The Bear

ByWil

. . . 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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315 Comments

  2. Hi Will and Anne,
    I wanted to give you some hopefully helpful and supportive advice about Felix. I have an eerily similar story. Our cat Gizmo was diagnosed with chronic kidney failure in January. When he lost weight, stopped eating and stopped urinating, he was found to have chronic kidney failure and 10 kidney stones in one kidney. Currently, he is utilizing about 20% of his remaining kidney. He spent three weeks in the ICU at our local veterinary specialist and had 2 blood transfusions because his PCV dropped down to about 13. Since then, he has bounced back to my great surprise. He was literally at death’s door. We currently give him about 150 mL lactated ringers daily subcutaneously, Epogen 400 units (weight based) three times a week subcutaneously, and Norvasc 0.625 mg (1/4 of 2.5 mg tablet) daily. In case you are not familiar with Epogen, it stimulates red blood cells and has increased his PCV from 22 (after the blood transfusions brought it up)to 33. Some cats can have an antibody reaction to it, but Gizmo at his old age had no problems. The Norvasc is for his high blood pressure which is almost guaranteed to happen at some point because it is secondary to kidney failure. He went completely blind about a month ago, but because I took him to the vet immediately, his eyesight returned to functional status about a week after he started the Norvasc. Cats can get transient retinal detachment with uncontrolled blood pressure.
    Also similar to Felix, Gizmo was put on several renal diets. His favorite is Waltham Renal Support, it comes in a white packet with blue lettering. It has some gravy in it. If I put the food thru a blender he likes it even more. He ruled out the other 4 choices we were given. Anyways, I just wanted to help. The Epogen is expensive but being a hospital pharmacist, I was able to get one retail pharmacy to sell me one 4000 unit/vial at a time for about 70 dollars and it gives me ten doses. (It comes in different unit strengths) Also, you can buy the lactated ringers or IV fluids from a veterinary supplier for about $3 a bag and $3 for the administration sets. You’ll need a prescription. Look online for suppliers. We use Valley Veterinary. If you need any more info I’d be happy to provide it. Anyway, our pets are like children and it sounds like you’ll do anything for Felix too. I wish you and yours well.
    Amy 🙂

  3. Best wishes to Felix, Wil. I’m so glad to hear he’s doing better.
    The thing about having pets is that they just don’t live long enough in proportion to the intense love they end up inspiring in us. Still, the benefits of that love exponentially outweigh the costs. Here’s hoping Felix, with his Harley purr and his feisty affections, pulls through and remains Chief of Staff for a while yet to come.
    And here’s hoping you can nail those fucknut script kiddies right to the wall.

  4. I’m so glad that Felix is doing better. You don’t realize how much your pets mean to you until you face the possiblity that they might be gone.
    Sunday night we took my Weimariner to the vet because he had a swollen and oozing paw. The vet asperated it and said she saw a mass cell, which means cancer. They suggested that we take him to the regular vet so they could asperate the lymph node to see if it had gotten that far. We took Kaiser to our normal vet, and he said that a mass cell was normal (bunches would be bad) and they didn’t see any signs of cancer in the toe or the lymph node. So hopefully it is just an infection that has come up, and strong anti-biotics will take care of it.
    I’m sending mojo to Felix, is some of you all could send some mojo to Kaiser back, I would appreciate it…

  7. I’ve been there with a cat and dog. I know how hard it can be. Hang in there for Bear’s sake.

  9. Wil,
    Don’t give up!
    The Mrs & I have a cat who has the same kidney problems. I had to give her (the cat, not the wife) IV fluids every other night for a while and she is doing wonderfully now. No longer giving fluids, although I do give them occasionally just to help out.
    -Steve
    [good idea on the “enter above code”]

  10. All the good vibes are working for Kris and Felix. The good people of this world far outnumber the idiots (crapflooders is a better word) who think posting insensitive things like hate mail and kiddie porn is funny.
    Can your friends at TechTV offer any suggestions on anything you can do to prevent this from happening or to trace back where this drivel is coming from.

