Feral Fables

It's hard to believe, but Marty and I have just finished the downstairs "media" room that was devastated by the flooding here in Milwaukee last July. This was only a few weeks into the beginning of the blog site's opening. I have been trying to introduce all the cats (past &; present) along with their overall antics. While I was taking things from storage I came across some notes I wrote about "Caruso". I have not introduced him into the blog yet as he passed away on 1-16-2010. It has been difficult to write about him.

As all the rest of the cats did, Caruso came into our lives very unexpectedly. The first time I was made aware of him was on an early June morning when the window was open. He was, ahem, shall we say---singing his way through the neighborhood looking for a lady friend. He was so loud you could hear him three houses away. That's how he got his name-----for those of you who don't know or who are too young to know-----Enrique Caruso was a great opera tenor. The first time he came into the yard when I was sitting in the nice weather, he came right up to me and purred and purred-------loud!! The other cats were not excited about this addition, but he could care less. He'd found a nice shelter with free food and he wasn't going anywhere. He loved to eat, eat, eat. Treats he just gulped right out of my hand and he would sit like a dog waiting to get his. And believe me, he could not, would not be ignored. He became conditioned to the beeper on the microwave because I heat the cold food up before serving it. I loved this cat! He would jump up on my lap and put his front paws on my chest and just purr. I don't know why, but I always felt he was given to me because of the loss of my cat Tuffy several years ago.

Caruso's favorite place to sleep was always right in the middle of the floor. I think this was his way of telling the other cats, "You can't get rid of me!" He also developed other spots where he enjoyed sleeping.... On the couch (right in the middle all stretched out!) any of the chairs, the guest bed and many outdoor spots as well. When it was time to go out to sleep on the porch at night, he had the most peculiar habit of hissing very loudly as I showed him out or picked him up and took him out! It was never accompanied by any aggressive behavior, just the loud hiss which both my husband and I came to expect and laugh about. Eventually he did begin to want to stay in the house at night in the colder weather, but of course he still wanted to go out when he wanted to, so it became a habit of waking up in the wee hours of the morning and letting him out before rolling back into bed. Man---he sure did rule the roost!

When I had him neutered, I took him to my own vet. I had suffered the loss of 4 male cats in a row who had tested positive for FIV. When that happens to a cat in the TNR program, our Humane Society automatically kills these cats. I had done a lot of reading about FIV and found that not all shelters or rescue groups agree with this policy. In fact Alley Cat Allies no longer promotes this policy unless it appears that an animal may already be quite ill. I was afraid he may test positive so I spent my own money to have his surgery done. While at the vet appointment with Caruso (who was really just loving all the extra attention he was getting) the Doctor convinced me it would be in his best interest to know as it may help us to make decisions about his healthcare someday. I consented. He was neutered and he did test positive for FIV but not FeLV(leukemia). Cats can live long lives with FIV as long as their health is managed. So he came home and joined our group.

It is hard to explain everything that happened between my last entry and today. So much has happened to me, my family, my house and of course, my cats. As if being bitten wasn't enough, a few weeks later, I slammed my finger in the dining room swinging door which does not close completely unless it is pulled. Well I pulled it, and it ripped the entire nail and tip almost completely off. This also resulted in a trip to the ER (same hand) wouldn't ya know and my middle finger, of course. So I got to flip everyone off all during Christmas with a good excuse. None of this has any thing to do with the cats, but it helps explain why I have not been able to type. Also had hand surgery in Feb. 2011 and am still recovering from that.

All that doesn't hold a candle to what came next. On Superbowl Sunday morning Hunter came in and went to lay down in his fav spot pretty quickly. I had a fleeting thought of concern. My husband always says I over react where the cats are concerned, so we went to our super bowl party and came home with the thrill of another Green Bay Title. All this was immediately forgotten when Hunter entered the room. He was only using three legs to walk. He would not let me examine him and yelped when I did try to touch him.

This led me to suspect that once again he had a bite wound. We packed him up and took him to the ER once again. He had a very high fever and yes, numerous bite wounds---------more than the ones he had last fall. He stayed in the hospital for two days on IV fluids and antibiotics. I was visiting him twice a day and trying to get him to eat. He came home on Tuesday night when his temperature had been stable for a 24 hours. He did not have to have a drain tube put in because there was no abscess at this point. I had set-up an elaborate 2 crate space for him in the living room at table hight so I could interact with him easily while he was crated. Doctor orders were to keep him very quiet-----no walking, jumping, playing. He needed to rest. Since he had so many areas of injury, much of his fur had been shaved off. He was a perfect patient for me. He accepted his situation with quietude and grace. He seemed to be moving around in his cage OK and his spirits seemed improved to me. On Sunday, I decided to take him out of the crate for a few minutes to let him move around a bit. He was happy to be out, but he seemed a bit disoriented. He meowed and crouched a bit oddly as if he was in a strange place. I thought maybe he was just getting his legs back. But after a few more minutes, I noticed strange mouth movements (lip smacking) and extremely dilated pupils. I knew this was bad so once again poor Hunter was taken back to the ER. His temperature was up again which was a sign he was having difficulty fighting off an infection.

This was difficult decision making time for Marty and I. This was Hunter's second fight injury in four months. We knew, just like Caruso, he was not an inside only cat. He was happy to be indoors for long periods of time, but he still wanted out. We couldn't keep putting him through this type of medical treatment not only from a financial standpoint but from a quality of life standpoint as well. We decided we would try one more time-----a night in the hospital with IV fluids and antibiotics. Some further testing was recommended. Hunter had tested negative for FIV/FeLV in the past, but the doctors had concern that he may have acquired it from the bite he received the previous fall. We agreed to the tests and went home to cook our "Valentine Day's" dinner (lobster!) Just as soon as we sat down, the phone rang and it was the ER doctor. She did not have good news-----Hunter had tested positive for FIV and it was clear that this is why he was having difficulty fighting the infection he had. We knew immediately what our course of action would be. We had discussed it. After dinner, we somberly drove to the ER hospital knowing we needed to have Hunter put down. I have been in and out of this hospital so many time, but when I entered the doors that night, I almost fell down with grief.  Going in with a sick animal or to pick up a sick animal to come home is completely different from entering and knowing you are going to end a life.

We definitely wanted to see him and hold him during the procedure. I know this is a very personal decision for pet owners, but I could not have it any other way. I have had to do this twice in 14 months and both experiences were very peaceful, loving and very, very quick. One moment you can feel the life you are holding and two or three seconds later you only feel and "empty" body----void of life. We requested a  paw print and a bit of fur.......he was so beautiful. We also requested a private cremation and will bury most of his ashes in the garden like Caruso, Fuzzywig and Tuffy have been. I will keep some in memory of him.

So, it has taken me over two months to put any of this into words. Partially due to my hand surgery, but almost entirely because it is still too painful to relive. Hunter was such a great cat. He had such beauty, loved to eat and loved to play more than any other cat we've had. We have missed him dearly. See you over the Rainbow Bridge "big cahuna."