Rfalconcam Forum

It seems that Donna will have to say good-bye to her cat, Bucca, today. He has been a sick little fellow for a while now, and I am sure the decision was a long time in coming. For any of us who have bid farewell to a beloved pet, we know how hard that is. And that the tears can last for a long time.

So to Donna and Co. - as you take Bucca across the Rainbow Bridge - we are thinking about you and sending love and hugs!

 :(

 :heart:  I couldn't have said it better Bobbie! Much love and support coming your way my friend!  :heart:

 :'( I'm so sorry Donna.  Sending lots of hugs.

Bucca will always be in your heart.   

Hugs.

Helen R

So sorry for your loss today Donna.   :rose:

I am so sorry and I am thinking of you, Donna.  Bucca had a great mom to love and care for him.  I hope he and my Harley  have found each other and are romping, free from their illnesses

From the kfalconcam list from my Friend Mary:

I'm so sorry, Donna.  Carol F. (Tokira) and I have been in your shoes many times, both of us having raised cats for years, and it never gets any easier.  Having a group of animal lovers like this around you does help, so please know there are many virtual arms reaching out to hug you.
 
Mary in Charlotte (NC)

As many as we've had to bid adieu over the years, it seems the tears are nearer the surface each time.  Hugs to you tonight, Donna.  May he bask in the light from the rainbow at the bridge, with Janet's Bart, Mary's guys, My Bart and Polly, and all the others.
Hugs to you.
Carol
WV

  I'm so very sorry for your loss, Donna.  :(  Hugs

Thank you all so much for your kind words. Yesterday was the hardest for me and my family. Gee, I can't stop crying. It started in October when we noticed Bucca's bottom jaw looked crooked and he couldn't eat. Took him to vet and all she noticed was maybe a small gum infection. Wow, it totally deformed his face. Ok so antibiotics for 7 days and he was cured, not! We noticed his weight going down, (Bucca was a huge cat, over 22 pounds) so when he lost a few ounces, who knew? Then he started shedding pounds and we knew something more was wrong. A trip to the vet for some blood work told us he was in Kidney failure! OMG, no, it can't be right. She said his numbers were off the charts. For example, his BUN for normal should have been 15-35, Bucca's was a 199 and all his other numbers were high also. I asked, how long, she couldn't give me an answer but I'm sure she knew. Said we can start him on fluid therapy, bring him in 5 days a week for a drip. I was willing to do so, then remembered we have a vet tech right next door. I asked Pamela if she would be willing to do this and she agreed. Went to vet, picked up a bag of fluids, the line and a needle. 1 bag will last 5 treatments, not bad I thought for $25 a week, (so I thought)! I went home and looked online for prices for the same fluid. WOW, was I shocked. I found the same thing for $4.49 a bag, so I ordered 5 of them plus free shipping, (with a prescription, of course). OK, so he had his 5 drips a week and was doing good, (a miracle I thought), yes, just for a few weeks. His health started failing bad about 4 days ago, he looked different, didn't eat much or drink, (he would only drink from the tub spicket at this point). When he tried to jump on the tub, he would fall in, not good. Called the vet again, Bucca won't eat, he said bring him in, we can hook him up for a few days with a few different fluids. I said guarantee? He said no, he is too far gone. He even said which shocked me that Bucca should not even be alive at this point! Whoa, heartache for sure. Well, we made Bucca comfy but all he wanted to do was hide, then we knew it was time. I made the most unimaginable call of my life and we took him in. By this time Bucca was 12 pounds and all you felt was bone. He laid on that table and he purred with every ounce of energy he had left as me and my daughter held him. He so knew we loved him and showed it by keeping his motor running. As I laid my head on his small frail body, I felt his last purr. Why did I do that? I needed to as I loved him with all that I had. He went peaceful. I pray he's at peace now. So THANK you all so much, I really do appreciate your heartfelt thoughts. I read them all to my family, which of course, made us all cry. It was a good cry. What a great bunch of animal lovers we have here and I know I'm not the only one to go through this.  :heart: and hugs to you all.

Donna & Family

Donna and family, as I try to write this, I am crying so hard.  My heart aches for you all.  It is just awful to watch our beloved furry family members decline like this.  Bucca's purring was his gift of love to you for all the love you gave him-- and the biggest gift of love- to release him from his illness.  Every year, in Sept. I interpret an animal memorial service and I will light a candle for sweet Bucca when I do it this year.  I remember sobbing over my Harley's body.  and having to make that same horrrible but loving decision.  I hope you know how much we feel for you and your family and understand

 :heart: Thank you jeanne, that would be so nice.

