Very sad day

The PDX pride mommy writes:

I have very sad news.  Last night, we had to say goodbye to Tabby.  She was down to just under 6 lbs., had advanced dementia, and was falling off the places she chose to sleep.  Last night, she could barely get to her favorite recliner and then was very disoriented so she only stayed on her daddy's lap for a few minutes before coming in and climbing shakily onto my lap.  It was time.  We all said our goodbyes at home, then we harnessed her up for one last car ride.  She watched out the windows and knew where we were once we got to the vet, but then became disoriented again when we were carrying her into the building.  She fell asleep gently while air-kneading just before 10:30 pm, then was given the final shot and passed peacefully.  The above picture was taken while waiting for the vet to come in with the shots.  She looks worried because she was so disoriented that she didn't really know quite why I would be taking a picture of her there.

We brought her body home and buried her in the yard by her brother, Carbon.  The others got the chance to sniff her body and say goodbye once again if they wanted to.  The twins and Starla declined, but the others came over to pay their respects.  This was Shadow's first time dealing with death, and he still isn't quite sure what happened, but the others are helping him.  He gently touched her body with his paw, then lay down next to the box that held it.

Thank you for all the love you have shown our girl over the years.

Happy 14th Gotcha Day to Tabby!!!

Tabby says:

It's my 14th Gotcha Day today! I made it! I'm fading every day, but still hanging in there. I spend my days screaming, hanging out with my purrents, and watching Shadow. He's the new kitten, a new family member, and only 2 1/2 months old so he zooms around a lot. I think he looks a lot like my brother, Carbon, but he definitely smells different, so he's a bit confusing. And, yes, that's me on the top of the scratching post in this pic, and that's Carbon looking up at me. This was just after we got home to Daddy's from the cage on the front porch of the feed store in Clatskanie, OR. I was 4 weeks old and Carbon was 5 weeks old.

Yes, I did say THE NEW KITTEN!!!  Can you tell I'm excited?  Mommy and Daddy were going to wait until after I passed to get another family member, but then they thought it might do me some good to have a job to do again, in whatever time I have left.  I love him!  They went down to Salem Friends of Felines, the same shelter that Freya and Heimdall came from, also the same one that JJ's Scamper came from, originally to look at another kitten but that one had already been adopted.  They thought that Shadow looked so much like Carbon!  He loves ball toys, and he keeps on pawing the jingle ball over to me to bat back to him.  He also likes following me around the house.  We all are learning to love him, and he's so much fun to watch exploring and figuring things out.  We're all a bit happier because he's here, although everyone still is spending a lot of time trying to help me feel better by snuggling with me.

He was born on April 26, 2019, and we adopted him on July 6, 2019.  His shelter name was "Shrek," but he's not green or an ogre, so his new name is "Shadow," which suits him better!  Yes, we've had a Shadow before, the main semi-socialized feral girl at the green house in Portland.  I think she'd like that we have another Shadow who will live as an inside-only cat.  I've taught him to ask for pets like I do, and like I've taught everyone else to do!  He's so smart.  Here's a few pictures, including one of me watching him play with the Crazy Circle, and a video.  More pics to come, as both Mommy and Daddy are shutterbugs!

Tabby Update: Still Hanging in There

The PDX pride mommy here with an update. Tabby is still hanging in there, but today she has been "spacing out" most of the time. It took her a few minutes to even realize that my husband had come into the bathroom and was talking to her, then she slowly came out of it enough to start yelling at him for attention. After a few minutes, she went and lay down in the bathtub, uncharacteristic behavior for her, and has stayed there. It will be sometime this coming week.

Some of you have wondered if it is hyper-T.  We have had her thyroid levels tested over the years, and that isn't the reason, but thank you for offering helpful suggestions.  We appreciate all the concern and have been repeatedly telling Tabby that everyone loves her and we're all here for her.

Happy 14th Birthday to Tabby, and a Health Update

I used the June challenge template from The Cherry On Top, two papers and two elements from the “Because” collection by The Cherry On Top, one element and two papers from the “Optimism” collection by The Cherry On Top, one element from the “Pampered Pups Blog Train – June 2019” kit by Tootypup Scraps, and word art and paper from the “Birthday” pack by Sweet Cravings Scraps.

Happy 14th Birthday, Tabby!  Hi, everyone, it's the PDX pride mommy writing, because Tabby is currently resting.  She's having a pretty good day today, after spending the morning snuggling wrapped around my hand and arm while I slept.  She's lost a lot of weight very rapidly, and isn't getting much nutrition from her food anymore.  We think we'll have to send her off to the Bridge within a couple weeks.  She's been going downhill for most of this last year, and it's now at the point where she yells constantly because she's so confused and hungry.  We're glad for the last 14 years of knowing this sweet girl, and of being able to share her with all of you.  We will keep you updated.  Thank you for your love for Tabby!