You Will Forever Be An Inspiration
We’ll be saying goodbye to Jelly Bean here tomorrow, July 26, at 11:00 a.m.
Somewhat ironically, it’s their 16th birthday.
I haven’t said much about Jelly Bean’s condition, only that he’d been to the vet a few times, but I saw even before we lost Mewsette that he was beginning to fail and that he’d likely follow the same path as Mewsette, though I was hoping we could slow it down.
Two months ago he was still stealing food from others’ dishes and play-wrestling before meals with Basil and Mariposa even though I could see he was losing weight. I know Mewsette’s loss was hard on all of them and I think it escalated things for him. I spent hours working on him since June, hoping for a resting point to stop and gather some hope. Nothing stopped the progression.
I had written last week that Jelly Bean hadn’t changed much from the condition we’d seen on June 12, the day he saw my regular veterinarian, and actually seemed to have lost a little more weight. I took him to PetWellClinic on Saturday, July 15, for bloodwork and an exam and found that he was only 4.8 pounds where he had been 6.1 on June 12. I’d been trying to hold off on the bloodwork for the expense but still was doing all the things my veterinarians had suggested really hoping to see a change if I waited a little longer, but I grew more and more concerned about him eating less and growing weaker.
He had a yeast infection in his ears and the medication helped his balance. After that he was more active and eating a little better, and we’d know more when the bloodwork came back.
PetWellClinic let me know last Tuesday that the lab commented they didn’t have enough blood to work with, and we did have a difficult time with Bean’s vein collapsing. We’d have to do a redraw, but I didn’t want him to come back from that while they were still staying in the basement, so I waited until last Friday. They successfully drew blood and we had the results back on Saturday. Overall it didn’t look too bad though liver and white blood cells and other markers were up; his T4 was almost normal.
But that belied how he looked in real life.
I’ve been watching Jelly Bean really deteriorate quickly over the past couple of weeks. He’s been steadily losing even more weight, needing fluids, not able to pick up and chew his food, and I’ve been carrying him up and down stairs because he would go down in a uncontrolled run and fell and rolled once. Despite the encouragement and suggested treatments, I wasn’t convinced something more serious wasn’t happening.
I stayed up all night last night with him because he was so weak, and a few times I checked for breathing. Over the past couple of weeks he was having periods of what seemed like intense pain for an hour or two, and then he’d come out of it and he’d be really hungry and social and happy. No medications or treatments seem to slow things down.
I took him to Rivers Veterinary Urgent Care this morning, and confirmed that he dropped nearly a pound in the past week from 4.8 to 4.0, is in liver failure and most likely has lymphoma. We don’t really need an ultrasound to figure that out. It’s so very much like losing Mewsette, I knew it was coming. It’s why I haven’t been too present lately, and why I stopped posting, even about the kittens. My focus was on Jelly Bean.
I’m sure he’ll be ready tomorrow after the increasing discomfort and pain of his conditions. I’m grateful we have this quiet time, unlike how we lost Mewsette. He had some good drugs that will keep him comfortable and slightly sedated until Dr. Elgersma gets here. He’s been so good-natured about this, rising up as soon as he feels better and making the most of every moment, but I know he’s been feeling the pain no matter what pain reliever I’ve given him.
I still haven’t fully grieved Mewsette’s loss because I knew this was coming, kind of holding my breath and hoping. Now I can really let go.
Last Friday when I brought him back from the blood draw he stayed in the carrier and his brothers and mom surrounded him, even getting in the carrier, for hours. I knew then it was just a matter of time. They knew.
Sunday before I went to the farmers market he grew to look especially bad and I hated to go, even worse that sales were really bad (more on that another time). This has been a concern for me from the beginning, an illness turning critical while I’m away, and I hate to leave them alone when they feel sick. Thank goodness for Ingrid and a reiki treatment.
I had always thought because he was petite like his mom that he’d follow her health, but I guess genetics win out after all. I haven’t had a cancer in my feline family since 1999, now two, and probably more to come.
So think of us tonight and tomorrow, and in the days to come. I have so much more to say, but there will be time for that.
I hate to keep asking but…
…another couple hundred for today’s treatment, and the other cats’ needs keep pushing into the future. Anything that comes in—donations are nice but purchases are great too—goes toward their care.
Mimi really needs to have her annual exam—she never had one last year, so it’s been two years since she’s had a full workup and I can tell she is moving into renal failure.
And Giuseppe needs a blood pressure check to see if his medication is working for him.
