Bue was the best kitty cat, he was 14yrs. Bue-Bue was a Maine Coon who I had adopted as a 8 week old kitten. Bue was very passive, he liked to chill out infront of the window in the morning to get the sun. I have 3 other kitty cats, and they all got along. Now Bue has always thrown up because he had very long fur. One day about 3 months ago I noticed that Bue threw up, but there was no fur in it.

I thought maybe since he is older he needs a more digestable food source. I went and got him the senior formul with yogart in it. He still thre it up, and it made his feces very smelly. I went out, and got him Fancy Feast. By this time though it had been about 2 months. He little by little stopped eating, this happened on the weekend. I thought to myself maybe he is winding down to die.

I went on the internet to see what else could be wrong, I discoverd that he could have bad teeth. I called Bue's vet, and we went in and Bue had 3 teeth removed. He had a blood test, but he did not have the really expensive blood test. I bought him home, and he ate, and ate, and ate. I was so happy, that was 2 weeeks ago. On Fri 08/03/07 When I got up, I noticed that Bue had thrown up on the rug, and there was blood in it. I made an appointment for him to see the vet on Tues. Sat, and Sun he appeared to get weaker, and weaker so on Sun although he was drinking water he was not eating food at all, he would smell it, and turn away.

I force feed him Sun, and we went to the vet Tues, his Dr. did a more indept blood test, and told me my cat had cancer of the bones, I cried in my vets arms, and then took my kitty home for hospice care. About 10pm Tues night Bue cried out because he could no longer walk on his own. I tried holding him, but it made him uncomfortable, so I put him on the floor, and layed down next to him. I think he may have surffered a mini stroke because the only thing moving was his eyes. My other cats gathered around as if they knew what was going on. Bue took some breaths, and cried out a little, and then he threw up blood about 4 times, and then his heart gave out. Bue loved it when I said He's a good boy, and thats what I kept saying to him, as I pet him.


I have had other companion animals pass before, and they all died at home with me. I guess this was painful because I thought he would be ok after his teeth were pulled. Bue lived a really good life with me, and his adopted brother, and sisters. I buried him in the woods out back with my other 3 kitty cats that have passed over the yrs. What I have to remember is the last 3 days of his life, he was not the real Bue-Bue, I'm glad he is free, but I will still miss him so much, I love you Bue-Bue, he's a good boy!

You were a wonderful mom to Boo and he lived a good life. Cats are really good at hiding any symptoms. Cats that like to sleep a lot hide it best. At least he didn't suffer for too long, but I know how hard it is to lose those precious mates, my heart goes out to you. I hope there is an afterlife and that we can be together with our soulmates there.

Hi there,
I responded to your post on mine - "Grieving the impending......"

Boogi

Thank you so much for your kind words, I really appreiciate it.

Bue's Mommy, I am so sorry to hear about your Bue. It sounds like you were a great cat companion, though, and did everything you could to make his passing comfortable. You had 14 wonderful years with him, which is an amazing gift. I hope you feel better soon.

Bue's Mommy, I'm very sorry for your loss. I agree with Tonnie, in that you were a wonderful mom to Bue. I lost my dog Max to bone cancer and at first he was also misdignosed. I'm sorry you had to go on that roller coaster ride of thinking that Bue was better then to find out that he had something worse, a terminal disease. I know how hard that is and the feeling of helplessness that comes with it. It sounds like you did everything and anything possible that you could do for Bue. So don't ever doubt that you didn't. Cancer can agress very rapidly without little warning. Unfortunitly leaving us as our furbaby guardians little chance in fighting it. Once again I'm sorry for your loss. Whatever you are feeling post it so all of us here can help you through your grief. Take care k9pal

Hugs k9pal, thank you so much for your kind words. You're right, it was such an emotional rollercoaster. I have many pics and video of Bue as a tiny kitten too, It still does not lessen the hurt I feel since he passed. I do think about all the good times I had with my Bue. I'm also very lucky that I found this site, you all have been so kind, and wonderful. It helps make this bearable, becuase you all know what it's like to give love to an companion animal. I know in time the pain will lessen, as it did for my other kitties. I just hope more people come here to see how wonderful you all are.


