You would think, with dawn arriving later, that Lily’s wake-up calls would be adjusted. Well yes, they are, but in the wrong way. First it was 03:30, then 3 and last night it was 02:30, which is not awful because it gives me a chance to get back to sleep, but now I’m getting woken up again at 5. No wonder I’m cranky.
During the day, Lily needs a lot of reassurance, coming to poke me constantly and at night she wants to sit on me. It is nice to be needed and I’m happy to accommodate, but Blackie wants to sit on me too and they both want to occupy the the same space.
Willow, luckily, chooses the foot of the bed. When I settle down to sleep, I endeavour to rearrange the other two, but if I’ve been reading for a while they are often sound asleep in whatever places they eventually agreed upon. God forbid I should wake the sleeping beauties, so I am obliged to twist myself around them.
Lily is our senior cat. She’s been with us for over 16 years. She was young when we got her, but not a kitten, so she is at least 17. Recently, she had symptoms suggesting possible kidney issues, so she was x-rayed and we were much surprised to learn that one of her kidneys had never developed completely. Although Lily has battled often with a skin complaint, she has otherwise been very healthy.
Kidney disease has taken a number of our cats, including Yeti and Panther. It is a diagnosis you don’t want to hear. There are ways to slow the progress, subcutaneous fluid and a special diet, but we have had very limited success.
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Dear, stoic Yeti endured being pumped with fluid daily for a year, but the time came when I could tell she no longer had quality of life. Panther would never have accepted the fluids and he had other issues. He suffered with rodent ulcer which attacked his mouth. For several months he went back and forth to a specialty clinic until one morning I knew it was time.
An awful, awful day.
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We always purchase special kidney food in the hope it will be accepted, but after a few licks they all turn their noses up, so we feed them what they enjoy and keep them comfortable.
Lily goes for a blood check next week which will give us an idea of how she is physically. Apart from the constant restlessness and neediness, she seems well enough although she is stone deaf and unable now to jump up to high places as she did. Grant lifts her to her favourite cupboard where she sleeps a while in the morning and she is able to get down unassisted.
Lily may be an old girl, but she is the only one who will put Little Man in his place when he makes a nuisance of himself. Poor little lad only wants to play!
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When we moved from Washington, it took some time for everyone to settle in to a routine they were comfortable with. Lily and Lucy decided I was their person and they both had the seniority to “claim” the privilege.
Sometimes they were content to occupy a chair next to mine, but Lily liked to hop up on my chair, getting behind me and climbing up my back, which was something of a nuisance.
Then one day she took herself off downstairs to be with Grant and his gang. I know better than to take offence to a cat’s behaviour, but I wondered if I had hurt Lily’s feelings by protesting when she climbed my back. I didn’t mind that she changed allegiance, but I hated to think she felt rejected.
I very much doubt cats have any such thought, says the sensible part of my brain.
In the end, I concluded that she and Lucy had made a deal: “You take her and I’ll take him.” This thought occurred after Lucy died as that was when Lily began visiting with me again.
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It was as though Lily was checking in on me, but soon Toby occupied the space that Lucy had claimed and when he was gone, it was Patches who came to my bed at night, followed by Muffin and finally Sophia. It seemed they sensed their time was coming and for reasons I cannot comprehend, they found comfort visiting this old girl. Perhaps they felt kinship with a geriatric human. I was touched by it.
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Tinkerbelle was utterly devoted to Grant and she did not spend time visiting with me, but in the last year of her life I was very moved when she stopped hating me! She was one of those cats – there have been a couple – that simply could not abide me. She hissed and spat at me for years, but in those final months I was allowed to pet her and her eyes went soft, as if she was making her peace. It meant a lot to me.
Tom, Colin and Penny spent all their time, including in their last months with Grant.
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Many of the cats I have known and loved have appeared to become needy in their last year or so of life. These are just the most recent.
Uncountable are the hours of lost sleep they all caused me. At times, I felt desperately worn out, yet I knew there would come a time when I would give anything to have these beloved animals back.
There’s not one I don’t miss.
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Even though my dogs are young, when they are a “pain in the neck” I think to myself, when they are no longer here I will be wishing for the “pain in the neck”.
For people who don’t have pets, it’s hard to understand why we’d try to make ourselves comfortable in bed without disturbing the sleeping beauties – but that’s what we do! I didn’t get a full night’s sleep for 15 years – thanks to our two cocker spaniels. But today I’m glad I was there when they needed me. I guess as sad as it is to lose a pet, it’s just as wonderful that they choose your company in their last months.
Ollie was never a problem, though his messy jowls sprayed the house with slobber at times when he shok his head. We tolerated the occasional spoiling of furniture, because as you rightly say, we knew we would miss him when he was gone. We just never knew how much we would miss him. It’s like a constant, physical pain. So I completely understand.
Best wishes, Pete.
I know you do, Pete. Have a wonderful, restful holiday, by the way.