To Charlie's Memorial Page
"Hi! My name is Charlie. I'm a male gray tabby, who just found a new home!! I am so happy now..... especially since winter is coming. *grin* My new mewmie is wonderful, and my brofurr and sisfurrs are getting used to me."
That's how Charlie's page started out a little over a year ago, on this very web site. Charlie was with me from the middle of October, 2000, until November 5, 2001, when he crossed over the Rainbow Bridge at the vet's office. He left me quietly, with little fuss, as he had come to me last October. He was a sweet, unassuming cat, who loved to cuddle and purr. He had such a cute way about him, endearing himself to you almost immediately.
Charlie, according to my vet, had lived a very hard life. When I took him to the vet for a checkup, when I first got him, he had nicks in his ear, about half of his teeth missing, a kink in his tail, and a "hitch in his get-along." The vet said the last two had probably come from being struck by a car at some point in his life. The vet also said he was at LEAST ten years old, and probably much older.
I really feel like the Lord sent him to my house to make sure he had, in his last year on this earth, what he probably never had much of during the biggest part of his life -- lots of attention, food, shelter, toys, and most of all, lots and lots of love and cuddles.
Charlie thought he should be the top cat of the house, which didn't go over too big with Caesar. Caesar never quite reconciled himself to the fact of Charlie living in "his" house. But he did tolerate him -- and the last few weeks of Charlie's life, he even comforted him, sleeping next to him when Charlie was so sick with the "kitty flu." (Caesar got the "kitty flu" himself, as thanks for that! LOL)
But Caesar & Chicklet both seemed to know Charlie's time was short, because the last few weeks of his life, and especially that last weekend, they were extra nice to him, not even having any "kitty tiffs," as they were prone to do. They all got along, and were very tolerant of Charlie, as if they knew what I didn't.
That last weekend was hard, because he got so sick so fast. I noticed that Charlie was just laying in one spot from Friday morning (November 2, 2001), till noon, and then when I got home at 5. So I got up early Saturday morning (November 3rd) and took him to the vet.
The vet said he was dehydrated.... I don't think he'd been drinking that much, and I didn't see him eating at ALL on Friday. The vet gave him two BIG syringes full of liquid to hydrate him. And a shot of vitamin booster stuff. He sent a syringe home with me with the vitamin booster, that I needed to give him Sunday. Then, the vet told me to bring him back into the office first thing Monday morning, November 5th, to get some blood work done. He also gave me some "Nutri-Cal" which is probably a kitty version of Ensure, except it's in a paste form. He was to get about an inch long ribbon of that once every 2-4 hours.
Another thing the vet discovered during his examination was that Charlie was losing his eyesight..... and he was concerned about the reason why. He said it may be either his kidneys or liver not functioning as they should.
SO I took all that information, and Charlie, back home. I only left long enough to go to the store, and get some groceries. But aside from that, I stayed with him all day that Saturday, making sure he had the Nutri-Cal every few hours (which he hated, by the way). On Sunday, I left long enough to go to church, and when I came home, a teenage son of some friends of mine came over and gave Charlie the shot he needed. (this is the same guy who helped with Cleo when I had to put her down - he works at my vet's office.) He came back later on that night with some more shots to hydrate Charlie, as well as some more vitamin shots. But Charlie just kept getting weaker and weaker.
Because I had to be at work, answering the phone from 8 a.m. to 8:30 a.m., till the "regular" receptionist arrives, I asked a friend of mine to take Charlie to the vet that Monday morning, November 5, 2001 - because of him being in such bad shape, I wanted to get him in as soon as I could. I told her to let the vet know I would be there as soon as I could.
She took Charlie to the vet and dropped him off, and came to my office before I could leave. She told me that the vet didn't hold out much hope for Charlie, and that he was not getting any better. She told them I'd be stopping by to check on him.
Well, by the time I got there, around 8:45 or so, the vet told me that Charlie had passed away about five minutes after my friend had left. The vet also said it WAS his kidneys that were shutting down (after all, he WAS an OLD, OLD kitty).
The vet had already put him in a box for me, so I took him to my friends' house, where Cleo is buried. They said they'd put him beside Cleo, and put a marker up, like Cleo's. I stayed and talked to the lady (this is the mom of the teenage boy who works at my vet's office) for a little while, and we both talked about Charlie and cried together.
I know Charlie was a gift from the Lord to me, even though I only had him for a little over a year. He was a joy and a blessing the whole time I had him. I wrote someone in an email, about Charlie,
This page is dedicated to the memory of Charlie, the laid-back, stress-free cat!"Oh, believe me, he was the epitome of NON-stress! Talk about a chilled cat.... Charlie was chillin' big time! He'd leisurely walk around the house, stop at the food dish, take a bite or two, then stroll around some more, usually stopping on the couch in the living room, which is under some south windows. He loved napping there, with the sunlight coming in through the lacy curtain panels I have up in those windows.
Yep, ol' Charlie didn't have any worries..... in fact, his theme song would have probably been, "Don't Worry, Be Happy!" LOL"
