Poopsie has been suffering from kidney failure for a few months now. But at least her appetite and activity level was quite high. However, last week she stopped eating but at least she drank. Well, today she gave up the fight. She could not walk much at all and her breathing was short and labored. At 6:25 this morning, she passed away. :( :bawling: At least I called off work to spend the last moments of her life comforting her and telling her it was ok for her to cross the Bridge. She was about 14 years old.

I got Poopsie on July 6, 1998 because her former owners were moving to a place that did not allow pets. Mom offered to take Poopsie, then named Lucky, home sight unseen. At first, she chased Tooties a lot and thus I was getting on her case about that and not spending as much time with her as I should have. However, I made an extra attempt soon after to be with her. So Poopsie and I have been best of buddies ever since.

So goodbye Poopsie. I will NEVER forget you! Nobody will EVER replace you.

Oh Donald, I'm so sorry. :comfort: RIP sweetheart. :rbkitty:

:( I'm so sorry. :hug: It's wonderful you were able to spend her last minutes with her - you sent her off in the best way imaginable and you should be proud. You gave her a wonderful life, right up to her final breath. :hug:

Elizabeth and Crystal, thank you so much for your kind words. Yes it was a good thing I stayed home because one day's pay is meaningless next to my cats. And it was worth it to spend the last minutes of her life there with her. I probably wold have been a nervous wreck had I not been around when Poopsie passed. Mom came over too to be with her until the end. She carried her into my house in 1998, so it was only fitting she carry her outside to ther grave.

The sad thing is that her and Tooties were very good friends. I have plenty of pix of the two of them grooming each other and sleeping together. Poor Tooties knows her friend is gone. She has not come out from under my bed yet. :( That indeed is the worst part of losing a cat in a household with more than one. The sadness of their companions is worse than seeing the sick kitty suffer. :bawling:

I'm so sorry, I could never even imagine how it would be to lose a cat. And like you said, the bonds they develop are so strong with each other, I hope Tooties is okay. :(

:hug:

Aww, I'm so sorry, Donald! :( :comfort: :hug:

:( :(

:bawling: So sorry to hear this..... and I would have done the same thing as far as work is concerned! She was a gorgeous cat, glad you were able to be there with her until the end. :comfort: :hug:

Awww Donald I am so incredibly sorry for your tragic loss. :bawling: It is never easy to loss a fur baby, but she was so very lucky to have you in her life. May the little angel rest in peace. :comfort:

:rip1: :rbkitty:

RIP Poopsie

Donald, I am so sorry to hear this. :comfort:

I expressed my condolences on another forum that you and I are on, but I just wanted to say that when I read about Poopsie...I cried like it had been one of my own babies. Even though this is the Internet, I feel like you all are family and when anyone posts about the loss of their beloved kitteh, I feel like one of my family members has passed on.

You're in my thoughts and prayers, Donald. :hug:

Aww Renee, that was so sweet to hear. It really touched my heart to have a near stranger cry over my loss... Yes, ANY cat is a member of our family.

The biggest surprise is the fact that Tooties, who was Poopsie's grooming buddy, and her biggest companion, was not mourning her nearly as bad as I expected. Rather it is Munchie. Tonight, he layed down right at the spot where she died. He has not come to see me at night like he usually does. Munchie is the "alpha cat" of the house, yet he has always accepted every other cat that I got without hesitation. So I have been trying to comfort him as best I can. Even little Lilly Anne had a sadder look in her eyes this morning. I think seeing a companion kitty mourn the loss of their playmate is even sadder than our feelings over the loss of a pet.

But I will still miss her coming to see me when I got home from work. Only her and Willie greeted me at the door regularly. And whenever I talked on the phone, Poopsie would ALWAYS come over and start meowing as if to say "give ME all the attention!" :lol:

Same here - whenever someone has a loss on here, I'm really sad about it and I go to bed/wake up thinking about it. :(

I agree, Crystal. Although I admit I really do not post much in this section because it is just too depressing to read and share the pain of those that lost their beloved kitties. But it surely is greatly appreciated by me. Some members here may remember how 3 years ago, I tried to rescue and save a severely injured cat I found. Sadly, he passed away before I could get home. But during the trip home in my car, he was more at ease because his breathing became less labored. It was as if he was comfortable knowing he spent his last minutes in a warm place with someone who cared for him rather than die out in the cold. But I was as broken up with him as I was with Poopsie. I felt I failed him when in reality, there was nothing I could have done.

Up until the end, Poopsie always held her head up when she layed down. Even at 3am that morning when I woke up to use the bathroom she was holding her head up. And she still was able to drink until the last 15 minutes of her life. In short, while she suffered no apparent pain save for labored breathing and an inability to stand, she fought until the very end and she went out with dignity. She even did her best to stick her chin out when I went to scratch it during her final minutes. Simply put, she did not want to leave us but I told her it was time to cross the Bridge. She need not suffer anymore because she will live and be loved forever in our memories and she will never be "replaced." I could find a cat that is identical to Poopsie, but she will never be named Poopsie, Poopsie 2, etc. Once a cat passes, I honor their memories and their life with me by never naming a future cat the name of a previous cat.

Here are a few pix I wish to share of her and her companion and grooming buddy, Ms Tooties.







For 2008, I made a couple calendars for myself from CafePress using 13 of my favorite images from my first two trips to Centralia, PA. My 2009 Calendar I planned to make was going to be from my B&W infrared images of Centralia. But talking to mom tonight, I will do a Poopsie memorial calendar with 13 of my best images of Poopsie that meet the size requirements for printing. For all the love and joy she gave me over these past 121 months, it is the least I can do.

Aww I am so sorry she is gone Donald. It so sad to lose a kitty. :hug:

Donald, I am so very sorry to hear this. I know first hand how hard kidney failure is on our babies. Please know that she is healthy, happy, and having a great time at the Rainbow Bridge with my Tabby. :rbkitty: