A Life Too Short

The little guy showed up one day in late May/early June. About six months old give or take according to his size and overall kitten demeanor. Cute little face that looked so much like Bonsai's had at that age and him gone only six months. It seemed this little guy had been sent to me by Bon. Sadly, I couldn't save him as I had Bon's pregnant mama (Baby) and therefore Bon and his siblings. 

No. Buddy - so named because of the way he followed me all around the yard, my little buddy - used all of his nine lives at once. 

Who knows where he really came from? Probably dumped (or his mama was) in the park a few blocks away. He didn't know how to play, how to interact with humans really only that I seemed nice and fed him. Wasn't too keen on being picked up unless it was to show him something interesting (such as the bird feeder). But he was learning.

Every morning he had breakfast on my deck and then we'd play chase the stick with a willow branch. I could pet and comb him while he ate. Sometimes pet him otherwise and he liked to show me what a cute tummy he had. He was learning not to nip/bite and otherwise learning his manners. We were making progress. He'd help me in the yard, pounce at me from behind things and LOVED to watch the birds at the feeders. Even went up a willow tree after a very tolerant blue jay who calmly just hopped out of reach when Buddy got too close. Of course he then got confused and I had to talk him out of the tree, pointing at which branch to step on next. He listened, followed my suggestions, got down and came over to flop at my feet as if to say "I almost had him! Did you see?" He listened to when I told him to get back a car was coming. He would sit down and wait, looking up at me until I told him it was okay to cross then off he would go on one adventure or another. He would come by in the evening an meow at the door for me to come out. We'd play chase the stick some more and then he'd sit with me on the deck, have a little dinner and just hang out. Once he did crawl into my lap but in typical kitten fashion got up as soon as  a dragonfly zoomed by. He wasn't sure whether the hummingbirds were birds or really big bugs so he didn't approach them.

But about two weeks ago now he didn't seem himself. Not much appetite and only half-hearted play. Over the weekend he looked thin suddenly, had lost weight. I'd been trying to catch him since noticing the change to get him to the vet and almost had him on Tuesday but he got away. He came Thursday and was walking as if in pain, but he still trotted over tail high (not quite his usual run) and ate well although was otherwise listless and his ears were very hot (sometimes a sign of a fever in cats). Yesterday he could hardly walk, was suddenly painfully thin. You see, fever and wasting away are the end stages of a very serious illness and I was terrified. I had no trouble getting him into the carrier using his food as a lure. He cried a little in the car but not much, not as you'd expect for such a new and scary experience, staying mostly focused on his food.

We got to the vet and they took blood. His screams will haunt me. Poor baby was so dehydrated even though at the house he always drank quite a bit of fresh water, and his veins were bad so they had a hard time. They brought him back to me and he ate some more while we waited. Then the awful news: Feline AIDS also known as FIV. Never heard of it? If you own a cat you need to know about it. Click HERE to learn more. 

My indoor cats are behind in shots due to issues with illness last summer but we were all tested as kittens and vaccinated annually (until recently). It is passed by blood to blood contact and Buddy didn't fight with anyone. Sparky dashed out once and slapped him on the head but he didn't slap her back and she dashed back inside before I think he knew what that tabby whirlwind had been.

Buddy wasn't afraid of anything though, A neighbor has a HUGE bloodhound and regularly walks him passed the house. There went Buddy, trotting right up to this dog whose whole head was bigger than this youngster. Touching noses and making friends. Buddy SO wanted to make friends. But he didn't have the time. He sat on one side of the glass outside the porch on the railing with Sparky on the other just looking at her. He asked to come in but as he hadn't been vetted yet, I couldn't let him. His time was running out and I had no idea I would never be letting him inside. 

There was no way to save Buddy. He was starting to really suffer. I know that letting him go was the best thing to do for him but I am heartbroken. Devastated. It simply should not be. He should have been able to have a happy home and be lobed and cared for well into his late teens. But he probably contracted FIV in utero. He had no fight marks on him of any sort. And since every other animal was his friend I doubt he'd ever been in a fight to have blood to blood contact.

His life was far too short. But I lived him, I pray it was enough to make his short life worthwhile for him. 

The only time I could truly hug his sweet little body as he deserved was after he was gone (we were still working on snuggles). And I hugged him long and hard and told him how wonderful a boy he was over and over. He is buried in the backyard under that willow tree the tolerant blue jay frequents.