This is my cats page,..for Eenie, Meenie, Meinie, Moe, and now for MamaCat and Lucky...

June 14, 2007...Moe is doing GREAT and in case anyone who is facing the same painful decision to amputate, read on to find all the second guessing I did....and know that it was the BEST thing I ever did for me, as well as Moe..she is happy and healthy 2.5 years after her surgery, as a front leg tripod.

Meinie and Moe, 2001

UPDATE: April 19, 2005. Moe is a happy and healthy front leg tripod! Read her story:



Meoww, (Hello) to any one, two, three or four-legged creature that stops by to visit. My name is Moe and I am very shy, and usually run from anyone but my Mom and Dad. Since my mom wants me to tell you my story, I will try to be good and not go hide. She wants me to tell you about my life and how I came to have surgery to take off my front leg and shoulder, and how I feel about it.

Me and my sisters, Eenie, Meinie and Meenie, came to live with our Mom and Dad when we were 5 weeks old, that was 12 1/2 people years ago, and a very long and loving lifetime ago for a cat.

Our life story started before we were born. Our natural mother and her brother were abandoned and rescued by our first Mom, Cheryl, who just happens to be the daughter of our now Mom...Boy that is confusing.

Mom says that our mama, Meese and her brother Si were something like a seal point Siamese mix. She does not think they were pure blood because they were abandoned. Their owner moved and left them starving, skinny and wild when they were just babies. Our first mom enticed them with food and whisked them away to her house. They were so afraid, they did not come out of hiding in the house for a week, only slipping out to get food when no one was around. Our Mom Cheryl can tame anything though because she loves animals. So Si and Meese became part of the family. They were allowed outside, and so Meese got "in the family way" and we were born. There was five of us, three, including me and Meenie, were black. Two were gray brindle tabbies. It was sad, because the next morning. the third black baby had gone over the Bridge. I do not know how she got there since she was so little but they said she did. That left 2 of each color.

Cheryl, our Mom, shared a home with her brother, Robert. So we had two human parents to watch us grow. They loved us a lot. They had tried to figure out names for us. They gave us a temporary name in the order that our eyes opened. My Mom says I was the lazy one, since my eyes opened last, but it was just that there was nothing special that I was in a hurry to see.

Our first Mom had planned to go to college in the fall, and so she took us to her mama's house, took our mom Meese too, so her mom could find a good home for us. Meese went back to her own home with Robert since she had to go to the doc for her intestinal problems. That left just us four babies in the new home. They could not tell us apart, so Mom bought little ribbons to put on us for collars, Meenie was RED, I was GREEN and the two gray kitties were BLUE for Meinie and soft lavender for EEnie. That worked to help them know who was who til they could tell us apart. When we wear collars now, Mom still color codes us that way.

Since it was near Halloween when we came to live in our new home, Cheryl's mom would not put an ad in the paper for a home for us, she was afraid something bad would happen. So she just asked people. No one wanted us. (but Mom did, but she was afraid Dad would not let her have any of us, much less all of us).

At night when dad was sleeping in front of the TV, Mom would let us out of the bedroom that we were shut up in so we could run around and climb. We would run and run and play, but Mom would put us back in the bedroom before Dad woke up. Dad looked in our bedroom one time and asked Mom if she covered us up because there was a little pile of cats under the covers. We would crawl beneath the bedspread and sleep in a little huddle that looked like a little mountain under the cover. Mom started letting us out a little at a time to get Dad used to seeing us she knew we could not live out our lives in one bedroom. One day Mom went to the yard and pulled grass. She told Dad we needed greens so had him hold it while we munched on it as she cooked supper. She thought he might bond with us. It must has worked. One day our Dad said "You know you will not find a home for them as good as they have here", and my mom beamed. and said, "I am glad you agree." From then on, our "grandma" became our Mom. She and Dad love us in their own ways, and we have led very happy lives.

The first few years of our lives was uneventful. We live in the town but in a place where there are lots of trees and lots of room to run on two acres so we stayed inside at night but were allowed to be outside all day. Mom and Dad both had to work one weekend, and Meenie came up missing on our birthday, July 31, 2001. Mom looked and looked. She put up a sign that Meenie was lost, and for 12 days she got calls saying that cats had disapeared. Meenie was one of 13 that were never found. My mom will never stop being sad because she thinks someone took Meenie, and of course, we cannot tell her what happened in a way she can understand. For a long time she did not let us go out when she and Dad were not home. Dad has just started again and they say it is 2005 now.

The next few years was just me and Meinie and Eenie.

