Our beloved Mouse is dying...DU hugs would be appreciated.

[mnhtnbb]

Mouse stopped eating towards the end of October. I took him to the vet, thinking he might have a blockage, and the vet found an ulcerated lesion in his mouth. Blood tests were within normal limits. We decided not to biopsy the lesion because if it was cancer, at age 14, we wouldn't treat it. Plus, the vet said a biopsy could cause it to bleed uncontrollably, which would be a horrible complication.

So, home he came and I went to the store to get every flavor of canned cat food possible, plus tuna.
Mouse and his brother, Simba, have eaten dry food all their lives.

Well, Simba is in heaven. Mouse would not eat any of the flavors of canned food and eventually I
got him to eat chicken/broth baby food. When we left for Peru on 11/16, Mouse was eating two jars of
baby food a day.

Both my sons and our long time pet sitter were here while we were gone to be sure that Mouse ate
twice a day.

On Thanksgiving day, Mouse threw up and stopped eating again. When we got home that night
I started trying again to get him to eat. Since then he's had about two licks of baby food
and a lick of milk. He won't even drink water.

I have been a waterworks all weekend. Last night, Mouse came and sat on my lap in bed while
I was watching the end of the UCLA/USC football game. When the game was over (and my alma mater, UCLA,
had lost) I put Mouse off me and turned out the light. He came around to my back, snuggled in,
and slept there all night.

This morning I tried making him a scrambled egg. He wouldn't touch it. He took one lick of milk
and stopped. He wouldn't drink water. It clearly is hurting him to try to eat.

Hubby and I have determined that it is time to help Mouse cross the rainbow bridge. We will take him in to the vet tomorrow. He is going to be so missed! His brother, Simba, will be lost without him. They have been together their whole lives: they play together, sleep together, groom each other.

Any DU vibes or good thoughts to help us get through this would be most appreciated. It's only been
17 months since we had to help our beloved dog, Tanya, cross the rainbow bridge and now it's Mousie's turn. At least we can hope that she will be there to greet him. Mouse adored Tanya; we used to think
that Mouse believed Tanya was his mother.

Mouse and Simba


Mouse and Tanya in our old house

[hippywife]

1. You have my sympathies.

I doubt our oldest cat will last the day today, either. I fully expected to find her expired this morning when we got up. Keeping her comfy at the moment.

The little buggers do dig their way deeply into your heart. Peaceful passage for your Mouse, and many hugs to you.
:hug:

[Heidi]

4. Sending you and your girl love and comfort, hippywife.

:hug: :hug: :hug:

[hippywife]

5. Thanx, love. n/t

[mnhtnbb]

7. Thanks, and for you, too.

:hug: back

[Heidi]

2. Peaceful passage, sweet Mouse,

and comfort to you and your husband, mnhtnbb. Mouse will cross over knowing he has been profoundly loved. :hug: :hug:

[CaliforniaPeggy]

3. My dear mnhtnbb...

My deepest condolences as you face this terrible loss...

And what a beautiful boy he is!

You are doing the right thing, even though it hurts terribly...

He needs you to help him pass, and you are doing this last loving action...because you have always done what is right for him...

I hope your precious memories will sustain you as you enter this time of overwhelming grief.

Safe passage to him!

Hugs for you...

:hug: :hug: :hug:

[mnhtnbb]

11. Thanks, CaliforniaPeggy.

I think that Mouse leaving us this way is bringing up the memory of my father's passing 7 years ago.
He was 91 when he stopped eating--hubby and I had gone out of town, too--and I think he'd just
had enough. He was confined to a wheelchair, his wife (my mother) was gone, he had post-operative
dementia, he couldn't turn on the TV or CD player, he no longer read anything, and had to have help
eating. When I told him we were going out of town for the weekend, I think he decided that was his opportunity to finally have some control.

I was contacted by a nurse from the nursing home where he was living. They wanted to put in a feeding
tube and I told them, 'no'. My dad had signed a living will. He went into a coma within a day.
The last day of his life I spent several hours just sitting with him, talking to him, reading to him.
I had to go home to be with our two sons after school, fix dinner. I thought about going back,
but didn't because I was picking up hubby at the airport and we were both going back to the nursing home.
I got a call about 8 pm to come right now, but he had passed before I got there. I've been carrying
that guilt now for 7 years that if only I'd followed my intuition I would have been with him when
he briefly awoke from the coma before he passed.

[azmouse]

6. Peace to your Mouse.

I love his name.

[mnhtnbb]

8. When I first brought the kitties home, he would hide behind the furnace

in our house in Lincoln, NE. He was so little, he looked like a mouse--hence, his name.

Thanks, azmouse.

[blogslut]

9. Farewell, Mouse

Know you are loved and may your passage be quiet and pain-free.

[nuxvomica]

10. Safe passage to your regal friend Mouse

And peace to you and yours, hippywife. :hug:

[WillParkinson]

12. Rest well, Mouse...

You've earned it by being such a good friend.

