A year already?

I can't believe that my sweet girl has been gone for a year. I remember the way the weather was on 12/9 and it was just like that this year. Cold, icy and full of snow. blah. I remember leaving her there and waiting for the Doctor to call us with the news about bloodwork. I remember singing to her and giving her one last kiss.

I remember everything and it still hurts.

Pita,

I still think about you everyday and I wonder how much better you are without the meds. I bet you are still full of spunk and run around like a maniac. Just because I don't think of you as often as I once did doesn't mean I love you less. I hope you and Rhaja are snuggling lots together. I miss you both tremendously.


Love,

Momma

Happy Halloween!

Momma cat and her little mouse.

Introducing............MOWGLI!

I would never ever try to replace Rhaja. It's impossible. I can, however, open up my heart to loving another furbaby. I just happened to find that special one at work one day.

A client found a litter of kittens with the momma and brought them into work one day. I fell in love with the longhaired black one and my friend fell for the longhaired siamese mix.

Mowgli is fitting in so well! Austin loves her, She loves Bella and Kc has been pretty tolerant. Mowgli is very sweet, loves to kiss and for some odd reason, loves to nurse on Austin during bed time. Weird. Even weirder?? Austin rolls over and takes it! He is such a little punk. :)

My feline foster

As much as I love my job, I don't like certain things about it. Within the past few weeks, we have had 4 three week old kittens dumped by our dumpster and two five year old females(maine coons) dropped off by our door. We had a client bring in a momma cat and her 6 kittens, as well. She is actually going to take care of them and have the momma spayed. Before Momma is spayed, we are going to see if she will nurse the baby kittens.

Anyway, I decided to bring one of the maine coons home for a week. I wanted to see how she would react with my dogs and cats. She and my cat, KC, didn't like each other and while she hissed at my dogs, she still slept next to them. She is pretty big, actually very big. She weighs 15 lbs! I decided to call her Fat Cat Claire.

Here are a few pictures from the week. She was very sweet and loved to knead. She and her sister are still up for adoption at my work.

Home

It's good to be home. I always feel like that when I have been pet sitting or on vacation. There is nothing like being in my bed with my things and my HOUSE! I love it!

But, I am in my new home with my new smaller bed. I have had a queen sized bed since I was 5. No really, it's true. I have been downsized to a full. I am sharing my bed with a cat and two dogs. Austin weighs a full 11 and Bella, oy, 96 lbs. She takes over most of my bed.

I present exhibit A:

Now, Bella and Austin are back to back and you can barely see him. The little gray schnauzer is a foster I was taking care of that my parents have since adopted. Anyway, that is how Bella sleeps. Um, I not 2 ft tall. Just where do my legs go??? I sleep at odd angles and gently push her out of my way. As I type, she is sprawled across my pillows.. Yeah, sister, that ain't happening! But, she looks so pretty and peaceful. I am such a sucker for her. :)

Exhibit B- Yeah, that is my foot sticking out and she is using my leg as a pillow....

Anyway, I am currently on the hunt for a new bedroom set and new bigger mattress. I can't believe the price of things! Being a grown up is not that much fun. I miss when my parents bought me the big stuff! Anyhow, for those that think there isn't much of a difference, you have never shared a bed with a large dog or multiple pets for that matter. I am planning on adding a lab to the mix within the next few years, plus another cat.....but, I might be rethinking that plan.

I do love my pets. And, I still miss my Rhaja. Here is the last picture ever taken of her.

I think of her often and think I hear her jump up on my bed at night. Alas, it's all just a dream. I know that she is still watching over me.

Goodbye to the worlds best cat, Rhaja

Rhaja M. March 20, 1994- August 23, 2009.

My beautiful Rhaja,

I am so heartbroken by your loss and I miss you more than anything in the world. I am so sorry I wasn't there. I would have given anything to hold you and let you know how much I loved you. I hope you know. I am so lost right now. I don't know what to do when my alarm goes off. You aren't there to cuddle with. I reach out for your fur to pet before I sleep and you aren't there. 15 years I have spent with you and now you are gone. Just like that... You gave me the most love from any pet I have ever had. You never got mad at me, you always came right back to love me and you were always there. You were there on my happiest days, during my dark days, the saddest of days and the days when I just stayed in bed and read. Undivided attention from your Momma was your favorite thing ever. I remember snuggling every morning between snoozes. You could never have enough attention from me and vice versa. My heart has an empty hole that can never be filled. There will never, ever be another cat like you. I would give anything to have you walk in front of my monitor and be in my way. I miss you so much, baby. I hope you and Pita are together and taking care of each other.

Love always,

Mommy

Don't forget!

Thank you Petsmart for reminding me to remove my beloved Pita from your birthday mailing list. I don't think she will be stopping by for her birthday gift on Saturday, as she is a pile of ashes sitting on M's mantle. Wait, is that morbid?? A sick thought?

I completely forgot I had signed up for this and once I got on the site, I realized I had three deceased pets on there! DOH!