EENIE MEINIE

My mom brought another Black kitty into our house because her Mom was moving from a farm to a Senior Home. Her name is MamaCat. She stays to herself pretty much. She has been at our house for about 2 years. She is camera shy and runs away when Mom tries to take a picture of her, maybe she thinks Mom is trying to steal one of her 9 lives?

We have all been pretty healthy for cats of our wise old age of 12.5.Then last summer, in June, my left shoulder started hurting and I was limping. My Mom is always fast at taking us to the doctor, but Dad said that I had probably jumped from a high place and hurt my leg (he knows I like to be high up :). Mom waited, but then took me to see Doc Van Stavern. He was not there, but Doctor Jeter and Dr Bay looked at xrays of my leg and said it looked like arthritis. but when Doc got back, he saw a little dark spot in my shoulder and bone in an arch there. He thought it looked like a bone spur, but Mom told him she did not want to go to an kitty orthopedic surgeon. She decided to give me medicine for arthritis. It did not get better.I held up my foot all the time, my left shoulder was really swolen and I seldom walked on it.

MOE

Mom was giving me something called Metacam every other day. She was mixing glucosmine chondroiten in my food and giving me fish oil to help my joints. She hoped it would help, I don't think it did, but at least Mom could think she was doing something to help me.

It hurt so much to walk that I started sleeping a lot. Cats always sleep a lot but I was sleeping and only waking up for short times, I did not eat a lot either. I always slept at Mom's feet, but I got scared of her feet. She would touch me with them as she slept, and it hurt. My Mom would let me go outside when she got home from work, but I only stayed outside long enough to eat a little grass and sit in the sun, to feel the wind gently blowing though my fur. I did like rolling, taking a dirt bath. But I was not feeling any better.



Mom took me to see Doc VanStaven December 1st 2004. He took another xray. He told Mom the bad news. I had bone cancer. It had spread from my shoulder almost to my elbow in my left front leg. He told her he could amputate my leg and shoulder to be sure to get good margins. But my mom said I was old and she would not put me through that. She changed her mind back and forth so many times, because he did not promise her that I would be cured if he did the surgery. She cried a lot. She did not want me to see, because she knows I know when she is upset. One night she had a bad dream and was screaming in her sleep. I got out of my chair, hurting as I walked, but I had to wake her up and tell her it was ok, I was there.

Mom was talking to my first mom Cheryl, and said she could not imagine NOT doing something for me, because I was healthy all but a hurting leg. She said her leg hurts and she ould not want to have someone kill her because her leg hurt. She cried a lot. She would say she was going to do surgery. She asked the vet a lot of questions. Decided to do my surgery, then backed out again after Dad said he did not think I should be put through all that pain.

Then she found the VAS group, with lots of other tripod kitties that were healthy and happy. She decided to do the surgery, but was now afraid she had waited til the cancer had gone too far to stop, since the doc told her he could not see if the lymph glands were affected til he removed the leg. My shouldker was really swolen and puffy. But Doc VanStavern took off my front leg, shoulder and the cancer January 10, 2005.

When my mom came to see me the first time because I was out of it. when I tried to stand in the cage, I fell, and it looked like I had tears in my eyes. This made Mom cry but the vet tech told her that was just eye drops because kitties keep their eyes open without blinking during surgery. The next day I was ok, but I wanted to go home. They let me on the floor and I walked. I even thought about jumping up on the vet tech table but Doc would not let me. I walked pretty well because I had not been using that left leg for 6 months. I did not want to eat for six days and the doc was afraid for me. But finally I did start eating.

Mom got another scare when the lab results came back. It showed I had Osteosarcoma. Doc told her that in dogs it is fatal, and it travels to the lungs. But he did more research and found that cats react different to it and so it is rarely fatal.

All my mom knows is that we are living one day at a time and we are letting tomorrow take care of itself. We love each other and each day is a gift. I am back to my normal self, following Mom around all over the house and sleeping at her feet again. My mom is a happy lady. When she lets me outside, I have regained my confidence and have gone exploring the yard, jumping up on Dad's trailer and then down on the narrow trailer tongue without falling. Mom does not leave me without her watchful eyes on me. but I did slip off from Dad once. I like to go to the woods across from my house. But Mom got home and called me, and I love her and came running.

I will get stronger where I do not tire so easily, since the way I walk has twice the use and effort of having two front legs. But I am happy. and I hope me and Mom can share many more tender times.

