Mac's final journey

Mac's final journey and last rites:

Mac riding in the front seat, with Ming-Yi.

We brought Bobby along, too.

At the crematorium, we say our final goodbyes.

Best friends and sparring partners of 13 years.

My husband and Mac.

My father and Mac.

My mum whispers something to Mac. 

Just think, some humans don't even have the privilege of having family around them in their last journey...

James places Mac on a trolley, and wheels him into the furnace.  We all say our goodbyes as we watch the ignition and the door closes.

For Vixey's cremation, we went home after this point and James brought her ashes over the next day. 

Today, we stayed on because Ming-Yi had decided she wanted Mac's ashes to be scattered in the sea.  So we would wait till the cremation is complete.  James will do the final scatter off Pulau Ketam, in the same place as human ashes are scattered.  He hires a boat out for this purpose. 

We also decided we would let him scatter Vixey's ashes as well.  It has already been one-and-a-half months, and it is time to let go now.  James will pick up Vixey's ashes tomorrow from me, and scatter them together with Mac's. 

This is the waiting area.  James has set up a very, very nice and serene place for his clients to wait. 

Incredibly neat, tidy and simple.  I wish my house was this neat and "empty".

This is the columbarium.  Some people choose to place their pets' ashes here, while others place it only for a certain period before they opt for burial and other means of disposal.

Newspaper articles about James and his work.

A Chinese article.

From the English tabloids.

James gave up a bank career to start this memorial service when he realised there is a lack of such services for the community. 

I highly recommend everyone to support him simply because he is so very, very sincere in what he does.  He also does burial in unmarked graves (in the oil palm estate).  What he provides may not have the poshness and luxury of the more expensive (read: commercialised) services, but James' services is simple, dignified and elegant.  And he is very honest.  While my personal preference is simplicity and this suits me well, I am most impressed with his sincerity and compassion, most of all.   

Please support James Kho's compassionate work:

http://www.petmemorial.com.my/

There is soft music, magazines and drinks while we wait.

Bobby finally settles down and waits with us.

After an hour, the cremation was done.  James wheeled Mac's bones and ashes out for us to see.  They were very white and neat. 

Mac's ashes will be scattered in the sea, along with Vixey's.

Coincidentally, the moment we finished viewing Mac's ashes, the sky suddenly broke and there was very heavy rain.  The Malays like to call this "hujan rahmat" (blessed rain), and it often happens after a significant event. 

For Mac, it wouldn't be "rest in peace" because knowing him, he is already up and about, running around, barking non-stop in another part of the universe.

So, bark on, Mac!  But don't drive your new neighbours up the wall, please!

May you be well, happy and cheerful, Mac!

Mac's "grandparents" pay last respects

My parents live in Bukit Rimau and we drove them over since they wanted to pay their last respects to Mac before his cremation. 

In the last 13 years, whenever we went on overseas holidays, we would send Mac and Bobby (that's before the cats came) back to Ipoh to my parents' place for babysitting.  I moved my parents down nearer to me only recently. 

My parents love Mac and Bobby like their own grandchildren.  Indeed, they are more pampered there than at home!

Bobby still trying very hard to wake Mac up by licking him vigorously.  He even tried to pull Mac out of the basket, and kept trying to wake him up by pawing him. 

My father with Mac, while my mum looks on.

My mum with Mac.  Suki is also there.

Bobby licking Mac again.

Bobby telling my mum something...and my mum is consoling him.

Bobby was near all the time.

Tiger say goodbye.

Soon, James Kho of Pet Memorial Services, whom I had contacted this morning to make arrangements for Mac's cremation, called to say we could bring Mac on his final journey.

Mac passes away

Mac passed away peacefully early this morning after fighting on for about 2 weeks.  He fought till the very end, and even had a good meal last night.  He finally finished the can of AD he had been eating since he became sick. 

In the past few days, he regained his energy and could bark.  He would bark each time he wanted to urinate so that we knew. 

As Dr Susanna said, when pets still have their energy, they can choose when they wish to go. 

Mac chose to wait for my daughter, Ming-Yi, to finish her exams so that she could come back and look after him in his last days.  Ming-Yi looked after Mac for 5 days.

He chose to go this morning, after a brave struggle with degenerative diseases.

Mac is already reborn now.  He spent his final days surrounded by family and friends, in peace and with lots of love. 

