We Love You Big Red - Come Home Soon!

[GFPC]

About two - three weeks ago my sisters cat "BIG RED" had his health turned upside down. He was a cat who was an outside homeless wild cat for years. My sister loved this cat and one year we built a house for him so he would not freeze in winter.

Anyways for the last couple of years he became a house cat and was a special addition to the family and was always eager to join in on everything from watching TV, sitting down with us for dinner, going for walks, you name it. He was like a guard dog as well and kept all other cats away.. LOL - he was such a super cat!!

Anyways he fell ill 3 weeks ago and could not move - when he walked he would wobble and stopped eating or drinking. When he was taking to the vet - they did some x rays and felt he had an infection so he was given antibiotics. As it turned out in my opinion these made him so sick he was vomitting really really bad. Still has not eaten unless i force fed him for 14 days. I have spent hours with him trying to get him to eat - he just wont eat. He has lost 1/2 his weight and only sleeps - and hardly drinks water unless given with a syringe.

After two weeks i decided he needed extreme care since one day he was so sick i feared for his life - so i took him to an EMERGENCY HOSPITAL and knew the costs were going to be in the THOUSANDS. Well my sister could not afford 5-10 thousand dollars on cat medical bills so i started to do research and found a foundation in our city that will fund extreme life threatening cases of animals who need care for large amounts of medical bills where the client would find it hard to pay. Most people i know find it hard to pay $1000 for vet bill and with this bill certain to reach 10K - i decided to help my sister apply.

I was in such shock today when they called and approved his application for extreme care and diagnositcs. I RUSHED HIM there as fast i could and he is with the best vets in Canada with every specialization known to animals - they are such a wonderful clinic!!

Today they admitted him and spent many hours explaining whats going to happen. He had 3 chest x rays and will undergo several ultra sounds tonight and tomorrow. Every blood test and virus check is being done and he is on special fluids to help his dehydration and since he has not eaten for 2 weeks they are watching his liver for damage.

Well this is all great news - but the pre tests show his blood to be a little acidic. And his chest xrays show some masses and strange stuff which the vet said is not a good thing.

She hinted at LYMPHOMA but said i will see a special internist tomorrow who will take over BIG REDS file and lab reports and develop a diagnosis and treatment plan if he indeed has chances for survival.

I have already had to help my father put two cats to sleep over the last 6 months from CANCER - I pray to God my sisters cat BIG RED does not have this. I hope he has something which is treatable and they fix him up so he can live for the rest of life in his home in peace.

If they can save his life and he will live a good life they will proceed with treatment which could cost up to 10K - if not they will probably advise to make him as comfortable as possible for the remaining days of his life and give us a few days with him at home before he has to be put to sleep. I am preparing for both outcomes. My sister just feels so lucky there a groups that will do this for other people who love their animals so much and cant spend that kind of money for the best treatment.

I plan to donate to this group and maybe after Big Reds ordeal I will do a Big Red Fund and donate everything to this group to help another person in need of this terrific service.

If anyone cares to support such a cause let me know - when i have some more time I will set something up for donations - even if its 1 dollar. I know there are allot of animal lovers in the forums - and this would be a great time to put some extra change in the welfare of this great animal group. I will provide all evidence of donations as well in case people want them - and write a nice report for everyone.

Like i said this will be done in Big Reds honor whether he survives or not !!! I hope he does - the little guy!

I will post some photos during his illness from last week! In the next post from my iphone. I will try and get some tomorrow in the hospital with all the vets treating him. He has the best money can buy!! - keep in mind he does not look sick here - but he is really really sick and struggling to stay alive these days - so weak - but still purring away.

[GFPC]

1st pic (left top) a month ago when big red was healthy

The rest are him really sick 4 to 5 days ago.

He loves sleeping in Arizona boxes - we saw this a few months back when he was sleeping in one outside (lol) - so i bought some Arizona just to
get him his box he loves.

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[rak]

Big Red looks like a boss cat.

If you have pets, I think you should help out / donate to animal agencies which help animals of any type or size. We do!

Good luck Big Red.

[universal4]

That is such a touching story, and I will keep Big Red in my prayers.....


Rick
Universal4

[Gabriel_LCP]

Very cute cat! Hope he gets better soon!

[GFPC]

Oh I just left the hospital and I was not able to take pictures. There was like a couple hundred animals there what a busy place. When big red saw he was so happy he wants out of there.

The specialist confirmed he has Lymphoma and treatment would cost 10-20k and prognosis is not good. So were only left with palliative care by giving him steroids which will give him 6-8 weeks of a decent quality of life before we must put him to sleep. The funds for his care there have ran out so I will be caring for him 24/7 till his last breath.

