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Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Goodnight Midnight



It’s amazing how one small animal can make such a huge impact on your life. It’s true…I’m in mourning. This past weekend we lost a precious fur child to complications from inflammatory bowel disease. Midnight was one of the sweetest babies I’ve ever had the privilege of being owned by. She loved everyone and everyone loved her. It was impossible not to. She is the third fur child in five years in our family to succumb to feline IBD. After Alex, I didn’t think I’d have to deal with it again so soon. I was hoping not at all. But it was not meant to be. 

After my sister lost her husband, she moved in with us and brought her two cats, Moufasa and Midnight. Moufasa was sickly and it was not long before I recognized the symptoms of the dreaded disease I’d come to hate so much. Luckily his case was easier to handle than Midnight’s, but he did not live as long. I changed his diet to strictly raw food (Stella & Chewy’s) and it put an end to his uncontrollable diarrhea. He did very well for a long time. Sadly after almost two years, he developed a mass in his stomach and eventually we had to let him go. But with raw food, B12 injections and plenty of love, he lived a lot longer than we thought he would. 

After he passed, Midnight did very well for a few months and then began developing symptoms of her own. I was so upset and I couldn’t believe it was happening yet again. Because of all I’d learned between Alex and Moufasa, I was able to give Midnight an extra four years with us. Medications, B12, fluid therapy and diet all played a role and again, I learned so much I didn’t know before. In the end I know that’s a good thing and my knowledge can now continue to help others, as I did when Alex passed. But when it comes down to it, seeing yet another creature I love suffer is just unacceptable.


This disease is robbing us of way too many years worth of love and happiness. Yes, kitties with IBD can lead a very good quality of life but I defy you to find one pet parent that is accepting of what their babies have to go through, even in its mildest form. For me I’m left yet again to sift through the happy memories I have and try hard to remove the ones of how sick Midnight was at the end. Unfortunately it’s impossible to do completely and it hurts me terribly that she had to go through this at all. We need to push universities to further their research and make advancements into better treatments and hopefully a cure. The loss I experienced recently is one that’s happening every single day somewhere in this world and it’s leaving pet parents everywhere alone and traumatized. It has to end.

In the meantime, I’ll force the bad memories to the back of my mind and concentrate on how completely loving and affectionate she was; how she adored us and showed us every single day how big her heart was for such a little girl. She loved belly rubs, couldn’t get enough kisses and was the best patient for a sick kitty that ever lived. In all the years I had to give her pills, injections, fluids and occasionally syringe feed her, she never once fought me or made a fuss. She’d never even flinch. Until the very end where she was hurting so badly she couldn’t stand to be touched anymore and actually hid behind the bed for the first time.

Well Midnight, my sweetheart, there is no more medicine! No more poking with needles and no more losing weight and feeling lousy. You are free from all of that now and as much as it hurts us and we miss you, I can only hope you are running around and playing, having shed your old, broken body. I hope we meet again someday my sweet girl and until then I’ll see you in my dreams.

17 comments:

Carol said...

Snuffles. I learned more than I ever wanted to know about asthma with my Marrakech. I still grieve for her every day. And, I'm still learning from my girls, Colette and Samsara...about breast cancer, about asthma, about CKD and IBD. I don't wish their suffering on anyone, but am I wrong in saying that in some ways it brings us even closer than would have been possible if they had not been so sick? My first thought after I helped my baby, Marrakech, to the bridge was: 'who's going to take care of her now?' The memories--the happy ones--are yours to keep with you always. Sending big purrs & hugs. Carol, Colette & Samsara

IBDKitties said...

I think if it brought you closer with them then it's not such a bad experience. Middy never made giving her meds a bad experience. We used to sing to her and kiss her all over. In a way I miss that part.

Meezer's Mews & Terrieristical Woofs said...

Sending our continued comforting purrs and hugs.

IBDKitties said...

Thank you WeBeees! Love you guys! XXOO

Michele said...

You are on our hearts. Please know that we are carrying a small piece of your pain to try and help to lighten your load. She is running with Alex now, and our small "Trouble." She is whole again. Much love! Michele and Chiquitita

Timmy Tomcat said...

Love and purrs for everyone!

Fly free Midnight till the day we shall all meet again!

da tabbies o trout towne said...

lisa...you gave midnight the two greatest gifts of all; love throughout her entire life; compassion when you let her cross rainbow bridge to live as an angel

sending hugs and love to you

laura

IBDKitties said...

Thank you everyone. these last few days have been so hard. It's hard not to go through "wishing" things had turned out differently.

Anonymous said...

Its Heart braking to read All the Sadness with "Goodnight Midnight".
Our Dear "Bandit" Mix-Coon Cat 16 year of Age, har Lymphoma, Cancer , a Mass on His Spleen. He is has been getting Chemo for 5 weeks,but the Mass is still there. He has fluid in his Belly, it was removed, about 2 Cups of it mixed with Blood.He is loosing His appetite,just wants to hide from me, I'm giving Him medications All Day long, and He hates it, I don't blame Him. Reading this Blog, I'm learning a lot, I'm Not alone,wondering ? What Did I do, to My Dear Bandit, a Loving Wonderful Cat.Now I know, I gave Him A Bad Food ! Full of Poison.
I'm Cooking for Him now, but it's too late. I Wonder How The "Pet Food Monsters" can sleep at Night, knowing what's in it. I hate them !
What did our Pet's do ? to deserve this Horrible Death. I hope they will suffer,the way they made our Pet's suffer.

IBDKitties said...

I am so very, very sorry this is happening to your sweet Bandit. It's not fair. And no, you are not alone. But that's little consolation when we feel like everything is going wrong with our babies. yes, for Moufasa and Midnight, food was the culprit and by the time I took over their diets, it was too late. The damage was done. As it was with my sweet angel Alex. Too many losses.

Amy said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Amy said...

I am so sorry for your loss.

I have been reading your website now for a month after finding out my kitty Toby has IBD almost exactly 1 year after we lost our other kitty to diabetes (yet another slow and horrible path to the end) and I have to thank you for all the information you provide.

Like you I hate what this horrible disease is doing to many people's beloved pets. One good week followed by 3 bad ones and nothing I do seems to work, only make him worse.

I'm sorry you have cared for so many kitties who have developed this horrendous disease. I know they were better for having had you look after them.

Thinking of you in this tough time.

IBDKitties said...

Amy thank you so much. It's nice that my site has been able to help you. Yes, I miss Midnight every day and this disease frustrates and angers me. Is there anything I can do to help you and Toby? Please let me know, maybe I can help. Sorry you're going through this also. Hugs

Amy said...

Thank you so much for the offer. I'm honestly not sure what else I can do for him. I hope it's okay, I'll email you from your IBD Kitties main page, as you can imagine it's sort of a longish story and I don't want to detract at all from your goodbye to Midnight ((hugs)) back.

IBDKitties said...

Yes, please do! We'll talk and maybe there's something that hasn't been tried yet.

canadaalive said...

We just lost our kitty this past week to a strange and sudden illness that the vets couldn't put their finger on. For four days he fought, and the vets ran every type of test, but his results always came back normal. Meanwhile he was hooked up to an IV and panting in an oxygen container while his heart began to give out.

I'm determined to find out what happened, and then was thinking of starting a charity fund to sponsor university research into better feline health sciences. What do you think? Is this something you would think about getting involved in?

IBDKitties said...

First let me say how very sorry I am that you lost your sweet baby. It's so devastating and I know you need answers. The thing about me getting involved is that it would have to be specific to research into feline inflammatory bowel disease as that's what my blog and website are about. I'm sorry, I wish I could get involved further but this is what I've lost three kitties to and many, many more die from it each month. I've dedicated myself to this particular issue but I wish you luck in going further with your cause.