I am going to have a hard time saying, "I have one dog now".  Mac spent 13 years with us.  He was such a spunky little guy, with tremendous "lung-power" (his non-stop barking irritated the neighbours till no end, they put in TWO complaints to the authorities!), and he was also incredibly sharp in his senses. 

We will definitely miss him.

He was still warm this morning, when I discovered he had passed away, at about 7.30am.  Ming-Yi said he did gasp for breath a few times, at about 5-6am this morning. 

Ming-Yi and Mac, with Bobby, his long-time companion (and sparring partner) of 13 years.

Suki is curious.  She won't know what is going on.

Bobby licked Mac's eyes for a long time, cleaning both sides.

Long-time compatriot cleaning his friend's eyes.  Bobby put his paws on Mac and tried to wake him up.  "Get up and fight, friend, come on...".  I had to take Bobby away.  At this point in time, Bobby is still trying very hard to wake Mac up.  I guess he does not understand what death is.     

We would like to thank the following friends for their messages of condolences:

From Terry Saw: He fought till the very end, a tiny fella with a big soul.  Mac is probably causing havoc right now in some other part of the universe!  May he be well and happy.

From Mun Yee:  May Mac be in a better existence now.  I will try to come for his cremation. 

From Mary Yap: My condolence to you and family on the passing of Mac.  May he be reborn in a higher realm. 

Thank you, Mary, for coming over to give Mac "Dhamma pills" from your Guru Rinpoche on Monday night.  I gave Mac a pill that night itself.  I'm sure it has helped him regain his wellbeing and be more at peace. 

From Dr Susanna Brida: Although I feel (and feel with you) your sadness having lost a sweet and loyal companion.  It is Mac's peaceful passing away that gives comfort.  He had lived his life gracefully until the end.  What a truly beautiful soul!  He shall never be forgotten, together with his many friends.  I will be with you in my heart.  I truly feel with you the great loss of a wonderful companion.  But my guess is that while we mourn our loss, Mac is happily united with friends, able to move freely and full of energy once again!

Yes, dear Dr, Mac is happily prancing (and barking non-stop!) in "Rainbow Bridge" with Vixey looking on, and Kimba as well. 

Mac's cremation will be in Puchong Perdana this afternoon, at 12.30pm.  

As Terry said, Mac is probably somewhere in the universe now, full of energy and creating havoc (disturbing some other neighbour!).  

May you be well and happy, Mac!

After the first acupuncture session

This is what I've noticed about Tiger after the first acupuncture session yesterday.

A very much better appetite!

Sleeps much better and more relaxed.\

As I've said earlier, he also seems more confident than before and is more willing to come home when I go looking for him.

I spoke to the vet this afternoon, about Tiger's earlier blood test results.  There seems to be no alarming results except for an increase in the globulins, which indicates possible kidney problems.  I was told to give him kidney protectors like Omega-3 and Omega-6 oils. 

But the vet says there is no immediate hurry to buy him these supplements. 

One day at a time, I suppose. 

And how is Tiger doing?

I spent the morning hunting around for as many types of better quality canned food as I could, for Tiger.  Dr Susanna had said that I should let Tiger eat what he likes, as long as it is good food. 

So I came back today, armed with no less than 8 types of different canned food for Tiger to try. 

The things we do for our pets!!

This morning, he did NOT like the two flavours of Addiction that Cathy had given me.  Goodness gracious, Addiction is an expensive brand, mind you, and he said, "No, I don't like it!" and that's that.

I finally thought he might like this one...

Hah!  And how aptly named too - Fussie Cat!!

He did!  He loved it to bits!  Well, it's tuna and salmon plus some veges.  I gave him kibbles first, then tried out the Fussie Cat and he lapped it all up, went for seconds, thirds and fourths!  And left the remaining kibbles. 

You have no idea how relieved I am to have found a type of food that he likes!  Otherwise, the only thing he liked was sardines.  And I know our canned sardines has too much salt. 

Tiger has his meals inside my room, away from the gang, because he feels so intimidated by everyone else. 

I went out to change his water, and when I came back inside, Tiger was sitting on my chair!

If he dares sit on my chair, it's a good sign.  Being the timid person that he is, this is an achievement!

But look at him up there - you can see he's afraid and not sure if he has done something wrong.  Poor little thing....

