Saturday, July 26, 2014

In Loving Praise and Support of My Beloved Fannie

This is my beloved Fannie, a creature so extraordinary that it brings tears to my eyes as I think about the nearly 15 years that I have loved this amazing cat. Fannie and her siblings were dumped, like garbage, at a community college near the university where I teach, and thankfully a kindly human was able to capture them and bring them to a rescue organization. For me, it was love at first sight. I suspect, given her reaction to me, it was mutual. Fannie has always been a healthy, spry and adventurous creature, and has seldom given me cause for concern let alone excessive worry.
Recently, however, we had to bring her to the vet because she managed to scratch her ear and it became infected. We thought that the only thing that we were facing was a round of antibiotics, but sadly that was not the case. Since she is considered a senior, despite the fact that she has always maintained the behavior and disposition of a young cat, the vet wanted to run a few tests to see how she was doing. She had lost some weight, as older cats often do, but not at an alarming rate that raised any real flags. What the tests revealed was the fact that my beloved girl is anemic and in renal failure. She has never given any indication of any sort of illness-- tipped off by unusual or changed behavior. She has lost 2/3 of her kidney function-- yet she still runs about as though she were a healthy youngster, at least most of the time.
The vet suggested an overnight stay to flush the excessive enzymes from Fannie's bloodstream since her kidneys clearly were no longer functioning at optimal levels. She came home scared and listless, but after a few days she rebounded and was clearly feeling much better. She does require lots of monitoring, lots of feeding, and plenty of daily vitamins to counteract the anemia. Since I am currently working from home before the new quarter begins I have plenty of time to take care of her, and I do so around the clock. I'm tired and sleep deprived because I sleep with one eye open to take care of her, but I am not complaining-- there is nothing that I wouldn't do to take care of this glorious creature. 
However, I am not comfortable leaving her alone for long stretches of time-- so I keep my errands short and sweet, and to a minimum when at all possible. Sometimes, however, that isn't possible-- as was the case the other day. We had to pick up one of our cars from servicing across town in Santa Monica, and as any Angelino will tell you-- it takes 20 minutes to get wherever it is you are going in LA. Well, that is unless President Obama is in town. I had heard on the news that he was attending a fundraiser at the home of Shonda Rhimes that day, but somehow failed to listen closely enough-- so I assumed that it would be in some amazing mansion somewhere on the Westside. What I managed to miss in the goings on in my neighborhood was the fact that the Scandal and Grey's Anatomy creator bought one of my very favorite houses literally 1 1/2 blocks from my house (trust me when I tell you that her block and mine are as different as Earth and Mars, and I would gladly switch blocks and houses-- though I am quite sure this would cause her to laugh). So the moment that we pulled out of our driveway we realized something was amiss, and the presidential and celebrity traffic gridlock forced us to take an insanely circuitous route to get from point A to point B. The sheer number of street closures and the number of secret service vehicles is enough to make your head spin. So what should have taken an LA 20 Minutes to get to Santa Monica took an eternity, and the way home was no better. 
Naturally my concern was leaving Fannie home unattended for a long stretch of time since I have been dedicating so much time to her care (and my apologies if I am taking longer than usual to return emails- this is why). Fortunately Fannie was fine when we got home, and I fed her a huge plate of food outside away from the prying eyes of the other felines who aren't fed what seems to be 1000 times a day to maintain their strength and health. While she appears to be doing well, all things considered, it makes me very sad to think about the health challenges that she faces.
I cannot imagine my life without Fannie, and 15 years together is no short time shared. So I live with a combination of sadness and joy, and will do everything in my power to keep her happy and as healthy as possible.
Top to Bottom (Left to Right): Emma, Luca, Sebastian & Fannie.

This picture is of my Fearless Fabulous Four, of whom only Fannie now remains. It is always bittersweet to think back to these wonderful days when they were all happy and healthy, and living. I will never cease to miss these times, and my three departed beloved babies. Please send all of your good vibes to my beloved Fannie. =^..^=
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24 comments:

  1. I'm sending Fannie and you all good thoughts.

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    1. Thank you so much, Iris! Fannie and I both really appreciate it! :-)

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  2. Aww Fannie, you are such a brave and beautiful kitty! I hope you'll get better soon! xx

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    1. Hi Sunny! Fannie definitely is a brave and stoic kitty. Thank you for your kitty love and support-- I really really appreciate it! <3

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  3. Thinking of you and your fabulous feline.

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    1. Thank you so much, I really really really appreciate it! <3

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  4. I am so sorry to hear about your lovely girl's health problems. Kidney failure is not fun, I lost a cat I bottle raised from it. My thoughts are with you and Fannie.