From left to right Nibblez, Puddin in the middle, and Zena

Hugs Sibilance7, thank you so much for posting. Seems like no matter what you did to help them, you will still question was it enough. I do have to think of it as a gift, because it truly was. Also, you reminding me of that just made my heart feel good.

This sounds so like my Neo's story. He had 3 teeth out in march and was able to eat much better. But in may he lost weight and became really ill. He was hospitalised for a week and seemed to pick up. But sadly he went downhill and was put to sleep on 11th july. I never had a definate diagnosis but the vet was certain it was some form of cancer. It's been dreadful since but I think I'm getting better. This is a great site to come to for support.

Hugs neomum, Thank you for stopping by my thread. Bue had lost weight before he had his teeth were removed. I still kick my self in the butt for not noticing it more. He had long fur, but that is no excuse. Neomum, I had another cat I adopted his name was Ian, I kept his name from his previous owner. He stopped eating, and I took him to the animal hospital in my area, actually the same place I adopted him from. They told me he would be ok, becuase it was close by I called everyday. They said he was eating a half of jar of baby food a day. If you know anything about Himalayans, you know they are all fur. Well Ian weighed about 8 pds healthy, when I picked him up he wieghted about 4 pds. When I called for an update they said to prepare for him to die. I was like WTF are you talking about, you said he was eating. I took him home, and looked into his eyes. His eyes said mommy I don't want to die. I got a ear dropper for water, and a needledless syringe, and I fed him for weeks like that. Ian lived for another 5 yrs healthy after that. So if you get another baby, and you don't feel what the vet or anyone else is telling you. Go with your gut feeling, because I did, and it worked out with Ian.

Like it's been said on this forum, hindsight is 20/20. I too still kick myself for not noticing Yukon's symptoms more. He had lost a bit of weight, weighed 17 instead of his usual 20 when he became lame from diabetes. Now I know that his last couple of years he had diabetes but we didn't know, we thought the weight loss was just aging and when he couldn't jump on the sofa anymore we thought it was arthritis. We're not the only ones who erred. In 2003 he started to have twitches now and then, as if imaginary insects were coming at him and he'd take off and run away when this happened. It didn't happen too often and when we mentioned it to the vet who looked after him from our home, she gave him a wormer. So he went on for almost 3 years with undiagnosed diabetes. He was always a lazy, sweet, sleepy doll of a cat, so if his illness was affecting him he could hide it SO well, he fooled us all, unfortunately....but I know, I still go over and over how I could have done better, it is so hard onus. Courage. Take care.

You're so right about that, the hiding that cats do. I used to have a vet come over to the house to do their examinations, it was less tramatic for them rather than going to the office.

At the same time Bue started throwing up his food without fur in it, one of my friends said her 18 yr male outdoor/indoor kitty was having some issues. She later found out that her kitty had diabetes. She told me of the strange behavior he was displaying, I know that cats that have that usually drink tons of water. Her kitty went from 22 pds to 9pds.

They are still trying to find the right dosage of insulin for her kitty, but he is ok.
I talked to her when I got home from the vet, but I never called her to tell her Bue passed. I think I will send her the link to this forum, so she can talk with others who understand, and are going through the same thing.

Bue was a sleepy doll also, but loved to pose for pictures, lol.
I'm so sorry this happned, but at least you have people that care in this forum.

Your beautiful Bue reminds me of my Peaches, who looked like a Maine Coon & fooled others into believing she was......

