The Bear

Posted on By Wil

. . . and now The Balance to all the good news and joy that I’ve been floating in for the last few months:
My cat, Felix, who showed up in our garage about three years ago and never left, has kidney disease. We discovered it about a year ago, and he was in the very early stages of kidney failure. Our vet told us that it would significantly shorten his life, but if we gave him low-protein food and a subcutaneous IV every other day, we could slow the spread of the disease, and he’d probably be with us for another six years or so.
About a two weeks ago, Felix started acting strangely. He was more lethargic than normal, and he just didn’t want to eat (he hates the low-protein food), so we took him to the vet. She did blood work on him, and the lab said that his kidney failure is advancing much more rapidly than we thought. He could be in as much as 85% failure, and he’s in danger of developing anemia or a whole bunch of other scary diseases.
I took him back this morning, because the vet wants to keep him there with an IV for a few days, to flush out his little body. On Wednesday, we’re going to take him off the IV, and see if it’s flushed his body enough to toughen him up. Felix is a tough little guy, there’s no doubt about that. He’s so tough, we call him The Bear, because he’s feisty and affectionate . . . but if he can give you a chomp at any time, if you piss him off. You know how they say dogs have masters, but cats have staff? We are totally The Bear’s staff. He sticks around because he approves of us . . . and I like to think he loves us as much as we love him.
When I left the vet this morning, I was sobbing so violently, I had to pull over so I wasn’t a danger to myself and other drivers. I love my Felix bear so much, and I don’t want him to die. I’m not going to keep him alive with treatments if he’s suffering, just so I don’t have to say goodbye, but our vet told us that there’s a very good chance that he could bounce back after he gets out of the hospital, so I am doing my very best to focus on the positive chance for improvement, and remain hopeful.
It would mean a lot to me and my family if WWdN readers could spare a few moments and send some healing energy, or prayers, or magic monkey voodoo or whatever to The Bear while he’s trying to get better over the next few days.
Thanks. Hopefully, I’ll get back to normal blogging soon.
UPDATE: I just got back from the vet’s, where I was able to visit with The Bear for a few minutes.
He’s doing so much better, it’s a miracle. His eyes are bright, he purred like a Harley Davidson, and he had many things to say. most of them, I think, had to do with how much he doesn’t like the IV in his little paw.
I took his little fleece bed over to the vet, and she said that he can sleep in it, which is cool, because when he saw it, he jumped out of the tech’s arms and right into it. I could tell that he was happy to have something that smells like home, and his mom and dad.
Thank you, so much, to everyone who is keeping Felix in your thoughts and hearts. I know that the miracles of modern medicine have a lot to do with the improvement in his condition . . . but I also know that your thoughts are bending the space/time continuum to give him as good a chance as possible.

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Comments (315)

  1. You got it, Wil. I’m sending my own version of magic monkey voodoo via subspace radio. LOL
    Seriously, I know how hard it is to face losing a pet; Felix and you are in my prayers.

  4. I’m so sorry about Felix. I recently lost my cat, Sugar, so I can understand exactly what you’re going through.
    I have nothing but happy thoughts for him. Please keep up informed.

  5. Hey, Wil. Longtime reader, first-time commenter here.
    I honestly can’t think of much to say, but my family has always had cats – my mother adopts unwanted Siamese, and some of them have been abandoned because of medical problems. I’ve been where you are now, more times than I can remember (tumours, heart murmurs, kidney problems, feline immunodeficiency virus…).
    Just wanted to send some good karma over to you, your family, and most of all The Bear.
    I know you probably don’t get time to read or reply to comments, but I just started work in a comic store recently, and I was thinking – ever considered turning your writing talents to comics? Lots of other folks have. Bill Mumy, for example, did a story or two for DC’s Star Trek title in the 90s. (Incidentally, I dreamed this up when a kid brought a handful of “Teen Titans Go!” comics to the register…)
    Anyway… all the best, and hang in there. Who knows, this may be the first of many posts.
    – Glenn, the English “fat sarcastic comic store guy” (Worst. Comment. Ever! 😛 )

  6. Our brood of 5 cats send their mojo Bear’s way. We had to put 1 of our cats to sleep last year due to kidney failure. He is better off now. Enjoy him while you can.
    P.s. I bawled like a baby when we put Tibby to sleep too.

  9. aw… my cat is diabetic and has asthma. i know how much one will do to keep his furry family memebers happy and healthy.
    best of luck with this.

  10. Poor Felix. I’ll send some positive vibes in your direction, and I hope it makes him feel a bit better. I can relate to what you are feeling right now, so I’m not going to be insensitive about it. The whole thing is just darn sad. But Felix is lucky to have a caring friend like you in the world.
    *hugs*

  11. I’m sending all the kitty mojo I have your way. We just got good kitty news over the weekend, so I’m sending all our joy and good thoughts over to you in the hope that they’ll rub off. Be sure to hug that kitty tight the next time you see him.