You can almost hear him say, "Oh, oh...have I done anything wrong?"

You can sit there, Tiger.  It is alright.

So, we shared the chair.  50% space each.

Later, Tiger went back to his cage all by himself and is now sleeping soundly.  This is another achievement - the fact that he goes back to his cage all by himself.  It means he no longer perceives the cage as "punishment". 

Whew!  I'm happy....

Also, this evening, when I went to the neighbour's to bring him back (as I do every evening ever since he got sick), he was waiting for me on the neighbour's porch.  Normally, I would have to call for about 10 minutes or more before he came out (from nowhere), but today, he was waiting for me right there!

Another small achievement.  I hope this means he does not mind coming home anymore, and does not view it as a punishment (eating medicines and being caged for the night).  Or, perhaps he feels much better and is therefore, more confident? 

I certainly hope so...

Tiger's first acupuncture session with Dr Susanna Brida

After I contacted Dr Susanna Brida early this morning to make an appointment for Tiger, she sent me a long email, with 32 preliminary personalised questions so that she may know Tiger's background better.  I was very impressed with the meticulous and caring way she approaches each patient, and answered as best I could, providing all the information that I knew.

The appointment was set at 2pm, and Dr Susanna arrived on time.

The good doctor spoke at length, explaining the principles of TCVM (Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine).  The more she explained, the more it made sense to me.  Being more inclined towards natural and holistic healing, what she said fitted in very well with my own beliefs and preferences on healing and health.  And what I like most of all is that she has had so much experience in her own practice that what she shared was experiential knowledge, not merely book knowledge. 

A lot of the book knowledge is pretty much out of date, she told me, and this, I must agree.  Just take a look at the secondary science book - so much of what is taught to our children IS absolutely...ancient!

Dr Susanna spent some time getting to know Tiger first.  I could see that she loves animals very much.  Tiger was quite ok and did not show any signs of unfriendliness at all. 

After assessing Tiger's condition (by asking me a series of questions), we were ready to begin Tiger's first acupuncture session. 

Dr Susanna explained that Tiger has a "wind" problem, in Chinese traditional medicine terms.  He also has a lot of "yin" (dampness or "water") in him.  But she is glad I am addressing the problem at an early stage when Tiger still has a lot of energy in him and is not weakened yet.  When there is energy in the animal, this energy can be moved, and recovery is possible. 

Let's start, shall we?

Although the needles are so incredibly fine and the "pain" (if any) is only one-tenth of a mosquito bite, Tiger was angry.  I guess he was just frightened, not in pain.

Soon, Tiger got really angry (first time in his entire life!), and I got bitten.  Ouch, ouch!  I couldn't handle him anymore, so Dr Susanna had to do it by herself. 

These are the pressure points for the kidneys.

The most important point for Tiger's ailment - behind the ears.

There...that's the point.

There, there, good boy.  Now, we wait...for 20 minutes or so.

After Dr Susanna got all the needles in, we had to wait 20 minutes.  Tiger was surprisingly calm.  However, a few of the needles had already fallen out in the process of the insertion of needles due to Tiger's struggle and his tensed muscles.  Dr Susanna said it was alright because it's the stimulation that matters. 

I learnt so much from Dr Susanna today, about holistic health and nutrition for animals.  It made me realise I've been doing certain things wrong.  I'm definitely going to correct these errors!

As for Tiger's FIV, Dr Susanna explained that it is actually VERY difficult for a cat to spread FIV to other cats.  Even with bites, there is no certainty that it will spread.  There's just too much fear and ignorance about FIV that has caused these FIV+ cats to be discriminated upon.  I'm so glad to learn this, and now I know what I can do for Tiger - actually, pretty much the same for my other cats. 

And, I'm most happy to know I can continue giving (read: bribing) Tiger with sardines.  And along with the tomato sauce too!  Now, this is a great relief.  And I learnt about natural nutrition and what's good for cats.  For the first time in my life, a vet is telling that canned food is much better than kibbles.  Dr Susanna reasons (and it does make sense) that kibbles have been baked to 220 degrees, it is already so de-natured and most of the nutrients are gone.  Give them home-cooked food, if you can.  If you can't, then canned food isn't so bad, after all.

