Six years ago, a
small, dirty, skinny, but beautiful calico cat showed up on the doorstep of our
tiny, 600-square foot apartment in Bakersfield.
She looked up at us with her dirty green eyes and I really didn’t know
what to do or say. We weren’t allowed pets in our place at the time, but I said
hi to her and shared with her a can of tuna I had. This went on for days as I
sat on my doorstep, fed her some food, and attempted to pet her. It wasn’t long
before I realized she was getting a little fatter- around the belly. Knowing
she was female based off of her colors, I had guessed correctly she was
pregnant.
At this point,
Gary named her Lila, sealing in my already growing attachment to her. Knowing
she was pregnant, I went to the nearest pet store and bought the best kind of
kitten food I could afford so she could get the right nutrients for her babies.
Then, over the weekend, Gary and I took a trip of out of town. Some neighbors
called us over the weekend to tell us she had given birth.
I then made several phone
calls to friends and family members, asking if any of them were willing to take
in a stray cat and her kittens. We had a taker- a friend I had known since
childhood named Kimi, and her roommate Amanda, volunteered to take them in.
Lila had 5 kittens-
two tiny orange ones and three gray and white (unfortunately one of the gray
and white babies didn’t make it the first couple of weeks). They were kind
enough to keep them all in their home for 14 weeks until Gary and I found our
place in Valencia and moved out of Bakersfield.
Before we moved, we wanted to make sure all the kittens were placed in
good homes as our plan was to take Lila and one kitten with us. We discussed
which kitten we wanted most.
Every time we went
to visit them, a little orange one they had named Diego at the time, would come
right up to us, show off, and meow. He would then go off exploring (thus the
name) while his siblings played together near mom. We generally had to look for him to figure out
what he was exploring this time. As time went on, our fondness for this
specific kitten grew, and we decided this was the one we wanted. It was then
Gary and I decided to rename him Dexter, since we were fans of the show at the
time.
He sure loved his mommy!
We found wonderful
homes for the rest of the kittens and went on our way to Valencia.
Dexter was
definitely a fun, adventurous, and mischievous cat. He knew how to find trouble
as he got into everything, chewed on wires, climbed on the back of our leather
couch, and consistently dropped food into his water dish. I can’t even tell you
how many times you would hear a crash, followed by both Gary and I shouting
“Dexter!”- Then an orange blur racing by us. Often times we’d hear the crash,
then a sweet, orange furry thing suddenly would become our best friend as he’d
brushed up against us like nothing happened; or to keep us from getting him in
trouble. When we’d discipline him, he’d roll onto his side and meow, sticking
his paws up in the air- making us feel like monsters.
So little! Love his cute face!
He definitely liked to mark his territory- not by peeing, but by brushing the scent glands on his
front paws- in the litter box (even late at night), around his water dish
(splashing water), and even his food bowl. He also had to make sure he got
enough fur all over everything to claim it as his own.
Besides the
trouble he often liked to get into, he had the biggest, sweetest heart.
The moment I even
attempted to get comfortable, he’d let out a purr-meow and jump onto my lap to
knead the heck out of me. Stomach, chest, arms, and legs- you name it. He’d
purr and knead until he was fast asleep. He occasionally did this with Gary as
well. Everywhere we went, he had to be. Shower? Laying in the doorway. Kitchen?
On the floor nearby. On the computer? If he could fit on the desk or in our
laps, he was there. Living room? Curled up next to us or on the floor. Bedroom?
Same. Nap time? Had to be there.
Just like this!
Aww! Little boy, always near us.
He was the little
thing I woke up to every single morning- even if I wasn’t ready to get up. I’d
open my eyes and see two brown eyes staring back, followed by a nudge against
my face and a meow. I sleep with a pillow next to me so I can hug it at night,
but he always assumed I set it up just for him to sleep on (I went along with
it). So as soon as I was stirring, up he’d go. He’d lie on that darn pillow and
watch me until I opened my eyes. If I showed I wasn’t ready to get up, he’d
gently lay his head down and sleep until I was ready. Often times I’d stir and
he’d play-bite my fingers if they were in site.
Dexter was a cat
you could sweep up off the floor and hug without getting scratched or bitten.
We could even pet and rub his belly. When we’d play, he was always very gentle
with his claws and teeth, never leaving marks. He LOVED to play with anything.
He loved boxes. Receiving packages in the mail or buying something at the store
that came in a box was heaven for him. We could spend hours playing with him
and he’d never get bored.
If he fits, he sits
Yup- happy with his box. We called this his transportation box. We could move it anywhere and he'd stay.
