you for remembering me on this day. Now, let's all take a nap so we have enough energy for tuna happy-hour.
xo,
Sheppy and JoJo

My Bridge anniversary.

Hello kitty friends!
Well, my Bridge anniversary is tomorrow, the 23rd. Mommy can't believe that it's been 2 years since she lost me. And now, in the same month, my sisfur JoJo! Mommy is REALLY beginning to dislike March, A LOT!!!!!!!!
However, this will be the first anniversary that I will be with my sisfur, and that makes it a little easier on me. I have so much planned for the two of us. We will be hittin' the sunbeams, and catnip patches asap!
I hope all of my kitty friends are doing well, and I think about all of you often. Much love to everyone, and loads of purrs and headbonks!
Love,
Sheppy

Watching over my dear catster friends.....

Hello to all of my kitty friends!
First off, allow me to apologize to my Catster friends. These last few months have been very difficult for my Mommy, and she is so very sorry for that. She honestly thought that her mourning period would not be as difficult as it was...only because she THOUGHT she was prepared for it. She saw my decline over my last 3 days, she understood that it was my time, and she made the decision to spend the weekend with me, stuck to my side like glue. She thought that she was ready for the outcome. She, apparently, was not. Although my passing was filled with love, and very peaceful, well, Mommy still mourns. On a daily basis!!!! I don't know what to do! I cannot remember a day since my passing that she has not cried.
As for my big sis JoJo, she has done nothing but HOWL! The day after I was gone, she did nothing but scream. It made Mommy's eyes leak, but still made her smile....knowing that she missed her little brother. I think it's funny, too....considering she hissed, hit, howled, kicked, bit, spat, etc., for the first 2 years that we were together. Approx. one year after we lived together, she let me bathe her!!!! Let me tell you, her ears were SPOTLESS! Nice and bright pink! I really was the neatest kitty. Oh, plus my belly ALWAYS smelled like Sweet-Tarts. Seriously. Read my earlier diary entries. YUM!
Ok. Guess that's it for now. Hope all of my kitty friends are doing well! FYI- if you have not had the chance, PLEASE stop by the Forums column, and take a look at the, 'Purr List'. The beautiful Miss Hazel Lucy is so caring, and does such a wonderful job. And, there are so many kitties that need help, purrs, nose-kisses, etc.!
Much love to you all!!
Sheppy and JoJo

Mommy's entry....after this, it's MY Rainbow Bridge entry! - So there!

Hello dearest friends,
Just wanted to get one more Sheppy diary entry in, by me, before he takes over all diary entries from The Bridge. These last two weeks have been more than rough, they have been impossible. But.......
I am semi-content. My biggest wish was to be with my Shep, as he passed. And, I was. I was there to comfort him, to let him know how much I loved/LOVE, him. To let him know that I was there, holding him, kissing that soft little head, and rubbing that sweet little butterscotch belly. I don't know how he did it, but he ALWAYS smelled like Sweet-Tarts. He honestly did! I even made my parents smell him every time they came to visit. Their response was, "He smells like a blueberry Sweet-Tart!" He always smelled like candy. It really was the oddest thing.
As for his personality, he was 'one-of-a-kind'. He was goofy, he was happy, he was smart as hell, his intelligence sort of 'creeped' me out,
his devotion and love was unwavering, he was adoring, protective, (actually threw his body against my front door during a wind storm, growling and all puffed up, because he thought someone was trying to break in), he was a 'snuggle-kitty', that firmly believed in drooling, purring, rubbing, against EVERYONE. He was happy. He was so very special. That little face that I love so much is gone, and I think of him 24/7.
Thank you, to all of my friends, JoJo's friends, and Sheppy's friends. I will personalize all of my thank-you notes. But, at this moment, I would just like to send you love.
Love,
Precious Shep, JoJo, and Kate xoxoxoxoxo