[Call Me Wesley]

13. Safe passage to Mouse.

May he be free from suffering. Peace and comfort to you and yours, mnhtnbb. :hug:

[mnhtnbb]

16. Thanks.

[begin_within]

14. They are very lucky to have you as their owner.

One of my cats had a cancer in his mouth and couldn't eat even though he tried desperately to. I had to have him put to sleep to prevent him from starving to death. It was heartbreaking but the right thing to do. I hope you feel better soon.

[mnhtnbb]

15. Thanks. I'm so sorry you had to go through this, too.

[Bertha Venation]

17. I'm so sorry, mnhtnbb.

:hug:

[NJmaverick]

18. Sorry

:hug:

[Mz Pip]

19. so sorry for you

and your family.

I don't know who said that one of the painful parts of being human is that we outlive our pets. As painful as it is, we still choose to bring them into our homes and hearts and love them.

As sad as this is for you, Mouse knows you love him and that you gave him many happy years.

Peaceful journey, Mouse.

Mz Pip

[mnhtnbb]

20. Thanks to everybody. Mouse has been perched on the chest of drawers

in my study while I've been in here all afternoon. My oldest son is coming for dinner, to say goodbye
to him; he was 9 when we got Mouse and his brother, Simba. My youngest son goes back to UNC campus
this afternoon; he was 5 when Mouse and Simba came to live with us.

I've been busy captioning the pictures I took on our trip to Peru. As long as I was working on something,
I could hold back the tears.

Tomorrow, I have to go to a rehearsal for a performance I'm doing Tuesday night. It's going to be a real
test to see if I can stay in character! The show must go on, yes?

[GoCubsGo]

21. Hugs.

From me and my two kitties.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

22. I'm so sorry.

:hug:

[grasswire]

23. sweet sweet kitties...

I'm so sorry. It's just wrenching pain to let them go. I'm so sorry.

My dearly beloved orange tabby Keiko is nearly there, too. I may have to make that decision this coming week. When his time comes, he'll go to rest in the extra large whiskey barrel planter where his pals Chester and Miss Figgy already rest, gone several years ago and literally pushing up daisies, violets, and lavender. It's some small comfort to know they are nearby (if out in the cold!) and able to complete the circle of life by nourishing plants to flower abundantly.

But damn. So hard for you right now. I wish it weren't so.

[Sheltiemama]

24. I'm so sorry.

I love Mouse's smile. I know how incredibly hard this is.

[BuelahWitch]

25. Hug for you and Mouse

:hug:

[Capn Sunshine]

26. Sorry for your fur baby

so unfair how they leave so early. Best vibes to Mouse and those he leaves behind.

[Faygo Kid]

27. Put two cats and a dog down in 2009. Ugh. All the best to you.

Cats Purrcilla (17) and Sparkle (6 - kidney cancer) put down four days apart in May.

Last month it was Missy (pictured below). She was 16. No choice with any of them, but that's enough for this year. Rescued another cat afterwards (Sonny, he's 9. Was terribly mistreated, but a happy dude now.).

Still have dogs 13 and 9, in good health, and Sweet Pea, the kitty pictured with Missy below. She's 12. So sorry about your loss.

[mnhtnbb]

29. Oh, boy. That's a rough year. We'll have Simba for a while longer, I hope.

[enigmatic]

28. I'm so sorry

Safe passage to Mouse and lots of :hug: for you and your family.

[GreenPartyVoter]

30. *hugs* I am so very sorry. I am dreading the day when this comes to pass with my own fur-babies

[TK421]

31. I'm sorry...such a gorgeous animal too...

:hug:

[redwitch]

32. Such a beautiful tabby!

I am so sorry you are losing Mouse. :hug:

[Minimus]

33. Mouse will live forever in your heart and memories.

I know how hard it is to lose a beloved pet. Please take care - you are in my thoughts.

:hug:

[applegrove]

34. RIP Mouse.

[Odin2005]

35. AW, poor cat!

:( :cry:

[LynzM]

36. I'm so sorry...

Love and hugs to you, and peace to both Mouse and to you. :hug:

[mitchum]

37. Mouse and everyone who knows and loves him are in my thoughts

[mnhtnbb]

38. Both sons have been here to say goodbyes. Mouse is now resting outside

on the deck. It's a beautiful evening --not quite 60 degrees--and he has always loved being outside.

Thanks again to everybody for good thoughts and best wishes for Mouse and us.

[SalmonChantedEvening]

39. Sleep well Mouse, safe crossing.

:loveya: :cry: :loveya:

[woo me with science]

40. Mouse is a gorgeous cat.

I am so sorry.

[mnhtnbb]

41. The deed is done...our vet gave Mouse a tranquilizer first

and then the shot that stopped everything. It was peaceful for him...and tearful for me.

