RIP Coral

We said goodbye to our sweet cat Coral today. Just a year after we got her and 3 weeks shy of her 2nd birthday.

Coral has been sick on/off since mid-Dec, with a host of issues described in an earlier post. Earlier this month she was diagnosed with FeLV - feline leukemia virus. 

Last week she was doing well thanks to a last ditch steroid shot and steroid pills which got her eating and have more energy. But that was short lived.

Yesterday she completely stopped eating and lay around all day. By evening I knew it was not looking good and prepared Beanie that we may not have long with her.

Coral did not sleep with me last, night but stayed downstairs. In the morning, I told Beanie I would look for her - afraid she may have passed.  But she was alive but even more withdrawn.

I took her to the vet at 2pm. When I picked her up, her eyes were half closed and she was so limp. I immediately had a feeling that Coral would not be coming back home.

I told Beanie that I would try my best, but to say goodbye to Coral. It was very emotional, but I knew where this was headed.

Coral's previous vet has left the practice, so we saw another one who had seen Coral for an eye infection in Jan. I was in tears as they put Beanie on the exam table. She looked so weak. Its like her condition deteriorated within 24- 48 hrs. 

We decided to draw blood again which showed her RBC even lower than a week ago.  Her kidney function were also now headed in the wrong direction. Also, the vet felt some mass in her belly and did a quick ultrasound that showed Coral had pockets of lymphoma type growths all over her liver/spleen and some mass.

The vet told me there was no real path forward. I already had made up my mind when  left the house. I could not bear to see Coral that way. Today, she was simply a shadow of the cat we knew. 

We decided to do it immediately. We put Coral on her pink blanket that Beanie had sent from home. I stroked her and talked to her and she was gone in seconds.  The vet remarked - "she was so tired!".   And I agree. 

The poor thing.

I feel I did everything for her. This was my 9th vet visit in 9 weeks. I was ready to say goodbye last Wed, but the steroids got us an extra week with her when she was eating and acting a bit normal until Tue evening, so we are thankful for that.

Beanie is devastated, of course. I feel so bad since this is our first pet and things went so badly for the cat. The last few weeks have been an awful experience for Beanie with the roller coaster of Coral being well-sick-well-sick.

 I have to admit I do feel a sense of relief and calm. I know Coral is at peace and not in pain/suffering. 

I know I did the right thing for my sweet Coral.

RIP Coral, we love you.