Cinder's Story

First, I want to thank everyone for their kind words, rosettes, gifts, stars, and pmails. I can't begin to tell you how much they mean to me and to my family. Losing Cinder was such a shock, it seems like a bad dream. You have all touched our hearts in a way that I cannot thank you enough for.

Here is Cinder's story:

We adopted on Friday, July 13th, 2007 from Animal Care & Control. AC&C is the city pound and therefore has a high kill rate. This is why we went there first when we decided to get a kitten. She was adopted to be a companion for Onyx, our other kitty. She & Onyx were good buddies within a week. It shows just how special Cinder was, given how cranky Onyx before Cinder came to live with us. Once Cinder became a member of our family,Onyx mellowed out and became a much happier kitty.

When we adopted Cinder, we paid extra to have her tested for feline leukemia, to protect Onyx from exposure. The test was negative, and Cinder moved right in. A year and a half later (almost to the day), our poor Cinder is at bridge - she had advanced lymphoma, the result of infection with feline leukemia.

Sunday, while I was getting the beasties' food ready, Cinder did her usual thing - climbing on the kitchen counter to supervise the food distribution. When I picked her up to put her by the food dishes, I noticed that she had lost weight - I could feel her ribs and hips. I didn't know how this could happen so suddenly. Cinder has never been a cuddle kitty, preferring to be nearby rather than being held, but I trimmed her claws last weekend and she does this counter thing every morning - she was fine a couple of days before - the weight loss was almost overnight. That evening, she started having trouble breathing. I knew I had to get her to a vet as soon as I could. Monday morning she tried to eat, she tried to drink water, but she couldn't. She couldn't catch her breath well enough to eat or drink. I was at the vet as soon as soon as they opened to walk-ins.

They took her right in and did x-rays and an ultrasound. She had a huge amount of fluid in her chest, what looked like a mass in her belly, and her liver was enlarged. She was very very sick. The vet said there would be no good outcome, it was either lymphoma or FIP and while if it was lymphoma we could do chemotherapy, Cinder would never be cured.

We visited with her and agonized over what to do. I wanted keep my Cindercat around for as long as possible, but to put her through days, or weeks (6 months at most, only if she responded to treatment) of torture would be inexcusable. She hated vet visits, getting very stressed out just being in the carrier, never mind the actual exam. They had to sedate just to get the x-rays - she was getting so stressed they thought she would die just trying to get the x-rays done. We decided to send Cinder to the Rainbow Bridge, where she would be healthy and whole again.

Because of her age and the severity of her illness, the vet did some tests to find out if Cinder had FeLV, FIV, or FIP. Most cases of lymphoma (especially in young cats) are found in cats who have one or more of these diseases, and we have three other kitties to worry about. Unfortunately, Cinder's tests showed that she was positive for feline leukemia. We had done the right thing in letting her go - no treatment would have helped her at the stage she was in.

Apparently, the virus takes time to incubate before it shows up on a test, and since Cinder was only 9 weeks old when we adopted her, it was likely that her exposure was after she was born, but close enough to when she was turned in that it didn't show up. No one at the shelter told us this or recommended re-testing. I took Cinder to a vet within a week of adopting her, and that vet said nothing about re-testing or vaccinating either cat against FeLV. We stopped using that vet and when it was time for Cinder's booster shots, the vet we went to then said nothing about false negatives, re-testing or vaccination. Not knowing that Cinder was FeLV+, we adopted Horus a few months after we adopted Cinder, and rescued Blackie a few months ago. We have to wait 8 weeks to get them all tested and get an accurate result.

The virus is very short lived outside the body, and adult cats are less susceptible to infection than kittens, so we have hope that Onyx, Horus & Blackie will remain infection-free and healthy for many years to come. I will post an update when we get everyone tested and have the results.

The Rainbow Bridge

I can't say much right now except that our poor little Cinder is now an angel. She became very sick in an extremely short amount of time, and left for the bridge today. Please send your purrs and prayers her way.

I've been tagged!!!

I've been tagged by my friend Francis!

Here's how to play: You have to list 7 things about yourself, then tag 7 pals . You and your pals have to write about this in a diary entry.

Here's 7 interesting things about me!

1. I was adopted on Friday the 13th! (July 2007)

2. I have a boyfriend named Oliver who is the cutest boy cat ever!!

3. I am the only cat in our family that our puppy catches :(

4. I love Friskies Party Mix treats!

5. I have a new sisfur who looks just like me.

6. I am the only cat in our family that plays with all the other furs in our family!

7. I love to climb, there isn't a place in our home I can't reach!

I am tagging the following friends:

1. Tommy #911715

2. Foucault #653651

3. Little Coqui #769834

4. I Need a Name #912268

5. Zippie #549747

6. Hamlet #769875

7. Casper #864065

I hope you all can play!

