It's all so quiet

It's just Suki and me now, in our room

The whole house has been unusually quiet today.  It is so strange, when Vixey was around, all she did was to sit on the router, and she hardly made any noise at all.  Yet, her presence was felt very strongly.

Now that she is gone, suddenly, the house is so, so quiet and still.  The air of melancholy is still prevalent.  And Indy has been exceptionally quiet the whole day, too.  Suki, on the other hand, has been acting a bit crankily. 

I remember reading an article that cats do grieve when someone dies in the colony.  They grieve, just as we do. 

What I miss most of all is seeing Vixey on the router as I do my work in the room.  I also miss the mornings when I come downstairs and Vixey would always be there at the foot of the stairs waiting for me without fail.  Then, we would play our little hide-and-seek.

And I would certainly miss hearing Vixey jump down from the router each time I change the water bowl.  Vixey loved fresh water.  She only drank fresh water and she taught Indy that, too.

And, in all the emails I have written today, I still write about Vixey in the present tense.  I had to make the effort to change all the verbs into past tense. 

Just now, Terry dropped in to pay respects to Vixey.  I was deeply touched at this very kind gesture.  Terry is an epitome of compassion, and I am very glad both he and Teresa have volunteered to help AnimalCare now.  We definitely need sincere people who are committed to helping animals.

Terry just brought 4 kittens and one cat for a check-up at our panel vet this afternoon.  He will be fostering all of them, and when ready, we will put them up for adoption.

We have some sad news too - Apache did not make it.  I called the rescuer just now, and she said Apache passed away last night.  Sigh...we tried our best and gave her our best.  She seemed ok after one night with me, but with kittens, you can never tell.  They go down extremely fast.  Apache was already quite weak to begin with.  The faecal matter stuck in her colon (probably for 1-2 weeks) had already caused considerable damage.  In fact, the vet did suggest euthanasia, but he knew I would never resort to that, so he did everything possible for her.  Apache only had two days with us, but it was two days of love and care, so I hope that made a difference in her life.  Sometimes try as we do, we just cannot save a life, but at least we've managed to touch their little hearts with gentleness and compassion.   

And life has to go on.  This week, we have a few neutering cases.  We will be helping two new rescuers to get their animals neutered.

Our tshirts are expected to be ready in a few days' time.  The supplier is from Penang.  Once ready, I will inform all of you who have ordered and you can start collecting the tshirts from me then.

Vixey is home with me now

It is now 3pm.  Just three days ago, I thought at this time, right now, I would be bringing Vixey to Puchong to get her blood test done, and then she would be discharged and we would all go home.  I even envisaged writing a posting entitled "Vixey's home!!", and we'd have happy photographs taken. 

Instead, what I had to do today was something I had not expected at all.  After work, I went to settle Vixey's bill at the clinic, and collect the little Tupperware of food I had brought for her while she was hospitalised.  The vets at the clinic were very sympathetic and kind. 

Then, I came home to wait for Vixey's ashes to be brought home to me.

James Kho, who runs Pet Memorial Service, just arrived, and here are Vixey's ashes.

Fragrant crysanthemums for little Piggy-Vix

I had not expected Vixey's ashes to arrive in such a beautifully-packaged little basket.  I am very touched and thankful to James Kho. 

From my short experience since yesterday, from the time I called James from the clinic(he was recommended by my vet), to the cremation and until now, I can feel James' sincerity in this honourable work that he has chosen to do (pet cremation and burial).  He is very tactful and empathetic, and there is absolutely no false pretense in him.  None at all.  He is very, very sincere. And most importantly, he loves animals, and he has chosen to do this simply because he cares, for the pets and their owners.   

The fragrance of these yellow chrysanthemums now permeates the air, and I know Vixey is in a better place already.  

I am planning to clear a little spot in my small garden and bury Vixey's ashes there when my son returns home on Wednesday.  He has not said goodbye to Vixey yet.  

Our body is from Nature, so from dust to dust, to Nature we shall return.  

But our spirit will be released when this body dies, and it will soar high if we have led a pure and useful life.  And in this manner, the spirit soars up the spiral of existence until finally, it achieves total freedom from all pain and suffering. 

Vixey is soaring high now.