  12. These darn animals keep sneaking up and making themselves such an important part of our lives. My two adopted dogs and I are sending tail-wagging pet mojo your way.

  15. Sorry to hear that, best of luck to Felix the bear
    Me and my girlfriend recently (april 14th) lost one of our cats to some kind of renal failure, she’d been losing weight for a while but we thought ‘hey it’s no big deal, she’s a bit overweight so that can’t be bad’ later on as she grew thinner and started to refuse eating, we took her to the vet’s, had her on IV to clean out her system, and she came home again.
    Week after during checkups her bloodwork was twice as bad as when we first brought her in, so the only sensible thing to do was to put her so sleep wvwn though it was probably one of the hardest thing I’ve had to do, ever, bar none.
    Being in school on student loans we didn’t have the money to have her properly autopsied and find out exactly what had gone wrong with her kidneys.
    In retrospect what we could have done was to take her to the vet’s earlier on but since she had no history of any problems we didn’t think much of it, which in hindsight was a bad decision.
    So, I guess that what I’m trying to say is, I hope everything turns out well, if they don’t I can only say, hang in there. It’s hard, I won’t lie about that, I still cry on a fairly regular basis when little things come to mind.
    The one thing that comforts me is, though she’s gone I know she’s not in pain, and she had 4.5 happy, safe and over all good years with me and the girl. Now she’s out playing the karmic wheel again so maybe I’ll run into her again in some form some day.
    Once again, bast of luck, he’s in my thoguhts I” tell you that.

  16. Wil and Felix –
    My kitties and I are sending you lots of love and healing purrs, and praying for the best.
    -Emy in San Jose

  17. I am now sending mass quantities of get-well vibes in your cat’s general direction. Be prepared!

  18. I am so sorry to hear about this bad news. I have been there myself unfortunatly a few years ago.
    *Sends positive healing vibes*

  19. Many prayers to you and Felix and your family! I know what it’s like to lose a pet, both from unexpected circumstances and in the “we knew it would happen sometime” way.
    And really, I think this IS normal blogging. Taking your life & just kinda sticking it out there. It’s what all the rest of us do, anyway. ^_^

  20. Much love and mojo to Felix from my cats and me! I’m treating my sweetlings for kitty colds atm, but I’m sure they can afford to send good vibes towards the bear 🙂

  21. Wil,
    My family sends Felix the best wishes to get through this tough time.
    This winter our cat (Perdita), who joined our family in August 2002, became violently ill. I took her to the vet in the middle of the night. We learned a beheaded toad in our yard was at fault. After 3 days of touch & go she pulled through & came home. My girls were so happy!
    I understand how close a cat can come to a family that they mesh with.
    Take care Felix!!!!

  22. I completely understand – I had a cat with hyperthyroidism. She shrunk down to next to nothing and we were ready to put her to sleep. The vet asked us to give her one more day of treatment and she came around! With a pill once a day, she was an 18 year old cat that acted like a kitten. Good luck to both of you. Felix knows you care and loves you very much, even though you feed him yucky food. Waylon the Cat and Willie the Dog send their good vibes your way as well.

  23. You are such a sweetheart. If I saw you on the street today I’d totally give you a hug. I’m sending mojo and anything remotely helpful sounding you and your cat’s way.

  24. Bear,
    Hi there. My name is Col. Jack O’neil, and I take care of the Wetzel Family. They just gave me a home last week. I am the first “family” feline. They are an awesome family, I and I am always perched in front of mom’s monitor, when she visits WWDN. I am telling you this, because it is very important to get well, so you can keep Ferris in line…I will be sending you my mojo, as I am not needing it now. I hope you feel better soon Bear.
    ..Uh oh gotta go Mom is comming back, see ya!..
    Wil,
    I wish you and Bear, and your whole family the best. We are all very attached to you and yours, and a loss for you would mean a loss for us as well. You are all part of our families. I hope that Bear gets well soon, and we here at the Wetzel home send you out all the MONKEY MOJO, that is needed. Take care Wheaton Clan….
    Aretmis

  25. Aww Wil. I know how you feel. I worked in a vet clinic for a lot of years and it never gets any easier. Sending gobs of Okie Mojo for Felix.

  26. Wil – we lost our own dear Sophie a couple of weeks ago – a tough cat in her own right. My heart and mojo go out to you and your bear.

  27. Lighting a candle and saying a prayer! I have an old cat, Suki, who was having some kidney failure issues about a year ago. Thought I was going to have to put her to sleep. Switched her over to Science Diet K/D formula, and its done wonders! If you haven’t tried Science Diet’s K/D formula – it might be worth a shot.