Late last October my husband & I went on a 2 week trip during which time my neighbor stopped in every day to feed & check on Peaches. When we came home, her weight loss was noticeable to us (of course my neighbor didn't see it, she didn't see her every day like we did). We quickly got her to the vet's, and she was diagnosed with intestenal lymphoma. Just like that, my world was totally turned upside down. I blamed myself for going on vacation because that is when her symptoms started getting really bad. I felt horrible for such a long time because I thought if I didn't go on vacation, I would have been home with her & this would have been avoided. Like Bue, she also coughed up hairballs a lot, but then I tortured myself wondering if I should have noticed earlier that the fur wasn't in it anymore. We did what we could for her but we lost her on March 30. My heart was broken because she was my sweet soulmate & I would have given anything to make her better. But, I know now, after so many chemo treatments & research on her illness, that there's NOTHING more we could have done for her.....sometimes they are just too sick to stay here with us, and they are called home. It took me a long time to stop blaming myself but I don't so much anymore. I loved her all I possibly could & in the end I was there for her. You did everything you could for Bue & in the end you were there for him. He had a great life & was so very much loved. Shower your other 4 footed sweeties with tons of love & let them comfort you. I'm wishing you all the best. We are here for you.

Hugs Kimm, thank you so much for posting. You're right we cannot blame ourselves for something that is beyond our control. Your Peaches was gorgeous, omg how old was she?

I sometimes think about if Bue was younger than 14, and it was caught really early would I do chemo treatments for him. If his quality of life went down, I don't think I would. Emotionally speaking, hell yeah I would .

Some days I'm ok, other days I cry thinking how much I miss him, I know you feel the same way about Peaches. My vet sent me a condolence card, he is such a sweet man. The way he prepared me for Bue's impending death. I'm lucky that I did not have months and months of watching him go downhill. I feel so bad for those that go through that, my heart goes out to them.

I have tons of pics, videos of Bue-Bue, It helps to look at them.
Thank you Kimm for telling me about Peaches, anytime you want to talk please let me know ok?

Take Care

Bue's Mommy,

Thank you so much for the comforting words. My girl Peaches was 13. She was a tough little cookie, but when the cancer spread to her kidneys, that was it.

It's always a hard desicion whether to pursue chemo or not. There are so many factors to consider. Not only cost, but the type of cancer a pet has is a factor too. Some cancers respond better to chemo than others, and if it is too far advanced it may be better for the pet not to try. When we took Peaches to the oncologist, one of the things he considered when deciding if she was a good candidate was how she behaved at the vet's. Not something I would have thought of, but part of the treatment involved IV's & other procedures, some of which were injections I learned to give her at home. Peaches was by nature a very calm cat & sat still for these treatments, but many won't. The goal is to improve the quality of their life. If Peaches had started to freak out during these treatments, I wouldn't have pursued them.

Losing Bue still hurts, I know. As time passes it does get better, but sometimes the loss of Peaches pops into my head & feels like a train hit me. But it subsides, and it happens not quite so often anymore. My husband & I talk about the funny things she did & how sweet she was, & that's what we focus on now. Someday soon you will think of Bue & smile. Don't rush the healing process, though. Give yourself time. I do know that you will feel better in time. Keep talking to us, you have a bunch of good people here that know what you're going through, and want to help.

Take care.

Kim

Hello again Kimm, you're awesome. You ever notice cats don't show their ages as much as dogs do. I find my self watching my cats very closely, probably a little too closely.
My youngest female is 9yrs, she gained wieght off the fancy feast that Bue did not finish when I was getting him to eat. After she eats she just spreads out, and goes to sleep before she cuddled on the bed.
I know I'm probably reading way too much into this, but was just wondering if this is normal, especially since she is getting up there in age. I don't think I would be feeling this way if she was 4yrs old.

Hi!

What a gorgeous picture!!!!! Your babies are beautiful! I think I recognize Bue, but who is the other one? Is she a calico or a tortie? I can easily see she is a beauty!!!!!

For me, in my experience with Peaches, it was her NOT eating that made me worry. She was a chubby cat for most of her life, & when her weight dropped so much that we noticed it after vacation, that's what made us take her to the vets. I can't tell you not to worry----after all, we're all here because we've experienced the loss of our pet, or have a sick pet we're caring for. All we want is to make them happy & healthy!!! I think it's perfectly natural to feel so protective of your 9 year old kitty. Especially given what you've been through with your recent loss of Bue. Bottom line, in my opinion----If you have ANY doubts whatsoever, please take her in for a checkup. From what you've said I suspect she is fine.....but us shell-shocked types have learned not to take anything for granted.