He also checked the lesion in Mouse's mouth first and we could see that it had grown a lot.
He had lost 3 lbs in a month--a total of 1/3 his body weight since we first noticed that he wasn't
eating the end of October. The vet figures he had cancer in either his stomach or intestinal track.
The lesion in his mouth was inoperable...the only treatment would have been chemo and radiation.
No, I don't think so.

I hope our beloved Tanya was there to help Mouse across the rainbow bridge. Mouse was a wonderful kitty boy. He will be
sorely missed.

Thanks again to everyone for good thoughts and wishes.

[av8rdave]

42. So sorry for your loss

Sounds like Mouse was a wonderful companion. My condolences.

[peekaloo]

43. So sorry for Mouse.

:hug:

[joeybee12]

44. Ah, poor kitty...but you did the right thing...

:grouphug:

[hippywife]

45. Oh, mnhtnbb!

I took my Snotty into the vet this morning, too. And everything that you just described took place. I held her the whole time, from when I took her out of her carrier until I put her back in to go home. We were probably doing it at the same time.


I'm so sorry for your loss, sweetie. I know how hard this was. :hug:

[grasswire]

48. sorry, HW (eom)

[hippywife]

49. Thanx, E.

None of the things I thought could possibly be wrong with her were. I took her home and buried her so hubband wouldn't have to. :hug:

[mnhtnbb]

50. This never gets any easier, in spite of having had to do it for other fur babies.

I'm so sorry for your Snotty--and you.

Mouse's brother, Simba, is missing him already.

:hug:

[hippywife]

55. No it sure isn't easy.

I know you are missing yours terribly, too. Even when there are other fur babies, there is an empty space where they used to be.

At first I thought she was diabetic, then hyperthyroid. She was yowling and losing weight, eating like a horse, drinking and urinating gallons. I was hoping to take her back home with me...alive. He ruled out the thryoid and then couldn't get a good vein for a sugar test. He tried probably seven times and she was so good the whole time. He basically told me that at her age, it was best to let her go.

I wish you a quick recovery and many good memories of your Mouse baby. :hug:

[Gormy Cuss]

63. I'm so sorry, hippywife.

Snotty was a pretty cat.

[Archae]

46. I lost Erin, my tabby male, a few weeks ago.

So I can relate. I grieve for Erin, just as you grieve for Mouse.
Sounds like Mouse was a wonderful cat.

[mnhtnbb]

51. I'm so sorry for your loss of Erin.

:hug:

[Bossy Monkey]

53. So sorry n/t

[MorningGlow]

54. Hugs to you and your family

It's always so hard to lose a dear pet. :hug: :hug: :hug:

[Bertha Venation]

57. I know Tanya was there to welcome him, and I think Richard probably

was, too. Richard loves new playmates.

:hug: I'm sorry.

[BarbaRosa]

58. Oh sad.

so sorry for your loss:hug:

[hippywife]

60. I hope Tanya and Mouse are chasing each other

and having lots of fun. I hope they also run into Snotty since she and Mouse were crossing at the same time.

Hiding out in one of the many boxes she liked to keep scattered around the house.


Ignoring her new baby sister, Lena.



Sorry to have added my sorrow to your thread. I really hope you don't mind too terribly much. :hug:

[Gormy Cuss]

62. Mouse was a beautiful cat

and 14 years is a good long life for a cat. I'm sorry that he had to leave you.

[Withywindle]

65. I am so, so sorry!

:hug: :hug: :hug:

You absolutely did the right thing - a peaceful passing surrounded by love is so much kinder than being trapped in a suffering body. I often wish we were allowed to do this last and greatest favor for human loved ones.

He'll meet my Marlowe at the Rainbow Bridge. Marlowe will act hissy and pissy at first but I bet they'll be buds soon.

:cry:

[theNotoriousP.I.G.]

47. I am so sorry mnhtnbb!

I lost my dear Piglet in September to cancer as well. I hope your dear Mouse was greeted by his old friend Tanya on the Rainbow Bridge and they are having the time of their lives in their reunion. :cry: :hug:

[mnhtnbb]

52. I remember when you posted about Piglet. I remember thinking

at the time that our 14 yo kitty boys could live for several more years. You never know, do you?
It all happened so fast with our Mousie man.

:hug:

[theNotoriousP.I.G.]

59. You never know

about anything. I hope Piglet is up there with your Mouse and he is kicking Pig's ass. :evilgrin: She was a brat amongst dogs :)

I hope your pain eases soon.
:hug:

[imperial jedi]

56. So sorry for your loss

:hug:

[LisaM]

61. Hugs for you and hippywife here....

:grouphug:


It is so very hard to lose a pet.

[onestepforward]

64. Very sorry for your loss.

Sending comforting vibes and hugs. :hug:

[Skip Intro]

66. I'm so sorry, mnhtnbb. I lost my wonderful Hamilton in a very similar manner.

God, hurt so much. Over a year later, and it still does. He touched my soul.

Know that he loved you and the wonderful lifestyle you provided for him, and that all the care and love you gave him over the years is now his favorite blanket in which to blissfully curl up, on the other side of the bridge.

:hug: