My beloved AC died today.

[spooky3]

He had hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. He was doing great on all his meds. for the past year, then this morning collapsed in pain and couldn't use his back legs, probably due to a loosened blood clot, so the emergency vet and I agreed it was time to let him go.

He was a wonderful good boy, who had been rescued about 5.5 years ago, after being dumped by a previous owner, declawed, to fend for himself in the city, outside in the middle of winter. Here he is just before I adopted him, after the rescue group had nursed him up to 7 lbs. from his starvation weight:



He was gentle and sweet and loved to go outside in his privacy-fenced back yard, and would "hunt" for his toys, as some of you may have seen in my prior posts about him here.

Here he is rolling around on his patio:



I loved him to pieces.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

1. RIP, AC.

He was beautiful. You gave him a good home and a good life. :hug:

[livetohike]

2. Oh my, I'm so sorry spooky3

:hug: What a beautiful boy he was. I hope the good memories you have of times with AC will help ease the sadness.

[Beaverhausen]

3. I'm so sorry

He was a beautiful boy. :hug:

[yellerpup]

4. So sorry for your loss.

He looks happy and confident in those photos. Bless you for giving him a good life and love. He's probably stalking frogs under the Rainbow Bridge while he waits for you. He looks like a kitty angel. :cry: :hug:

[spooky3]

5. thanks, everyone, for your kind words and thoughts.

[CountAllVotes]

6. :(

sorry to read this. I can understand how you feel, believe me. :(

:hug:

[spooky3]

14. Thank you, CountAllVotes. I am sorry you have had a similar experience.

Pets add so much to our lives but it is so hard when they leave us.

[City Lights]

7. Hugs and sympathy from our home to yours...

:grouphug:

AC was gorgeous! So sorry for your loss...:-(...I know all too well how much it hurts. Cherish your pictures and memories. :cry:

[spooky3]

15. Thank you, No Surrender. I am sorry you

know first hand about how much it hurts.

I've already started a list of all of his endearing attention-getting hobbies and habits. It is a LONG list!

[virgdem]

8. I'm so sorry..

I feel your intense pain, as I had a cat that died from a blood clot (stroke) and I didn't know at the time that she probably had cardiomyopathy. It's been five years (June of 2003) but I still miss her very much. I know this might be hard to imagine right now in this time of extreme grief, but time is a great healer and you will remember the good times with AC. He was a beautiful cat and I wish you peace as you deal with his passing.

[spooky3]

16. Virgdem, thank you for your comments. I am so sorry about

your experience but I am glad that you loved her so much and she loved you so much that five years later, you still cherish her and her memories. Our lives are so enriched by these wonderful creatures.

[BrklynLiberal]

9. What a love. So sorry for your loss of such a sweet furbaby.

Time and tears may make it possible to remember him with a smile someday.
No doubt you made his last 5.5 years a kitty-heaven on earth for him..

[spooky3]

17. Thanks for your kind thoughts, BrklynLiberal.

I was the lucky one.

[lukasahero]

10. I'm so sorry spooky3

He was a beautiful boy and looks so happy and loved in that last picture. It's obvious you gave him a wonderful life. :hug: What a sweetie.

[spooky3]

18. Thanks, lukasahero, he was beautiful. He gave back much more than he

received.

[undergroundpanther]

11. OMG he was so beautiful

What a darling. I am so sad for him. I hope you are coping ok with missing him. I miss my rustle,I see a bunch of his color fur sweeping the kitchen and I just cry. A dear cat you never ever really "get over" ya know what I mean?

I wish you comfort and I wish your kitty to paradise.

[spooky3]

19. Thank you, undergroundpanther. I know exactly what you mean.

Your words of comfort help a lot.

[Tammie]

12. How sad.....

Condolences, Spooky. Try to hang on to the wonderful memories and time spend with AC til you meet again. RIP, beautiful AC.

[blondie58]

13. (((Spooky))) I am so sorry

he was beautiful and looked like a real love.

[spooky3]

21. Thank you, blondie58, he had a beautiful heart and spirit.

I'll always remember his soft little paw pressing on my knee, telling me to get off the computer and pay attention to him!

[spooky3]

20. Thank you, Tammie. If there is a heaven, pets are definitely there.

[undeterred]

22. I'm sorry

Both our pets passed this weekend. I hope they are out of pain and in a place of peace.

[spooky3]

23. Awww, undeterred, I am so sorry too.

That is heartbreaking.

[Longhorn]

24. He was beautiful!

I'm so sorry. :hug:

[spooky3]

25. Thank you, Longhorn.

On Friday, he was pestering me to go outside with him. He would come to the door, as if he wanted to come in, and when I would open the door, he would walk away. This was one of his dozens of favorite hobbies. But I didn't feel like it Friday, and after he played this game with me a half dozen times, I finally picked him up and made him come in.

