| Title: | Meower Power is Valuing Differences |
| Notice: | FELINE_V1 is moving 1/11/94 5pm PST to MISERY |
| Moderator: | MISERY::VANZUYLEN_RO |
| Created: | Sun Feb 09 1986 |
| Last Modified: | Tue Jan 11 1994 |
| Last Successful Update: | Fri Jun 06 1997 |
| Number of topics: | 5089 |
| Total number of notes: | 60366 |
It took me a while to enter this note - we are all still in a state
of mourning and I still watch the door when I enter the Barn. Pepper,
(DEC Badge 00001 1/2) - see note 88 - passed away. She became very
thin and didn't want to eat so naturally we took her to the vet.
She was weakened and dehydrated. The Vet ran multi-tests, injected
her with fluids and nutrients, etc. and spent a total of nearly
three weeks in the hospital. She only seemed to eat when we would
visit her. She got better - we took her out of the hospital and
she started getting worse again - that was the last part of her
hospital stay - she developed several tumors in her brain, spinal
cord and hip joints and they were obviously very painful. Nothing
seemed to help and we finally requsted that she be put out of her
misery.
It appears that cats can carry FeLV for many years with no signs
and after about 5 - 7 years can develop many tumors, generally
malignant, and there is nothing that can be done. If she had the
virus for that long it was even before the shots were available,
and perhaps (since she tested negative) it was the shots that made
the tumors happen (no verification on this by any authority, just
my speculation).
WARNING: The FeLV tests are not very accurate - Pepper has had
a total of 8 tests for it - 5 negative, 3 positive. They even got
one negative and one positive only one day apart. Since she was
rescued from an animal shelter we are uncertain of her exact age,
but she was approximately 6 1/2 years old. The DTW story on her
was run in April, 1986.
| T.R | Title | User | Personal Name | Date | Lines |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 610.1 | Sympathies from Spit Brook | CLUSTA::TAMIR | Fri Jun 05 1987 20:04 | 10 | |
We're saddened to learn of Pepper's passing. I'm sure that, in
addition to the emptiness you must feel, she also has left a space
full of love and happiness in the hearts of everyone in your facility.
Although it's little consolation, you all did the very best you
could for her and I'm sure she's up in kitty heaven grateful to all
of you for rescuing her and giving her so much love.
Our sympathies at your loss....
Mary
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| 610.2 | IN SINCEREST SYMPATHY.... | AIMHI::MCCURDY | Mon Jun 08 1987 13:36 | 3 | |
POOKIE AND I ARE ALSO VERY SAD TO HEAR THAT PEPPER PASSED AWAY.. I
AM SURE
THAT SHE IS DEFINITELY IN KITTY HEAVEN .. AND AT PEACE......
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| 610.3 | I'm sorry, too | VICKI::BULLOCK | Living the good life | Mon Jun 08 1987 14:58 | 10 |
I'm very sorry, too. I enjoyed knowing that DEC was cool enough
to have a "company cat" like Pepper. You all did the right thing;
the ONLY thing to help her. I am convinced that one of the reasons
we have animals, love them, and ultimately lose them; is to develop
the capacity to love and go on loving. If you made a place in your
heart for one animal; you will always have it.
Thank God for this file!
Jane
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| 610.4 | From TWO and Chief KItty | PARITY::WHALEN | Denise | Tue Jun 09 1987 21:17 | 26 |
VERY sorry to hear about Pepper. It was really great knowing there
was at least one other DEC site that had a feline employee. I will
have to tell our Chief Kitty of TWO site that his conterpart has
passed away.
Now are there any more DEC kitties out there?
Chief Kitty has been home with me for almost a year now. When
TWO went through it's renovations, we had to take him home. THe
new facility group that moved it didn't like the idea of having
a cat here. They did not realize what an incredible joy he was to
have around, how much fun it was to do our security tours with a
cat walking by your side. He caught all the mice that would even
dare to try to come in here. EVeryone loved him, but the new
management. But, alas, so much development has taken place here
in the last year, it is definately not safe for him to be here anyway.
He is retired now with full benefits, but he wants to come back
to work. He'll have to be satisfied catching mice at home!
If they allow you to have another cat, will you get one? Every
DEC site should have a kitty. They really light up people's lives.
Denise
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