Oh Leslie, have you ever found the right group of people!! We so get
the "my heart expands until it feels like it's going to explode" thing!
What can I tell you that you don't already know? Adopting these angels,
giving them a chance at life and love in a caring environment, isn't
that what it's all about? Yes, it hurts when their time comes, yes we
think we'll never recover, but somehow we do. Somehow we realize that
loving them and losing them, no matter how heart wrenching that is, is
worth it for the joy and happiness they bring. It's all the same coin,
my dear. No one can tell you how much your heart can bear, but I know
mine just keeps expanding, it hasn't exploded yet! Whatever you decide,
I'm sure it will be the right decision for you and for Satchmo, (and if
you go get that baby, it will definitely be the right one for her!).
Welcome to the list, you sure do sound like one of us!
Nina
Leslie wrote:
Hello,
My name is Leslie. My cat's name is Satchmo. He's 6 years old, I
adopted him at 5 years old knowing that he had feline leukemia. My
question is about adopting him a friend.
Now the background. Four years ago I adopted Sushi, a 2 yr old DSH
that had been rescued from a house full of cats. She had been tested
for everything in the shelter and came back negative. A month after
having her, she got lethargic, I took her to the vet, she was retested
and the test came back positive for FeLV. I was devastated, but she
already had my heart so completely that returning her wasn't even
considered, and she was doing great, actually. Great coat, very
spunky, I started researching how to keep her around as long as
possible. And on this optimistic vein, I decided to adopt another
FeLV+ cat to keep her company, Hepburn, a 10-month old kitten that had
had some health issues, but had been nursed back to health by the vet.
Eight months after adopting Hepburn, Sushi passed on from a myocardial
infarction, the vet guessed.
I was heartbroken.
Four months later, I adopted Hepburn a friend. Where Sushi was
mischeivious, Hepburn was sweet. She was a cat that rewarded you for
being quiet and giving her time. The new addition, Satchmo, was a
five year old brown tabby with the manners of a dumptruck, but the
charm to make you laugh instead of scream. Again, a few months later,
Hep took a turn for the worse, appetite gone, the vet not being able
to pin it on a specific infection. We'd fought this off once before,
but this time instead of getting better, she jaundiced and her belly
swelled up. She was diagnosed with FIP.
Again, I was just crushed to lose her.
Now, nearly a year later, I have this wonderful cat, Satch, who loves
other animals and has so much life in him. He gets sneezy every few
months, but fights it back. He is on a vet-approved raw diet and
Feline Immune Support. His coat is beautiful, his eyes clear, he's a
very happy guy. I really do believe that cats benefit from being in
pairs, but I'm so scared to get another just to lose the first.
I volunteer at the Humane Society here in Portland (a really fantastic
organization) and there is a 2 month old kitten who is FeLV+. She's
in good health so far...and I've been tempted to adopt more at this
point than before in the year since Hep passed. What do you all
think? Do you adopt another? Can you keep giving of yourselves?
This is a weird question, I know, but any advice you might have would
be appreciated.
Thank you,
Leslie