  11. Wil,
    I’m happy that your Bear seems to be improving. I’m not necessarily a ‘cat’ person, but cats always seem to approve of me. Me and my pet Buster (70# German Sheppard) will send all the mojo we can Bear’s way.
    All our best.
    Steve

  12. My little black tom cat was named “Tom”. He barely made it to his first birthday. He was a tiny little guy, that thought he was a panther. He would get into catfights all the time, got hit by a car, bit by a rattlesnake, cornered by pitbulls, ran away from home a number of times, survived a bout with rat poison, then finally got it from eating a sharp bone. He had the shortest yet most fulfilled life of a cat that I have ever know. And we found him on our neighbors porch. Sad. It devastated our family. I haven’t owned a cat ever since. Too much trauma. Don’t get me wrong, I love the little critters, but you’re right, they TOLERATE us. My favorite comics are Garfield, Get fuzzy, and that other one with the white cat. Stay tough guys, our hearts and wishes are with you and yours.
    -Coogan

  13. Wil, I am so sorry about Felix.
    I tried to comment before but I think it was right when you got blasted by the icky porn people so I think my post got eaten along with that. I have a big soft spot for cats, and I am a fan, so I emailed you but I fear it will get eaten by my lack of pgp so I am trying to comment again jus in case you didn’t get it because I had a thought that might actually help you out.
    I know what you are going through, having lost 2 cats to kidney disease. I know it’s a downhill battle, and you want to do everything you can to make them more comfortable.
    The one thing that I haven’t seen in the comments, something that helped me a lot in the one case where battling it was possible was Homeopathy. I took my first cat who had it to a Homeopathic vet, and we also did all the stuff you’ve already been doing- the subcutaneous fluids and special foods. The extra Homeopathy stuff really got our cat some of his appetite back and eased some of his discomfort. It probably gave him an extra 6 months with us he wouldn’t have had.
    I am sure in Cali they have some Homeopaths, but if not, you give my ex-vet a call, seriously! He’s easily searchable on the net- Douglas Yearout in Everett, Washington. He does phone consultations, and he’s also a Trek fan, so if you tell him who you are and that I sent you he’ll probably piss himself laughing. Just say Sahra told you to call, I’m the only Trek fan who ever worked for him so he should remember me… I don’t guarantee it will get you a discount though 😉 He really is an amazing guy when it comes to caring for animals. I was a client, and then I worked for him for a while so I can honestly say he’s one of the smartest guys I know with a really amazing view of medicine. Either way, try Homeopathy, it certainly won’t hurt, and it might help a little.
    Hugs to you and your family, I know what a hard time this is for you.

  14. I hope your pet gets well, I had a dog that had tumors along her spine, it was the worse thing to watch her suffer. Hopefully your cat will not have to do the same, good luck with the treatments, amazing how pets refuse to give in.

  15. I just wanted to wish the kitty the best. I lost a himilayan (oddly named Felix) in HS to kidney failure. He too was a alleycat who happened upon our step one day. They’re good critters, cats. I hope he sticks around for even longer than the odds-makers have given him.
    And good luck nailing those SOBs who dared to defile your comments.

  17. Good Luck with your cat Wil, we lost our cat Khan to Kidney failure several years back, its a traumatic event and I am glad to here that Felix is recovering, hopefully he’ll get better and spend a few more years of joy with you.
    I also have to say this was a very well written piece, as I can see from the comments, many of us with pets relate to it and it brought up a lot of emotions. Thanks for reminding us of those we’ve lost, sometimes we need reminders to keep our love and life whole.

  19. Hey Wil – I’m more of a lurker than a poster -and you’ve already gotten 265 well wishes, but I had to add mine as well. My cat has lymphoma and we’ve been fighting that off since October. It’s treatable, but not curable and if the cat responds to treatment, they can live a while longer. He was doing great and just came out of remission last week, so I understand what you’re going through. We decided to try Sunny on IV chemo treatments. (He was on oral chemo before – and cat’s respond well to chemo – no bad side effects like humans.) He’s doing better – but last week was miserable not know if he’d pull through or not. And I don’t know long he’ll respond to treatment this time.
    Anyway – I’m sending well wishes for your cat through the internet ether also.

  20. Hey, the Max-cat and I send the magic monkey voodo your way. Max just had his “second brain” (a rather large and scary growth on his head) removed and now has a reverse mohawk and a Harry Potter-like scar. But he’s none the wiser and I’m happy to have the little fur boy back.
    So good wishes.

  21. Hey Wil,
    I am really sorry to hear that others continue to abuse the privilage of reading and posting to your website. I hope you can implement something that helps stem the tide of this obscene behavior.
    And to join the chorus of others I am hoping and praying for your cat.
    Take care and ignore the bastards!
    ~David

  22. Wil, my oldest cat has kidney disease and I can totally relate. She has proved the “nine lives” bit of cat lore for sure by pulling through when the vet said her time was almost up. Just know that there are plenty of us out here who can relate, and who have sobbed violently ourselves on hearing the news. Felix will be in my prayers.

