He was old I knew it would be coming, but not yet, I wasn't ready...I guess I would never be ready. He was my baby, he had a long life, most of it with our family.
It started out as him loosing a little weight. I figured that would happen as he get older. He in fact he had just turned 18, according to my records. I made his birthday January 1, since I adopted him with an unknown birthdate at about age 2, I just thought it would be easy to remember.
Within the last year I could tell he was slowing down, and loosing weight, but before then he didn't look a day older than when I first got him at age 2.
At the beginning of the year, he started peeing next to the litter box not in it, sometimes he would go in and make it, sometimes not. It was a hit or miss type of deal. So I cleaned up messes off and on for awhile, until it seemed to be more misses than hits. At least it was in the kitchen and he wasn't trying to go other places in the house., he really was trying to make it. So I did some rearranging of litter boxes, and taking covers off, etc and adding another small litter box next to the bigger one in case he missed he might hit another one :) Who knows what my thinking was. It kinda worked for awhile.
During the month of March he was also getting increasingly more weak....started out by still being able to jump on the counter where his food was, to bearly making it on the counter, to missing the counter and falling to the floor, to jumping on a bin to get halfway up and then jumping the rest of the way, to just not being able to make any sort of jump anymore and him realizing it, and waiting for me to lift him up to his food. ( we couldn't keep cat food down on the floor because the dog would have it gone in a second). For about a month or so, I was solely feeding him canned food, just to get him nutrition, as at one point, I finally realized how thin he was and he wasn't really eating his dry food good anymore. He still seemed REALLY hungry at all times, almost starving, he would want people food more often, and eat almost anything ( except his dry cat food). I now know that was his body needing that extra protein, he was no longer making red blood cells and his body was using up all his muscle protein to live... kidney failure to be exact. His eyes were sunken in from dehydration, even though he drank all the time or tried to anyway. Towards the end he was just too weak to move more than once or twice a day. The things that where always pink, like his nose, the inside of his eyes, his gums, etc were all white-- lack of making red blood cells.
I finally made the decision and it was so hard. That was the hardest part, making the decision to have him put down, and then waiting the 2 days to actually do it, thinking about it 24/7 and watching him struggle, hoping this wasn't real.
Keaton's last days---- "sick"
He wasn't doing well the last few days, I was bringing the food and water to him. He ate and drank well that last day and the morning of. The day before he did get up maybe once or twice and he seemed so disoritented and weak. I knew it was time, but the next morning he ate and drank good when I brought it to him and was purring. It was so hard.
He was my baby, the best cat ever.
Came when I called him, every time. He liked to sit on laps and just be petted. He loved it outside, even though he was an inside cat, during the spring and summer months, he loved to sneek out and explore for like an hour or so. He never went far, just around the yard and maybe into the neighbors yard a little, but he always came back after a short time, and waited by our patio door.
Keaton came into my life as a stray. He was at the Ramsey Cty Humane Society in St Paul. Several animals from there came to my school for learning purposes. I was attending the Medical Insitute of MN, in Bloomington to become a Veterinary Technician. I was in my last semester and we had actual animals to care for during the entire semester. I was assigned a cat. I was so hoping for a dog. When I saw the cat I was assigned I instantly fell in love, this one was my responsibility. I named him, assisted with his neuter/declaw surgery, got him up to date on vaccinations, was able to practice drawing blood for tests, made sure his ears were clean, and gave him a complete physical. I fed him and cleaned his litter box daily. When it was time for him to go back to the humane society, I knew I had to go adopt him, I was way too attached, in fact many of the students ended up adopting their animal ....but I lived in an apartment that didn't allow pets. That is kinda funny, cuz I had already inherited a large lop eared rabbit from a school friend, named Reggie, and I had him living in the apartment with me. I knew I was going to move after school was done which was after a few months internship. So I had my boyfriend at the time ( yes Steve) adopt "Keaton" for me. Steve lived on a hobby farm in Waverly at the time, and so it worked perfect, it was a lie though, and Keaton came to live with me in the apartment. It worked out fine until I had to move, and the silly rabbit did all the damage to the wall paper-- he liked to chew it off. There was some white textured wall paper on one wall, and I let my rabbit out and about alot, so he would sit behind the couch and knaw on wall paper. So I did have a hefty damage deposit to pay at the end. Lesson learned rabbits are not good apartment pets and sneaking them in there when not allowed wasn't the best idea.
Keaton was 2 years old back then, and he moved with me as I moved and we added a few pets along the way that he had to adjust to. I then went to New Hope, MN to an apartment that ALLOWED cats/ and a rabbit, and we gained 2 kittens (Dusty and Wylie). Keaton hated them at first, but grew close to them after awhile. It sure was a full apartment. Then we moved into Steve's parents basement in Howard Lake after we got married, brought the 3 cats, but decided to bring Reggie the rabbit to the humane society. Then we moved to the duplex in Delano, and finally out to Dassel where he stayed the rest of his days. He had to lastly adjust to the 2 new kittens we got 2 summers ago, that were strays that ended up in our garage.....and we of kept them. Keaton wanted nothing to do with those things either, but it wasn't long and everyone was getting along,
Keaton spent his last weeks on a rocking chair in our family room, it was usually dark in that room, and more quiet. It wasn't like him to be in there, he loved it in the sun on the top of the couch by the window. We held him, and took pictures, and finally the time came to take him in.
Hannah came with me, it was during spring break. Bailey had his cousin over that day so he decided to stay home. We said our goodbyes and off we went. Hannah held Keaton on her lap in a blanket, we decided to stay for it all, and it was kinda unexpected for Hannah as I told her we probably wouldn't stay. We were both balling our eyes out, it was quick and painless for Keaton, and he was calm by having us there, I think. I will never forget that moment.....when he was gone. I wasn't ready yet, but he was gone forever. I wll never forget my blue eyed handsome fella. Best cat ever!!
"Keaton"--- healthy
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