I would give anything to have that day back and go out with him one more time and pet him on his favorite patio stone.

[sandyd921]

26. So, so sorry for your loss.

He was gorgeous! I lost a kitty (also white with golden eyes) from the same ailment. I understand what you're going through.

[spooky3]

27. Sandyd921, thank you so much. I am sorry you lost your kitty

especially to HCM. My cousins who were in town just three weeks ago were laughing and saying AC would definitely beat the life expectancy predictions, he was so active. Sadly, we all were wrong.

[AZBlue]

28. I'm so sorry! He's beautiful!!

:hug:

[spooky3]

29. Thank you, AZBlue.

[Eurobabe]

30. Aww, what a beautiful kitty, so sorry

spooky3, he was gorgeous. :hug: RIP AC.

[spooky3]

31. 48percenter, thank you so much. I miss him terribly.

[alstephenson]

32. Oh, what a beauty. I'm so sorry for your loss.

I lost two kitties last year - and it still hurts. R.I.P., sweet AC.

[spooky3]

34. My deepest condolences, alstephenson. That is heartbreaking.

[alstephenson]

36. I've always wanted an all-white kitty.

They are so beautiful!

[spooky3]

37. Yes, they are.

I think what amazed me what was a fabulous personality AC had, and I wonder if it is a "white kitty" thing since other people have told me about some similarities to their white kitties. (It seems bizarre to talk about him in the past tense--I guess that's the denial stage of grief.) Even though he didn't like hugging and cuddling, he was so endearing because he loved attention so much. He loved being alive. I don't recall his ever biting me in all the years I had him, although he almost did in the waning hours, I think because he was in pain and believed I could fix it, if he could just get the point across.

I hope you get your all-white kitty some day.

[ceile]

33. So sorry!

I had to put my kitty down in May for the same reason. They said the surgery to give her back her mobility would be painful and the recovery too. I know I made the right choice, but still it was hard. :hug:

[spooky3]

35. Ceile, thank you, I am very sorry about your kitty.

The emergency vet said nothing would likely help and even if it did, research showed that the clots would recur fairly soon.

It was very definitely the right choice, but losing them hurts, no matter what.

It just seems so unfair that anyone, especially anyone so sweet and innocent as our loving pets, should have to suffer this fate, especially not long before their 9 lives should have run out.

[tencats]

38. He looks so happy in your photo

My Vet has commented to me when I have had a seriously ill kitty diagnosed or undergoing some uncomfortable procedure, "they don't whats wrong" or "they don't know their dying". She tells me that I guess because she thinks it will give me some relief from worrying over the cat. It doesn't help me and I think they do know in a their own way. Its good that you rescued him and discovered the HCM condition early and by medicating, AC had a little more time to be with you. I fell your anguish. Sorry to read about his passing, he was an exceptionally handsome cat.

[spooky3]

39. Thanks, tencats. I agree with you.

[MagickMuffin]

40. AC is soooo beautiful

I'm so sorry for your loss, spooky3.

We both have lost a part of our life and the joy and happiness our kitties brought to us. I'm glad you were able to rescue this sweet kitty and give him a loving home. I'm sure AC enjoyed having you as his companion and loving friend.

:hug:

[spooky3]

49. Thank you, MagickMuffin.

Only time can heal. I hope you are doing better every day.

:hug:

[TuxedoKat]

41. So sorry for your loss of AC

What a beautiful animal and he looks so cuddly in those photos. I'm glad he had you to take care of him.

(Hugs)

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

42. I am so sorry for your loss

very sorry.

[emilyg]

43. I am so very sorry.

[yellerpup]

44. My heart goes out to you.

Bless you for giving him a good, happy life. RIP, AC. He was a beautiful, sweet boy. :hug:

[japple]

45. He looks like an angel cat in the pictures you posted.

I've heard that when cats roll on their backs in front of you, it means they really love and trust you. Your dear AC had a wonderful life with you and his little furry spirit is probably still lurking in his favorite spaces. May your happy memories of him give you peace and comfort.

[spooky3]

48. That was what my sister-in-law called him too - and one of the reasons

I named him AC. Thank you so much. I miss him every day.

[hamsterjill]

46. I'm so sorry...

There are no words that would ever ease the pain, but thank you for providing him with a loving, safe environment during his time here on earth.

[spooky3]

47. Thank you, hamsterjill, jappie, yellerpup, emilyg, WYVBC, and TuxedoKat.

I really appreciate your kind words and thoughts. We are so lucky to have our wonderful pets in our lives, even if they are taken much too soon. And DU has such a great community of people who are both progressives AND animal lovers.

There is a happy new chapter to this story, however:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=243&topic_id=35759&mesg_id=35759