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    1. Thank you so much, akashagermaine! You are so right-- kidney failure is a horrible thing to contend with, and it is definitely heartbreaking! I'm so sorry to hear that you have also experienced this, and that you lost your kitty to this awful disease :-(

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  5. Sweet Fannie! I wish you many more happy and healthy years with this beautiful girl!!!

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    1. Thank you, Belly-- I really appreciate it! I hope that she has more healthy and happy years as well. She is my beloved baby!

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  6. You are such a brave kitty to go through such things. Please know that we love you and are sending you messages of love and strength.
    Shelley

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    1. Thank you so much, Shelley! Your love and support means the world to me-- we need all of the love and strength to get through this. Hopefully Fannie has plenty of healthy and happy times ahead :-)

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  7. Seeing a beloved family member (of the four-legged variety) aging and facing health challenges is so, so tough. Fannie is extremely lucky to have you by her side, now and throughout her wonderful life. All the best to both of you.

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    1. Thank you so much for your kind words, SoSuSam! You are so right-- aging four-legged family members facing health problems is so tough to face and deal with! Hopefully my beloved Fannie has a good deal more time, and with a good quality of life! :-)

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  8. Thinking good thoughts for you and your beautiful kitty. My cat, who live to be 18, had kidney problems as he aged, too, but I think he was still happy (he acted it). He was very loved, and I was blessed to have him in my life.

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    1. Thank you so much, Ingrid! Your kind words warm my heart! It's really great to hear that your kitty lived to 18 with kidney problems. He was a lucky boy to have you as his human mom! I'm so glad to hear that he was still happy. I just hope that we can keep Fannie's health stable, and her happy! :-)

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  9. Such a glorious creature. My three Maine Coons and I wish Fannie many more healthy days at your side. Get your rest and enjoy her company.

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    1. Hi pxinaz! Thank you- Fannie and I are sending lots of love and appreciation to you and your three fantastic Maine Coons! I hope that your wish comes true and that Fannie has many more healthy days! Thank you for the reminder to get some rest and enjoy Fannie's company! <3 Enjoy the remainder of your weekend! Thanks again! :-)

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  10. All the best to Fannie! I can personally vouch for anaemia being no fun whatsoever - it's a credit to her exuberance that she gave no sign of what was happening (as unfortunate as that is from a medical perspective). Sending all the vibes ~~~~ (see? those are the vibes :-D) ~~~~~

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    1. Thank you, Syl! <3 Anemia alone certainly is no fun at all, but add to it renal failure and it's one big stressful endeavor! That's part of the problem-- she such a stoic kitty that she seldom complains about anything-- it makes it a bit hard to gauge things! It is unfortunate from a medical perspective, but she has always been a tremendously resilient cat, and I am just hoping that she is here as well! Thank you for all of the good vibes-- I'll take them all and give them to Fannie! <3

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  11. Fannie is gorgeous and I am sending good thoughts her way! If you are on Facebook I recommend that you check out two FB-groups: (CRF) Chronic Renal Failure - Cats and Support Group for CRF cats

    A friend of mine has been talking very well of these groups and I believe that the members are very knowledgeable when it comes to renal failure.

    Hugs to both you and Fannie, Linda

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    1. Hi Linda, Thank you so much for sending good thoughts Fannie's way! I REALLY appreciate it! Thank you so very much for telling me about the two FB groups-- I will definitely go and check them out! What wonderful resources! Big hugs and purrs from me and Fannie! :-)

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  12. wishing you and fannie the best in trying times, helen. i remember nursing a rescue dog that my husband and i had for only a few short years who had congenital heart problems. we knew she would not last long, but were sad that only 3 years later she 'went off her feed' as we say on the farm. the vet said there was really nothing we could do, that it was up to sissy, the aussie shepherd if she was going to make it or not. for three long weeks, i listened nervously to every breath she took, fed her a nutritious broth by oral injection many times throughout the day (while nursing an infant). it is a labor of love and i can just hope it goes as well as possible for all concerned. of course, sending good thoughts your way.

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    1. Thank you so much, Cheryl! <3 I completely understand the heartbreak that you experienced when you lost your dog who had congenital heart problems. I, too, have nursed my kitties in their final days. It is heartbreaking, but there is nothing that I wouldn't do to care for them. As you said, it is a labor of love. I slept on the floor with Sebastian for the last two weeks of his life because he could no longer jump in bed, but needed me nearby-- so I didn't leave his side. THank you for all of your good thoughts to Fannie-- I really appreciate it! <3

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