And for those of us who are still here on Earth, it's time to get back to life, and do something useful for others...  

A celebration of Vixey's wonderful life

Dear Friends,

Thank you very much for all your messages of comfort.  I am deeply touched that so many of you care. 

My daughter, Ming-Yi, made this video clip late last night.  It is uploaded on youtube. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmNcQulxe34

It is a celebration of Vixey's wonderful life and the wonderful world she gave us by being who she is.

I miss Vixey very, very much. 

kahyein

My husband and Suki watching the youtube

Thank you to all of Vixey's (and my) friends

Do you know, all my life, I've never had this many animal-loving friends who could empathise with how I feel about animals until I started AnimalCare? 

In the past, whenever one of my pets passed away, or got lost, and I was grieving or going all out to do everything possible, most of my friends would chide me for going overboard. 

"Let go", they would say.  "Don't be attached!", "Be equanimous" - these are the usual things I would hear time and again.  It is very hurtful to hear such remarks though it could very well be "good" advice.  "Good advice" given at the wrong time may very well turn out to be "not so good", after all.  

I am grateful that one of the benefits that have come out of starting AnimalCare is that all of us who think and feel alike can come together on the same platform to share and care, not only for the animals, but also for ourselves.  

I am extremely grateful to all of you for having shared these very challenging days with me.  Thank you for all your emails, text messages and comments on the postings.  

Everyone of you has been very, very kind.  And for once, I do not need to hear those usual remarks of asking me to let go, be equanimous and be unattached. 

I will let go, when I'm ready to let go.  But before that happens, please allow me to grieve for awhile. 

We may come from different religious and cultural background, but as animal-lovers, we all belong to one universal religion - KINDNESS.  

Isn't that enough?

Our final goodbyes to dear little Vixey

I brought Vixey home from the clinic after she passed away.  Upon reaching home, I brought Vixey back into our room (yes, it's my room as well as Vixey's room, so it's our room).  Vixey has spent the last two years in this room together with me. 

All my books were written in this room.  All my talks were prepared in this room.  And Vixey had been my faithful companion for two years during all this time.  I spend many, many hours in this room each day.  And whenever I look away from my laptop, right there, on my left, would be Vixey, sitting on the router, her favourite spot.  And I'd call her, "Piggy-Wiggy!", and she would always, always respond with the wag of her little tail.   

Since the very day I brought Vixey back (with brother Wii aka Little Chief), she had been hugging hot things.  She started with plug points, then our hi-fi set, and finally progressed to the computer router which she absolutely loves.  The vet said she probably had hypothyroidism, hence, feels cold all the time.  Yet, she never liked hot water bottles.  She just loved electrical gadgets. 

So I brought Vixey home today, and placed her at her favourite spot in the room, next to the router.

You're home now, Vixey.

All the cats, and Mac and Bobby gathered around.  They seemed to know what had happened as there was a melancholic air in the house.  One by one, they came to see and sniff at Vixey.    

I put on the CD of chanting, and I sat with Vixey at her favourite spot. 

Vixey's brother, Wii aka Little Chief

Bunny saying goodbye

Bobby was with us all the time

Suki did not quite know what was going on although we brought her to say thank you and goodbye to Vixey. 

Indy, on the other hand, was clearly upset when we brought him to see Vixey.  He struggled to go away, so I let him be. 

When Vixey was first hospitalised this round, I had wanted to have a photo taken with her in the house, but we did not have time.  And I told myself, Vixey would be coming home, and I would surely have a chance to take a photo with her. 

Vixey at the clinic

The photo above shows Vixey at the clinic on the second day.  I guess this is the last photo I would ever have of Vixey and me.  You probably cannot see Vixey in the photo because I was wearing black pants.  That's my little black beauty. 

It was always difficult to take a photo with Vixey because she was never comfortable being carried.  She liked being stroked and patted, but not being carried.  The vet said somewhere probably hurts, and that is why she never liked being carried. 

All this while, though I did not write about it, I was well aware (and I had been told by every vet I've brought Vixey to) that her lifespan would not be very long. Vixey was mentally- and physically-challenged.  She had a growth deficiency and her organs were all under-developed, thus they would fail sooner than the average cat. I had already been told about this and was thus, in a way, always prepared for this to happen one day.