Sorry about the little reminder, M.

So, don't forget everyone that once you sign up your pets for free birthday gifts, update once they pass on.

Sharing custody

M and I are sharing custody of our dog, Austin. I never thought I would be that person who does this. I hate sharing him, but I know that M loves his Austin time. It's a bonus that I get him more often. Austin has a lot of playtime when he is with me and usually rests all weekend with his Daddy.

M had some stuff to do this weekend, so I was able to keep my little man all weekend. This was perfect because he and I got to get some "family" photos taken today. My friend and I went to a park and she took some photos of us. I will post a link once she gets them up. She is a new Mom, so her hands are full. I will wait and be patient for a few days. :)

Austin got to see some geese and meet some new people. He seems to be adjusting nicely to his new lifestyle.

blah

I miss Pita. Still. I know that it has been 5 months, but it still sucks to not have her around. I see 7, 3 and 11 on the clock and instantly think about her meds. I know it will get easier, but I don't know when. I haven't done my usual "lose a pet, get a pet", so I am down to only 3 (4 if you count Bella).

Maybe I will get a fish....

Pita-My Lemon, My love

I think I am finally ready to do this. 2008 was the worst year of my life and on December 10, it hit rock bottom. My baby, my whole reason for this blog, left me suddenly.




On Tuesday, December 9, M called me at work and said that Pita was not acting right. She was throwing up, not eating, not playing and just not doing right. I told him to bring her right in and to give me as much information as he could. I couldn't make promises as to when we would see her because we were in meetings ALL DAY long. I honestly didn't imagine that this would have been the end. I mean, I just had her with me the day before and she was fine. She got all beautified and was very active.


Anyway, he brought her in and she looked really tired. I put her in a compartment and she didn't fight me at all. That is very unlike Pita. She hates being crated. She just layed there and looked around.


I went ahead about my day and when the Doctors looked at her, everything was normal. Her radiographs showed some gas, but nothing abnormal. The head tech, Rachel, mentioned checking her glucose. It was only at 20. That is incredibly low and we started her dextrose fluids right away. She started to perk up a bit. We also had to perform an enema because she wasn't passing stool, but was full of it!


Thinking her glucose was all that was the problem, I got her home and hoped for the best. M and I tried offering her food and she wouldn't have it. That just made me worry more. Pita never turns down food. NEVER.


Around 8 or so, I noticed her gums were practically white. I got really scared and tried to stay calm because I didn't want to freak out M. I called the Doctors and decided that I should rush her to the emergency clinic. Of course, it was freezing and ice was all over the stupid place.


We got there around 9 and explained the whole situation to them. We waited and waited and finally some one came out and said that they were having a really hard time getting blood from her. Her blood pressure was incredibly low and she was just not getting better. They had to lube her eyes and insert a catheter. We were allowed to see her before we left and she gave M one little kiss, but that was about it. She was very, very sick and very lethargic.

I can't believe that my little girl was just failing this quickly. We were questioned about the possibility of toxins. M remembered dropping some tylenol on the floor, but Pita wouldn't eat that. I just know her and she wouldn't eat that kind of thing. Fries, turkey, hamburger...yes. Medication..NO.


We got a call around 12 and said that there was fluid in her abdomen, the blood levels were not great and her liver was enlarged. We decided to go right in and see her. She looked even worse and due to her guarded prognosis, we had to make the hardest decison of our lives. We did what we could, but we just couldn't let her suffer like that. M got one last kiss from her and then she turned her head away. We stayed with her and had our private goodbyes. M sang to her one last time and at 1:45 in the morning, she left us.


I have never felt such a pain in my life. I couldn't drive, I couldn't talk and I couldn't breathe. As soon as I walked in the door to the house, I lost it. I went straight to the bathroom and threw up. I had to walk into that house without Pita. We may have only had her for 4 years, but it was the best 4 years ever. She was a handful, she was a lemon and she barked a lot, but We didn't care. She was our baby. She was our handful. She was our lemon. She was the sweetest little booger. She was my Pita poop, poopers, Stinker, pita rita and lemon.


Even though I loved her, M loved her even more. He is still greiving. That was his reason for breathing. He did everything for her. If her breathing was off, he knew. He knew everything about her. He knew what every bark meant and what every circle outside meant.

The next week was rough. M wanted to make sure that God knew she couldn't use the stairs and that she needed her meds. His heart is broken and there is a void that will never be filled for him. No dog can ever replace Pita. Never.



Pita,

It has been a month since you left and I still can't believe it. I miss your growls, your belly rolls and paws-paws-paws. I miss your sweet little face, your gurgling belly, your stinky breath and even your stinky farts. I miss your bark, I miss your silly walk and your fat little belly. I miss your short little legs and eagerness to get turkey. No matter how much time passes, I will never stop missing you. I will always love you, baby girl. Always.


"I love my piiiita, IIII love my Pii-iita"

I love you baby. Love Momma