Demi
Edited to Add: Sorry I have been pressed for time and often up-load photos without explanation.
This is our eighteen-year-old (?) Demi. She has started to look her age over the past couple weeks and asked to come into the house from the shop on April 16th. She spends most of her time sleeping by the wood stove, where we have also provided her with fresh water and food.
She is obviously wearing out but seems happy and eats well, so aside from giving her extra fluids, we are letting her rest. We have been through this final stage of live often enough as our cats age and know what signs to distress to look for. She is doing okay and we hope she can drift off peacefully into the forever sleep snuggled in her warm bed.
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I could't get your e-mail I hope this doesn't mess anything up. I just had to write.
It's time for me to ask if you remember me, I'm the guy that first wrote to you maybe 5 or 6 years ago, Time goes by so fast I loose track. The last time I wrote I was asking for your advice on our male Cat named Buddy.
We were trying to deal with his spraying, and didn't’t know If we should try to find him another home or have him hate to say but put to sleep. Buddy Is still here plus about 8 more, we have lost PaPa one minute he was next to Pat while she was cleaning the bathroom, the next minute he was on the floor passed away that quick, needless to say It was really hard for us. The name PaPa was given to him because we thought he was the father of Emmie's two male Kittens but neither the kittens nor Emmie would have anything to do with him. Then comes David so small he fit In Pat's hand that's when PaPa earned his name he was like a {mother& father} to David, and they were Inseparable. David is the biggest Cat that we have and he was so tiny. I think when I talked to you the last time I think we had about 11 Cats. When we got up to 15 there was another Cat coming around, he would eat but you couldn't get close to him, he would stay under the cars or trucks behind the garage. I got to the point when I would see him coming I would say here comes 16 and now his proper name Is Sixteen, and he Is just a loving rough Cat. Michael lies on the couch behind me right now; he has not fit In with the other Cats yet. This past winter we lost the only Animal we came to the country with our little Das hound Libby, her kidneys failed after 13 years. That was hard; right away another Cat comes by it's like when one of the Cats died another one would show up right away. It was cold we felt sorry for the Cat and put food out, It was like most of the others It would run then come back for the food when we were not around. One day as Pat was going to work I saw a Cat under the truck eating the food and It didn't’t take off when It spotted me. We would put food out but didn't’t see the Cat then the Opossums would be eating it. I thought either something got the Cat or he just left. One day I look at the window and this straggly Cat Is looking In, I said to Pat oh my Gosh or something like that, this Cat Is starving and I thought It had gone or worst yet something had gotten It, I felt bad because I quit putting food out after the opossums were eating It. One day I saw the Cat by the truck and went with food, this time it didn't run so I put the food down and backed away a little then I offered my hand and it gave me the test. Pat came down and after the Cat giving us the criss cross back and forth rubbing against my leg, Pat picked it up brought It In the house. Then we find out it's not the Cat that we thought because the other Cat was back. He Is still outside but he dose not run as far when we put food out, and sometimes we see him looking In the window as to say I'm here. We have given most of these Cats Biblical names except for Rambo because he was so mean but not anymore, and sixteen just because I use that so much with him it just stuck. This guy in the house was named from the Arch Angel Michael. Pat came home from work tonight and said do you remember Laura, I said Palmer, yes I do, she printed some pages from your site this evening. When I say I've had it with these Cats it's like a little voice goes off in my head saying {House of Many Cats}. I'm looking In Michael eyes he has the biggest eyes for his size, he weight 6 pounds when we got him, we took him to the Veterinary clinic to see If he was ok. He has been with us for maybe two months or more and we are taking him back to the Dr. this coming Monday he Is loosing weight even though he eats ok, he did have worms and we had him treated twice for that, and haven't seen anymore.
Laura, forgive me for a long letter but when Pat brought the pages from your web site I just had to write to let you know we think of you and you have been an influence on our situation with Cat's. 18 and counting. Forgive the spelling and grammar I'm a talker not a writer. Thanks so much for keeping up with what you have been doing for years. Pat is the devoted one here I'm just wishy washie. But this last Cat Michael is really special he breaks my heart.
Richard & Pat Ridgeway
I have often wondered how things turned out with Buddy. Sorry to hear about the loss of Papa and Libby. It is never easy to lose a friend, no matter how many you may have. I deleted your comment with your email address so you wouldn't get spammed but I will write you soon.