When Vixey was admitted four days ago, her vet had said to me, "Remember we knew this would happen?  Just that we did not know when?  Maybe it's happening now."


I did not want to take his word for it because I wanted to keep my hopes high, but I was prepared for the worst.  At the back of my mind, I also did not want Vixey to suffer from any prolonged agony of pain.  If this is it, and if she has to go, I hoped Nature would let her go peacefully and painlessly.  But before that happened, I would definitely still do everything possible to save her.   


Then, Vixey starting improving after being put on drips and this gave everyone hope, including her vet (who is normally a realistic (read: pessimistic) person). We were already talking about having her blood taken on Monday, assuming she could come home, and I would be learning how to give her her dialysis jabs myself.


But suddenly, everything took a turn for the worst this morning. Her neurological signs became very bad, her eyes starting "bobbing" and she was already mentally "off". I did not see all this as the clinic was closed. The vet related this to me later.

So, that was what happened.  It was time for Vixey to go, and she went quickly.  I am comforted to know that there was no prolonged suffering.  That would have been extremely heart-breaking for me.  

So, when James Kho, the proprietor of Pet Memorial Service, finally arrived at our doorstep, it was time for Vixey's final journey.  

I whispered to Vixey that we all have to go now, and brought her to the car.  My husband, daughter and I will bring Vixey to the crematorium.  

As we were about to leave, Indy came....finally.  

Indy wasn't upset now.    

 

Indy saying goodbye to his big sister before we left for the crematorium

At the crematorium, we all said one last final goodbye, and I placed Vixey back into her favourite basket (not the one you see in the photos).  It is a smaller one. 

Her cremation was accompanied with the soft chanting of the Metta Chant.  That is the chanting that had been accompanying Vixey each time she got sick.

Animals have no religion, and they don't need to.  But they understand and appreciate love and kindness.  In return, they give us unconditional loyalty and faithfulness.  Even when you scold them and reject them, they come right back to you and still love you.  What better religion can there be than that?     

I believe in immediate rebirth.  It is comforting when you do, because you know the moment life ends in this body, it is already reborn in another.  And what you see before you after life has expired is just an "empty shell".  The "spirit" (or consciousness, or soul, or whatever we wish to call it) is already reborn elsewhere.  

My husband said Vixey's "tour" as a cat is meant to be a short one.  She just came back as a cat to pay a karmic debt, and now that she is done, she is off to a better realm.  Vixey's going to be reborn a lady of great substance, he said.  And that's because she lived her (this) life as a lady of great substance.  

Despite all her medical problems and her retardation, Vixey not only did not give us any behavioural problems, she was an extremely considerate cat.  Whenever I gave her her enemas, she would jump out to the garden (something she never does on ordinary days) and stay there because she did not want to dirty our floor (with her uncontrolled defecation after the enema).  Vixey was the only cat who knew how to use the bathroom, and she trained all the kittens under her to use the bathroom too.  

Most importantly and unforgettable would be how Vixey would take care of every kitten that I bring home to nurse.  Indy benefited most of all.  Vixey practically brought Indy up, taught him how to use the bathroom and took him to the food and water bowls in the kitchen to eat.  Vixey accepted every kitten that I brought back to nurse.  She had never even once hissed at any of them though for a cat, it was infringing into her territory.  Kimba, Creamie & Crackers, Suki, and even Joanie (an adult female cat) were all allowed to share her room and her space.      

Vixey truly had a heart of gold.  

She will be reborn as a person with a heart of gold, and she will do great things in life.  

I will miss Vixey very, very much.  It is going to be very hard for me in the next few weeks, but life has to go on. 

And life will go on....

The first thing I've decided to do right now is to work on the reprint of Pawprints on My Heart.  This reprint will be done in loving memory of Vixey.  Let the message of love and kindness to animals spread far and wide so that more people would come together to help the animals.   

The second thing is AnimalCare work will go on as usual.  We have not had a day's break ever since we started on 31st May, and we will not have any break now.  We will go on helping as many animals as we can, in memory of all our departed furry friends who have touched our hearts.  

In ever loving memory of my dear little Vixey,

May you have a happy life now, in a much happier existence.

