GOODBYE MUDDY AKA MONTY

Regular readers may remember the story of Muddy, an ailing elderly cat found sitting on a grass verge, who I took to the vets and fostered for a short while before, much to my surprise, finding him a new home and taking the new name of Monty. Now neither myself nor the new owners thought this weary battered but affectionate cat had a long life ahead of him. All the same it still felt upsetting when I received this email a couple of days ago-

Hi Ian

Just to let you know the sad news that Monty was put to sleep this morning due to kidney failure.

Thank you for letting me foster him for the short time we had together.

 

Victoria

To which all I can add are my thanks to Victoria and her partner for giving Monty the love and care he received from them for the last few weeks of his life and which made his passing so much easier. I wish he'd had longer.

**************************************************************************

I

I thought a similar situation might be arising with this one. Yesterday I got a call about a stray cat who'd been regularly fed by people in a quiet close at Silksworth. I went up, took one look him, and popped him in the basket. The people who'd contacted me were lucky as the 17 year old cat I'd more or less agreed to take in on Tuesday never arrived so I did have space, especially as three of my foster-cats had gone to the re-homing centre. I couldn't take him to the vets immediately as I had a committee meeting at 4.30 so I left him in the large cage.

When I got back some 90 minutes later he'd messily soiled the cat bed (see above) which I had to clean and put in the washer before I did anything else. Then off the to the vets.

Alas this isn't a story with a happy ending. Apart from a head covered in ticks, he had cat flu and at his age lacked the resources to fight it off. There were only two alternatives, neither pleasant: give him a booster shot and return him to where he came from to look after himself as I had no resources to cope with a cat in that condition; or to put him to sleep. You won't be surprised that Holly the vet and I decided the latter was the kindest option.

Can't win 'em all.