Please let us know how it goes. I'm thinking of you.

Hi Bue's Mommy,
I'm so sorry for taking so long to respond. And I'm so sorry for the loss of your precious Bue. I feel so bad that it was his time to go. It is always too soon.

What a beauty he is! It is obvious that he was very happy and that the two of you loved each other very much. Bue will always be in your heart and mind and that will give you great comfort, but even though he is happy and at peace right now, you may have a ways to go. Do not dispair. It's only been a month which is a very short time when it comes to losing a loved one. Things will slowly get better. It's a rough road with a lot of ups and downs, but a precious journey all the same.

You are in my prayers
John B

Hugs Kimm, how are you? I have not been on the computer for a few weeks, sorry I'm just getting back to you now. The tortie is Zena, and the grey kitty is Puddin.
Puddin is the only cat in my house that I did not adopt as a kitten.

I came home from the gym , and she was next to my car. I asked her if she wanted to come in , and meet the rest of the family, and she has been here ever since.

Funny thing is my cat Twubby died within 3 days of her arrival, it's almost as if he let go because he knew I would be ok. He was diabetic, I also adopted him when he was full grown.

When I took Puddin in to see my vet, he said she was at least 1 yrs old, she is a grey tiger he said.

You're right about Zena, I was just overly sensative about the things she was doing. She is ok. I have an area rug that in my bathroom that Bue would lay on when I rubbed both sides of his belly. He would just flop down, and give me his belly. Zena never layed on this rug before, but now she does the same thing as he did, weird huh?

What have you been up to?

Hugs John B, thank you so much for responding. OMG are cats look so much alike.
I'm so sorry for you loss. Did the Iams people offer you anything? I think I would have gone postal.
Will you adopt another kitty? I will never buy Iams products now, best way to deal with compaines is their bottom line.
My money cats name is Zena, she is 9yrs, and she loves to pose. I have only had 2 money cats in my life, and they are incredible, and smart, and can be hams too!
I will post a pic of Zena so you can see her.

Take care I will talk to you soon John B

" What a beauty he is! It is obvious that he was very happy and that the two of you loved each other very much. "


Thank you so much John.

This is a shameful attempt on my part to put up more pics of Bue, lol. It really is therapeutic for me.

Just another pic of one of my 3 kitties, her name is Puddin.

I love you Bue-Bue, he's a good boy.

Sorry for the blurry pic, here's a good one

I can not get over how adorable your kitties are!! And posting pics really does help so much!

Thank youu Sarah, I'm so glad posting is helping you also. For me it helps celebrate their lives, and not mourn so much their deaths.

Bue's sister, and brother Tiger one Nibblez, and Zena are in the backround

I saw a few pictures you had posted in another post and Bue really was a beautiful cat!! How lucky you were, and how lucky Bue was to have you for a Mom. I think everyone here has a similiar story about medical problems near the end, animals are so great at hiding things and they also can't talk to us......you did everything you could, please know that........

many hugs, Misty's Mama

Awww, ty Misty's Mama, and many hugs to you also. LOL, I like to think of Bue as being the son I never gave birth to, rofl. He kept the household in balance, my 9yr old female Zena has become aggresive since Bue's passing. She bullies Puddin, and Nibblez now. Bue had a calming affect on her, and any aggression in the houshold. Funny thing is, I never realized Bue looked older until I joined this forum, I always saw Bue as a kitten.

Thank you,for taking the time to look at his pics, and leave such loving, and caring comments. Im going to look for your thread right now.

I also saw Misty as the son I never gave birth too. I really mean it, Bue really and a beautiful and adorable cat. You can just see the specialness in his pictures.......I absolutely love the white neck......he must have been so special.......

More later, Misty's Mama

Hugs Radgirl, thanks again for stopping by my thread. I know your baby Misty was special too.