I told her that Bobby has completely stopped eating his dry senior kibbles, and to this, Dr Susanna said, "Bobby is smart.  The kibbles would kill him!".  So, I'm ok with giving Bobby his Pyramid Hill wet canned food, or just natural food that I can cook for him. 

Tiger, quite happy, after the session.  Dr Susanna gave him some treats!

Dr Susanna also explained (and I agree) that Tiger should be allowed to keep his habit of going to the neighbour's every day if he is happy that way.  No point caging him at all since this would just stress him out. 

I'm really so, so happy with Tiger's first session (despite getting bitten!) and very grateful I've learnt so much about caring for animals the natural way. 

Thank you, Dr Susanna.  Tiger's next session will be next Monday, same time.  I'm also arranging for Dr Susanna to take a look at Mac, hopefully on Thursday.

Fo those of you who are interested in trying out natural therapy for your pets with acute or chronic diseases, especially terminal cases, you may want to consult Dr Susanna. 

She is easily one of the most caring, compassionate and knowledgeable vets I have ever met.  She really cares very much for her patients. 

Check this out:  http://www.asiapaws.com/

Acupuncture for Tiger

My friend, Alicia, told me about an animal acupuncturist a few weeks ago, but at that time, I had no case that required help.

And yesterday, Kelvin Ng wrote to say a certain acupuncturist had done wonders on Legacy, the dog he had rescued off the street (please see previous posting).  Coincidentally, at the Cat Show, Alicia advised me to seek alternative therapy for Tiger.  She mentioned acupuncture, chiropractic help or reiki.

So today, I contacted Dr Susanna Brida, a vet who practises acupuncture on animals.  She is also the one whom Kelvin Ng had consulted for Legacy. 

I'm arranging for an appointment for Tiger today, if possible. 

Stay tuned...

Meanwhile, please read more about Dr Brida:  http://www.asiapaws.com/html/aboutdr.html

And also, if you know of any reiki master or teacher (better still, if he/she specialises in treating animals), could you give me his/her contact details? 

Thank you.

Mac is much better now

We were told last week that Mac was dying and his ruptured cornea would not heal.  The eyedrop would just prevent it from getting worse, and it would be good enough if the condition of his eye remains status quo.

After more than a week's medication and nursing care, Mac seems much better now.  Last night, he even barked and attempted to ward off Bobby's invitations for a fight! 

Here's Mac.  The pus from the ruptured cornea has actually shrunken very significantly. 

He still has to be handfed three times a day, though.  He is still on the liver supplement (Liv-52 from Himalaya), Neurobion, Baytril and painkillers. 

I hope Mac feels better - I think he does, judging from his behaviour.

My daughter is back for holidays now, so she can help look after Mac as well.

Tiger's condition

Tiger has finished his medication already and the vet feels he should be off medication for some time, and let his body heal naturally, as much as possible. 

On my own, I am now giving Tiger Spirulina Pacifica (a supplement for humans, supposedly a very good one), one capsule per day.  I hope this would boost his compromised immune system (Tiger was tested FIV positive last week, and has a persistent limp on his leg fore leg which cannot seem to heal).

The other persistent wound on the back of his ear is healing very nicely now and I'm glad.

Here's Tiger, striking a majestic pose on the kitchen slab.

Tiger did not like the large condo-cage I bought him, so I exchanged that for a one-layered cage, which he prefers.  Suki also got a brand-new cage with a ladder, which SHE loves!

I "bribe" Tiger with sardines (his favourite!) so that coming home isn't such a bad thing, after all.  He still prefers to go to the neighbour's house in the day time, and come evening, I will go over and bring him back. 

I've noticed (or I'm just being optimistic and hopeful) that Tiger has begun putting that limp paw on the floor more often.  For me, that's a good sign and an improvement.  No harm thinking positive and being optimistic.  The vet had said he would probably limp for life, so any minute improvement is a good sign for me.

But normally, here's how he would sit.  Notice the limped paw is slighty above the floor.

Are you seeing double?  No, no...that's Wii on the left (Vixey's brother).  Both of them are looking at Indy and Bunny on the kitchen slab.

Indy and Bunny, getting their fill for the day.

Due to my two domineering alphas, Cow and Bunny (that's Cow on the washing machine), Tiger does not have his own space in the house (or rather, he had never fought for one, being the Gandhi that he is), that is why he prefers the neighbour's porch.

 

Here's Tiger, waiting for me to open the window so that he can go out into the garden, and later, to the neighbour's house.