You did great things in this life, despite all your shortcomings,

You will do great things in your next life. 

Vixey passed away on World Animal Day, 4th October 2009. 

Vixey is in a better place now

Dear Friends,

Vixey passed away this afternoon.  Her kidneys must have failed, and caused the severe neurological deterioration this morning. 

She did not suffer any prolonged illness. 

I want to express my thanks to everyone who has been praying for Vixey. 

Thank you so much for your kindness. 

Vixey knows she was dearly loved by everyone who knew her, whether in person, or from her story in Pawprints, and the little episodes in this blog.  She was truly a gutsy girl with a heart of gold.   

Vixey is in a better place now.

I have arranged for Vixey's last rites this evening in Puchong Perdana's pet crematorium.   

My family and I, and all our pets are now saying our goodbyes to Vixey and wishing her a safe journey to a beautiful place where all beautiful people go to.

Please pray for Vixey

Vixey has taken a turn for the worst this morning.  Her neurological signs are very bad. 

Please pray for Vixey. 

It's not as easy as we think it is

Today, Suki's rescuer, Yen Ling, wrote to me. 

Yen Ling had been feeding and looking after the strays at the back of her house for sometime, but she had to specially rescue Suki because she kept falling into the drain - a total of three times!  And each time, Suki was fighting hard to keep her head above the filthy, oily and mossy water in the drain.  Suki's mother would just watch and did not know what to do.   

That was when Suki was barely two weeks old.  

To cut a long story short, that was how Suki came to live with me.  

Sometimes we think that stray animals can survive in the environment, but this is not always the case.  It is more of survival of the fittest.  

Yen Ling had told me earlier that Suki has two siblings living in the alley.  I had suggested that Yen Ling catch them and we would try to get them rehomed, especially when the mother-cat does not seem to bother much about her kittens.  But it looks like it's too late now. 

Today, Yen Ling told me that one of Suki's siblings (whom Yen Ling calls "Stripy") has been found dead with a hole in the stomach which was infested with flies.  Another (whom she calls Ginger) has gone missing, too.  And Suki's mother is pregnant again.    

The stray animals experience a great deal of difficulty and suffering living in our environment. 

I always tell people in the talks I give that the animals did not choose to come and live in our environment.  They were domesticated by our ancestos to be pets.  It was the wild dogs and cats that slowly evolved into the domestic dogs and cats that we have living amongst us now. 

In the spirit of compassion, we have to help them cope with their lives as best we can. 

Join us in CNRM, please. 

Fever or no fever, Suki strikes again!

Suki came down with a slight fever after her first vaccination, so she was pretty grumpy all day.  And I think the injected part hurts a bit, so she complains by sceaming and biting each time anyone touches her.


But this does not stop her from....taking over "The Chair".


For those who missed the earlier episode, please read this first: 
http://www.myanimalcare.org/2009/09/coup-de-tat-in-my-house.html

Actually, this coup de tat happens on a daily basis, but we managed to take a video clip and some shots today.

Suki has no problems taking over the chair from all the feline elders and canine grand-elders.

I want the chair, and I'll get it...somehow.

Create enough disturbance to wake the dog up.

Good, he's up...

Dog jumps down....YES!

Quickly sit in the centre before dog jumps up again

As easy as pie...

Suki strikes again!

Vixey's news

I spent as long as I could with Vixey this evening since the clinic would be closed tomorrow (but the vets would be coming in to feed the animals). 

Vixey was her usual self, complaining about the discomfort of the drip.  While I was there, I must have changed her nappy cloths at least 4 times.  She wets herself a lot because of the drip, and that's a good thing, because the whole idea is to flush out the toxins from her kidneys with water.  The urine also looks clearer now, but again, we cannot be sure.   

Judging from her clinical signs, she ought to be ready for a blood test on Monday afternoon.  From there, we would decide on the next course of action. 

While I was there, I watched the patients (and their owners) come and go.  Being a Saturday, it was practically non-stop flowing of patients the whole day.  There were all kinds of cases, some very sad ones too.  And this is where you get a close look into how humans behave and respond to their pets' needs. 

It wouldn't be ethical of me to write about the cases I've learnt today because the confidentiality of the patients and their owners have to be respected. 

Suffice to say, some humans react in the strangest ways.

