Sunday, March 13, 2011
It has been about a month since Simone was put to sleep. She is still greatly missed. Sometimes I'll walk into a room expecting to see her or reach out for her at night while asleep or faintly hear the plaintive sounds only a Siamese can make.
I was curious to see how the other cats, Twinkle Toes (male tuxedo) and Pickles (female tiger), would respond to the loss of Simone. Since both of them came into the house at different times and were much younger, they never became really close buddies with Simone, but they certainly spent a lot of time with her over the years. I didn't see any overt signs like sniffing the places where she sacked out or roaming the house in search of her. But there were other signs of changed behavior. Both cats became more needy for my attention, followed me around more than usual, and demanded more cuddling. Twinkle Toes never came into the living room when Fiona, the Boston Terrier, was in there. Now, he lumbers into the living, jumps on the couch near me, and lays there not even paying attention to the dog. About two weeks after Simone's death, Twinkle Toes came down with some bad diarrhea. I could not trace the cause to anything he ate. Could he have been responding physiologically to the loss? Who knows? The problem has slowly resolved itself. Both cats spend much more time together, both resting and at play. They have gotten closer to each other. You can see Twinkles with his arm around Pickles in the recent picture below. Touching!
In this last post, I want to sum up my experience in living with and treating a cat with chronic renal failure. First, did I make the right decision in July 2009 to start a treatment program for Simone? Yes. I realize that not everyone would make the same decision in similar circumstances. For me, that decision first came from my heart and then from my head. So, my initial response was that Simone was a member of my family, a close friend and companion, and I didn't want to lose her. I knew she was a strong cat and had been healthy her whole life. I was confident that she would respond favorably to treatment and would be on board with it. Second, could I do it? I had not asked that question in the past when other cats had gotten sick; I had simply taken the advice of the vet to euthanize them. So, I didn't have any experience in administering to a sick cat. Strangely, I didn't even question myself about taking on those responsibilities. The first consideration was foremost ... of course I would take care of my 18-year old companion in her final years. In retrospect, if I knew then what I know now, the decision may not have been made so quickly, but it would been the same decision.
In making that decision, we need to be aware of the time and financial sacrifices that go along with it. In Simone's case, I spent an extra hour per day treating her, 30 minutes in the morning and in the evening. I had to adjust my morning and evening routines to accommodate her treatments. That meant waking up earlier in the morning on work days and coming home in the evenings, even when it was inconvenient. That meant hiring a pet sitter during vacations who was willing to give subcutaneous injections to maintain proper hydration. That meant rearranging my leisure time schedule to make sure that Simone got what she needed. That meant constantly monitoring her condition, researching CRF for alternative treatments, and asking questions. That meant dealing with the ups and downs of the disease and constantly shifting feelings and worries.
On the financial side, there are significant expenses that accompany the care of a cat with CRF. Fortunately, for me, the extra expenses were not a burden and they didn't break the bank. But, that could be a stopper for some people. In my case, in the approximate 18 months of Simone's treatment, the cost was roughly $2000. I rationalized the extra expense by realizing how little money I had spent on her health care in the first 18 years of her life. In prorating the expenses, I spent maybe $125 per year on her health care ... a pretty small amount. Of course, if you're in a relationship, you need to make sure that your partner is on board with the whole business.
Was it worth it? You bet. Simone regained much of her health and the kidney disease remitted for a while. She was back to her old self for about two-thirds of the treatment period. We got to spend more time together ... some good, quality time. We came to terms with her disease (and old age) and had plenty of time to say goodbye.
If it can be of any help to other cat caretakers out there, I've provided links to an Excel workbook that I've maintained over the last 18 months. It contains a journal, lab work history, a supplies list, and an expenses list. The two links below are for the 2007 and 2003 versions of Microsoft Excel. They should also open up in Google Docs. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the links will work.
I want to take a moment to publicly thank my blog followers and all the supporters at Tanya's Feline CRF group and the Feline CRF Support group. Your words of encouragement, your suggestions, and your condolences were very much appreciated. All the notes that I received after Simone's passing were wonderful. If you did not receive a personal reply, know that I read every one of the notes and found solace and comfort in your words.
This is the last post of the Me and Simone blog. Although this is the end, if there are any readers who have any questions about caring for a cat with CRF, feel free to write by commenting on this post.
Purr on cat lovers! >< Mel
"A cat can purr its way out of anything" ( Donna McCrohan)
