A cat health issue you should know (this is about mine)

I'm so sorry, Pen

I always give out this link, it never fails to make me feel better:

The Rainbow Bridge

As far as the blocked urinary tract problem goes:

Our cat Fred had it, but our story had a happier ending. We thought for sure we were going to have to put him down, but at the last minute, he pulled through.

Fred finally died of kidney failure at a ripe old age, happy and loved until the end of his days.

There *is* something you can do to help prevent the problem.

Feed your male cats food that is labelled "low ash". ProPlan has a urinary tract health formula, and it isn't too expensive.

It can happen in female cats, but is not as common because the urinary tube is not as long as it is in a male cat. Even if a female cat gets a few crystals, they are more likely to pass.

I feed all my cats the low ash formula, and I have not had a single cat develop the problem, and Fred never had a recurrence.

sorry to hear that pen.

know that dexter's next life will be great. i mean, you cant get mutch better than being a lazy kitty can it?

I'm very sorry to hear about your cat, pen.

Thanks for bringing up this important subject, though, because I've read that urinary tract infections are a common problem with male cats. My male cat is almost 9 years old and it's something I'm definately going to have to watch out for as he gets older. (Thanks Zola for your advice on cat food- I'll have to check the content of the food he's currently on.)

Again, I'm sorry for your loss. I've also lost pets before and it's never easy losing them, especially if you have to make the very difficult decision about whether to have them put to sleep or not when something like this happens.

quote:

Originally posted by tick98 well, i'm sorry for what happened to ol' bobtail (what i called Dexter). We all loose animals or things we hold dear (my car's taillight and my confidence in crossing traffic, for example), and i know, it's not fun As for petting his tummy, i petted it a couple times (i think he scratched me once or twice for it though) As for him reincarnating as a bulldog, i think dad likes bulldogs (if my bad memory serves me right) or mabye he'll become involved in my crazy life later on (knowing me, anything's possible)

Tick, you're awesome and you put up with so much crap from me, and then you do something like this! You are a wonderful brother and I love you! (As to your confidence in crossing traffic, hasn't it improved a little? and the tail light was fixed )
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You guys are awesome! I was reading some of the posts last night before I went to bed and I was just so glad that we all support each other. You guys have been very helpful in sharing your stories and information on this problem that develops in some cats and I really wanted to let you know about it because it is a very big issue.

My mom and I were talking a lot last night and I plan too (if I can dig up enough funds) donate money to the Humane League (where I got him) in his memory because he was such a great cat. I also want to attempt to write a memoir or the story that I thought of a lot when I looked at him (just have to figure out more than that line).

Emily (aka "Princess" the cat who was with Dexter and I this past week) is being very helpful and comforting. I woke up this morning at four and began to just pet her. She purred (and kept moving around) and it was just a comforting thing. Especially when I fell back to sleep, her foot was in contact with my stomach (she's a very human contact cat). Also, when I woke up again at 7, she was there, in my face, letting me pet her. She is being a great help. I couldn't ask for anything better. Emily is such a sweet heart. Every time I've been up there since this morning she hops on my bed and waits to be petted.

Thank you guys so much! I was crying again as I read the posts and I'm crying now as I try to close this up. You guys are wonderful!

BB,
Pen1300

Pen1300:

My sincere condolences. I have had a cat in my life every year since I was five and have dear memories of each one of them. With two cats, my family made some painful mistakes. Our first cat, a calico, had to be put to sleep because she ate grass from our lawn that had been just treated with Scotts fertilizer. Needless to say, she was instantly poisoned and scratched anyone who came near her because she was so sick. The SPCA had to come into our basement and take her away and put her out of her misery. Lesson learned: Don't let you pet walk on a lawn that has been treated with fertilizer. Even if they complain, keep them inside.

Next, we got two cats who were brothers and we named them Fluffy and Tigger. Tigger thrived and lived until the ripe old age of 16, but Fluffy succumbed early at the age of 2. It turned out that the wet cat food we were feeding the cats had more ash content than necessary. It was the ash that plugged up Fluffy's bladder and made him sick. It was so heartbreaking to see Tigger romp around his brother and poke him with a paw, asking him to play...but Fluffy was too weak. Again, we had to have another cat put to sleep. Lesson learned: Make sure you read your cat food labels and never buy wet cat food with an ash content higher than 2 percent.

When Tigger was middle-aged, about 8 years old, we added Peeper to the family. Peeper lived to be 20 years old. Of all our cats, Peeper was the most healthy and most likely died of just old age. In the end, it was his kidneys that failed. (Kidneys seem to be a real problem area for kitties.)

Like you, we cremated Peeper's ashes which now reside in a little cedar box in my parents' living room. In fact, my father loved Peeper so much that he asked if the box could be put in his casket when he dies. I intend to honor his wishes.

It is said that if you remember someone all your life, they never really die. Roger certainly had the right idea when he told Dorothy to treasure the song inside her and all her memories of Pero. So, indeed, treasure your memories of Dexter. And sometimes, you will certainly feel that his spirit is still with you.