I'm so sorry now that I never told you about this little guy while he was still alive! I was fortunate to meet him and to take pictures of him when he was rescued by our local animal rescue group where I started volunteering about a year ago (which is, btw, the reason why I barely posted here lately because that work keeps me so busy). Last August, Purzel, his three brothers and his mother Ylva were rescued from the house of an animal hoarder when he was only a few days old. Two weeks later, the little family came to a foster home, provided by a member of our rescue group. There, I saw him for the first time.
Right from the beginning, he was different. He didn't grow, and it didn't take long until his brothers were twice as big. All the kittens came down with the cat flu, but while his three brothers soon recovered, Purzel never got rid of his upper respiratory infection. He was coughing and sneezing, and there was always a rattling sound in his chest. He saw various vets of our region, got lots of antibiotics, supplements and high calory food, but he never fully recovered. His fur looked strangely thin, his muscles were weak to the point that his spine always bent down a little. And he was sooo tiny!
But the strange thing was, his condition never seemed to affect him much! He was such a happy kitty, playful, curious, loving ... and charming! Everyone who looked at him was in love with him. Yes, we all loved him dearly! While his brothers were adopted and eventually moved into their new homes in mid November, his foster mommy decided to keep little Purzel and mommy Ylva. He spend a lot of time sitting on his foster mommy's shoulder, and when I talked to her on the phone, I always heard him purr.And what a loud purr he had!
When Purzel was weaned and his siblings were all adopted, he became friends with Minou, a 19 year old cat (one of half a dozen cats living in Purzels home). He always laid down close to her and cuddled with her. On November 21, old Minou went to the Rainbow Bridge, and Purzel slept on her dead body. It was as if he didn't want to let her go.
Over the past weeks, he seemed to be doing much better! He grew a little, and he loved to eat. But by Thursday last week, he suddenly took a turn to the worse. On Friday, he was running a fever (106° F) and saw the vet again, but this time, the antibiotics did not help. He was so miserable and sick all weekend, started throwing up, and last night - a few minutes after midnight, in the longest night of the year -, he passed away peacefully in his foster mommy's bed. He was only four months old.
I know that in his time here on Earth, he had the best home possible, and he was so very much loved! Not only by the humans he met, but also by the cats he shared his home with. And I like to believe that Minou welcomed him when he crossed the Bridge.
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Originally Posted by Kirsten
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