Bosco fought the good fight and is now at Rainbow Bridge

Dear Friends,

My brave little Bosco passed away at about 6.45pm this evening. He fought the good fight and I am extremely proud of him.

I wish to thank all of you for cheering him on throughout these past few days, for standing by us and giving us all your support and kind wishes.

In all my experience thus far, I have not seen any other cat who was as strong and brave as Bosco. He has taught me so much in these past few days about acceptance, endurance, strength and serenity.

Here is Bosco's final journey...

I drove down to the vet's with eagerness as I had a good feeling that Bosco would have improved today. This is especially so after the vet's call last night with the happy news.

But as I entered the clinic, the vet told me Bosco had vomited blood this morning. Both vets warned me that this was really not good at all.

I rushed up to see him.

He was sitting up as usual and seemed a little weak. But he responded to me.

Bosco was salivating and there were traces of blood in his saliva.

But he was still very alert.

Bosco was in the isolation ward with a distemper dog and the dog was barking non-stop. Still, I managed to talk to Bosco and I told him what had been happening at home. Ironically, when I mentioned that I had been bitten by Ginger and showed him the bite marks, Bosco got up and walked towards me instantly asking to be carried.

I felt he still wanted to protect me as he was my bodyguard whenever I went out to the porch and garden. So I told him not to worry, I was alright and I carried him.

It felt so good carrying him and he too was very comfortable.

Bosco sat with me for a long time and did not want to go back into the cage.

So, amidst the barking of the distemper dog, Bosco and I talked.

The senior vet soon came in and a check-up was done.

It was very bad news. Bosco's blood tests results were extremely grave. Multiple organ failure had set in and he was severely jaundiced. The blood in the vomit was already a bad sign. The vet said it wasn't parvovirus but most likely, poisoning. Bosco's mouth and tongue were badly ulcerated by now and his mouth was bleeding. The sudden deterioration happened overnight. We were shocked. I asked if it could be due to toad poisoning and the vet said no. Malaysian toads are not that toxic. This was probably due to something Bosco had ingested, yet the vet said cats are usually very fussy eaters and would not simply eat anything.

I asked what else could be done to save him and the vet said the next step would be to sedate him and insert a feeding tube. At least with the feeding tube that goes directly into his stomach, we could feed him medicines and supplements, those that cannot be inserted intravenously. The vet felt that Bosco needed food. It had already been 4 days of not eating and the drips were not enough. However, inserting the feeding tube required sedation and this was risky. The vet asked for my consent and since this was the only thing we could do now to save his life, I gave him my consent to go ahead. The vet said he would use the mildest possible sedation.

I felt I had to do everything possible for Bosco because he had not given up. In his own quiet way, he displayed a remarkable strength which told me he wanted to fight on. I had to fight on with him.

Just before he went in for the minor surgery to insert the tube, I hugged him and told him everything would be alright. "We'll fight this battle together, Bosco, Mummy is right here with you."

The feeding tube was inserted successfully at about 1.00pm.

For healthy animals, they would wake up within 10 minutes, but for sick animals, it might take an hour.

 Bosco with the feeding tube.

An hour passed. Then two. Bosco started showing signs of waking up and I tried to help by massaging him whenever he moved. But his movements were more of reflex and jerks, typical of what we see in animals waking up from sedation.

 At one point he flipped to the back of the cage.

 When I touched his paw, he would grab it.

Throughout the 5 hours after the insertion of the tube and he was in the process of waking up, I talked to Bosco, sang to him and chanted to him. I am glad I spent all this time with him and never left him alone at all. He responded by grabbing my hand. He moved his tail as well.

The vet came up and said they would start feeding him at about 6.30pm. But he should be fully awake first, which he was not. This was an indication that he was already very weak.

At about 6.15pm, Bosco started getting heart palpitations and his breathing was very heavy. Cathy helped me call the vet up and they quickly brought him downstairs. I was able to assure him that I would be around and would not leave him before they rushed him into the emergency room.

Emergency procedures were administered to save his life. While I waited as all the vets went into the room to save Bosco's life, I silently sent messages of peace to Bosco. I told him I am right there with him and that he was not alone. I asked his guardian angels to take good care of him.

Bosco passed on at about 6.45pm. The vets let me hold him for the last time and I said my goodbyes. I stroked his soft silky fur and thanked him for having looked after me so well, told him not to worry and I promised him I would take good care of Raven. I told him to go on peacefully and happily to his next journey and I wished him well.

I have arranged for James Kho to do the cremation tomorrow. Bosco's remains will be brought back and I will scatter them in our front garden, his home since 27th September, barely a month ago, when Bosco came into my life.

Bosco fought the good fight, bravely and stoically until the end. I am glad I was there for him throughout, especially today. He displayed a strength so great for one so small and serenity that showed he was able to accept his destiny with calm and courage. I am so proud of him.

Although Bosco was only with me for 27 days, my bond with him is very strong. I shall definitely remember the happy times we have shared.

What I miss most of all would be the times he spent sitting with me on the sofa in the afternoons. Just Bosco and me, sitting quietly in our own little world. Not a word needed to be spoken, because we understood each other. There was a very comfortable feeling whenever Bosco was with me. I cannot describe it in words as it can only be felt in the heart.

Bosco and I must have had some past karmic link and we just had to meet up again in this life to re-establish that bond, though it was a brief encounter. We cannot and should not ask why: Why was the encounter so short? Why couldn't we have had more time? We should not ask that because time is relative and it is what we do with that time that really matters. I am "glad" every single moment spent with Bosco had been quality time. Precious time.

We will meet again, Bosco...in a better and happier place. But for now, you be happy in Rainbow Bridge.

I miss Bosco so, so much.

I want to specially thank Cathy for having been with me throughout these few days, fetching me to the clinic on that Sunday when things looked so bleak for Bosco, rejoicing with me when Bosco perked up and we saw glimmers of hope for his recovery. Cathy stayed with me today, until the very end - I cannot thank her enough.

Thank you also to all of you, dear friends, for standing by Bosco and me and sending us all your kind wishes.

May all beings be blessed with kindness, wherever they are.

In sweet and loving memory of my dear bodyguard, Bosco

 You will always be in my heart.

I expect to pass through this world but once; any good thing therefore that I can do, or any kindness that I can show to any fellow creature, let me do it now; let me not defer or neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again.
- Etienne de Grellet