The Sunshine in my life....

[zoocrew26]

I've never been to the cat section of this forum, and so it kinda sucks that this has to be my first post....
I have 2 cats. Smeagol, who's 3, and Sunny, who just had his 15th birthday.

I have had Sunny since i was 3...getting him was one of the earliest memories i have in life....i got to name him....although i don't remember my 3 year old logic behind him name, i'm thinking it had something to do with the Sesame Street theme song "..Sunny days, sweeping the clouds away..".

So, my beautiful cat, Sunny, is sick....he's been sick for years now...he's losing weight, and he can barely keep any food down, and he has a tumor on his side...he is seeing the vet tomorrow, but we are already 99% what the outcome will be....he will most likely be getting put to sleep sometime within the next week or so... 

I could barely function at work today, i kept crying, and trying to hide it from all the little kids, and the other counselors. No one would understand how hard it is for me to lose my sweet Sunny...

I've been petting him like crazy tonight, and it's so hard, because he is still so full of love, and life. He has such a big heart, and all he ever wants is to be with me and my family...it's just so hard...

Here are some pictures of my beautiful boy....







Sunny and I.


Us again.


I'm going to miss you so much, my sweet kitty...

[kit]

Sunny is a very handsome kitty.  My heart goes out to you and your family, I hope there is something the vet can do for him. The pictures of the two of you together are just precious.  ((HUGS))

[E!!]

He is such a beautiful boy! It is such a hard decision to make when they mean so much...

[Marybelle]

I'm so sorry.  It's so hard to lose them, even (or perhaps especially) as they get older.  My heart is with you, and I hope the vet is able to give you an answer other than they one you're dreading.  *hugs*

[Nelly]

I'm so sorry (((HUGS))).  It hurts so much to be facing that.  I hope things aren't as bad as you suspect and you get to spend more time than you expect with your gorgeous boy

[zoocrew26]

He's gonna be sticking around for awhile.  .
The vet was amazing, he was so nice and understanding, and my cat was actually relaxed with him (in the past 15 years, my cat has NEVER been relaxed at the vet). The vet went to put him in the scale, just to weigh him, and my cat curled up and layed down!! So the vet let him stay there and was sitting there petting him while talking to us.
He said he looked REALLY good for his age. He wound up doing full blood work, and he said that he has a hypoactive (sp?) thyroid, and that is probably what is causing him to feel sick (my cat has been throwing up every day-sometimes up to 10 times a day-for years. The last time we went to the vet for it, they said that there was nothing they could do, and it was just that he had a "sensitive stomach".). So he gave him a shot with an anti-nausea in it, ad then me and my mom went to petsmart and picked him out some special cat food for older cats with stomach problems, and HE HASN'T THROWN UP IN 2 DAYS!!! That might not sound like a big deal, but it really is for him, since he has been throwing up every day for at least 3 years.
He also said that the bump/sore on his side, was probably just an infected cyst, and that it wasn't hurting him, it was just an annoyance.

So we're going to pick up more meds for my cat today, the vet said that he'd have to have liquid meds daily, and possibly shots, basically for the rest of his life. Which we can do. If it means he gets to stick around a bit longer.

I am soooooo happy that i have more time with my cat!!!!! I love him soo much, you have no idea....

[kit]

  I'm so happy that the visit went well!  It sounds like you'll have plenty of time with Sunny!! Give him plenty of belly rubs and head scriches

[Marybelle]

Hooray!  It's always nice when it turns out to be something treatable, isn't it? 

[Dearpie]

Awww I'm glad things are working out! 

[zoocrew26]

Well, it's been about a month, i think, since his vet appointment, and i am happy to say that he is doing well! We switched cat foods, so now he gets a kind made specially for senior cats with stomach problems, and my 3 year old cat gets the other stuff. It's so funny, because both of their dishes are on the same counter, but they only eat out of their own. My younger cat, Smeagol, won't touch Sunny's food, and vice versa. Anyways, the change in diet seemed to help, and then after we went back to the vet to get his medicine, he started throwing up again. So we took him off the meds, and he's doing great! To think that he was almost put to sleep, when a change in cat food was all he needed...

We can tell that he is feeling ALOT better, he is less grumpy, and he's alot more playful and sweet. 

Here are some more pics of him feeling better!



He's playing and trying to bat my hand.  I think his face kinda looks like Puss In Boots, from Shrek, in this pic lol.


My sweet little kitty.


Hahahaha, he's hissing at my dog.  This pic scares me lol.

[Marybelle]

Okay, that last picture is just freaky!


I'm glad he's feeling better! 

[nakedrats]

Sunny looks just like my foster boy, Cornbread Hound-dog III!

Hooray for a good vet and more time with your boy.  He's so cute and does look incredible for a 15 year old cat.  He looks positively middle aged.  Here's to 15 more years.... 

[Nelly]

Oh I'm so pleased for you both!!!! Go Sunny!!! Keep us updated with photos - I look forward to your 20th birthday party photos!

[rat_hammie_lover05]

That's wonderful that he's going to be staying around longer. That last picture is scary.