At least he will not be alone


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[wagerjunction]

The specialist confirmed he has Lymphoma and treatment would cost 10-20k and prognosis is not good. So were only left with palliative care by giving him steroids which will give him 6-8 weeks of a decent quality of life before we must put him to sleep. The funds for his care there have ran out so I will be caring for him 24/7 till his last breath.

At least he will not be alone

So sorry to hear that GPFC. And so many thanks to you for having done so much for him and still will do.

I do hope the time he has left will be spent happily and confortably and that you will be able to keep great memories of him when he is gone.

I will keep him in my prayers and indeed I have shared this sad new with some friends here who are all crazy-cat-lovers and they have asked me to convey their sympathies to you.

Be strong and big hugs and kisses to you and Big Red

[Topboss]

Awwww man - I was hoping for a happy ending when I started reading. It is such a shame, but Steve I know you will make Big Red's last days as happy as possible, so at least he will be a content pussy cat when he goes up to cat heaven.
I wish more people were as caring about animals as you are, and this is part of what makes you so special

When you set up a donation fund please let me know so that I can make a donation.

[universal4]

I am so sorry to hear this,

You can take comfort in the fact that you are there for him and that he will not be alone, and he knows he is loved.

Rick
Universal4

[GFPC]

thanks guys... he will be released tomorrow. I tried to stay with him as much as possible today.

They injected him with steroids tonight and i hope he feels like superman in the AM!!

I want him to go out feeling like a million bucks! God knows he is worth way more and if i had it i would spend it to save his life

Will take some pics when he is released

[techwoman]

I am so sorry for your Big Red. I am an animal lover and each one is my family. I have been where you are and I feel for you. My prayers are with Big Red and his loving human family.

[GFPC]

Here is big red on the way home in the car in his little cage.

The other pic is him with a pill pocket and he won't take his meds. It's going to be a long night forcing them down his throat poor guy.

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[wagerjunction]

Here is big red on the way home in the car in his little cage.

The other pic is him with a pill pocket and he won't take his meds. It's going to be a long night forcing them down his throat poor guy.

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He does look better though GFPC. His eyes look real bright in that first picture.

I just pray that he will spend whatever time he has left in a blissful state and that he will be happy. God Bless You and Him

[GFPC]

Unfortunately last night i tried to feed him for 2 hours. He just will not eat. All his energy is gone. Just today like an hour ago i woke up to his little meows. He now can no longer walk. He hind legs have stopped working and he is hobbling around.

Tears me up but I need to take him in today to end his beautiful life - poor big red!

[Redbush54]

This is never an easy decision but you wouldn't want Big Red to have to endure this state of life until the end. Prayers are with you and your family today. Remember the good life he had and know that he'll be prancing around soon and free of pain.

[GFPC]

Yeah it gets harder. This will be the third cat dying from cancer in 6 months for us.

Here are some pics of him today

Had to put him in cage as other cats may attack him.

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[GFPC]

well big red has 2 more hours on this Earth - I am sure going to miss him. He is sleeping in the garden right now listening to the birds.

[GFPC]

Rip big red - loved you so much!


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[Redbush54]

"I wish the Rainbow Bridge had a phone so I could hear your meow again. I thought of you today but that's nothing new. I thought of you yesterday and the day before that too. I think of you in silence and often speak your name. All I have are memories and pictures in a frame."

Sorry for your loss

[GFPC]

Thank you for that. I used to work with some vets years ago and watched dozens of cats and dogs be put to sleep - and over the last 6 months had to put two of my dads cats to sleep - but this was the most devastating experience as of yet for me today. I just had this sense he was fighting for his life and I feel just terrible i made this decision. Even though i know it may have been the best choice since his lymphoma spread to his spine I still feel like ****.

Today i had to hold him up while he went to the washroom and had to hold his head up so he could drink water. He was a real mess falling over - but i do not think he had any pain to be honest - he was still purring and looking at me with his beautiful eyes.

Right to the last breath of his we looked at each other in the eyes and just looked at each other until he was gone. I feel greatful I was able to hold him in my arms right till the last second of his life and feel the release of his body that happens when every process ends.

I mean at least he had the most love an animal could feel at that critical stage of "end of life". He knew he was wanted and needed and cared for right till the very last stage.

Many cats and dogs get put to sleep for various reasons and are all alone which torments me so badly.

I was hoping the treatments would help him to start to eat - but this morning he woke me up with his meows and i just had this sense it was time - and even though I know it was the right decision something is truly haunting me over this today.

At least he felt loved right until the very last second of his life and was held by me as i whispered in his ear how much i loved him.

"I wish the Rainbow Bridge had a phone so I could hear your meow again. I thought of you today but that's nothing new. I thought of you yesterday and the day before that too. I think of you in silence and often speak your name. All I have are memories and pictures in a frame."

Sorry for your loss