Thank you to those who sent kind thoughts to Ms. Kili. The news, I’m afraid, is not good.
We got up yesterday morning and scheduled a trip to our regular vet, hoping to get some Kili some relief. She was the oldest of our five cats, had eaten almost nothing for several days, and had been having obvious difficulty breathing.
Earlier yesterday, in response to a comment on a post about Ms. Kili’s health issues, I wrote:
I’m terribly afraid that there are cascading issues piling up, one upon the other, and it’s going to be hard to stop the downhill slide.
That unfortunately proved to be exactly the case.
We came home late in the afternoon after unexpectedly having to say goodbye to her.
It wasn’t how we had hoped to be ending the day.
Such is life, I guess.
We lost her sister, Ms. Wally, in early July 2015. They were the last of that generation of our cats born in the 1990s.
And now there are just four remaining cats sharing our household.
The details aren’t pretty. We had been focusing on Kili’s congestion and sniffles, which seemed to be the focus of her breathing issues. But after our vet, Ann Sakamoto, examined Kili and took an x-ray, it turned out those were only symptoms of the bigger problem.
What she found was that Kili’s abdomen was full of fluid, which put pressure on her internal organs and made breathing difficult.
“There are several possible causes, and none of them is good,” Dr. Sakamoto said.
We discussed possible options, and realized none of them offered Kili any kind of quality of life. It was, unfortunately, time to face the inevitable. We said a tearful goodbye
We can say that she lived nearly 18-1/2 pampered years, most of that in Kaaawa with free access to the outside world, where she proved to be our most adept huntress. She had very few illnesses or injuries over the years, certainly none serious, and the end, when it came, was not marked by a drawn out period of suffering. She was a lucky cat.
For the record, we had nine cats when 1999 began. Then we lost Leo (1999), Silverman (2013), Harry and Wally (2015), and now Kili.
And now, Kili and Wally in their prime (photo taken in 2002).
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I am so very sorry about your and Meda’s loss. It just never gets easy, does it? And yes, your cats are lucky that they were taken in to a home that offered them so much more than they would otherwise have had.
Condolences on your loss of Kili. As we age, of course, so do our cats, and it becomes very difficult to say goodbye to them, one by one. We are down to our last one and it is so lonely around here for him and for us.
I’m sorry you’ve lost your elder kitty. It’s really painful, I know.
When I had to let my Camo go, she was 6 weeks shy of her 20th birthday, my sweet friend and ‘Iniki kitty. Now she’s growing beautiful miniature roses in the corner of the yard. Every time they bloom again, I smile.
Condolences, sincerely.
What a beautiful way to remember Camo.
A very sad day for you. My condolences. We have been down a similar road and know how it is. From a high of seven we are now down to one. RIP Kili.
so sad to hear of Kili’s passing. We will miss her on Feline Fridays. You and Meda we great cat parents, gave her a wonderful home for over 18 years. Condolences for you loss.
Oh no. So sorry for your loss. I can’t believe you only have four cats now. I will miss seeing their faces on Feline Friday and in the calendars.
You have a wonderful empathy with your cats, so I can imagine how it hurts when one passes on. Kili seemed to lead a wonderful life due to the friendly care both of you gave. Condolences to all six of you.
Very sad news. Ms. Kili had a really long run, and it was a good one. But it comes the time when we have to let them go. RIP, Ms. Kili.
Sorry to hear the news. I hope it is somewhat comforting that Kili did not suffer for an extended time, and had a cheerful, rambunctious life until the end.
Not sure how old you and Meda are, but if Kili was 18 years old, you were with her for about 25 percent of your own lives. Lots of memories.
Isn’t that the truth! And I opened a bottle of bubbly last night to celebrate those many memories. We have loved and continue to love all of our cats, however neurotic they might be. It’s their variety that makes them wonderful parts of our lives.
I’m sorry for your loss. Being the parents of two cats, I have a deep attachments to felines. Also, we lost Musashi 10 years ago and my wife and I grieved over the loss. So I know it must be difficult for you and your wife.
You are one of the best parents of cats around.
You gave luck gal Kili such a good long life. I am so sorry for your loss but you did the right thing for her and I hope that helps with the sorrow a little bit.
death sometimes can renew an appreciation for having your life.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMvGUCTpCIY
I am sorry to hear your sad news.
Keep your memories of Ms. Kili in your heart, to be brought out for warmth and solace from time to time.
With much sympathy,
Bruce Behnke
Big hugs to you both. Do the other cats (seem to,) notice her absence?
I’m so sorry, Ian and Meda. Wonderful kitty, she was and still is somewhere- telling every kitty in heaven what a great life she had with you two living in Hawaii.
It will be interesting to note if there is any cat grief among the remaining felines.