The Bear
. . . 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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Sending powerful healing mojo from me and my two beautiful kitties.
May the Spirits give you all strength.
Wil, first of all let me tell you I know exactly how you feel. I lost my kitty Sabrina a few years ago due to her getting hit by a car. She survived, but she was so messed up we had to put her down so she wouldn’t suffer. I still have yet to recover, and people think I am silly because “it was just a cat”. Au contraire, she was my baby, my daughter, as silly as that sounds. With regard to the assholes posting shit on here, well all I can say is fuck ’em. There are many people that come to your site that are not like that, and know we are all on your side. I will be sending much mojo your way, for you and for The Bear. I hope that everything turns out ok, and know my heart and my thoughts are with you and your kitty.
Emily
Wil,
1. My thoughts and prayers are with Felix and your family in all their downtimes, because
2. You are one of us, just a geek, and you have reminded us that everyone, I mean everyone, is human, except…
3. The asshat(s) posting hideous comments to you at a time like this (and really, any time is uncool).
I don’t need the reward, just find them and when you’re done with ’em, bring ’em to me. I’ll learn them a thing or three you didn’t teach them.
Stay strong, keep the faith, never fall even if you take it in the chin…
My oldest cat (One-Eyed Jack – 16 years and kicking) suffers from kidney problems. He too is on the low-protein diet and gets sub-q treatments at home. Once in a while, he just gets all lethargic and goes off his food. Then it’s time to go to the vet for a night of superfluids and antibiotics – we call it his ‘spa treatment.’
He’s done great so far. He comes home feeling better and proceeds to immediately pound the crap out of our three other cats (all of whom are 12 years his junior) just to show that he’s still the man. Er, the cat. Whatever.
Nonetheless, One-Eyed Jack and I are sending some super mojo your way. Hang in there and keep your head up.
I’ll keep your cat in my thoughts, Wil. I know what it’s like to lose a pet… been through it many times… and my cats are my babies. My husband and I don’t have children, but as far as we’re concerned… our cats are our children. Pets are truly magical creatures… not only can they help to heal us, but I believe that our love can help to heal them. =)
I’m late for the first wave but I’m sending some reinforcing mojo over your way, Wil. For both Felix and Kris.
Our family will keep Bear in our thoughts so that he can continue to feel better. I know what it is like to have a pet that is sick and worrying about them when their symptoms act up. I hope that Bear will be coming home soon and feeling better.
Im sorry your going thru this. My sister Jody’s dog amber passed recently from the same thing. I couldnt imagine what I would do if our dog Cassie went thru this. Your in our thoughts.
Just when they seem like they’re at their worst, animals have a funny way of bouncing right back and suprising everyone. My dog just recently got rid of a year+ chronic ear infection, only to tear the ACL tendon in his leg. Despite it all, he’s still bounding around (even though the vet said to keep him from doing so until his surgery Wednesday). But any excess mega magic monkey jungle mojo he has left over, I’m sure he’d gladly send your way along with mine. Best wishes and the best of luck to you and the Bear, Wil.
I had just gotten my first OWN pet, Annabelle… she was 7 months old, I’d had her for 5. She was the best cat, she would come when I called, let me pet her belly, sleep with me, wake me up. I loved that cat. She started acting lethargic, not eating, and not using the litter pan. By the time I got a vet appointment (through the stupid insurance), it was too late. I just took her to put her to sleep. I cried for days.
I’m pulling for little Felix over here.
May all the mojo of BB King, Robert Johnson, John Lee Hooker, Buddy Guy, Albert Collins, Son House, Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Willie Dixon, Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf get it’s wonderful groove on with little Felix so that he might be feeling right on top of his game again. (A little bit for Anne and Wil’s spirits couldn’t hurt either!) Rock on Felix!
I read this post this morning, and it had me in tears. I’ve been a cat lover for as long as I can remember remembering things. I hate to see a good kitty taken down before his time, so you’ve got some mega monkey mojo coming in your and Felix’s general directions.
As for the pr0n goobers, I’m thankful I missed it. I agree with Allen L (see above) – those people who have no respect for you, your site, your writings, your fans, who you are or what you stand for – I welcome them to experience unending agony and sorrow.