That's Bobby keeping a close watch on Tiger.

"Tiger is my best friend, so don't nobody try to bully him!"

Mac's news

Mac is now eating AD, but in very small doses.  He is a really resilient and tough little fellow.  His eye has not deteriorated, so that's really good.

Now, every morning when I come downstairs, and it's palliative care for Mac and Tiger first.  

That's what you do when you have sick pets.  For better or for worse, you nurse them and look after them as best as you can. 

 

Tiger's news

Ever since Tiger was found to be limping, I've been going out to the road to "call" him back every day.  It usually takes about 20 minutes of calling, and he would appear from nowhere and walk towards me.  Even my neighbour doesn't know where Tiger is.  Somehow, he would just appear when I call.

This morning, after a whole night of being caged in his new condo, Tiger appeared to be very stressed.  He also did not poo or pee all night.  I thought the stress won't do him any good, so after his breakfast and his medicine, I let him out.  He went into the garden, then disappeared.  Even limping, he can move pretty fast. 

I did not see him all afternoon.  I thought I should not disturb him since his next dose of medicine is only due in the evening. 

This evening, after coming back from the vet's with Bobby and Suki, I went out in the rain to look for Tiger.  It was already 7.30pm and it was still raining.  Each time I call for Tiger, I am always afraid he would not come out.  

This evening, I was more afraid than usual because for the past few days, I had been bringing him home to be caged and given medicine to.  And he definitely did not like it.  I was afraid Tiger might choose not to come out anymore, or worse, to run away.  

Nevertheless, I called and called.  

Tiger was nowhere to be seen. 

After 20 minutes, I thought I'd go back.  Maybe he won't come out in the rain. 

Just as I was closing my small gate, out of nowhere (again!), Tiger walked towards me and looked at me with his soulful light green eyes. 

Tiger!! 

I dropped the umbrella, scooped him up, and praised him for coming back.

I quickly brought him into the house, bolted the windows, and brought him into my room.

I thought I should give him a treat since he agreed to come back (I know the vet would never agree to such bribery), so I gave him Mac's AD.  Normally, Tiger doesn't like meat, but he ate the AD very heartily.

I've decided (for now) that I must bribe him every day - as an incentive to come home, so that I can let him rest and also feed him his medicine.

Here's Tiger, happily snuggled up in his baby basket, after an AD dinner.

Bobby coming to see Tiger, but can't help scratching his ears because of the ear cleaner.

Hey, old friend...

But why am I in jail? 

Jailbird Suki had been EXTREMELY naughty and almost destructive today.  When put in the small cage outside this morning (I was spring cleaning and needed to bring recyclable materials out to the garbage bin, so had to keep the door open), she even got her head stuck between the cage door and was screaming in pain.  Luckily I was home. 

No more caging her in the small cage.  She is getting to be too strong for it. 

Later, in Tiger's condo, she created havoc and brought down the ladders....TWICE.

Discipline....    

Bobby and Suki go to the vet's

I brought Bobby and Suki to the vet's today, Bobby - for a check-up since he is also 13 years old (like Mac), and Suki - for her 2nd vaccination. 

The vet had earlier expected Bobby to also have bad teeth and tartar (like Mac), but surprisingly, when checked, the vet said he had very little tartar, and his teeth are still in good shape.  I was surprised, because both Mac and Bobby eat the same food.  In fact, Mac is more on dry food.  Bobby gets wet food now and then, because he's good at "persuading" us (read: blackmailing?).  The vet said it's sometimes due to the conformation of the teeth, not the food. 

Generally, the vet gave Bobby a clean bill of health for a 13 year old.  The only area of concern is that one of his testicles is twice the size of the other.  The vet said I'd have to monitor this, in case the size changes again.  The other minor problem is ear mites in his ears.  

We took time to pluck out his ear-fur, and then clean his ears up.  

While this was going on, Suki was also in the clinic, and well...Suki will be Suki.  The vet observed that she is very boisterous (whoa!!  She is???  Isn't that an understatement, actually?).  YES, she certainly is.  And even in that short time, the vet had to hold her by her scruff and discipline her.  He told me I MUST discipline her and be very firm with her, else she might turn out to be an aggressive cat later on.  

It is very difficult to treat an aggressive cat when sick.  

