marsden_online (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
marsden_online) wrote2024-06-18 09:15 pm
marsden_online) wrote2024-06-18 09:15 pm
R.I.P. LBTC Gytha, ?-2008 - 30-07-2014 - 18-06-2024
Little Black Tailless Cat Gytha (ne Winnie), aka Twitchy-butt, Bunny-butt and so on, entered my life somewhen before I adopted her when another friend homed her for a while but ultimately had to return her to cat rescue. I had been doing the "at some point another cat will enter my life" thing since Racky's death and this seemed as good a time as any. She became part of my family in July 2014, a little under 10 years ago.
Gytha was one of the most people-friendly and social cats one could ever hope to meet / be the person of and brought great joy not only to myself and my family, but also to many visitors. When I was hosting (often loud) student parties she would often venture forth to meet people and keep company.
10 years worth of cat photos and video
Sadly she developed some sort of digestive issue when I had to change her food during one of the lockdowns (her usual wasn't available) and this expressed itself in gradually stinkier poop, and a propensity to poop elsewhere than her litter box. If I had clicked that she was trying to hide her poop, a trait of sick cats, she might still be with us, but that's just something I will have to carry.
It was D's increasing frustration with the smell and mess, which actually put quite a strain on our marriage before I realised just how stressful she was finding it, that eventually led to a series of vet visits and medications. Probiotics helped a little, at least with the smell, but last Friday the diagnosis was something I can't remember or pronounce, but translates to inflammation of the pancreas, gall bladder and intestine. As an earlier course of antibiotics had no effect, the reason was most likely her immune system playing up.
She was prescribed steroids but on Saturday was clearly in a great deal of discomfort, something I think to this point she had been mostly successful in concealing or I had not been paying the right kind of attention. It was that evening I made the decision that it was time, had big cry, and called the vets Monday (yesterday) - initially, due to other commitments and complications making a late Thursday afternoon booking via the reception, but the vet came back to me later in the day with a slot that we could all manage for mid-afternoon today.
I don't think it really sank in for E until we were sitting in the waiting room with Gytha in aa box on their lap. Gytha was the first pet she had actually lived with, and in many ways "cuddle cat" had become as much hers as mine.
D held up until we got home.
The procedure was a bit different than Racky's (at a different clinic, obviously) - he got a sedative which sent him to sleep slowly and then another shot to stop his heart. Gytha was cannulated, then given one shot and a few moments later just collapsed.
She was a trusting, loving, affectionate cat right up to the end and we are going to miss her so much. I have buried her up on the bank at the rear of the property, in a spot where the morning sun will brush over her even though she is no longer sitting in a window for it.
Depending on how E feels We may look into getting a new cuddle-cat when we move in a few months, that way it and Ellie can come terms with each other and a new house together without any pre-existing territory issues.
Gytha was one of the most people-friendly and social cats one could ever hope to meet / be the person of and brought great joy not only to myself and my family, but also to many visitors. When I was hosting (often loud) student parties she would often venture forth to meet people and keep company.
10 years worth of cat photos and video
Sadly she developed some sort of digestive issue when I had to change her food during one of the lockdowns (her usual wasn't available) and this expressed itself in gradually stinkier poop, and a propensity to poop elsewhere than her litter box. If I had clicked that she was trying to hide her poop, a trait of sick cats, she might still be with us, but that's just something I will have to carry.
It was D's increasing frustration with the smell and mess, which actually put quite a strain on our marriage before I realised just how stressful she was finding it, that eventually led to a series of vet visits and medications. Probiotics helped a little, at least with the smell, but last Friday the diagnosis was something I can't remember or pronounce, but translates to inflammation of the pancreas, gall bladder and intestine. As an earlier course of antibiotics had no effect, the reason was most likely her immune system playing up.
She was prescribed steroids but on Saturday was clearly in a great deal of discomfort, something I think to this point she had been mostly successful in concealing or I had not been paying the right kind of attention. It was that evening I made the decision that it was time, had big cry, and called the vets Monday (yesterday) - initially, due to other commitments and complications making a late Thursday afternoon booking via the reception, but the vet came back to me later in the day with a slot that we could all manage for mid-afternoon today.
I don't think it really sank in for E until we were sitting in the waiting room with Gytha in aa box on their lap. Gytha was the first pet she had actually lived with, and in many ways "cuddle cat" had become as much hers as mine.
D held up until we got home.
The procedure was a bit different than Racky's (at a different clinic, obviously) - he got a sedative which sent him to sleep slowly and then another shot to stop his heart. Gytha was cannulated, then given one shot and a few moments later just collapsed.
She was a trusting, loving, affectionate cat right up to the end and we are going to miss her so much. I have buried her up on the bank at the rear of the property, in a spot where the morning sun will brush over her even though she is no longer sitting in a window for it.
Depending on how E feels We may look into getting a new cuddle-cat when we move in a few months, that way it and Ellie can come terms with each other and a new house together without any pre-existing territory issues.
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