Farewell sweet Sheldon

The mom here today, or more rightly, the old mom bean as Sheldon would have said.

Sheldon is my daughter's middle cat (Stanley and Spencer are the other two). He was born in mid-March 2017, just a few weeks after our sticky bean, Eli was born. Sheldon came to live with us in mid-2017 and stayed until D and Eli moved about 15 months later. 

When he arrived, he was a wee kitten. The other three cats had quite different reactions to him. Saku was initially afraid of him, Sami hated him, and Sasha, as he had with the other kittens who arrived, patiently put up with him. In time, both Saku and Sami tolerated and would even play with him, but Sheldon always adored Sasha the most.

This is one of my favorite photos of the two boys. It's almost as though Sheldon was saying, "I'm the baby, gotta love me."

There were several good tussles between Saku and Sheldon, and sweet moments too, when the pair slept on the couch together...even touching!

Sheldon loved to crawl under the covers on the bed for a nap. I visited last week, and he slept under the covers beside me at least one of the nights. 

When D and Eli moved, Sheldon went with them. He getting to be a big boy by then, and got even bigger still. The vet told her today that she believes Sheldon had some Maine Coon in him as he was a large cat, but not overweight. 

Every morning, after breakfast he started his day with a tussle with his big brother Stanley. After D dropped Sheldon off at school, she'd come home and Sheldon would remind her it was time for a nap. The two would curl up on her bed for a hour.  When she showered, he'd wait in the bathroom for her. 

But his favorite place to sleep during the day was on Eli's big boy bed. I took this photo just two weeks ago. I think I woke him.

Today, D messaged me to say Sheldon had thrown up last evening and several times through the night. She had isolated him and put in the bedroom with a bowl of water and a litter box, hoping he'd pass whatever was bothering him. But he deteriorated through the night and even more so this morning before she could get him into the vet. She sent a video and he was clearly in much discomfort and crying, though he did stick close to D and followed her down the stairs. 

While the vet didn't do a thorough exam, she did check him out and agreed he was in distress. She thought there might have been a blockage or perhaps a mass that had shifted or increased in size. Not wanting to put Sheldon through more pain, they decided to let him go. D said his passing was peaceful, she was petting and talking to him and he was gone before she realized it. 

Sheldon will be missed. He was, as D said, "the best boy".

Fly free sweet boy

This morning, our Sasha was re-united with his fur-sibs, Silver, Sami, Shady and Silas.  I am grateful that he passed peacefully in my arms at the vet's office.  I was able to reassure him that he was, and is loved, and his spirit will always be with us.

Sasha was the first cat we adopted when we bought the old house in 2000.  He has been a constant in our lives ever since.  While never a loud cat (unless he was demanding food or attention), the house feels empty and quiet without him.  I'm not certain Saku realizes he isn't here but did spend some time on my lap when I arrived home.  

About six months after Sasha joined the family, we adopted Silver.

The two were inseparable, at least until Sami joined us a year or so later.

I like to think the two are together again and curling up for a nap as they did so often then.

Sasha was always the patient teacher of all the cats who came after him, and they all loved him for it, and wanted to be near him all the time.  Well, except perhaps Saku, but the two did learn to tolerate one another.  I think there were just too many cats hogging Sasha's attention when Saku was a kitten for the two to bond.

From left to right: Sasha, Shady, Silas, and Sami.  

This morning as we sat in the car waiting for the appointment, I picked him up and he looked out the window at the sun.  Sasha was always happiest napping in the sun. Sadly, these last few days he hasn't wanted to be out in the sun room even when I had the door open.  He spent most of his time sleeping on the couch instead.  

The last two days were difficult as he had quit eating much, mostly licking at his food, though he was still drinking water.  Sasha hadn't been able to get up on the bed on his own, but I heard him coming down the hallway and lifted him up each night.  I had vacillated as to what to do, but this morning as he walked down the hall he staggered a few times.  I suspect he was weak and I knew the decision couldn't be put off any longer. 

I know that all of you reading this, understand how difficult this decision is and was.  If I could have, I would have kept Sasha with us forever.  We were so very blessed to have this special cat in our lives, and there will never be another like Sasha. 

Fly free, my sweet boy. 

Saying goodbye to a furriend

Hi efurrybody.  

We are here with some sad news today as our furriend Alti went to the Bridge today.  She is the kitty of our mom bean's good work friend C.


Mom bean tried to find a picture of a kitty that looked like Alti, but the best she could find was this image.  

As you can see Alti was a tuxie girl.  She was little and round (until recently) and a sassy girl.  She had two older fursibs, both also tuxies who went before her.  They didn't care much for her so she was furry much attached to her mom bean.


Alti was over 18 years old and had been on thyroid medicines for a year or so.  She had to go to the ebil v e t office often, and when she did she sang the song of her people furry loudly.  She kept it up all the way there and all the way home.  One day her dad bean called our mom bean and let her listen to Alti sing as he drove her home. She could really carry a tune!  

There was even a special note in the v e t file so that the techs knew to be wary of her.  Alti was known to be a bit nasty, she even bit one of the techs so bad, the bean was off work for a few days while the wound healed.

She was an awesome kitty, little and tough, and sweet to her beans.  Alti will be missed so much.  If you can spare some purrs for her mom and dad bean today it would be appawciated as they are heartbroken.

Fly free, Alti.