Sweet Shep

Thank you all for your kindness, purrs, prayers, and friendship. My Sheppy has officially crossed over to the Rainbow Bridge. He was so tired, and his little body just couldn't handle anymore injections, medications, etc. It was a quick and peaceful crossing, and I am so thankful that I was there, holding on to him, as he took his last breath. Prior to going to the Cats Only Clinic, I took him outside, and sat with him in the sun. He hasn't been an outdoor kitty for 11 years, so I thought he might like to lie in the grass one last time. He did. He sniffed, found a spot of grass in the shade, and purred. We sat there for 30 minutes. He was content, and in no pain. By the time we arrived at Cats Only, he knew it was time. The vet was very sweet, kind, and caring, and I will be forever grateful for that. Sheppy will be cremated with his beloved 'Boogie Mat', catnip banana, catnip kitty, and a letter that I wrote to him today. The vet placed him on his mat, surrounded by his toys, and tucked the letter that I wrote in between his front legs.
I consider myself incredibly lucky, and blessed, to have had such a special and wonderful personality come into my life. He was, and always will be, so very loved. I also consider myself honored to have been loved by him. He was my sweet boy, and he loved me so. He was the definition of a 'mama's boy', through and through.
Godspeed, my sweet prince. Your Mommy will love you forever and ever.
Kate

I'm the Energizer Bunny......

Hello to all of my kitty friends! Mommy just wanted me to pop in and give an update regarding my condition.
The last 3 weeks have been pretty yucky. Mommy took me to Med-Vet on Feb. 6, HOPING that my blood count was going to be better. It wasn't. Which meant no chemo. for me. In fact, Dr. Fulton (my Oncologist) mentioned that it might be time to think about the Rainbow Bridge. Because my blood count was so low, 2000, my body was not fighting off any infections. I wasn't eating, my fur was falling out, my breathing was labored, and all I wanted to do was sleep. I didn't even want to be touched. I tried to purr for Mommy to make her feel better, but that made it too difficult for me to breathe. Mommy spent 5 days trying to prepare herself for the inevitable. She contacted my pill-girlfriend, Andrea, and began making arrangements for my trip to the Bridge. Mommy cried all day, every day....and it made me sad.
However, when I saw Dr. Fulton last week, she mentioned to Mommy that we still had two options. One was a blood transfusion. Mommy said absolutely NOT! Not only was a blood transfusion going to be stressful for me, there was no guarantee that it would even work. The only other option, besides the Rainbow Bridge, was to try injections.
Dr. Fulton gave Mommy syringes filled with Epogen (stimulates red blood cells) and Neupogen (stimulates white blood cells, and prevents infections). Mommy had to give me injections every day for 3 days, and then tapered off to every other day, with my last one being injected 2 days ago. Mommy was TERRIFIED! She has never had to give me an injection. Plus, I've become so thin, she was afraid that she would hurt me. But, it had to be done. Andrea came over to show Mommy how to do it....it's been years since JoJo needed them, so Mommy was a bit rusty. I began my injections Feb. 7, and by Feb. 9, I was perking up, eating, and my breathing was becoming regular again. By Feb. 12, I was my old self! I have been feasting on roast beef, turkey, tuna, and salmon! I constantly follow Mommy to the kitchen now and DEMAND my food. Dr. Fulton said to give me ANYTHING I WANT. As long as I'm eating, it's a good sign.
Which brings us to Feb. 13. Mommy dropped me off at Med-Vet for a recheck yesterday morning. By 10:00 AM, Med-Vet called, and I was ready to be picked up. Mommy was floored! Apparently, my white blood cell count was normal, AND my red blood cell count was climbing nicely! I was able to have my chemo.! Mommy was so happy. She said that I'm at that point in my life where I will no longer get chemo. on a regular basis. At this point, it's only going to be done if I start developing fluid in my lungs again. Once I do, which is inevitable, and if I'm no longer reacting to the Epogen and Neupogen, it will be time to prepare for the Rainbow Bridge. However, until then, I have made somewhat of a come-back. I'm just not ready yet!
Also, I would like to personally thank all of my kitty friends for their well-wishes, paw power, and purrs! Thank you Maggie May, Hazel Lucy, Sally Maria, sweet Abby, Alex Finnegan, fabulous Isaac, Ashley, Tailer, and, before her sad passing, precious Scootie-Scoot. Thank you all SO MUCH! The McCormick family could not go through this without each and every one of you. We love you all so much.
Much love and head-bonks,
Sheppy

Mommy needs to vent......

