Farewell Sweet Mittens

I helped sweet little Mittens Pollypaws to the bridge at 4:25 today.  She was 18 years old.  

She was diagnosed with stomach cancer 3 1/2 years ago and given 3 months to live.  The past few years she has spent on her bed, never leaving it except to use her litter box (which was right beside her) or to eat or drink (also right beside her.)  She had trouble walking and her tummy hurt her so she always laid on her side.  I told my husband when she quites eating I know it is time.  She hasn't touched any food for 3 days, the vet said I made the right decision.  She joins her sisters, Patches and Mistrie Rose at the Bridge.

I adopted her from our shelter when she was 6.  She traveled south with us for 3 years, staying in a condo and enjoying watching the palm trees sway and the birdies play.

She was a polydactyl (extra toes) thus the name Mittens Pollypaws.  Her nicknames were Walrus Whiskers, Big Girl, and Toes. 

She will foever ramain in my heart, such a gentle soul.  She gave me head butts and purrs right up to the time I put her in the carrier.

Seems a horrible year for me.  I lost my husband 3 weeks ago and this is the second cat I have sent to the bridge since March.  Below her photo is a poem I wrote for her years ago when I thought I was going to loose her.  I feel blessed I had her as long as I did. 

 

Fly free sweet angel Mittens
The fairies gave you wings
Rainbow Bridge is calling
I hear the angels sing

 

Fly free sweet angel Mittens
I know you cannot stay
My heart is truly breaking
On this, the saddest day

 

Fly free sweet angel Mittens
The hurt, the pain are gone
Once more you can run and play
For now your bodies strong

 

Farewell, sweet angel Mittens
Yes, I will miss you so
 I know you are in a better place
And I must let you go.

 

Love, Momma Toni

Farewell, Sweet Mistrie Rose

 

Mistrie Rose came to the Big Piney Woods in the fall of 2004. My husband said "there is a cat in the wood shed with tiny foot prints, you might want to put some food out." My first vision of her was a blur running away as fast as she could go, from the food bowl on the porch. During the late fall and winter I got pictures of her through the window, at a distance. Through the years I got closer and closer and was finally able to go outside (on the back deck only, not the front where the food was) and she would let me get closer and closer. She finally trusted me enough that, when I opened the patio door, she would come up for a brushing, for treats, for a petting. She would purr and drool and talk to me. I was the only one she ever trusted but try as I might, she wouldn't let me pick her up and I never pushed it. She was a spayed torbie, age unknown. I think she was one of 40 cats that came from up the road, when the people moved. Some of the cats couldn't be caught, I assume she was one of them. She loved the wood shed so I built beds at both ends, there was a bed under the back deck and one under the hemlock trees. She had heated water (thanks to Robyn of the Hotties who sent me a large heated water bowl) and plenty of food. When we quite burning wood my husband turned a large container into an insulated bed, put up on a table. This is where she spent her final days.

She loved the Big Piney Woods and it always was wonderful to see her, in the sun, chasing leaves, patrolling her domain, cat meditating, looking in for one of the girls, watching the geese on the pond. She loved seeing the girls and always visited them once a day when the weather was OK. She even visited during snowfalls and rain storms, so lonesome, yet I could never get her to come in the house. She was great friends with the fairies and little people of the woods. She NEVER went beyond an invisible fence, NEVER going out to the road (we had plenty of times over 9 years to watch her and where she turned around.) I always worried about her because of predators, but she was very smart. I always worried about her in the winter but she put on fat and a thick torbie coat and would be seen on the coldest of days, catching sun rays. I always worried..........

