Cleo

I didn't mean to get another cat. I certainly didn't mean to get a cat that was 5 months old and used to having a house entirely by herself. But mean to or not, I did.

About a year after I got Shadow, and he had firmly established himself as the 4th dog in the family (he would go "out" with the dogs, he would go up to the pen with the dogs (although he didn't stay in the pen), he was raised with three dogs and in fact, believed himself to be a dog), a co-worker started complaining that he had to get rid of his cat. I asked why and his reply was that the cat was to darned energetic.

I knew how old the cat was because he had gotten it from a litter that another co-worker's cat had had. I asked Brian, the co-worker, what he expected out of a kitten. "But, she is just too hyper," he grumbled. Brian should not have gotten a cat in the first place; he was rarely home, so of course the cat was frantic for attention when he was there.

After a couple of weeks, Brian said he ws going to have to take the cat to a shelter. I asked why and Brian said because he couldn't find anyone to take it.

This is where I got caught. I was pretty sure the shelter would put the cat down. i knew several people that had gotten a kitten from the same litter, and every one of them had tested positive for feline leukemia. Shelters will not even think about harboring a cat with that disease. However, there was always the posibility that the cat didn't have the disease - after all, the mother's owners insisted that the mother had been tested and came out clean.

Anyway, I told Brian not to do anything until I talked to the Wonderful Spouse.

I explained the situation to WS and he agreed that if Brian could not find a home for the cat, we would take it in. At that point in time, we had 3 dogs (Niki, Bogie and Sampson), 1 cat (Shadow) and 4 (or 3) birds. I wasn't concerned about the dogs, they were used to different animals coming into the house. I wasn't worried about the birds either. I was solely worried about Shadow. Not becuase of the possibility of feline leukemia, Shadow got his shot every year, but because I wasn't sure what he would do about another cat in the house. Shadow more ore less ignored the neighbor's cat, , but it's one thing to ignore an animal in our driveway and quite another to tolerate it in the house.

Surprise, surprise, Brian finally told me to come get Cleo. With her came her litter box, toys, dishes and food. She went into the cat carrier without any fuss.

I got her home, and after beating the dogs off (not really, I just took her to a room and closed the door), I let her out to explore the room. Into that room went all of her belongings. She had a private evening and night. The dogs got to snuffle at the door, and she got used to the smells of all the resident animals. The next day, the dogs went to the pen, I opened the door to Cleo's room, then WS and I went to work.

i shouldn't have worried about Shadow; he took an instant liking to her. She and he were rarely far apart after that first day. The dogs were older, so they just sniffed and gave her a nod of approval - even letting her play with their tails. Cleo was a spastic, energetic kitten/cat. She would get the "spooks" and go tearing around the house for no reason. She was also a loving cat, constantly in someone's lap for pets.

I immediatly took her in for shots. With the results of the blood test her sentence was announced, "She has feline leukemia." I discussed everything at length with the vet - everything from putting her down right away, to returning her to the previous owner, to how to lessen any risk to Shadow. Since I had already been prepared for this possibility, I didn't waver and told the vet that I would keep her for however long she survived.

The kicker was that the vet couldn't even give an estimate of life span. Some cats live only a couple of months, others live into their teens with the disease. It all depended upon Cleo's constitution and genetics.

I had Cleo spayed soon after the shots. The vet was careful to explain that with feline leukemia she may have a bad reaction to the anesthsia or contract an infection. She amazed everyone by not having any problems with the surgery at all.

Several weeks after she got her stitches out, I began letting her outside. She had never seen the big old world. It excited and frightened her at the same time. At first, she wouldn't stay out but a couple of minutes, but the time gradually lengthened. But she never liked to be out for more than an hour.

Shadow was usually her escort. That was a good thing because the neighbor's cat, Dinah, took a dislike to Cleo and would try to pick a fight. Shadow never did anything but sit himself between Dinah and Cleo, but that was enough. Dinah would eventually go her way, and Cleo would go her way (with Shadow trailing behind).

  (Cleo and Shadow 2/2000)

On evening Cleo did not come in. She didn't show up the next day either - nor the next. I was giving up hope, when on the 4th day she showed up bedraggled and barely able to move her hind end. I took her to the vet and the diagnosis was no good. She hadn't been injured - no broken bones - she had an agressive cancer near the tailbone which was affecting her hind legs. It was also evident that it was very painful.

After less than a year, about 8 months in our household, I had to release her from the pain. It was such a shock that she had gone downhill so fast. But the vet said that that was very common for cats with feline leukemia. I told the vet, "I knwe we wouldn't have much time with her, but I was hoping for just a little more." Unfortunately, that wasn't to be.

Poor Cleo. She was a dainty little thing, but never sick until cancer found her. It was amazing how quickly she melded into our family. I was glad that we were able to provide her with a loving home for the little bit of time that she had left.

Comments

[Cop Car]

Poor little thing. At least she had a few good months. Thanks for providing the setting for them.

shes lovely. im glad she had you.
had to do the same for one of mine who had kidney failure so i sympathise. its horrible. but you know you loved them.

[buffy]

She was a beauty! I'm glad that you mentioned that Shadow was in that picture, too, or I'd have missed him.

It's hard to have to help our pets this way, but it's part of the unspoken contract we make when we let them into our lives. She had a much better life, thanks to you and WS.

[bogie]

Buffy - Shadow does sort of blend in with the background doesn't he?