Today we had to put down our wonderful kitty Ambrocious. He stopped eating a few weeks ago, losing lots of weight and showing less and less interest in food. We took him to the vet on Saturday, only to find out that it would cost $600+ just to get him on IV fluids and to run the tests to find out what's really going on. The vet's best guesses were liver failure, kidney failure and/or cancer. We tried over the weekend with some prescribed food and antibiotics, but they haven't been helping and Ambrocious has only deteriorated. He barely has any strength to walk, and he's not even interested in us anymore. He just wants to sit under the bed all day. Ambrocious was over 17 years old, and has no health problems up until this point, so we've had a wonderful time with our wonderful kitty.
In commemoration of Ambrocious, I am writing this blog post and sharing the only picture I have of him on my computer. I would reprint my 'Nature of the Beast' essay about Ambrocious, but I've already done that. I have 300 more pictures on my phone, but I have a very junk phone so I don't have any way of putting all those pictures on my computer and creating an Ambrocious album or slideshow. I'll now probably just delete them all and then take lots of new pictures of my new kitty once I get a new kitty. Anyway, Ambrocious was a very good cat, and it sucks to make this decision. It's sad to see him wither away and not really know what's wrong with him. We've known we had to do this for a few days, and that he was a very old cat, but it's still no fun.
Tough Several Days
It's been emotional, since we've had the cat for so long and there's not much more we can do about him. We knew the diagnosis wouldn't be good and that it would probably be expensive to fix him. I've felt heavy with sadness, and although we will eventually get a new cat and be very happy again, it's sad to let go of Ambrocious. It sucks that we have to make the decision to put him down, instead of having him pass on his own. But, the latter will be very painful, as he's not eating. He looks at food and water likes it's an affront to his existence. He doesn't want it at all. He's not meowing in pain, but when he does meow he doesn't sound happy, like he is in pain. It's better this way.
Bye Bye Ambrocious
Bye bye big fat kitty. He was the big fat kitty fluff, full of stuff. Without you, I wouldn't have known how to hold a cat, or love a cat, or bond with a cat. Without you, I don't have anyone to give treats to, or to have lick the water off of my hair. Without you, I don't have anyone to greet me when I wake up in the morning, or to think I'm opening up a can a tuna, or to follow me around when I come home from work. Without you, I wouldn't have known how awesome life is when you have cute kitties in your life. Now, I know, and I must forever have cute kitties in my life. But, Ambrocious will always be the first cute kitty. The big fat kitty who has set the precedent for all the other kitties. The bestest best kitty in the world.