Hi Bue's Mommy,
What beautiful kitties your kids all are! Bue was so handsome. I'm so sorry for such a devastating loss.
Hugs to you and your babies,
Stephanie

Hugs back at ya Forduffy, thank you for the kind words. I'm sorry for your loss too.
I have to admit though, my kitties are hams when it comes to the camera, lol. Do you have any other pics of your baby?

I'm going to try to find your thread Stephanie, but if I can't can you leave me a link please. I want to stop by, and pay my respects.

Thanks Again

To all Pet Owners...

To be posted VERY LOW on the refrigerator door - nose height

Dear Dogs and Cats:

The dishes with the paw print are yours and contain your food. The
other
dishes are mine and contain my food. Please note, placing a paw print
in the
middle of my plate and food does not stake a claim for it becoming your
food
and dish, nor do I find that aesthetically pleasing in the slightest.

The stairway was not designed by NASCAR and is not a racetrack. Beating
me
to the bottom is not the object. Tripping me doesn't help because I
fall
faster than you can run.

I cannot buy anything bigger than a king-sized bed. I am very sorry
about
this. Do not think I will continue sleeping on the couch to ensure your
comfort. Dogs and cats can actually curl up in a ball when they sleep.
It is
not necessary to sleep perpendicular to each other stretched out to the
fullest extent possible. I also know that sticking tails straight out
and
having tongues hanging out the other end to maximize space is nothing
but
sarcasm.

For the last time, there is not a secret exit from the bathroom. If by
some
miracle I beat you there and manage to get the door shut, it is not
necessary to claw, whine, meow, and try to turn the knob or get your
paw
under the edge and try to pull the door open. I must exit through the
same
door I entered. Also, I have been using the bathroom for years --
canine or
feline attendance is not required.

The proper order is kiss me, then go smell the other dog or cat's butt.
I
cannot stress this enough!

To pacify you, my dear pets, I have posted the following message on our
front door:


To All Non-Pet Owners Who Visit & Like to Complain About Our Pets:
They live here. You don't.
If you don't want their hair on your clothes, stay off the furniture.
(That's why they call it "fur"nature.)
I like my pets a lot better than I like most people.
To you, it's an animal. To me, he/she is an adopted son/daughter who is
short, hairy, walks on all fours and doesn't speak clearly.
Remember: In many ways, dogs and cats are better than kids because
they:
1 Eat less
2. Don't ask for money all the time
3. Are easier to train
4. Normally come when called
5. Never ask to drive the car
6. Don't hang out with drug-using friends
7. Don't smoke or drink
8. Don't have to buy the latest fashions
9. Don't want to wear your clothes
10. Don't need a "gazillion" dollars for college.

And finally,
11. If they get pregnant, you can sell their children.

I'm feeling very emotional right now, so get ready for more pics of my babies!

Hi Bue's Mommy! What beautiful catchildren! You post as many pics as you need to! I have been emotional myself for the past two days again. It comes and goes, doesn't it? Posting pics of them helps,like you said "Acknowledge and honor their lives, not so much mourn their deaths."
For they can never really be taken from us and you know Bue is your guardian angel now, to watch over you until you can be together again.
You have given me great solace since I have come here recently, I only hope I can hug you back when you need it!
Susan

Hugs Susan, thank you so much for your support. You're right it does come, and go. The one constant thing is that I love all of my kitties, and they love me.

I have this translucent stick with a long piece of material coming from it, I bought it at Petco, so that cats could chase as I ran with it. Bue loved that toy, I played with my other kitties with it for the first time last night since Bue's passing.

I went to a online shelter to look at their ktties, I saw one similar to Bue. I know I'm not ready for another kitty, but I still think about it.

Susan you have given alot of support to others grieving in this forum, I really appreciate your kindness.

Aww, LoveThem, thank you so much. I love the pic on your post of Little guy too.
If you notice 95% of my kitty pics take place on my bed too, lol.
How are you doing? I posted to your thread too.