  28. Wil, as “Daddy” to a pair of cats myself (Star, female shorthair, white/orange tabby, age 12, and Maui, male longhair, dark gray, age 3), I can’t help but feel for you. You have all the mojo we can spare for Felix. I’m sure he’s as much your baby as ours are to Pamela and me.
    I’m going to post this over in the Pets topic on Electric Minds (in the Electric People conference) to stir up mojo from there as well.

  29. Wil,
    My cat, ironically also named Bear, sends catnip wishes tuna-fish dreams for a speedy recovery.
    Alice

  30. My best wishes for your Felix, and all the family, Wil. Like many here, I’m a cat lover, and I know how it feels to be afraid for one of our furred friends. Here’s hoping you get your friend home and happy again!

  32. LOTS OF HEALING MOJO TO FELIX!!!!!!!!!!
    BE A HAPPY HEALTHY CAT!!!
    Hugs Wil. So sorry, I feel with you. My birdie meant the world to me, so everytime he wasnt doing well, I was out of my mind with worry. Hope so much Felix gets well!

  33. *lots of kitty-healing mojo towards Felix and hugs to Wil* Here’s praying and hoping Felix bounces back good & strong Wil, and here’s hoping you can keep together until then! 🙂

  35. on behalf of myself and the smarter ones around me (2 cats and the dog), we’re broadcasting the magic monkey voodoo 24/7 in your direction.
    Stay positive! We got our dog (miniature pinscher) a few years ago, and a few months after we got him, he yelped and slowly became totally paralyzed – we rushed him to the 24 hr animal hospital down the road and they did CT scans, spinal taps, blood tests, everything to try and figure out what was wrong, but never could narrow it down. While he was in doggy ICU, he stopped breathing at one point but was resuscitated, and eventually he came home, still paralyzed, as we medicated him and waited to see what would happen
    One day I sat home with him while my girlfriend and her mother went shopping. They came walking up the stairs to our apartment, and out of nowhere he got to his feet and made it over to the door to greet them. We called the vets to tell them he was walking again and they wouldn’t believe us till we brought him in. He still has some nerve damage and weakness in one leg but is perfectly fine (other than being totally spoiled) otherwise.
    It can be a rough go being a pet lover from time to time, but miracles can happen and there are always more good times than bad.
    Best wishes, and best of luck!

  36. I’m sending some good vibes towards your beastie, in hopes he bounces back from the hospitalization.
    I’ve been where you are — not with my own cat, but with the cat of a dear friend — and I know how hard this is. Thinking of you, as well as of your cat.
    I hope your Felix pulls through. And if not, I hope it’s comforting to know that you gave him the best life a cat could want.

  37. Wil,
    I’ve been a reader for some time, and this is my 1st post. Mojo being sent your way for your family, and The Bear.
    Best wishes,
    Jessica

  40. To some I know it would seem just plain weird to ask for good thoughts and prayers for a pet. But to alot of people pets are the best and most constant friends. I feel for you Wil. Having just had my golden retriever diagnosed with cancer I know how hard it is to walk that fine line between being “good for them” and being “good for you”. Its hard to let go. And even tougher when you have kids involved too. Keep your chin up and enjoy him while you can. Just try to be honest with yourself when Felix isn’t having fun anymore with you.
    Ultra amounts of good juju to the whole family. From me and the “sadie-girl”

  41. I never would have really understood this kind of thing before the past six months. I’d never had a pet when I was a kid, but my roommate and I adopted a stray kitten last summer that we named Sgt. Pepper. I always used to think cat owners were silly, always anthropomorphizing their animals, but Pepper is the sweetest thing in the world, and I know he knows that we rescued him. I never knew how much you could love an animal until this little orange kitten walked into my life. I’m getting ready to move and he can’t come with me, and I’ve cried more over than than I ever thought I would about an anima. I can’t imagine what I’d do if anything ever happened to him.
    Thats the long way of saying I hope Felix pulls through, and even if he can’t, that you do.

  42. I am so sorry that Felix and the rest of your family are going through this, sweetie. I’ve been where you are right now, and I’ll be there again one of these days with PK.
    Remember that cats are much stronger than we realise. They are made all the stronger by the love and care of their human servants… and the mojo and loving wished sent by all of us.
    * Healing Kitty MOJO *
    * HugeSquishyHugs *

  43. Having lost my awesome cat not too long ago, I feel for you. I don’t have any super powers, but if I did I would be using them on the bear. =(

  45. Much healing mojo!
    Pets can sometimes surprise you. My pure-breed doberman lived to be 15 1/2 years old, far longer then anyone thought. Just think of the positive and Felix will pick up on it.
    Jessica

  49. My kitty cat Mojo is sending mojo to Felix. She’s just getting over a sickness, herself, so she said she’s send some of her extra fightin’ power.
    Furio sends his best as well.
    (And so do I, although I am a lowly human)

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