But then again, what is "strange" to you could be absolutely "normal" to another human being.  

What is "wrong" for you, could also be absolutely "right" to another human being.

It all boils down to adopting a non-judgmental attitude and to do whatever we think is right, as much as we can.  

Some things we can change, some we cannot, and that is a fact of life we just have to accept.   

It is much easier dealing with animals because what you see is really what you get. 

With humans, you can never be sure. 

Piggy-Vix

How's Vixey doing today, I asked the vet as I arrived at the clinic today. 

Well, according to the vet, the clinical signs are good.  She is eating, but still has to be force-fed. 

I'm still angry...I dont like this tube in my paw!

Her her typical style, when she saw me, she went to her water bowl, sat in front of it, and looked.  I know, she wants fresh water. 

Ok, that's better...fresh water.

I spoke to the vet, and he said I could probably take Vixey for a blood test on Monday.  If the readings come down, we can then plan on the next course of action, ie. I could bring her home, and maintain her on the subcutaneous fluids. 

We really hope the readings would have come down by then.  Let's keep our fingers crossed.

As I was sitting there with Vixey, my phone rang...

On to the next case...

Suki and Indy visit Vixey

Today, we brought Suki and Indy to visit Vixey.  Suki and Indy were also due for vaccination, so it was two things at one go.

Suki was very curious about this new place

Indy, being such a homebody, was very nervous and stressed out.  He did not dare to even come out of the carrier, so we held the carrier close to Vixey.  The moment Vixey saw Indy, she got excited and moved towards him.

Aww....remember Vixey was the one who brought Indy up when he first came to our home.  Indy had come (from the drain) with a severe bladder infection (like nothing the vet had EVER seen before), a Eustachian tube infection and an eye infection.  It was Vixey who looked after him.

Flashback (May 2008) - Vixey and little Indy

A recent photo of Indy, Vixey and Bobby

Vixey was very happy to see Indy and Suki.  She made little Vixey-noises. 

Later, it was feeding time for Vixey.  The vet feeds her four times a day.  For now, it's force-feeding because Vixey still refuses to eat.  According to the vet, Vixey must eat, with this kidney ailment.  It's the only way to sustain her. 

So we force-fed Vixey, and she put up a fight, as usual.  The vet joked that it is still "good" that she can fight.  It seems last night, Vixey bit a hole in the plastic tubing of the drip, so this morning, it had to be changed.  I helped restrain her while the vet changed the plastic tubing but I wasn't strong enough to hold her down, so another vet had to be called in!    

When I went to visit her at noon, she shook her paw (which had the drip) in a clear sign of protest!  And made a lot of noise.  

We won't know if the treatment is effective until another blood test is taken 3-5 days from yesterday. 

Meanwhile, we can only pray and hope for the best.

The vet says upon recovery, I might have to learn how to give her "dialysis" in the form of a subcutaneous injection of fluids.

Well, one day at at time....

Get well soon, Vixey, and please eat your food. 

P.S.  As I sat on the floor next to her cage, I remember doing exactly the same thing two years ago when little Vixey had the brain trauma and was on the drip for 3 days.  At that time, she was almost "comatose".  It was really touch and go at that time. 

From a beautiful heart

I received this beautiful email from a fellow animal-lover.  The world needs more people like her.  Thank you very much, for your comforting words. 

Dr. Chan, just want you to know that I am with you in prayer for sweet little Vixie gugurl. Her story brings tears to my heart and eyes. Yes, 9 cats but you still miss 1, that is so true, every one is different, precious and irreplaceable.

I have a dozen of my own, another dozen adopted from a pet rescuer neighbour nearby who had died and her common looking short hair domestic darlings (but beautiful and precious in our eyes nonetheless because every life and every creation of God is special and precious) had no where to go, so the TNR-ed darlings live around my house now, plus several dumped strays behind my house (a mama with 3 grown kids, all TNR-ed).


I pray our miracle working God will heal your precious, spunky little Vixie who has a huge heart-of-gold and even though so challenged from a tiny age has somehow blessed so many other lives.


Yes, you will miss little Vixie at home, and the pain is like a huge gaping hole in your heart, sometimes leaves you gasping for breath.