. Mom Says to keep reading if you want to see her thoughts while I was sick, because she wrote all that stuff at the bottom of the page,

Moe, April 20, 2005

UPDATE: January 9, 2005

After my plea for help and advice that I posted below, I "Googled" "Pet amputation" and I came up with a webpage that came to be mine and Moe's saving grace. I do not have the address handy now but you can do a search for "Shorti" or VAS and it should lead you there. It lead me to a wonderful group of people with pets with far worse a malady than Moe's, since VAS is much more difficult to contain locally.Although the bone cancer is much easier controlled, it is still painful and life threatening. The other kitties have VAS, and so far this year it has taken two sweet precious furry friends. and I am making a webpage at this site to caution and explain just what VAS means and is. I will have the webpage up soon. The people of the group have a lot of Tripods that are making my decisions fall much easier since their experiences are passed on to me, so I know more of what to expect. Each person and animal is different, and will heal differently, but from the stories from the Group, we should have her back home Wednesday and while not "fit as a fiddle" at least well on the way to mending.

Tomorrow about 11:00 AM Central, the doctor will begin the surgery on Moe to remove the cancer which means the leg and shoulder have to go. I will take her in and stay with her a while, I have told my boss that a "family member" is having surgery, my job does not consider a pet a reason to miss work, but I do..so I will be late tomorrow, very late because I plan to take her about 8 and stay with her til 9-9:30. I saw the last time I took her that staying home for long was not a good idea, "smile" she kept going to the area that I feed her and giving me pleading looks, saying...."where' s breakfast" *G*

Second thoughts? Yes.....and No....I grieve for the loss of her leg and the trauma that she will have to endure the next few days. But I am looking forward to celebrating a long life for her.

Even though the vet cautioned me that "He made no promises and it was not necessarily a sure cure" and removing the limb may be useless, I have to think POSITIVE. I know this will do the trick.

When I last mentioned that fact, I was tormented over the fact that if that was the case, I would have to tell him to euthanize her to spare her more pain and trauma....

BUT, I "Switched horses in the middle of the stream" as some Southerners would say...

I called him, asked questions, like "How far do you need to go to see if the lymph glands are involved, etc." and found that the leg will be gone before he knows.

SO, I told him, "Doc, if you find something, I want her surgery finished as if there was no problem at all.....That way I can say goodbye to her when the time comes, in the way we both would want,....together....Together....

Hold us in your thoughts and in your hearts...I need the support to fully give Moe mine, without tears :) because she KNOWS when Mama is upset....She knows...

Today we had a really good day. I let her out earlier in the day, she stayed outside briefly, but a chill was still in the air. About two pm, she wanted out again, so I spent about 2 hours outside with her. The Texas weather co operated with scattered clouds, mid 60 degree weather, and the ground had dried enough that she could roll around and enjoy the feel of the sun on her body.I took a few pictures of her. It will be the last ones with all four limbs.

Then when she tired, and wanted inside, I fed her and then she sat beside me on the couch for a long time. She woke right about 9:30, which was the time that she could be fed last prior to her surgery. So she ate a good meal, I gave her some salmon treats, and she went back to sleep....

Tomorrow, January 10, 2005 is our big day....

Jimmie, and Moe



DECEMBER 14, 2004
HELP AND ADVICE NEEDED ASAP, PLEASE!
If anyone reads this who is/was a cat owner that has had to have a limb amputated, PLEASE write me at sunnye00(ATATATAT)yahoo.com. I need to know how the cat handled it physically, it's physical condition and mental attitude following the surgery. We took xrays of my sweet 12.5 year old kitty Moe and she seems to have bone cancer. The doctor's prognosis is to do a biopsy to determine if it is non invasive and do surgery. or not if invasive. I am so concerned about the pain she would be submitted to. I know that she could handle it in the regard that she has already gotten used to walking and running without the aid of her left front leg. She would be fine in that respect. BUT, what of the pain? during surgery, after surgery, months of recovery afterward? would she ever be the same? My baby has a goooooood memory and if she is hurt it takes her a loooooong time to be comfortable with the one that hurt her and I am afraid she would live after that afraid of everyone...a shoulder and leg amputation on a kitty... It hurts almost too much to think about it...but the thought of euthanasia is unbearable to me...but not as unbearable as thinking of her in pain... This kitty loves me and follows me everywhere, and when I am sick or upset, SHE KNOWS something is wrong, and comes to me for comfort, talking to me in a voice that I know just what she is saying..."Whats wrong? Can I help? I love you.." Advice needed asap... Moe's "MaMa" October 8, 2004-
I know each pet owner can understand that the love of a pet is a bittersweet relationship. They provide a lifetime of love for their master/friend. It does not matter if my spouse and I have an argument, they love us both. If you feel bad, they know it and want to comfort and help. Yet there comes a time that we must watch them age, watch them slow down, watch them in pain, or see them slowly drifting away....then we must say goodbye to them....and that is such a sad time...