Right after I bought it
He was the most
loving, sweet, fun, adventurous, and friendly cat out there. He really was my
best friend. I can’t tell you how many times my tears have been on that coat of
his. I told him several times a day how much I loved and adored him, and he
knew I meant it. No matter what trials I dealt with in life, he was always
there. I knew he was a miracle and a blessing for being in our lives. He always
made life better and knew exactly how to cheer us up.
On Friday, January
24th, 2014, I had come home early from work. I hadn’t planned on it,
but our landlord of our new place had called and said there had been an
emergency and she had to leave town- and somebody needed to pick up the keys
before she left. This forced me to leave early, pick up the keys, and then head
home. I truly believe the Lord had a hand in this situation. I got home and
began doing some last minute packing and cleaning before the big move the next
day.
Suddenly, I heard
loud meowing coming from behind. Dexter had come right up to my feet to tell me
something. His meowing made my heart turn in my chest as it didn’t sound right.
He was in pain. He began to stumble around like a drunk cat, then dropped onto
the floor. His breathing became heavy and he pooped a little on the floor.
Trying not to panic, I sent Gary a quick text to let him know I was taking him
to the vet. I called The Cat Doctor in town and spoke to the 24-hour nurse, who
advised me to take him to the nearest emergency vet- which was right down the
street.
I was there for a
few hours as the vet ran tests. He came back into the room and showed me an
x-ray of his chest. Tons of fluids were surrounding his lungs. We had the
option to keep him there overnight, or just monitor him at home. We chose to
take him home that night while the doctor sent over the results to a
specialist.
I was on my way to
the new place when the vet called- not only had he been diagnosed with
diabetes, but the specialist reviewed the x-ray and said it looked like
congestive heart failure. We were advised to take action when possible. Dexter
had only began showing signs of diabetes about 2-3 weeks before this had
happened, around the time he had his shots up to date. It was strange. However,
the heart condition was a different situation all together.
Gary and I moved
in on Saturday, and that night, we noticed his breathing was getting worse. I
knew something had to be done. Gary called a local vet in our new area, and we
took him down there. This was around midnight. I was in tears because I knew
this couldn’t be good. The vet could see my distress and offered to do a free
ultrasound to see his heart (which would generally cost $400). I told her about
his last results with the fluids around his lungs. Her conclusion? Heart
disease or cancer as the primary cause. Even if it wasn’t the two, any other
thing that could cause this was rare and would eventually take his life. Basically
the prognosis was poor.
She told us he
would be extremely lucky to make it to ten (he was 5, about to turn 6 in March),
but in this condition, most cats don’t make it past 6 months. We could either
drain the fluids from his lungs to give him temporary relief, followed by
months (if that) of treatments, tubes, surgeries, and medications, or put him
at permanent peace. I was in such shock
that night because not once did I even think about the idea of putting him down.
I never imagined it was as bad as it was. I was not ready for it- simply not
ready. But I knew it was the right thing to do.
The vet was the
sweetest woman I had met. She assured us both it was the right thing to do. She
explained all of the horrible side effects of the illness (like blood clots,
losing mobility in the legs, collapsing lungs, etc) and the medications
themselves, and said he would not live a good quality of life. She was very comforting and reassuring, giving me a little more peace it was the right
choice.
After Gary and I
both spent some time alone with him to say our goodbyes and thank him for being
an amazing blessing, the vet came back in. Gary held his paw while I stroked
his head and gave him kisses until he was asleep and at peace.
While I did not
sleep an ounce that night, I knew we made the right choice.
So, what happened?
After talking to vets, I learned that heart disease can be very upsetting and
traumatizing to pet owners because the symptoms do not exist until the heart is
in failure. Dogs at least show signs,
but cats simply do not. Even though he had his regular checkups, had his
routine shots, and was a healthy cat, this literally came out of nowhere. Gary
and I were both in shock for a few days because it was so sudden and so soon.
There was nothing we could have done to prevent it, predict it, nor stop it.
The days have
passed and though I still grieve his loss- and Gary and I still talk about him
daily- we are getting though this just fine. We have a little boy on the way,
and we are giving Lila all the loves and spoils she can get. She is also
grieving as she still calls out for him and looks for him. But in time, she will
claim this place and move on. I will never forget him though.
Dexter, we love you so much!
You were an angel in our family and we will never forget the love you brought
into our home. Rest in peace, little orange.
New rug! I love you, rug!
Grooming time!
Something about those controllers...
Card from the vet and staff
Something we will forever keep and cherish! Goodbye baby boy!