Take care, dear Kahyein, you have a big heart of gold yourself.

Even though you have nine...

Good morning, everyone.  I really felt Vixey's absence last night when I sat in this room writing up the day's events.  Ordinarily, Vixey would be right here, sitting at the router very quietly, but every now and then acknowledging whenever I speak to her - with the wagging of her graceful little tail.

Even though you have nine cats with you, every single one is special. 

This morning, I came downstairs, and while all my cats were there to greet me (they have a hierarchy, ie. who gets which position on the staircase and who gets to come upstairs to sleep in the room), I missed little Vixey terribly.  Vixey would always be on the staircase, and when she sees me, she would play hide-and-seek.  Run for cover, and wait for me to chase her and look for her.  Then, I'll scoop her up and carry her to the kitchen.  That's the game we play every morning.   

And she would then wait patiently for her turn to be fed because she gets fed in the room (her private quarters) while the rest are fed in the kitchen.  That's because Vixey gets KD wet food (a special diet for her kidneys), and the rest are just waiting to pounce on her food.

I just changed the cats' water bowl.  Vixey had a way of demanding for clean fresh water to drink each time.  She would sit by the bowl with her little head resting by the side, and whoever passes by, she just looks you right in the eye.  And she knows we will change the water for her.  Vixey only drinks fresh water.  Fussy little thing.... 

And whenever we change the water on our own, Vixey would know.  You'd hear her jump down from the rattan trunk and go for the water.  She really appreciates fresh water to drink. 

I really miss Vixey, and I hope she is recovering in the clinic now. 

I'm sure she is going to complain a lot when I go and see her after work today.  She is such a clean cat and the drip is going to make her pee a lot (which is the whole idea - to flush out the toxins from her body. 

Get well soon, little Piggy-Vix.

Lots of aunties and uncles are rooting for you and cheering you on! 

PIggy-Vix on drips

Here's little Piggy-Vix, lying on top of a hot water bottle stuffed into her basket.  The vet has put her basket into the cage so that she would feel more at home.  She is on IV-drips now.   

When I reached there, Vix was complaining!  The IV-drip must be really very uncomfortable.  However, the vet said she did not put up any fight when he inserted the drip.  She was totally cooperative.  Good girl, Vix.

I stayed with Vix for almost two hours until closing time.

The vet says the immediate treatment is to put her on a water drip to flush out all the toxins from her kidneys and bladder.  Hence, she is going to pee a lot.  And she did.

While I was there, she must have wet herself three times, and each time, she would shuffle about and move to a dry place.  I had to change her towels for her.  Vix is very fussy about cleanliness.    

 

I brought her favourite blue furry shawl.  We call it her "Cookie Monster" because of the colour.  When Vix saw it, she came out of the basket to lie on Cookie. 

Vix was very responsive as I chanted positive healing prayers to her.  Her tail moved in perfect rhythm to the chanting.  She even made little Vixey-noises when I spoke to her. 

Finally, nothing beats sleeping inside her security basket. 

Get well soon, Vixey.  I'll come see you tomorrow. 

P.S.  The vet explained that kidneys are non-generative.  It is rather strange how Vixey contracted this kidney infection all of a sudden, especially when I had just started her with Azodyl, which has an excellent track recorder of boosting kidney recovery.  Vixey's condition is not severely critical, but it is alarming.  We hope and pray that this treatment will work, and she will recover soon. 

Thank you very much to all of you who have sent me comforting messages. 

Vixey has a kidney infection

My fears were confirmed after the blood test in Puchong.  Her creatinine and BUN has shot up really high.  And a blood smear confirms the presence of a pretty bad infection. 

The prognosis is that Vixey has a kidney and bladder infection, which again, is not "normal" in a cat.  Everything "abnormal" seems to be happening to Vixey, because we just do not know what neurological problems she has.  The bottom line is, Vixey is not a "normal" cat.   

Based on the recommendation of two vets, the best possible treatment for Vixey is to put her on IV-drips with antiobiotics to combat the infection. 

It was a tough decision deciding where to board her for the IV-drips.  Each clinic has its pros, but I finally decided to board her near me, with her regular vet who knows her entire medical history through and through.  I would also be able to visit Vixey as often as I like, and spend time with her. 