For the past two years she wasn't putting on as much weight as she had but she still looked fit and healthy. A week before she passed I noticed her food wasn't being eaten. I supplemented with everything I could think of including different dry food, Fancy Feast, and finally turkey baby food. I brought the food out to her in the wood shed, checking on her many times a day. Several days before she passed I watched her make a final visit to her favorite hunting spot, she slept under the hemlocks and checked out an insulated bed there. She came to say goodbye, looking in the window, her tiny body must have been cold. It was the weekend and by Sunday I saw her sitting under the hemlocks, bending over. I went out to see her and she didn't run, I knew then she was really sick and the expression in her eyes asked me to help her. Monday morning I found her against the house, in the sun. I put a towel over her, sure she would run. She looked up at me, pleadingly. I didn't know what she would do when I picked her up, but, she did nothing, she was a feather. Once in the carrier she seemed to relax. I put her in the sun on the deck and she stretched out like she used to and slept. I left her there for 2 hours, soaking up the sun. I have very sad memories of that last day, visions I can't get rid of. I stayed with her to the end and she went peacefully and finally warm and safe.

My heart is broken Run free tiny girl, Patches will be there to greet you and all the kitties who went before. Till we meet again, dollgirl.

Mistrie Rose

I will be helping Mistrie Rose to the bridge today at 2:30.  She will be cremated and put in a jar next to Patches grave.  She just never got better, only worse, was suffering and I just couldn't watch her and have her pleading with me with her sweet meows to help her.  She was much worse this AM, She let me scoop her up and put her in the carrier, no problem, my sweet, wild feral girl!  I love you so!  Now it is time to be warm and happy and free of pain sweet girl.  You gave us 9 wonderful years.

 

The photo was taken in July,  2006. 

Please purr for my Mistrie Rose.  She is very ill. 

She came to The Big Piney Woods 9 years ago.  She remains semi-feral, happy to be outdoors playing with bugs and watching the happenings on the pond.  She stopped eating three days ago.  Yesterday I visited her in her insulated bed in the wood shed and she didn't run from me, this, in itself, isn't like her.  Today she had her back to me, in a meatloaf, unresponsive except I could see her breathing. 

Calicomom Toni

I Am One!!!

Yes, I am an official grown up lady today, it is my Purrday. I am a year old.

Sad News

It is with great sadness I pass on the news that Sue Jackson passed away from brain cancer on Aug. 12. Her blog Edsel The Pooch was one of the first ones we read. Sue came west to visit us several years ago. We got along wonderfully, like old best, friends. It will be a visit I will always cherish. It must have taken a lot of nerve for her to come out like she did, not knowing us or what to expect. Sue, I think of you often, I have missed emailing and reading your blog. The blogosphere has lost a wonderful lady.

CalicomMom Toni

I'm Back!

Yes, I am back, finally! Momma has been too busy at the shelter to help me, Precious refuses to help me, Mittens is always sleeping. But, yes, here I am, on my favorite in all this world place, my sack. It is MINE, ALL MINE. I sit on it, sleep on it, put my toys on it. It is my home base, I am safe on my sack.

~Miracle 4Paws

P. S. Yes, Miss Precious is doing very well, I can pick on her again and momma doesn't get all hollery at me. Well, most of the time.

Me And "The Brat"

I was on my towel, minding my own business (as usual) and the Little Varmit attacked me (like she does all the time.) Now she wants to be all buddy-buddy. She is actually TOUCHING me and I am pretending I don't notice. She is such a nuisance and soooo spoiled. She is really growing, but then, all she does is eat! She is vain as well, likes to look at herself in the mirror. She has Momma fooled, Daddy........not so much. When will she ever grow up???

Precious Flower, aka Squirt

I Love Water!

Yes, momma, please turn the waters on so I can drink. This waters is the best, much better than the waters in the bowl (although Mittens' waters is very good.) I love to put toys in the waters bowls, a sign "Miracle was here." I really do like waters, I must say. I also like chewing on toothbrushes and sticking my nose in your glass. Daddy says I can chew on Momma's toothbrush all I want!!

