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The main reason the water works in places like Canada but not Texas is because the way they design piping is different. In Texas older homes it goes through the attic and along the exterior walls. In Canada they will often times heat the plumbing with an electrical circuit. That’s what I have heard anyway.
I have bad news.... and I’m writing this in tears.
I had to put Ginger down today. I’m crushed over it. It all came suddenly and very unexpectedly. In the past I’ve made post about being concerned that Ginger had hypothermia of which I took him to the vet several times for, had blood work and X-rays but nothing came of it. Well yesterday he was breathing very hard and acted like he wanted to vomit but he couldn’t. I waited a day and sure enough his breathing was just as bad so I took him to a vet. After seeing him they became so concerned about his condition they told me to come inside even despite Covid.
Well... ... the vet gave me his XRays and showed me his lungs were heavily compacted by fluid and were only 1/3rd of the size they should be. They found fluid between his abdomen and lungs and his stomach had a tumor and they suspected cancer. The anxiety of the vet visit pushed him and he could no longer breath normally and they had to put him on oxygen. When I saw him he was struggling for life. They told me he would need to see a hospital and the chances of his survival were extremely low. They would have to first sedate him and drain the fluids, which they didn’t expect him to survive, then the hospital would have to remove the tumor and perform chemotherapy on which they also didn’t expect he would survive and.. heavily recommended me putting him down.
I went in the room with him remembering when I got him as a kitten 10 years ago. When he was a kitten he and his brother Marshmallow were sick with a flu and they were about 2 or 3 months of age. The animal shelter didn’t expect either of them to survive it and recommended I adopt other cats but I took them anyway. It was a struggle but I managed to get him back to health ... I could tell how grateful he was because he would come and sit on my lap and aggressively knead me and when I was laying down he would come to me and knead me. I did a whole bunch of things I shouldn’t have done like taking him cross country to Seattle with me when I moved there, then stashing him and myself as well as Marshmallow in hotels (family issues, we went through periods of homelessness). I just wasn’t willing to let him go and he was basically like my child and was willing to risk my safety and break rules to be with him and keep him. Today that didn’t pan out though because I didn’t want him to suffer that way. It was by far the most painful thing I have ever done.
I stayed there with him and comforted him as best I could but he was hardly coherent at this point, he was coughing out fluids and couldn’t catch his breath. I put my hand on his head and told him I loved him.. repeatedly .. again and again as they gave him the lethal injection...I felt him slowly slipping away.. becoming from the pet I held close and deeply to me to ... lifelessness... it killed me... I’ve never felt anything like that before... I stood there till the end where he passed away... because I was the one who was there for him from the start, I couldnt leave him to suffer this alone.. ..but it doesn’t make anything feel better.. I’m pretty crushed right now.
Last night he barged into my bedroom where I keep Sandy away from the other cats and he badly wanted to be with me and I put him back outside because I can’t trust what may happen with Sandy and other cats whiles I’m asleep. He wanted to sleep with me because he knew his time was coming.. I didn’t even know anything was wrong. I didn’t even hold him one last time.
R.I.P Ginger.
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I am crying as I read this as well. Loss is so hard. He is such a handsome fella.
But he had the greatest gifts of all. LOVE and LIFE. Your love you had for him. Your love gave him life and a great life full of love. The fact you saved him from the shelter, got him healthy. And 10 years of life that would not have happened without you. The bind, the love we have with them and they have with us is indescribable but amazing. They very much are our loved ones. Family.
Sadly, the last thing we experience is the most traumatic. Loss is the worst. But I have been through this too many times to recount and have found that focusing on all the good times, all the love, helps somewhat. I truly believe they never leave our heart, they are always with us. And all the good times and experiences and love remain with us.
It is horrible and no words can ease the deep pain we feel going through this. Life is precious and Ginger had a great life. And whatever length we get with them it is a treasure. And enjoying and treasuring that time is important. I think there are many cats in the world that wished they could have led the life of Ginger. He was lucky as were you to find him.
Please be proud for saving his life and giving him a great 10 years. And never forget that the love will always be there.
RIP Ginger. A life well lived!!