I am very sad to report that today we had to say goodbye to our beloved family cat, Casey. After nearly seventeen good years his kidneys finally couldn't continue functioning. Watching him go was one of the most difficult things I have ever done and I honestly don't know if I could go through it again.
Casey, you will be missed. 
Today I was going to post a picture of my cat, Casey. I was going to make fun of him because on Monday he went to the vet for his usual check-up, blood sugar check (diabetes, for those of you who don't know) and for a shave. You see in his old age he has become unable to care for his long luxurious fur as he once was. And the matted fur is much too horrible and plentiful for us to brush out. Thus the haircut. We have never had this done to him before. I can't believe how tiny he looks without the majority of his fur. And everyone always calls him fat! Sheesh. You and me both buddy. We're just fluffy!
But then on Tuesday afternoon I went downstairs to do some laundry. Casey was down there and when he tried to follow me up the stairs I noticed he couldn't do it. It was almost like his leg was broken or something. I carried him up and then watched as he struggled to get around the house. I called the vet and told them what was going on and they asked me to bring him right in. May I take the opportunity to complain about what a pain it is to drag a 25 pound kid and 20 pound cat to the vet? No? Fine.
Casey who normally greets everyone at the clinic with scary guttural sounds and much hissing – was silent. The staff, who has gotten to know us quite well since Casey's diagnosis, were very concerned about his silence. As they picked up his kennel to take him to the back Miss A grabbed the front cage with her tiny fingers and cried. It actually broke my heart a little when she did that. We pried her little vice grip off the kennel and I took her home to wait for the news.
I was certain we would have to go back later that day to have him put down. I was trying to prepare myself for what that was going to be like and I wasn't looking forward to it. Finally the vet called and explained what he suspected was going on. He said that there was nothing wrong with his legs just that he was basically acting intoxicated. He told me it could be a side effect from the sedative they'd given him in order to do the haircut. They could give him more counter agent and see if that helped.
From there the story gets a bit carried away. To sum up – he took a long time to get 'back to normal' which was partial compounded by his diabetes. He spent the night and most of today there but he is home now and seemingly himself again. So many times I get frustrated with him, his incessant meowing, his tendency to get right underfoot but the truth is I'd miss him so much if he wasn't around. A missed him. She kept babbling and saying the word 'kitty' all day.
He is a member of our family and we're glad to have him home.
What he usually looks like:
What he looks like now:
So last Thursday was pretty crazy. My cat was acting pretty strange, frantically drinking water and meowing constantly. I called the vet and they suggested I bring him in. I figured as much and I was rather worried about him since he had been diagnosed last year with chronic renal failure. I had myself convinced that his kidneys had actually failed.
So off we went to the vet office, 22 pound kid in one arm 20 pound cat in the other. We dropped him off and I tried not to worry. They called later after doing several tests. It turns out that he has diabetes now. The vet was very kind and explained everything really clearly. He told me that I didn't have to decide right away what I was going to do I could think about it for a couple of days. He said that not everyone feels comfortable doing the injections.
My mind was spinning. Diabetes. Injections. Fifteen years ago when I was just a high school kid getting a kitten I wasn't thinking ahead to this scenario. Fifteen years. We'd grown up together. Casey was a part of my family. We've been together longer than my husband and I have. He sat on my bed with me many times as I cried over lost friends and boyfriends. He kept me company when I moved out to my first apartment all by myself. And perhaps the most touching thing of all is that he loves my baby. Even when she came in and took over his home as well as taking almost all the love and attention we had to give. He's patient with her even when she doesn't deserve it and he worries about her when she's upset. He's family.
I told the vet I'd be there soon to pick him up and learn how to give him his injections. When I arrived he was surprisingly calm (slightly sedated) and oblivious while the technician and I injected sterile water into his back several times. I was to start giving him the insulin injections the next day, one in the morning and one at night. When I brought him home Miss A bent down to look at him in his kennel and excitedly whispered to him. I smiled and knew I'd made the right decision.
I have known other people who have had pets with various ailments and I would always wonder what I would do if faced with the same situation. Would I be able to afford to care for a sick pet? How far would I go? I'm sure I had thought if it ever came to this it would be time to say goodbye. But the fact is, I can't. Casey is sick but he's not suffering. As long as I give him his insulin he is fine. After all the joy he has brought to my life it is the least I can do.
I have now given him seven injections. I am a pro. I thought giving the needles would be a lot harder than it is. He doesn't even seem to notice. It is already becoming routine. Sometimes it makes me frustrated and I think “Add that to the list of things I have to do every day.” but then Miss A when go over to pet him and jabber away to him and I get over it. I'm glad that this didn't happen when she was tiny and I was overwhelmed. I'm not sure I would have been able to handle it. I think it's true that we are never given more than we can handle. Even though sometimes it feels like too much. 
It has been interesting to watch the relationship grow between my 15 year old cat and Miss A. A, of course, was oblivious to him when we first brought her home. But Casey was very curious as to who this new little person was. He sniffed at her every once in a while but was mostly content just to be near her. Never once did he act aggressively towards her, try to lay on top of her or get into her crib. He was very well behaved and even, loving towards her.
Then things began to get more interesting for both of them. She finally started noticing him. They would hang out on the floor together. This was still a relatively peaceful time because at this point she never attempted to really touch him that much. Basically she just thought he was cool and if he happened to walk by her and touch her with his fluffy fur, she was delighted.
Shortly after this stage she began to crawl. And with crawling came grabbing and chasing. This is when their relationship went a little sour. Poor Casey was being tormented by this little person WE brought home. This person who used to do things that he liked to do, like sleep and lay around. Now suddenly she was moving around, on the floor! And that was his domain. Not only that but she wouldn't leave him alone. And she pulled his fur. What's with that? Still he was well behaved, he tolerated the abuse and only on rare occasions gave her a slight warning to “Back off!” Let me also say that I did intervene, trying to teach Miss A to be gentle and showing her how to properly pet the kitty.
They have learned to coexist very well. They wander around the floor together. Casey seems much happier now that she is walking. He enjoys eating the scraps she throws down from her highchair. Miss A loves Casey and unfortunately for him that means that she often likes to 'hug' him. This entails her laying on him with her arms spread wide open. He protests and struggles. I tell her to be nice to the Casey. She thought that's what she was doing. Just this past weekend she kept saying the same word over and over. We eventually realized she was saying 'Casey'. It kind of sounds like Ka-see. It was pretty thrilling.
Along with saying his name she has become proficient with petting him nicely. She actually spreads her hand out and strokes it along his back. She stills clasps her little fingers every once in a while grasping a hand full of fur. He meows at her and walks away. Theirs is an ever evolving friendship.
