At 8:20ish this morning I reached into Penny & Maya's cage to pull Penny
out of her sleeping blanket.  She'd been sick for the last 10 days or so
and on Anti-Biotic medication.  She seemed to have been getting better but
I felt another trip to the vet was needed in the next day or so as she
wasn't back to her old bouncing off the wall self.  Anyway, Penny didn't
stir so I reached in and pulled her out of blanket and I didn't see any
signs of problems really.  She was still warm but slow to move like she
had been for the last 2 weeks.  Well slow to move in that she didn't.  I
held for at least a minute before it dawned on me that she wasn't moving at
all and was some what stiff.  Of course I then could feel that her little
heart wasn't moving to that nice pitter patter that it usually does.  Penny
was only about 2 years old too.
 
I quickly pulled out her newish litter mate Maya (the Deff) who I've had
lots of behavioral problems with (as I've posted several times).  This was
really the first time in months that I have held her with out need of at
least one glove.  I have to say that Maya was really quite sweet and licked
my forearm for salt (she usually licks my knee when I have shorts on).
I got a little nip from her when I put her back in her cage/hammock.  A
quick sign for "no" and she let let go.  I've been rather happy with Maya
recently as her nipping hasn't been as hard as it's been in the past.  All
that training was starting to work after all.
 
At this point I lost it and balled out like a little girl (and I'm no
little girl at 6'1 and about 250 pounds).  I picked up Penny again and kept
balling out.  I've only had Penny for about 8 months but she really was the
sweetest thing I have ever had the pleasure to know.  She was rescue too.
I had lost my cat of 4 years and a girlfriend of one year at the time and
Penny just hit the spot right.  I'd say her only negative thing another
was her laziness in where she'd do her business.
 
Well I got into work late today as I have Penny with me all bagged and
boxed.  I keep hoping to hear scratching noises from the box (on another
note I've been working on an old AIP film here at work called "Premature
Burial") just in case I've made some big mistake.  Of course I'm going
through all the double guessing of how I might have screwed up and not
gotten Penny back to the Vet.
 
Anyway, take care all
 
Jeff & Maya
[Posted in FML issue 3118]