The vet packed me off (in good faith) when they were preparing Vixey for the IV-drip because he knows it would be too stressful for me to watch and hear. 

He will try his utmost not to put Vixey under a sedative because any form of drug is bad for her.  I hope Vixey won't struggle too much.  

I want to thank Joo Gyee and Yen Ling for your kind thoughts and prayers for Vixey. 

I am going back to see her now. 

P.S.  And while all this was going on, I had a potential adopter calling up for Whitey and another who is very interested in Super.  I had to arrange for viewing and interview.  The work just doesn't stop.  If only I had more volunteers... Anyone wants to help? 

Vixey is sick

For those of you who already know Vixey, you would remember she survived a brain trauma when she was about one month old (Read Pawprints on my Heart - The Miracle of Vixey).

But the vet said we can never be sure what other damage that brain trauma could have caused, and it would have to be a wait-and-see-one-day-at-a-time thing. 

I started Vixey on a supplement called Azodyl on Saturday.  Her creatinine and BUN readings showed she has a kidney and urea problem and Azodyl is supposed to be a very good natural supplement for her. 

Vixey reacted very well to Azodyl for the next two days.  She could even pass motion on her own (she also has chronic constipation due to a spinal chord injury - Vixey was rescued with many, many complicated problems).  Whenever Vixey could pass motion on her own, it IS an occasion for celebration.   

On Tuesday, Vixey started losing her appetite.  I thought it was a healing crisis, so I thought I should give it a day or two.  Yesterday, she refused to eat again, and showed absolutely no interest even to sardines or Suki's food (which she loves).  I had to force-feed her.

This morning, I got very worried when she still refused to eat, and worse, she could not even walk in a straight line.

Suki knew something was wrong, and accompanied Vixey everywhere, even licking her all over. 

Suki eating up Vixey's untouched food

Suki watches as Vixey drinks water

Cats have a sixth sense - they know when their friend is not well.

I rushed Vixey to her vet immediately after work at 12noon today.  Her vet knows all her problems because he was the one who attended to her when she had the brain trauma two years ago.  And saved her life.

According to the vet, Vixey has a neurological problem.  Something is definitely affecting her brain and as I had observed, she cannot walk straight.  She is "drunk", to put it in the simplest terms. 

The vet pressed her bladder to express some urine, and even before he could collect any sample, Vixey had emptied her bladder entirely.  The vet quickly syringed up the urine and ran a urine analysis.  Her urine was turbid, and this clearly indicates a bladder infection.   

Her urine test confirmed the bladder infection.  

We need to get a blood test done on her kidney and liver as soon as possible, so I am taking her to another vet who has the machine that can produce immediate results.  The appointment is at 4pm, and that is why I am at home writing this now.  

I was told to give Vixey only water from now until the blood test is done.  

She would have to be on antibiotics for the bladder infection.

Before I left the clinic, the vet told me that we already knew Vixey had a neurological problem when she had the brain trauma.  Perhaps that problem is acting up now.  It was a matter of time.    

Whenver I brought Vixey to the vet (which was quite often), he has always told me, half jokingly, that I had "interfered with nature" when I rescued Vixey from the rubbish heap, and again, when I got her treated for the brain trauma.  We have been twice lucky.  

With Vixey, you will never know what would come up next.  

I will "interfere with nature" again today, and give her the best.

If you have time, could you please send positive healing energy to Vixey?

This is my little Piggy-Vix 

Vixey's health complications

1.  Brain trauma, possible neurological damage

2.  Spinal chord injury, causing urination and defecation problems

3.  Chronic constipation, required regular enemas and laxatives

4.  Growth hormone deficiency

5.  Kidney and liver ailment

Despite all her health problems and despite the fact that Vixey is mentally and physically retarded, she has helped me look after Indy, Kimba, Creamie & Crackers, and even Suki. 

I have been looking after Vixey for two years ever since I first brought her home from the rubbish heap. 

I will look after her and give her the very best. 

Suki....lost!!!

I'm not in the habit of creating suspense, so when I have something to say, I will start from the end. 

Suki WAS lost, but now, is found. 
(Amazing Grace, how sweet thy sound....)

PHEW!!!

Now, the story....