Hello to all of Sheppy's kitty friends!
This is Sheppy's Mommy, Kate. As many of you know, I have been taking my little boy to chemo., for almost 2 years. We (MedVet and Sheppy, and myself), have had our ups and downs, MANY, MANY, times. However, I would not do one thing differently regarding his treatment. I think that I have been a very responsible, and maybe somewhat obsessive, kitty Mommy. I can't help it. Special personalities come along very few times in one's life, and Sheppy, and JoJo, are so very special. They are worth every second, every bill, and every last bit of energy that I have. Which brings me to my venting stage. I do apologize, but, I feel like I have made the right decision, and others look at me as though I have a horn growing out of my head! LOL! Here is the situation....
Chemotherapy is horribly expensive. I will be the first to admit that I had NO idea what I was getting myself, and Sheppy, into...financially. But, from the beginning, I didn't care. I still don't. I have absolutely NO regrets. As far as I am concerned, they are like adopted children. Just because I did not give birth to them, does not make them any less special. They are, and always have been, with me through every major point in my life.....much like family members. And I love them to pieces for it! Plus, they're still well-adjusted! THAT'S impressive in and of itself! Thumbs up for that, because I have NO idea how that came about with a Mommy that worries 24/7.
Which brings me to my current situation. The comment I made earlier was regarding a lawyer. When I mentioned to her that I am officially unable to pay my credit-card debt, she was pleasant. When I then explained to her the reason why...she looked at me like I was NUTS! Obviously, she does not have furry family members. I guess I will never understand people that do not have pets. I guess that they will never understand me.
So, here we go. I have spent over $30,000 in 2 years. Am I going to stop? No, not until The Shep is ready. Oh, and believe me, he is NOT! Any kitty that can roll around, chirp, and purr like a coffee-maker, is SO not ready to go. However, I will be meeting with a bankruptcy lawyer on Monday. But, as far as I am concerned, my whopping $7,000 of debt is not worth the life of Sheppy's special personality!
I will do what I can, and never regret it. EVER!
By the way, I am writing this diary entry not only to give you updates, but, to let you know that Sheppy, JoJo, and I, will no longer be on Catster Plus. We WILL come back, but will be taking a break during February. Until our situation has been resolved.
Much love to you all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We love you so!
Shep, JoJo, and Kate

Another ride in my plastic jail.

Hello to all of my kitty friends!
Just wanted to give all of you an update on my progress! Not very interesting this time around, though. But, maybe that is a good thing!
Mommy was actually scheduled for an appointment! That has NEVER happened in my 2 years of visiting MedVet. She usually drops me off @ 7:25 AM, every week, or two weeks, or three weeks, etc., and then proceeds to go to work. Oh, and yes....I give her the old, 'stink eye', look when she leaves me there. I howl as soon as they take me away. Mommy needs to keep a package of Kleenex in her purse...she bawls EVERY time.
What made Mommy even more sad this time, was the fact that there were soooooo many kitties and pups at MedVet for chemo. THAT was why they actually gave Mommy an appointment time. They were simply all booked up. That just does NOT seem right! Mommy told me that she grew up with kitties all of her life, and the ONLY reason they went to the rainbow bridge was because of old age. Her last kitty was 23! We don't understand why that horrible cancer is so common now. We hate it, and will fight it with everything that we have.
As for myself, I have lost only 1 oz. over the last 2 weeks. Which is actually pretty good. Prior to my last chemo., I had NO appetite at all, and lost many ounces. It just takes a while for our little bodies to adjust. Today Mommy dropped me off for a recheck/chemo.. My last chemo., as I had mentioned, had the side-effect of lowering my white blood cells. Well, it did.
Although my temperature was normal, and I was breathing comfortably, and had clear lungs, I had severe thrombocytopenia (a deficiency of platelets in the blood, leading to bruising and slow blood clotting). Because of that possibility, Mommy has to moniter my gum color, (make sure that it's not white!), my stool, (make sure that there is no blood in it, and it is NOT black!), as well as my urine, (make sure that there is no blood in it, too!). Due to that recheck, MedVet decided to give me another 14-day-break! WOOOOHOOOOO!
Although I was VERY happy about that outcome, Mommy is now glued to me like velcro! She has been watching me nonstop. Makes me feel a bit uneasy...I should probably go dig under the duvet, and hide in a big lump.
Much love to you all, and wishing all of my friends the power of the paw!
Sheppy