Our Goodbyes will begin at 4 PM today

I called the vet. We are going to bring her in at 4 PM. Her cute paw prints were in the clean litter box but she missed it entirely, but we have a pee pad so it only went there and easy to wash. My poor Cleo cat is trying so hard to be herself. She ate only a few licks of ice cream and her water since I got up and is moving only a little bit and it's clear that it's getting hard for her to walk, esp with her back feet. We are DV going to bury her after 6 PM, so I will have some time to say goodbye to her body too. We ask your prayers for her last hours and our goodbyes.

I didn't know, years ago...

...how hard, how painful, it is to lose a pet 

that has been with you for so many stages of my life...

since the end of graduate school, 6 of the 7 years in Ottawa, 7 years in NJ,

from having me single, dating, engaged, married.... and everything

in between... you just have to google my blog and Cleo to see how much

she has meant to me... 

I am probably going to share many pictures of Cleo eating. 

She mainly lays in the laundry room now, with trips to bathroom (next door)

and food (down the hall and to the left).  

I can assure you she still LOVES her wet cat treats, her milk and 

French Vanilla Ice Cream and still meows her requests quite

vehemently :)

But I know the end is nearing. She is so thin.

More sensitive to touch even, other than on her face and 

under her neck.

However, as my Husband pointed out...

Cleo is enjoying milk like it's an Olympic Sport she laps it up so quickly!

And then inspects the saucer carefully to make sure she did not miss one drop!

She is seriously into her treats... and it makes us laugh,

even though we know soon, she will be absent...

so it's hard and I cry but then I laugh and feel lighthearted.

From what I gather, this is all part of the process and I found my heart

filled with thanksgiving for Cleo and even for her dying because I know that

God is good, He loves all of His creation and somehow nothing good is ever lost.

How it all works out, with creation being renewed, a new heaven and earth...

My Husband brought us falafel which we enjoyed very much, at home...

***

I did various phone errands today 

(It was a heat advisory real feel up to 99F!) so I stayed home...

and I did dishes.  

I did not sleep the best (always happens if I am grieving, meaning

I woke about 5:30 AM or so) and with feeling sad, 

I just felt like eating vegan chocolate Popsicle and watching Perry Mason.

That I read my prayers, did my list of things to do, finished reading a book

and did not watch any Perry Mason till later afternoon, with said Popsicle,

for me was a what I am calling success. 

***

But the good thing is I know I will get through this grief.

I know God is merciful and good.

I know God is our Creator and He created Cleo and gave her to me

to care for and be blessed by.  

***

To be sure I answer Lisa's question, in case you did not see it in my comments on my last post,

I can't postpone my travel.  And I will be seeing a lot of family including ones that are

in the elderly category and one never knows when one's visit becomes one's

last visit, so as much as I wish I could change that, I really can't.
***
Lisa, I meant to add: when Mr Kibble (a cat for those who don't realize) was dying,
how could you tell that he was going? I don't know what to look for,
if Cleo gets to that stage soon.
I just gave her her medicine and she is now having more milk...
when I picked her up, I could feel even more bones than before.
She is slowly dwindling to fur, skin and bones.
I am glad she is loving her milk so much.
I think it must be soothing to her...

***

Well.  Thank you everyone who is praying for myself and for Cleo.

I can't tell you how grateful I am!

May God help us no matter what we are facing! 

Lord have mercy on us and shine Your face on us 

and save us!

At home for the Feast of Entrance of the Theotokos

Blessed feast everyone!
*
Praying for Maureen today...
and others on my heart that I cannot speak of...
*
Mr. Husband and I are still sick
and were not able to go to liturgy :(
Please pray for us also -
we really want to be back to our normal selves...
*
Today I have opened all the windows
and Mr. Husband and I hope to be able to go out
and get some fish to make for dinner today
for the Feast.


The weather is unseasonably warm
so it is nice to have
windows open and sunlight...

Our wedding crowns :)

I lit our bedroom lampada
and am cleaning as much as I can
to get our lives back in order
and to help us get
over this lingering
sickness.

 

Cleo is loving the windows open too!
I am trying to get in a better habit of daily
Cleo brushing
and to do so I give her a treat afterwards.
She too had a nicer treat for the Feast!
*
Mr. Husband and I went over some of the prayers
last night for today's feast
and they are so beautiful!
And the lines for Christmas are wonderful!
This is a blessed time of year...

Setting of the Sun

Cleo has not been eating as much

and had two sneezing fits;

uh oh, hope she is not getting sick too...

I am really looking forward to feeling better

and walking these Ottawa streets again...

Hard to believe that Lent is near now.

Lent to me is always a little scary

because many of my hardest times

and heartaches and things of

emotional devastation levels

have happened

during Great Lent.

*

Must trust God to see me through.

May God help us

be our protection

strength

and refuge.

Cleo Care in early January 2012

Dear friends:

I am taking Cleo to the vet for the first time

in some years today.

She is going to need a test done which involves a

needle.

She also does not like car rides and gets scared.

Please can I have any advice on how to get Cleo through this

and comfort her afterwards?

Thanks to some FB friends I have a good

beginning of what to do,

but want as much advice as possible...

Wednesday, Cloud, Sun and Breeze

A few inquiries about Cleo,

so I thought I should report back...

*

Cleo seems happy
(sitting at the back of my chair right now,

close by to me).

I brushed her thoroughly this morning in an effort

to help her with the hair shedding / hair ball issue

but she still spat one out later this morning

and the same non-clear residue came with it.

So I don't know what is bothering her stomach.

She is eating, drinking and acting fairly normal.

I am limiting her dairy

(she asks for it and it is usually the one thing

I will give her; she also asks for everything else,

from my Peanut Butter and Raspberry Jam sandwiches to

the more understandable summer tuna salad with grapes).

*

I had switched her food a few months ago

as the other food does not seem to be made anymore;

I can't really afford anything fancy

but am avoiding the cheapest of the cheap food,

as I don't trust the almost dollar store priced cat food...

*

I am trying to be more diligent about housekeeping

in case she is nibbling at something unseen to me

but not to her...

*

Well.

Other than this I am trying to balance both

my contract job and the fact that I have

interview preparation to do for next week.

It's all a bit overwhelming.

But God is with us in the midst of it.

To Him I am seeking to look to

instead of the waves...