I was told that some vets and even their owners opt to put down an aggressive animal with a treatable disease simply because they cannot even approach the animal to feed it its medicine.  It bites and scratches.  The only other way is to sedate them, but sometimes the animal should not be sedated.  

Ok...I must discipline the naughty-one.  

Any tips - please share with me?  

I'm quite a hopeless disciplinarian.    

Why Tiger's limping does not heal

I brought Tiger again to the vet this morning.  It's been almost a week since his limping started.  Initially, it appeared to be the Calicivirus, the bug that causes "shifting lameness".  Then, the lameness shifted to the front left paw and seemed to have stayed there. 

The vet told me five days ago that it should heal with the medication within three days, but it has not. 

So, today, the vet said it would have to be a very thorough check-up with blood tests and xrays. 

A blood test revealed that Tiger is FIV+.  This is the feline immunodeficiency virus, a cat version of the human HIV.  This sort of explains everything now:

1.  The persistent wound behind the ear that would not heal.  It would appear to "heal", then would erupt every few days. 

2.  The lameness that refuses to heal.

Tiger, being FIV+ has an immune system that has been compromised.  Hence, healing is difficult. 

Later, after a lengthy discussion with the vet, Tiger's condition might even explain his timid character.  The xray revealed "doughnuts" in the lungs.  This is the layman's term to describe enlarged "tubes" in the lungs.  Tiger may have been suffering from mild oxygenation problems, thus making him timid because he has difficulty breathing (this is not obvious to us). 

Tiger has been timid ever since he was rescued as a baby.

So, I now have another FIV+ cat in my colony.  Bunny is also FIV+. 

I suppose when you choose to rescue stray kittens and adopt them, you have to be prepared to face such eventualities.  They come with all kinds of diseases and symptoms.  It could be either genetic or picked up from the street. 

Earlier, right after I boarded Tiger this morning, I went to buy a cat condo for him.  I figured he would need cage rest to recover from his lameness.  No more sneaking out to the neighbour's anymore.  This morning, I found Tiger limping in the middle of the road!  

Now, the vet says Tiger may never recover from his lameness due to his compromised immune system.  But to the vet, the lameness is the least of his worries.  He explained that if you had AIDS, would you worry about being lame?   

Here's Tiger in his new condo.  I had set it up in our covered backyard, but decided to bring it into my room, next to Suki's house.  I spent the entire afternoon clearing up my stuff just to make space for this huge condo.  

Tiger was quite unhappy being caged, but soon, he decided he'd use the litter box as a bed.  Here he is now, resting, after a long day at the vet's. 

Of course I am upset that Tiger is FIV+, but that's life.  These things happen.  And you would just have to take it in your stride and do your very best for these angels who come into your life to give you a chance to practise unconditional love and compassion.

Tiger is my angel.  

One day at a time.  For now, it's nursing his lameness, hoping for a miracle that it might heal.  Liquid spirulina to the rescue! 

One day at a time.  Indeed, isn't that all we have? 

Mac's condition

After coming home from his tooth extraction (five rotting teeth got pulled out), Mac actually ate his wet food, and I was so happy!  The vet had said that if he still does not eat, the next to go would be his infected eye, and this means Mac has to go under general anaesthesia. 

But the next day, all the food was vomited out - undigested.

And he stopped eating again.

I had no choice but to feed him liquid spirulina (thank you, Sumitra).  At least that's some protein going in, which is easily-digestible. 

Last night, I decided to try giving him eggs, so I syringed some raw egg and fed him.  He seemed to eat a bit. 

This morning, he ate half an egg by himself.  I called the vet and he advised me to half-boil the egg.

Mac lapping up some of the half-boiled egg by himself.

Suki is interested - in both the egg and the syringe.

She just had to try this yellow-coloured concoction, but decided it wasn't very nice.  Of course - what's egg compared to her Royal Canin kibbles. 

Bunny tried some too, and did not quite like it either.

Surprisingly, Mac's eye "looked" better after the frequent application of the antibiotic eyedrop and eye ointment.  But the vet had told me it will not get any better.  We are just preventing it from getting worse.

So, it's day-by-day for Mac now. 

I'm doing my best to keep him as comfortable as possible. 

Mac is really a tough guy.  The toughest I've ever seen. 

Hang in there, Mac ol' boy. 

The meek shall inherit the earth.