Take care, Wil. Felix will help. 🙂
– JNA
Reposting, since my original comment got lost in the crapflood … I hope you catch the sick little jerks …
We definitely understand where you’re coming from. One of our first cats, Nita, who was born practically in our laps on a winter evening in 1997, left us nearly a year ago, taken far too soon by a massive internal infection, the cause of which will ever be a mystery. We still miss her.
All good thoughts from the humans here, and healing mojo and purrs to Felix The Bear from the cats:
Mina (the Queen)
Lilith (Godzilla-head, or The Chirping Hellbeast)
Kyouju (the Prof, or A1 Nut-boy)
Ariel (Fairy Fairy Princess)
Okesa (the Tortie Diva)
Eddie (Spooky Cat, or the other A1 Nut-boy)
Wendy (the New Kid)
Much mojo headed in Felix’s direction!
I really hope he gets better soon. I almost lost my cat, Trouble, in September of last year to Jaundice (a disease I didn’t even know cats could get). He’s a huge cat that weighs about 14-15 pounds and, at his sickest, he dropped down to around 7-8 pounds. It seems y’all have a great vet, though. Mine told me that I should just say goodbye and forget about him getting better.
He showed the vet.
Best wishes.
My German Shepards and I are there for you Wil.
Well Raven is anyway, Zena’s not a big cat fan.
I’ve had pets all my life and know where you are right now. But it sounds like Bear is coming along very well. (Good thoughts, good thoughts!)
Oh and I’ll back you all there way on the dipsh*ts that are messing with you and your site. And I’ll add $20 for the cause.
I hope Felix gets well. I am half a century old and have had literally more cats than I can count because I live outside the city where we can have many at once. There are always those special ones like yours that just melt your heart. Best of luck to Felix and keep your chin up Wil. I hope you find the scumbags that dirtied your site.
posting childporn on wil’s website is really not okay.
showing my support for wil’s stance
I am glad things are looking up for Felix. I’ve been going through this same thing off and on with my cat, Supper, he is a diabetic and he will sometime get low blood sugar and have seizures.
Everytime it happens it is a chance I might have to say goodbye and it is heartbreaking.
All my hope is being sent Felix’s way.
My little furball has been sick this past week, too, Wil. I’ve been hers for 11 years. After a nerve-wracking trip to the vet last Monday and a week of convincing her to take medicine from a dropper, she’s currently curled up in my lap, too thin but purring, and preventing me from typing with both hands at once.
Good thoughts to you and the Bear.
I know sometimes one extra voice doesn’t matter, but i was moved by your affection for the bear. And i will be sending as much good energy his way as i can. I’m on the east coast so i might run into a delay crossing those damn rockies.
much love wil,
Luis
Sometimes people love their furry four footers so much, it’s like they’re our children. It’s so sad that they never seem to be with us long enough. =( My prayer are with your Felix.
Wil and family,
So sorry to hear about your cat’s health. The whippet and I truly feel for you (the whippet was diagnosed with chronic pancreatitis last summer and completely understands)and we’ll keep Felix in our thoughts. You can reciprocate by keeping the whippet (dog) Emma in yours.
lee
Wil:
Sorry to hear it. Having to watch your cat go down hill is hard. Making the decision to put him to sleep is Hell. I had to do that last year and it was surreal and like a kick in the stomach. Enjoy and chearish every second that you have with him. Of course, you said he is in EARLY stages. A lot can happen. Maybe even something that will make him better! You never know. So much is happening in veterinary medicine. Anyway, we’re all here for you. Cat lovers unite!!!
Scott
Wil:
Sorry to hear it. Having to watch your cat go down hill is hard. Making the decision to put him to sleep is Hell. I had to do that last year and it was surreal and like a kick in the stomach. Enjoy and chearish every second that you have with him. Of course, you said he is in EARLY stages. A lot can happen. Maybe even something that will make him better! You never know. So much is happening in veterinary medicine. Anyway, we’re all here for you. Cat lovers unite!!!
Scott
From our managere to yours, mojo from Maggie, Jasper, Buckley, Kelsey, and Molly, oh, and their two human friends, chad and whit.
Healing Mojo from around the world to the Bear!
Hey Will,
Having had to put my last cat down because of kidney failure, you have my deepest sympathy. I’m keepin’ my fingers crossed and sending positive mojo to you and Felix.
And as for the asshats who thought it was funny to put porn here…I hope the bounty works.
Oooh, brightest blessings & healing energies to you and your Bear Wil….
Thinking Happy Thoughts!
Wil, I’m sending my best thoughts to Felix. I hope he gets better.
I’m glad he has a family like yours to love him, he sounds like a very lucky cat.
Best wishes from Downunder, Wil. Marge, my seven y/o domestic goddess will instruct me to light incense for Felix when I get home from work.
this is a comment for the most recent entry cause i cant comment there…
what happened?
I know how you feel, my beast of a cat, Ginger (aka Tiger) died of kidney failure last year and I still have dreams that he’s coming home.
I feel sorry for people who do not have pets-they miss so much SO, even if you just buy a goldfish, DO IT, it will make you feel better.
Love and cuddles to Felix!
Many many huuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuge hugs and kitty schnarfles for Bear Felix 🙂 Good vibes and mojo are winging your way right now!!
Hi Wil,
I’ve been very preoccupied the past several days and hadn’t had time to read my dailies…
I was very saddened to learn about Felix. I will keep my fingers crossed for Felix.
While animals are on your mind right now… I was wondering if you would perform a great act of good karma for animalkind and let people know about http://www.gormanrescue.com. The animals were taken last Thursday away from the place that could literally be called Hell on earth. They’d been left there last Tuesday & Wednesday when it was so blisteringly hot WITHOUT WATER!! A quarter of the dogs died by the time help arrived. Some people reported dogs dying just trying to crawl to the water that had just been given to them.
It’s not over yet though… many of the animals were taken to Baldwin Park Shelter which is a high kill shelter. Right now they’re being held for 14 days before being released for general adoption. We’re trying to find both fosters and forever homes for these animals ASAP to prevent any more deaths from this tragedy.
I personally have gone through heartbreak much like you’re going through right now over this. That day that the rescuers went up there while Animal Control was taking away the dogs, we found that one dog had just had puppies. They were only a day or so old. One puppy had gotten severe head lacerations from the wire on the ground. About half her scalp had been torn off. Once we got her mother out and checked the other babies for injuries, we put them all into my car and I high tailed it down the mountain to the vet that my particular rescue uses and handed over “Frankenbaby” to him. Later on after I got back from delivering the mother and her remaining babies to the Pasadena Humane Society, I reclaimed Frankenbaby from the vet who’d brought her to the rescue. I stayed up with her all night and drove her back to the vet in the morning so he could check on her since she was getting weaker and weaker. He had initially thought that she’d pull through it but by the next morning, it was clear to him that she must have suffered more damage than we realized. She basically almost never left my arms from the moment I reclaimed her til the moment she breathed her last. She was so beautiful despite her ugly wounds. I cried hard when I realized she was slipping away and even harder when she did pass. I’m crying now just thinking of what a fighter she’d been. You can see how bad her wounds were in the pictures that I put up onto the website listed above. You can also see from the post op pictures I posted that had she lived, she would have only had one ear and probably only one working eye as well.
The president of the rescue that I volunteer with told me later that had she made it, she would have been adopted into our sanctuary and spent her days playing with our doggy family (we’re actually more of a sanctuary than a place to adopt from, most of our dogs are not adoptable). Since she didn’t get to live to do this, we’re looking into adopting her little sister instead who will be named Phoenix in honor of her big sister and the tragedy that she and all the dogs suffered.
Anyways, if you would make a public post asking people to help, it’d be greatly appreciated. Help is needed in a myriad of ways. Most important are forever homes. Next are temporary aka foster homes or at least places in no kill shelters. Third is money to help pay bail costs (to get them out of Baldwin Park Shelter) and vet bills for the fostered & rescued dogs. Help is also needed in just getting the word out. Friends of friends might have a forever or foster home to offer.
None of this will help Felix directly but you could ask people to go help in Felix’s name. Heck I dedicate the website I built plus all the time & energy & money that I have and will spend on this rescue effort to Frankenbaby.
Thank you for reading.
Much love to The Bear. I will keep him in my thoughts and you continue to pamper and spoil him as you should! 🙂
Just a brief note to say I’m glad to hear Felix is feeling a little better.
Hang in there, Wil.
I always remember when my wife and I went on honeymoon; we were on the Orient Express going down to Venice, when I got a call on my mobile from a vet. Our cat Balti had been involved in a road accident, and had died. We wept a lot that night.
Much mojo to Felix from us and our two current cats, Bili and Poppadom, who in a twist of fate were born just two days after Balti was killed.
Well having just read the latest post about the script kiddies etc, I wanted to add my best wishes for The Bear, just to let you know that even in the UK we care too.
Good luck to Kris and the Bear and everyone.
healing thoughts coming from Ireland
Wil,
Sorry to hear about Felix, man. I’m allergic to cats, but live in a 4 dog house. We take our children very seriously. It took me 10 years to get over Dingo, my german shep/collie mix.
I am now the proud companion of a rust and red Warlock Doberman. Sadie Lane turned 2 last month. To those of you out there thinking of adding a dobie to your household, don’t dock their ears, they feel it for life.
Dobie’s are demanding as well. So if your not one who likes to repeat a command 150-1000 times before your companion learns it, get a gerbil. But for those who love the challenge of training, dobies are EXTREMELY intelligent.
Sadie gets the Muddle(muzzle) for Oz, the Leach(leash) for Tyler, trees Quirrel(squirrels) on command, and keeps the Taste Like a Chicken(cats(did I mention allergies?)) out of the yard.
She’s never harmed any of the cats, it’s just a game. We even have all the taste like a named, this is how I taught her to answer yes(2 barks), no(1 bark), and I don’t know(3 barks). If you sneeze around her she’ll even bless you(long bark-short bark(picked that one up on her own!!!)) Sadie catches the Bizfree(frisbee) every time I throw it properly, which is about 75% of the time.
She loves to bully people, but only if you are afraid, and she has never bitten ANYONE(So take THAT all you “Doberman’s are dangerous animals and should be put down with all of the pit bulls” people. You all make me sick. Shoot the owners, not the dogs. You can make any dog mean…MESSAGE!!!).
Well, Wil, I hope I took your mind off of the situation for a few. I will keep Felix Bear in my thoughts and prayers for I undrestand the special bond people have with their companions.
A Friend Indeed,
Richie, Richard, Rhonda, Sadie, Sally, Tyler, and Ozzie.
P.S. Tell the people at TechTV that you need your own show. You enliven Screensavers and Call For Help.
Sorry to hear about Felix. Glad to see the vet (and your readers) worked their mojo!
Many many healing vibes to Felix.
Kind of hard to make any progress tracking down those mouth-breathers when you’ve removed all traces of their existance.
Some IP logs or additional info would be good.
(sends good mojo to Felix)
Good luck, Wil. I hope your Bear gets better, and I hope the people who post cr@p here get caught.
hey wil, and Felix!
i hope he gets much better soon! i love cats, and i know what its like to lose them…as do many people here!
will be sending MUCH MUCH MUCH mojo over the atlantic to you and The Bear! i wish him well!
take care
rach
I lost my cat a year and a half ago. I hope to be over it sometime this decade. I am so hoping you don’t have to go through that.
Arwen
Hi honey,
I’m so sad… i cant believe what you are going through… you know Felix will be ok, he has you and anne and ryan and nolan after all… i send all my mojo your way, and i pray that you will be ok, cause i know how tough this is on you also.. i love you man… you take care, and remember whatever happens its becuase felix needs it that way cause the bear doesnt want to be in pain!
hugs
andrea x
It’s heart-breaking when any loved one is sick or hurting, but furkids are the worst. I hope your Felix bear keeps getting better!
I have had many a pet that died, was killed, or had to be euthanized. It always hurts like hell.
Magic monkey mojo to Felix…may he find he has lives to spare.
I’m so sorry to hear about your cat… and about the crapflooding rubbish. I hope your luck turns, you catch your flooders and your cat recovers… it is terrible to lose a loved one. Seriously hoping that the next news is better.