That is where I am with Mo right now........

My babies, Eenie, Meinie and Mo are 12 years old and still act "young". Meinie and Eenie have no preference between me and my spouse. Meanie was my husband's (she thought :) but she dissapeared/was stolen July 31 four years ago. But that is another story.....

Mo should have been named Shadow because her entire life she has been my shadow. She is my baby. If I get off the couch to go for a drink, to work on the computer, to wash dishes, Mo would be beside me on the couch, get up when I did, and be under my feet, waiting on me. If I took too long doing dishes or working on the computer, she would be there meowing...meowing...meowing...and saying "Mama, I want to go to the couch." and would only be quiet when I did go back and she would lie beside me. She slept with me.

Mo knows when I am sick. She is there asking me if I am ok. She never meows (Except when she wants me to go sit down :) but since I never lay down during the day, If I do, she is there wanting to know if I am ok....asking in a voice that you know exactly that she is worried about you.

About 4 months ago, Mo got lame in her left front leg. I thought it was a sprain but when it got no better in a day or so, I took her to the vet. She had a bad tooth, so I had that tooth removed, and she took antibiotics, but it did not help. Xrays show that she has either a bone spur in her shoulder or arthritis in her elbow. I am giving her Omega 3 and Glucosamine-Conjointin.(sp?) This helps me somewhat but I cannot see that it is helping her. She no longer follows me. She no longer sleeps with me. Until a few days ago, she was sleeping near me. Now she is going up my stairs and being alone. There is no pain medication I can give her that I know of. She is not putting any weight on her leg now and runs as my spouse says "like a three legged cat".

She has no life...she has lost all the ability to do neat cat things. like make biscuits on me, or a blanket which she used to love to do. Or to scratch the scratcher. Or play with the toys...her life is made up of when she does want to go outside late evenings, just to lay in the yard or eat grass.

Her pain and my inability to help, and my fear of hurting her when picking her up or putting her down is just breaking my heart.

If there is a vet reading this that can advise me of more that can be done to aleive her pain, please write me at sunnye00(AT) yahoo.com.I am at the point where I cannot watch her hurting much longer since her quality of life is so degraded. And yet, that resolution that is so final, the loving euthanasia, I cannot do yet............but for her sake, I have to leave that as an option.

Please advise.......

WRITTEN: October 8, 2004

*********

UPDATE: Dec 2. 2004
I am in a quandry about what to do about Moe. I think I know what I am going to do but I want yalls opinion....

The diagnosis at the vet yesterday, Dec 1, 2004, was not good. Doc took an xray of her in June and it looked to him like she had a bone spur in her shoulder because there was a "hook" there, but an xray yesterday showed a dark mass from her shoulder to at least 3/4 the way to her elbow. So evidently in June, it was a dark spot making it look like a hook in the bone and the beginning of a tumor. and now he says that the tumor has "eaten the bone" and it seems to me that it is fast growing since that took about 5 months to go from nearly nothing to a lot of something.

He says he can take a biopsy and if it is not a fast growing then he can remove her shoulder and leg. If it is fast growing then he would not do surgery...I guess very "invasive" is more the word rather than fast growing. because if very invasive, he said it would likely spread anyway, so surgery was not a good option. If she did lose the leg, it would not be a big transition because she is already used to using just one front leg since the other hurts. She rarely puts weight on it when walking and she runs on 3 legs.

I remember doing the biopsy years ago on my cat Shiloh and it did not want to heal, and I do not want to put Moe through that in case surgery was not an option. But if I did do surgery that needs to be done asap since it is going fast....

She is 12 and a half years old. She sleeps a lot now and that has to be because of pain tho she does not "let on" except when I actually hurt her by accident. She no longer sleeps with me, or sits beside me when I watch tv, she just sleeps in a chair in the other room. And even if she had the surgery, who knows if she would again be back to the same old "Moe"? after the trauma of the pain and the stress of vet and surgery?

Her lungs and heart are in great shape so if we lick this, she could conceivably live to 15-20 years of age. She is 12 1/2 now.

The Doc is a neat guy and his heart was heavy as he gave me his findings.

The cost is a great expense, the money is important but Moe's welfare is also important to me.

Signed...Moe's "Mom"

EDITED November 29, 2006

Last edited June 14, 2007 Edited Dec 10, 2008...Moe and her sisters are now 16 and a half years old. LAST EDITED February 19, 2009

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