I had to go out to give a talk this morning, at about 9.15am, so my husband was looking after Suki.  This morning, he had let her play in the garden after which she was brought into the house and all the windows were closed. 

When I finished my talk and all the Q&A, which was after 12noon, I received a sms from my husband and it read, "Can't find Suki". 

Now, this IS serious, because I know my husband would not simply send an sms like that unless he has done everything possible to look for Suki.

I was on my way to visit ET at the clinic, so I made a quick dash there, made sure ET was alright, and sped home.

As I reached the gate, I saw my husband standing there, with a very worried look on his face.  Oh dear....not a good sign at all.

My husband is an extremely calm person who never panics, the type who is not worried even if "the sky falls down".  A worried look on his face is definitely NOT a good sign.  He was also drenched - it had been raining quite heavily in Subang Jaya. 

So, I rushed in and started calling Suki out loud.  All the cats had come home.  Every single one of them, including the roamers, Pole and Tiger. 

Indy followed me closely, letting out his distress call.  Poor Indy....

I think it was my second call when I heard a familiar Suki-sounding "ngiow".

I went towards the staircase and there....

Our little friend was RIGHT there!!  Just walking towards me like nobody's business!

Gosh...what a relief!

According to my husband, the moment I left the house this morning, he had started looking for her.  He looked all over the house, checking every nook and corner, calling her name out loud.  He even checked inside every cupboard but she was no where to be found. 

It was Indy who alerted him.  It seems Indy had been playing with her upstairs, then Indy suddenly came downstairs with his typical distress call. 

After all the futile attempts at finding her, my husband then went out to our road and the road behind to look for her, going inside drains as well, and Wii and Tiger accompanied him on his rounds.  

When it started raining heavily, he even stood inside the drains, thinking if Suki had gone into the drains, she might be washed out with the drain water.  

Then he came home, and looked all over again inside the house, calling out her name.  Even Indy went all over the house, looking for Suki.

Now, WHERE on earth was she for the entire THREE hours???

Here's our naughty girl (I mean Suki, not me!)

Here's Suki with Big Brother Indy

Indy was so relieved when Suki was found. 

PHEW!!!

We'll never know where she was hiding in those three hours, but my husband said, the next time I go out, Suki is going into the cage, under lock and key!  No more free roaming, even inside the house with the windows closed.

Suki's little adventure

Today, Suki got to go out to the garden to play!

Oh wow...!!

She was so, so incredibly happy to explore.

Bunny, Indy, Mac, Suki (in the flower pot), Bobby

Cow and Vixey also came out, but they are not in the photo.

Suki exploring the "catwalk"

We built this catwalk for the cats, and all our cats, during their childhood, had always loved walking and playing on this "catwalk". 

Always under the watchful eye of Big Bro Indy

Indy has been watching over Suki whenever she is out of the cage.  Many times when Indy lost sight of her, he would be seen dashing all over the house, even letting out a distress call, frantically looking for her. 

Indy has a very kind heart.

Look who is sharing the cage...

That's Bunny happily sleeping inside Suki's litter box.  All the cats seem to like the cage very much, and very often, Vixey is sleeping inside as well. 

Suki's had a really fun day playing in the garden.  She slept all afternoon, and here she is again now, sleeping soundly.   

Goodnight, folks.

Little Piggy-Vix

This is Vixey.  No, she is NOT up for adoption!  My daughter and I rescued Vixey and her brother from a rubbish heap about two years ago, and both of them are part of our big furry family at home. 

Vixey turned out to be "retarded", and has many complicated health problems.  She has kidney and liver problems, and lifelong constipation due to a spinal chord injury.

Vixey is on a special diet, on supplements and laxatives, and lately, her constipation has become so bad that I have to give her an enema every four days.     

Today, I brought her for a third opinion at Dr Edmund's.  A blood test was done, and it confirmed her kidney and liver problems.  We are going to try a change of food and a new supplement (from France) for Vixey now. 

So, sometimes, this is what having a pet entails, folks.  For better or for worse, once adopted, he or she is your pet for life.  And just as you would do everything possible for your child's wellbeing, you would do the same for your pet. 

Actually, your pet requires much more love and care than your child because a child grows up and can learn to be independent.  A pet...depends on you for life.