Donna and family, Jeanne's words said it all better than I could ever hope to do. Your decision to release Bucca from his illness was both the hardest and most loving gift you could have given him. I'm so glad you and your family heard his final purrs saying that he loved you as much as you loved him.  Difficult as it will be for a long while, you can be sure that the love between you and Bucca will stay always in your heart.  My husband and I have gone through this heartache too many times.  It's so unbearable that we swear we will never take on another animal to cherish because we can't stand to go through it again. Still, we eventually do just that because it's so lonely without a furry companion who loves us no matter what. We like to think that loving a new cat or dog in need of rescue is passing on the gift of unconditional love we were given by the ones who came before. Our current kitty is, to us, a wonderful mix of all our previous pets and keeps them fresh in our memory every single day.

Dot in PA

 


(http://blogs.wvgazette.com/karinfuller/files/2011/01/hug.jpg)

:heart: :heart: :crying: :heart: :heart: Aafke

Thank you Aafke, hugs are good. Now Sam, Bucca's brother is howling all over the house looking for him. I feel bad for him too. He knows.

Dot, I know what you mean about replacing a beloved pet. Sam N Bucca were rescues from right outside my door. There were 4 of them, 3 boys and a girl. I took them in before anything bad happened to them. My friend Mark took 2 and we kept 2. So glad we did and we loved them both for almost 12 years. Sam is like a kitten still, full of spunk and always getting into mischief, something Bucca never did, except remove the ornaments from my Christmas tree. This past Christmas, Bucca tried but just didn't have enough strength to do that and he always, always, every year, slept under the tree. Not this time. I think Sam was a bit jealous of all the attention his brother was getting and he would lick Bucca, then hit him and leave. Poor Bucca, I think he was bewildered. Now it's only Sam and we will love him til the end also. Thank you.

Donna, hugs to you and your family  :heart:  Bucca is in the best place now and knows you have given him ALL of yourself.  Your sharing, brought back memories of my Shaq.  I know it's a hard thing to go through.  Keep the special moments close, and time will heal.

Thank you Dana, like I said, we have all been through this at one time or another. It's hard. I feel for everyone of you who have lost a "loving" pet. If it weren't for you all, I'd be up in my bed sulking. This at least keeps me busy.  (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v81/Ambers25/Thank%20You/th010.gif) everyone!

I'm very sorry to hear about your loss, Donna...we lost a kitty to kidney failure a couple of years ago; it was in an early stage when they caught it, so we learned to do the fluids ourselves, but she never liked it!  She made it to 18 1/2, so I can't complain about the length of her life, but it was still terrible to lose her.  And making the final decision was horrible; like you, we decided the time had come when she finally went off to hide and was no longer social...up to that point even when she was too weak to jump into my lap she'd still make the effort, and I'd pick her up and put her down gently.

She was a special cat, and I still miss her after several years.

Take good care of yourself and Sam.

Donna - I haven't had a furry pet in a while, but I have had many feathered friends/pets and I share your sorrow in losing a beloved family member. Your beloved Bucca will be waiting for you on the other side of Rainbow Bridge.  Of that, I am a firm believer.  We will all be united one day.  All of us reading your words of keeping Bucca alive know that  pain and love you felt, and know that you did the right thing...as painful as it was.   Treasure the memories of the days you shared.  Lucky Bucca to have had you!  My deepest condolences.  Time does heal, but memories keep us going.   I lost my  18 year old Winnie-bird three years ago.  After many years of egg laying problems and  her heart disease and  fighting to keep her going, she waited until I got home from work, and died in my hand.  I know she waited for me, and is still waiting. The amazing part is that exactly one week prior to her passing, she was at the vet's office, and my wonderful vet snapped Winnie's picture while Winnie was on my shoulder.  That is the picture that I  look at every day, and I still say good morning to her each day.
Bucca knows...
 

Patti, Bucca's sister, Shadow was diagnosed 2 yrs ago with Kidney failure. He told Mark put her down now. Mark refused, took her home and fed her what she wanted to eat. She was thin also. Took her to another vet who said yes, she is in failure, gave him a few meds, no fluids and she is still alive today. I don't get it but anyway, wow your cat lived a long life and you did good by her. When they hide, we know and they know. Thank you.

Margaret, your Winnie was special. Birds are very very smart. I lost a few of them too, sheesh, I wish they lived forever. Thank you for sharing your story with us. Everyone has a pet story and when they leave us, they leave a scar.  :angel:

Donna, I am so sorry about your Bucca.
Patricia (Florida)