Sales at the farmers market really help with this, but so far I’ve sold only $25 in goods in the first two Sundays and $5.00 on the third. Many people are the same who’ve visited my tent in the past two years and they’ve already bought all they want. I will go this Sunday but if I don’t sell at least $50 I won’t go back. I can work on my websites, and I can also look for other events that aren’t too expensive to find a new audience.
A friend pledged to cover Morty’s prescription foods until I can get him back to the veterinarian for some blood tests so we can find out more about his particular condition, and all of them need to eat. I want to keep them all comfortable in whatever way is best for each cat. And now that I’m back in my basement studio—and I know that water isn’t coming back—I can actually work much more efficiently!
- Consider a Custom Pet Memorial Votive for yourself or a family member or friend. Remember that they don’t actually have to be memorials—a votive with someone’s pet on it while they are very much alive is also a nice custom gift!
- Visit www.PortraitsOfAnimals.net. I just uploaded all my new keepsake boxes and votive lamps.
- I still have plenty of feline garden flags, though I’m currently out of a few designs.
- I have one of each of the Tortie Girls block prints and one of Awakening, all are matted and framed
- And consider even a small portrait of one or more of your fine felines.
- If you chose, I also have a donation button on this page on this website. And if you did want to donate, my Paypal address is bernadette @ bernadette-k . com and my Venmo is @Bernadette-Kazmarski. And thank you for caring, whether you buy something or donate or not.
If you have any questions, please let me know! And thanks for any help.
Gifts featuring cats you know! Visit Portraits of Animals
Fine Art • Photography • Gifts • Greeting Cards • Books • Commissioned Portraits & Artwork
Jelly Bean inspired a lot of original ideas, photos and art. I will always be grateful for his gentle and good-natured guidance. Read more and purchase.
Copyright
All images and text used on this site are copyrighted to Bernadette E. Kazmarski unless otherwise noted and may not be used without my written permission, although links to your site are more than welcome and are shared. Please ask if you are interested in using and image or story in a print or internet publication. If you are interested in purchasing a print of an image or a product including it, check my animal and nature website Portraits of Animals to see if I have it available already. If you don’t find it there, visit Ordering Custom Artwork for more information on a custom greeting card, print or other item.
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Weekly schedule of features:
Sunday: Essays, Pet Loss, Poetry, The Artist’s Life
Monday: Adoptable Cats, TNR & Shelters
Tuesday: Rescue Stories
Wednesday: Commissioned Portrait or Featured Artwork
Thursday: New Merchandise
Friday: Book Review, Health and Welfare, Advocacy
Saturday: Your Backyard Wildlife Habitat, Living Green With Pets, Creating With Cats
And sometimes, I just throw my hands in the air and have fun!
So much loss! So much love.
Yes. I’m here trying to take it all in, especially after the recent renovations I had done so that the places where we all spent time together are all different and in disarray.
I am so sorry. XO
Thank you, Ellen.
Sad sad sad sad sad. As soon as I began reading, my breath was stolen from me and my heart sank. Bernadette, you need an infusion of joy. May the spreaders of good karma find you and enrobe your soul.
Oh, Meg, I have a way to go before I surface. I have so much other change happening too, the house, my work, I just want to focus on my cat.
We are so sorry to read this. Beginning Feb 1 2020 until mid-May of last year (knock on wood) we lost 8 cats..None were hit by cars…some had cancer, one had CKD, a couple had heart conditions, one a saddle thrombus. All were between 9 – 12 years old. I don’t want another kitty – I wanted to keep the ones I had. The ones I still have, thank God.
Oh, my goodness, how to manage so many in that time! And so young. Heart disease, you just can’t get around it. I lost five cats in one year, age, renal, hyperthyroid disease, and one to FIP, but they were almost expected unlike most of yours it sounds like. Yes, I agree, keeping the ones you love is the best, if you can pull that off.
Sending hugs and love and purrs for you and Jelly Bean.
Thank you, we can all use them.
Oh, b, I’m crying right along with you. It’s the hardest part.
It just happened so fast. This will take me a while.
Purring for you and Jelly Bean, as he makes his transition.
Thank you. This has been just as difficult and confusing for him as for me, I think.
B, I am so very sorry, it’s not easy losing one, but two so close together is
beyond heartbreaking. Will be with you across the miles this morning as
the bean makes his journey, St Francis will be by his side to see him safely
to heaven.~~~~~~~~
we loves ewe dood, all wayz and we R troo lee sorree, we willna forgetz
ewe, N will all wayz call ewe friend, that we had de honor two noe
hugz N loves
dai$y, mackerull, dude, boomer, tuna and sauce, and de food girl laura
Thank you and we appreciate the support. Jelly Bean was pretty much unforgettable in this house.