Cat's name, gender, and ages when you first met and now
Clyde, male, 4 y.o., passed away 7 y.o.
How did you first meet your cat?
Clyde was a return at the shelter where I volunteer as an adoption counselor and foster. He was diagnosed with cancer and in September 2007 he was examined by one of our vets and we were told that it didn't look good -- he had maybe a couple of weeks left. I decided then and there that he was not going to die in a cage in the shelter. I told the director that I would take him home for hospice care for the next few weeks.
What happened that turned it into a permanent adoption?
Clyde came to stay in my guest room. He had a bed to lay on and I spent hours with him every evening, often sleeping in the guest room with him just so he wouldn't be alone. And something interesting happened...he started getting a little better. After a few weeks his strength had returned and he lost the "dull" look. He was interested in what was on the other side of the door to the guest room so I slowly introduced him to the other three cats in the household. They all took to Clyde quickly - he was a pretty laid-back cat and made friends right away. Once he was integrated into the household he seemed to flourish and perk up. He was still under the care of our vet and was receiving medication which put his cancer into remission, people that met him had no idea that he was sick.
After a few months of having Clyde in my household I knew that this was no a short-term foster situation any more. I talked to the shelter director and formally adopted Clyde.
He was a wonderful gentle cat and we had almost three years together before he finally succumbed to the cancer a couple of months ago. Even though I knew that it was coming and he had only been part of our family for a few years, it was still very hard to have him go. I still miss him greeting me at the door and resting on the arm of the couch next to me. He definitely left a big impression on my life and I will always remember him and be grateful for the time that we had.
What I'd Do Differently
- I am so glad that I took Clyde home when he was sick. I like to think that being in a home environment helped give him back his will to live. I would take on another special needs cat or cat needing hospice care again. It is difficult to fall in love with a creature and then have them leave you in a relatively short time, but the knowledge that I helped make his short time here on earth happier and more comfortable more than makes up for the pain of the loss. Given the same circumstances I would eagerly do the whole thing over again.