I'm the happiest girl in the world!

My special friend Oliver H. (Pantherfoot) is now my boyfurriend!!! He is the best cat around, and I am so lucky!

*twirls with glee*

Summertime Tag!

Hi Everykit!

I was tagged by my friend Foucault. I decided to choose the 5 newest KIKs to tag!!

Here are the rules: I need to list 5 Summertime activities I like to do & then tag 5 more kits; sending them a pmail or a rosie telling them they have been tagged & to read my diary to find out how to play.

5 summertime activities:
#1 watching the birdies and bugs out the window
#2 chasing Onyx & Horus around the house
#3 teasing the dumb puppy
#4 hanging out on top of the bathroom door
#5 not getting caught by the dumb puppy when he chases me for teasing him!

5 friends to tag:
Sasha
Thomas Jefferson
Riley
Charlotte
Miracle

(Lucky was chosen by Foucault already, and I skipped Libby so I wouldn't two kitties in the ame furmily at once!)

Have fun!

Cinder

I've been tagged!!!

My best pal Oliver tagged me!!!! I have to tell 7 interesting things about me and then tag 7 friends so they can tell 7 interesting things about themselves!

Here goes:

1) Meowmie found me on top of the bathroom door last night, trying to catch a flying bug!

2) I love to sleep ON my meowmie!

3) I love shrimp and bonito flakes

4) I just got a puppy - meh!

5) I can jump really high (about 6 feet!)

6) I made friends with a girl kitty who lives outside - she looks just like me!

7) Oliver is my bestest friend!!!

I'm tagging:

Slash (776202)
Viva le Chat (786183)
Nicoletta Nefertiti (779678)
Elliott (777852)
Griswald (776717)
Simon (775921)
Phoebe (757376)

I hope you all can play!

Purrs, Cinder!

I've been tagged!

I was tagged by my valentine friend Oliver (Pantherfoot)!!!! Here are 7 things about me:

1. I like to eat out of my sisfur & brofur's dishes when I'm done with my dish

2. I like to play with my brofur Horus and my sisfur Onyx (they won't play together)

3. I like to chew on Q-tips

4. I like to chew on emery boards

5. I have the best valentine friend (Oliver) in the world!!!

6. I like to watch the water in the toilet swirl when the hoomans flush it

7. I love to knead my meowmie's sweaters


I'm tagging these kitties:

Doom (645164)
Snoop Dogg (690794)
Gloom Kitty (486270)
Maggie Mae (572868)
Champion Smudge Storm (623569)
Simon (586986)
Mitzy (572814)

Thanks Oliver!!!

Teddy tagged me!

Meow was tagged by Teddy.

You have to list 5 things you want for Christmas, and then tag 5 more cats! MOL

1. to get my paws on the fishies in the tank
2. my brofur Horus's food all to myself
3. more food
4. to get my paws on the kitties outside that meowmy feeds (more food for me!)
5. furry mice

Friends I tagged:

1. Smoochie Girl
2. Sugar
3. Tiger Lily
4. Foucalt
5. Zippie

I've been tagged!

Thanksgiving tag!

I have been tagged by Smoochie Girl to play the game and here's the instructions. When you are tagged pen a diary entry what you are thankful for and then send a rosette or pmail to 5 other cats asking them to do the same and usually they will email you back and tell you they have played the game.


1. I am thankful for my hooman family who rescued me from the pound.
2. I am thankful for my human brother the Marine and all the troops here and overseas.
3. I am thankful for food!
4. I am also thankful for God and for this wonderful (although sometimes terrible) world he created.
5. I am thankful for Catster!


The ones I have tagged are....

1. Jinx Tux
2. Champion Smudge Storm
3. Katie
4. Jules
5. Solace

My Hooman Brother the Marine is Home!

Meowmie, daddy and Abby left me & Onyx home alone for almost four days! this nice man came and took care of us every day, but our family wasn't here. They came home today and Caleb was with them! I hadn't met him yet, so I was a little nervous when he walked in the door. Onyx said he was somewhere they called boot camp. He is handsome, and very nice. He kept telling me how little I am. He's only going to be home for ten days and then he has to leave again. Meowmie says he has to go to a special Marine school now. We don't know when we'll see him again after he leaves this time, so I'll have to spend time with him while he's here now, snuggling and sleeping with him so he'll like me and come home again as soon as he can! I put his picture on my page, I hope the Catster cat doesn't mind. We are all so proud of him!

Cinder