Wow- I love coming to your post and looking at all of your wonderful pictures. You have some of the most beautiful kitties that I have ever seen. I love these pics-they bring a smile to my face after shedding so many tears.

Awww, Forduffy you make my heart feel so good. I love looking at everybodys kitties too. I could kick myself though. Bue was my first kitten, I adopted all my other cats as adults. My friend said there was a place where I could have my pics printed out for way cheaper than CVS, or Walgreens. I gave her 15 rolls of film. She got them processed, and then she got married. I never saw the pics again because she broke up with her husband, right after the wedding. All of Bues kitten pics were in there.
However I have videos of Bue as a kitten, I will take stills off of that. I'm so happy that I can put a smile on your face. I had about six rolls of film that I had developed on a CD today, these pics bring back so many memories of my Bue. I forgot that he allowed Nibblez to lay down with him, lol.

Talk to you soon

Hugs LoveThem, I hope you have a happy holiday, and thank you for saying that.
I was reading Joanne's post to you, about you bringing up the Nutri Cal. My vet gave me a tube the day he told me Bue would die soon. I gave him some thinking it would bring him back to me. I still have it in my refridgerator. My vet said that I could give it to my other kitties too, but they did not really like it. I went to the store yesterday, and talked to some people I know there. I found out that a lady who works there has a pregnant cat, who has had past litters which included calico's/money cats. I would love to have another kitten who looks just like my Zena. I talked to the lady, and she will give me the kitten if her cat gives birth to one. I'm keeping my fingers crossed, lol.

Talk to you soon

Hugs Lovethem, you are the only one who saw what I was doing in posting the pics.
I needed to end posts with a smile, and the pics put a great big smile on my face.
You're very perceptive! I also wanted others to know Bue's family, and how loved he was. Anyone can wrie a post, but a picture gives insight imo.

How are you doing hun? How was your holiday?

This was Bue's fav pose, now Nibblez poses like that.

"I never write anything I wouldn't like animal lovers to read but I never felt every thread was wide open to access. Now I feel like an idiot writing a sad note to my Little Guy. I felt safe here ...safe from the people who are indifferent to this type of pain and grief. I don't feel that way anymore."

Aww LoveThem, please try not to feel that way. You are so important to this forum, don't let this turn you away. I wish that post could be deleted, maybe it can. Ask LS support. I think what happned was the keyword NC I will not spell it because this post will end up there too. Bue was given that stuff the day the Dr told me he would not live.

You are so valued here, remember no one knows your ident*ity here. If a hater did post something stupid, I'm sure it would get deleted very quicky. Its too bad that we don't have this support in our real lives, huh?

Please pm me, if you want to talk about this further. We care about you here, and your feelings are sacred to us.

I'm so happy you like the pics, I will find a good one to make you smile.

It is so very sad... I am so sorry and I am feeling the pain myself.Your photos of your Bue and his buddies are "Bue tiful!" I cannot bear to look at or post my Annie's pics, it is still too painful. Yours are lovely.
Annie's mommy

LOL, it's my phone. I actually say to them wait right there, and they do. Bue spent years with them, so when I post pics of Bue's family, and two fo them Bue knew as kittens Nibblez, and Zena they are also part of Bue. I want everyone here to know what they mean to me. When I post to someone it's not just words, it is truly from my heart.

I really need to get more proficient in photo lab, lol. My camera takes the pic the size of my flat screen monitor, so most are really big so I can use them as backround.

Hugs to you LoveThen

In a earlier post I talked about my friends cat having diabetes, and sent her the link to this forum. Her cat Figaro got sick around the same time as Bue. Well Fig who was 18 passed away 2 weeks ago. I just found out at my friends mom's funeral on Dec 3 2007. I don't have any pics of Fig. He was a black, and white fat kitty whp coould leap a 8 foot fence like he was still young.

Bye Fig, we will miss you

I'm really missing Bue right now. Here is a pic of his family, and him.

Thank you, Annie's mommy. I appreciate you stopping by. The Buetiful is priceless, I never thought about it that way. Sorry my post is late.

Thanks again

My baby boy Bue