Boo is now w/his sister Peeka, his love Pigeon and his nemesis Puddy. It was so difficult to let him go but his future looked bleak and he's been too strong and healthy all of his life to put him through treatments and trips to the vet. The quality of life just wasn't there for my Boo.
He and sister came to me 19 years ago. They originally belonged to my neighbor but she made them barn cats only and she didn't feed them b/c she said that they wouldn't be hungry enough to catch mice. Some kids got ahold of Peeka and tried to skin her alive (I learned this later) but she managed to escape. She was missing for several days in sub-zero temperatures and lots of snow. When she finally came back, she came to my house and not my neighbor's so I called her and told her that Peeka was badly injured and in immediate need of vet care. She said "They're outdoor cats. These things happen." I said "May I keep her?" and she said "Yes, if you'll take her brother, too". I took her to my vet and he amputated her tail and she lived to be 14 when acute renal failure finally took her. So, since it was during the holidays, I called Peeka my Christmas miracle b/c she survived such horrible injuries and abuse. Boo remained healthy and strong up until this last year.
After this last treatment at the vet, Boo was back to his old self; he had a big, loud, strong meow and he even sprinted up the stairs that afternoon. He had a good appetite and used the litter box w/no problem. However, the next day he didn't eat or drink and when he used the litter box he dribbled again. He laid on my bed in the same spot and didn't move except to use the litter box and his legs were so wobbly that he could barely walk. After 24 hours of this, I knew he had to go back to the vet who said that Boo was not blocked as before but that his temperature was low, not quite 97, which is way too low for a cat. He said that he could warm Boo up and give him fluids b/c he was dehydrated but that he couldn't guarantee that it would last even 24 hours and he said that I would need to do this daily plus give him medicine for his thyroid, nausea, infection and pain. That's when I decided that it was best for Boo to join his fur family rather than put him through all that.
This house just will not be the same w/o him. He was a strong presence in this house even at 19 years of age and I can't imagine my life w/o him and I know that the Fur Posse will miss him terribly, especially Specs and Yodie. Specs always wanted to be the alpha male and Yodie was in competition w/Pidgie for Boo's heart. He grieved for Pidgie daily and still called out to her and searched the house trying to find her. It warms my heart to know that they're together again as the attached photo shows them in happier, healthier times.
Take a good long rest, my sweet Boo Bear, and then play w/all your fur family until we can all be together again.
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