Oh, friends, I am so sad. We have to have our poor kitty Jerry put down today to end his suffering.
He has been sick for the past five years with hyperthyroidism, and we have managed it well with daily medication and regular testing. Unfortunately, he has become very sick recently. In the month before Thanksgiving he had a voracious appetite, but he still lost a full pound-- more than 10% of his body weight.
Now, poor Jerry won't eat. He hasn't had a good meal since around Thanksgiving. Up until Wednesday, he had only eaten gravy from canned food, but he was drinking water. We tried everything-- tuna, canned food, baby food, fresh fish, lunch meat, high-calorie cat supplement-- and he just won't eat it. On Wednesday, he practically stopped eating and drinking altogether. The steroids have lost effectiveness. He has lost all strength, and is losing his balance. On Wednesday, he also developed an upper respiratory infection, and he is now having difficulty breathing. He is not going to get better. We cannot let him suffer for another weekend simply to satisfy our desire to spend time with him.
Jerry is 16. He is very special to my wife and me. My brother Brian adopted him from a Cook County (Chicago) animal shelter in 1998 or so, and named him Jerry Garcia. He was in really rough shape, severely undernourished, and with fleas and mites. He nursed him back to health, but couldn't keep him at his apartment, so we took him. My brother Brian passed away in May 2011, tragically and unexpectedly, at the age of 40. My brother and I were not on speaking terms at the time, and the way my family handled his death caused a major rift between them and me. Besides a few physical possessions, Jerry is the only connection I have to my brother. He gave my wife and me such a wonderful gift, and we have honored him by taking the best care of his kitty for the past 15 years.
I know that we gave Jerry a great life. That doesn't make it any easier.
Here is a photo of Jerry with his "wife" Sugaree, who we adopted for him almost fifteen years ago:
Here is a photo of Jerry roughing up the neighbor's dog:
And finally, here is a photo of Jerry with our Stella, who passed away two months ago. This is how I will remember Jerry-- happy, healthy, and huge!
I apologize for the long post. Make sure you give your furry friends a big hug next time you see them!
Mike
