Magical Cat's Corner

I Lost My Best Friend

Shortly after I wrote the post below about my beloved Rishi, I took him to the vet for a routine teeth cleaning, and I found out that he had a squamous cell carcinoma in his mouth (cancer). It was completely unexpected, and needless to say, I was heartbroken. After hearing the options for treatment from the vet, I elected not to put my cat through the stress of radiation therapy, especially after I researched the results and they were not very encouraging. Instead, the vet recommended a chemo drug that we could apply transdermally. It was not going to make the tumor go away (unless a miracle occurred), but it might slow the progression of the tumor and enhance the quality of his life.

He was able to eat soft food for awhile. I paid as much attention to him as I could during this time. Fortunately, spring had begun, and he was able to explore the backyard, something he loved to do. When he appeared to be in pain, my husband and I would give him pain medicine. The disease caused him to drool, so I tried to keep him cleaned up by combing him and wiping him down with a wet wash cloth. After a couple of weeks like this, he began to get more and more blood in his drool. I could tell the tumor was getting worse. He appeared to be in pain more often.

Rishi had a ritual that he did almost every night. He would wait for me to get in bed, and then he'd lie on my chest and purr while I petted him. If I stopped petting, he would stick his paw on my cheek or chin, almost like he was petting me. One night, before the situation took a turn for the worse, he was on my chest and started purring loudly, putting his paw on my face, and giving me the hardest cat kisses he had ever done (cat kiss = when they rub their face on you). I can't even count how many times he cat kissed me. It made me really happy. When I look back now, it might of been his way of saying "Thank you" and "It's almost time for me to go".

Shortly after that night, he began hiding in various places in the house. He hid under the bathroom sink, behind the couch, and he especially wanted to hide outside when we let him out in the back yard. He was having trouble eating soft food, and within a day's time, he stopped eating all together. I tried everything I could think of... tuna juice, baby food, cream of chicken soup, but he just could not eat it. On the third day of not eating, the tumor seemed to have stopped him from being able to drink. He was hiding all of the time, and he was obviously in pain. I could not bear to see him like that, and he seemed to be telling me through his actions that he was ready. My husband called the vet, who was gracious enough to drive to our house to help Rishi go to the other side. Rishi passed away April 30 at 6:30 PM. It was the most difficult thing I've ever had to do.

Nothing could have prepared me for how quickly this disease would progress. In just over a month from the diagnosis, I lost my best friend. Rishi was with me for over 10 years, which is a third of my life. He brought me so much happiness and unconditional love during those years. I miss him terribly. I know he's with me in spirit, and some day, when it's my time to go back to the other side, I know he'll be there waiting to give me a big, wet cat kiss.