Miracle 4Paws

My Portrait Photo

I am 4 1/2 months old, almost a teenager! This is my awesome portrait photo. Momma took it because I am graduating 6th grade!! I got the following grades:

Cat Speak .......A
Running and Jumping......A
Balancing and Climbing.....B
Mouse Hunting.....A
Getting Along With Other Cats.....D (Miracle is too overbearing and doesn't respect her elders)
Manners.....C (Miracle needs some work here)
Listens .....D (Miracle doesn't pay attention and is a real cut-up in class)

Momma says I need to work on the the last three............a lot!!!

Miracle 4 Paws

Attack Mode

I am in attack mode, watch out Squirt, I am gonna get you.

Miracle 4Paws

Precious is Home!!

I picked her up at 5:30 today. The vet fed her and she kept it down. We think she just ate too much for her sensitive stomach, no more free feeding. Her blood work all came back great! It is going to be trial and error to find what her tummy will tolerate. She only gets a tsp. every hour, but she still isn't eating much, so that isn't a problem. Thanks for all the well wishes!!!

Calicomom Toni

Precious Update

I had to take Squirt back to the vet today. She vomited 8 times in 24 hours and can't keep anything down. I am really upset and worried as she was doing so good, her stitches were taken out on Wed. and she was her old self. The vets seemed puzzled as well and they are doing blood work and she is staying tonight.

Calicomom Toni

Off To See TED

I went to TED's with Precious the other day. It was for my "well check." I hissed........ a lot!! I hissed when she took my temp, when she listened to my heart, when she looked in my ears, when she putted me on the scale, and especially when she gave me my booster shot! I hissed about a gazillion times and they all laughed at me!!! I was as fierce as fierce could be, but they laughed and TED said I was a "spitfire."

Miracle 4Paws

I got my stitches out (I was furry brave and, unlike Miracle, didn't growl or hiss or cause a fuss.) I was pronounced healthy, even gained 4 ounces!

Precious (Squirt)

Evil Towel

I got you now, Evil Towel.

You are as good as dead.

Tasty

The Winner!

Our New Tree

Looking sweet and innocent.

Demonstrating how to kill the mousey.


Looking sweet and innocent.

Attack!

I Am SOOO Cited!!!

I heard Momma talking to Daddy about "putting a tree together today that is arriving in The Big Piney Woods." Squirt told me a man in brown shorts and a noisy truck is going to come deliver it! She said it will be in a box (yeah) and comes in pieces, but when Daddy puts it together, I can be a monkey again! I am soooo cited!!!

Oh, Precious Squirt is doing much better. She said she will probably snoopervise Daddy putting the tree together. ME too! I wanna helps!!

Little Naughty Miracle 4Paws

Any Ideas?

Precious Squirt isn't eating real well although she seems to be feeling pretty good. I have the wet food I mix with water and she will lap up a little if I offer it to her on the bed. The same with some dry food, she will only eat it if I offer it and then only a few. She used to eat non-stop and I was thinking of not free feeding her, so this is so out of character. I don't think, if I didn't offer the food under her nose, she would eat. Am I being too impatient, seeing what she went through? Any insight sure would be appreciated as this worry wort mom would love to hear from you.

CalicoMom Toni

New Cat Tree

I bought the girls a new cat tree, it should be here on Friday. No more carpet, this one is made of faux fur with sisel rope. Go HERE to view. Amazing price and free shipping. I bought one identical to this one in tan, for the shelter, several years ago and it has held up really well. Baby Miracle is lost without her jungle gym. Yes, it needs to be assembled, good thing I have a husband that is great at that sort of thing, the instructions really stink. I will be passing the blog back to the girls.

Calicomom Toni

Precious Update 9

My girl is home! She is purring and talking to me. I have a cage set up for her but she really doesn't want to be in it. Dr. Kathy says she needs to get a little exercise but she seems happy just to be on the bed, her favorite spot. She is Happy, I am Happy! Miracle keeps wanting to jump on her so she had to go into time out.

CalicoMom Toni