Dexter

            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 24^th, 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!