Saying Goodbye To A Beloved Pet, My Final Update On My Cat, Da’an

Back in July, I had mentioned on the air that my cat, Da'an, wasn't feeling good.

On July 21st, I posted one and two updates on some "solutions" I had tried until the vet figured out what was wrong. At first, it just semed like IBS.

Several of you have emailed and Facebooked me asking how the little guy is doing. And I had been holding off any updates hoping for better news.

It was shortly after that last update that I got the bad news... After what seemed like hundreds of blood tests, x-rays, and ultrasounds, I was given the bad news. Da'an had cancer.

We immediatly started treatments hoping that it had been caught early enough.

And, for the first bit of August, he seemed to be getting better. He wasn't having accidents, was eating and drinking just like normal.

But then, last weekend, he stopped eating. By the time Monday rolled around, he had stopped drinking as well... So, back to the vet.

More bad news... He was dehydrated so we put him on a 2 day IV drip. But he wasn't getting better.

So the vet wanted to do more blood work... Which lead to more x rays and ultrasounds.

Then, oh my goodness... In just a few short weeks, and despite treatment, the cancer had spread from his colon to the stomach, kidneys, liver, and lymph nodes.

I was devastated. Yes, Da'an was getting old (15), but he was my companion through 7 moves and 3 states.

I went to visit him Thursday after work and decided to keep him on the IV one more day. They also had needed to drain over 400ml of fluid from his abdomen.

On Friday, I took him home.

The vet told me that he still was not eating or drinking on his own. But she showed me how to give him what he needed through a syringe.

I knew it was bad... But I kept hoping that maybe, just maybe, he'd pull through. And I couldn't stand the thought that he didn't get a chance to say goodbye to his playmates... Dharma the Pug or Phoebe and napoleon.

I just babied him Friday night.

On Saturday, he seemed to rebound!

He ate and drank on his own. We even shared a bowl of his favorite ice cream. But by Saturday night, he was having trouble walking.

I actually slept with him in the kitchen that night.

Sunday morning, I knew I had to let go... He could not walk or stand, and his breathing was very shallow.

My next door neighbor works for the American Cancer Society, and said she's always seeing cancer patients have a rally right before the end. I guess the same happens with cats.

My vet had told me to call if anything happened. So, as much as it hurt, I placed the call Sunday morning to end his suffering.

I stayed with him to the end to comfort him the best I could.

So, Da'an, thank you for 15 years of companionship, for 15 years of making me feel better after a rough day, and for 15 years of memories.

From making the downstairs neighbor mad in Indianapolis because she could hear you playing through the floor, to chasing air molecules up and down the stairs in Alabama, to chasing my friends down the hallway here in Louisiana, he was always my "Big Bad Baby Da'an!"

I'll see you again at the Rainbow Bridge!

And a big "Thank You" to the entire staff at University Veterinary Hospital for all you did!