Alice the cat: Spring 1993 to 01/30/10

Those who have read my blogs know that my sweet cat, Alice, has recently struggled with cancer.

This morning we gave up the fight.

I've had this cat since I was 23 and she has been with me for every significant event in my adult life. She was very special. Even with two busy Corgis, the house feels painfully empty. I can't imagine walking into the bedroom without meeting her welcoming meows. Alice died as she lived, with grace and dignity, and not a single complaint.

Goodbye, my friend: My life is better for having shared a part of it with you. You will live on in my heart forever.

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Permalink Reply by Nicola Porter on January 30, 2010 at 12:26pm

I'm so sorry Beth.

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Permalink Reply by Beth on January 30, 2010 at 12:31pm

Here she is, just last week:

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Permalink Reply by Jane Christensen on January 30, 2010 at 12:37pm

Oh Beth! I'm so sorry for your loss! Our thoughts and tears are with you! May her memory continue to live on in those places she frequented! I'm glad you were able to have this time to say "good-bye" and that she was able to leave this world with dignity!

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Permalink Reply by Sam Tsang on January 30, 2010 at 1:06pm

I'm so sorry for your loss :(

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Permalink Reply by Bev Levy on January 30, 2010 at 1:19pm

Our thoughts are with you! So sorry.

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Permalink Reply by Joanna Kimball on January 30, 2010 at 1:42pm

I'm very sorry. It's always awful to lose one of the special ones.

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Permalink Reply by Lawren and Teddy on January 30, 2010 at 2:58pm

Oh Beth, I am sorry for your loss of Alice. I know how special she was to you but also how special you were to her. Peace be with you.

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Permalink Reply by Beth on January 30, 2010 at 3:11pm

Thank you. I was "her person." I think that is the hardest part. I love my dogs dearly, but they are outgoing happy dogs who would meet life with grand enthusiasm regardless of who they were living with. But I was Alice's world. She was strictly indoors and not only did she never leave the house, but about the only thing that prompted her to leave the bedroom (other than using her litterbox) was to come sit by me. When she was a bit younger, she would frequently sit just a short distance from me and purr as she stared at me.

I have never felt such devotion from an animal as I did from her. I was so lucky that she found me. I never had cats, never even really wanted cats, til she showed up. I said that to my vet today, and she said "I guess she decided you needed a cat."

And she was right.

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Permalink Reply by Beth on January 30, 2010 at 3:05pm

Thank you all.

We had just started chemo and it actually seems to have made things much worse. Last Saturday morning she was still following me around rubbing against corners and furniture, and by Sunday she was unwilling to move. The vast majority of cats apparently tolerate chemo drugs quite well, with short-term nausea or GI upset being the most common side effects. Sadly, Alice did not fit into the "vast majority."

She had some neurological side effects that affected her gait and therefore she had trouble walking. I think she also had greatly diminished sense of smell or taste, since treats that she ate with enthusiasm on Saturday morning she turned away from by Monday. She was still using her litterbox, still eating a very tiny bit, and drinking regularly, but she was not happy. She did not curl up on her side to sleep for the entire past week and was spending most of her time resting with all four legs tucked under her. I gave her some time to see if she might improve once the drug began clearing her system, but by yesterday I was pretty sure it was unlikely things would turn around and the vet confirmed my fears today.

I hope my experience doesn't sway anyone else's decision; the vet said he had another elderly cat given the same drug ours was (Vincristine), and the drug shrank a large intestine-obstructing tumor rapidly enough to allow the cat to return to normal bowel function. We just weren't among the lucky ones, and without any treatment she might have had at most another week or two, since she was rapidly losing weight even before the shot, due to a greatly decreased appetite.