  24. Sassy sends his regards!!!(I know, Sassy’s a girls name. We just didn’t know he was a he when we got him.)

  26. Going to try again to post to this thread; when I tried yesterday, I kept getting a message that I was not allowed, but I see many new posts since then, so I’m taking a chance.
    First and foremost, my prayers go out to St. Francis, patron of animals, on behalf of Felix. Animals are one of the most perfect of God’s creation, and “our little wards” bring us such joy as part of our lives. May Bear get well and be with you for a great long time.
    Second, I do hope you fine out who the CREEP is who has no respect either for you or this site so many of us love.
    WWdotN Rules! Long may it so be…
    –joe

  27. First off, Felix is in my thoughts and prayers. I don’t know what I would do without my adopted 7yo cat Hobbes.
    Secondly, anyone who would post that stuff in your comments is a door knob. Plain and simple and should be caught and fined and jailed.

  28. Wil, I was nearly in tears reading your post. My heart goes out to you and your little furry baby. My little doggy and I are sending good healing vibes and love to Felix. We hope he can come home soon.

  31. Im glad to see you got that crap off your site. By chance did they leave their email? There are ways to track them down using email addresses. I hope felix is doing better, like yesterday my prayers are with you.

  32. i hope “the bear” keeps improving…and yeah i’ve cried for a pet…many times…even still today for one twenty years gone…i hope your tears for BEAR can be delayed for quite some time.

  33. Here’s hoping for speedy recovery for da Bear, from myself and my own 3 cats, Rusty, Simmi and Tippy Toes.
    Here’s also hoping that the sand fleas of a thousand camels infest the pubic hair of all the nasty porn spammers all around the world, and that their arms are too short to scratch.
    Grrr.

  34. I’m sure no one will read this, this far down the comments, but good thoughts and mojo going your way!
    We unfortunately lost our Chubby in February to kidney disease due to her diabetes (we had her on insulin since 1997), she was between 14 and 16 which I suppose is still a good age, but we were devastated… 🙁
    Anyway, good Bear/Felix mojo!!!!

  37. Much happy feline voodoo to The Bear from my two owners, Tiger and Farley Mowat.
    For other personal chefs, let me share a food recipe that turns ordinary housecats into living tissue over a metal endoskeleton:
    Boil up a pot of corn, and when it’s ready to go throw it in a food processor to mush it up good. Toss in some bits of broccoli, some vegetable oil, a can of tuna and a tablespoon of Vegecat (it’s a vitamin supplement for furballs – http://www.vegepet.com/forcats.html). You can keep it in the freezer, and they go nuts for it – the primary ingredient in most dry cat food is corn anyways. And if you make it yourself, no chemicals.
    My mom has a friend who put her cat on this diet when she was 10, and lived to be 22 years old. Tiger has been eating this stuff since he was 2, and now, at 17, is still running around, climbing the damn curtains.
    Maybe it’s not such a good thing after all.

  38. My cockatiels and I are sending some ‘get well feisty kitty’ mojo to Felix. Felix chose your house because he knew where to find the kind and loving people that would take good care of him. Hang in there, Wil!

  39. Hey Wil, hang in there. I’m the mom of a 14 year old kitty that’s starting to show signs of hyperthyroidism. It’s rough, but I really do think positive thoughts and lots of love will help!
    So, I’ll think happy thoughts and send you lots of love for Felix. 🙂

  40. [TO ALL THE SUBHUMANS]
    Stop the hurtfull comments, and keep the kiddy porn to yourself. The men, women and children will agree with me. You will be found, and you will be turned into the proper authorities. If you wish to confess your crime against Wil email me at [email protected] and then you will be forgiven.

  41. Wil,
    I send my prayers to The Bear. I’m so glad he is better and I pray he will continue to do so. And good luck in catching the jerk responsible for placing the kiddie porn on your site. I can’t believe anyone would find a need to do something like that anywhere on the internet much less here on your site.

  43. Glad that Felix is feeling better. I have four little bears of my own – they keep their staff very busy! 🙂
    Sorry that you’ve had to deal with morons spamming your comments. Sending good vibes Felix’s way and bad vibes the spammers’ way.

  44. Bless all your hearts. I’m pulling for y’all, and sending all the love and mojo I can muster!

  45. For a $1000… I’ll make myself a target.
    Hey wannabes, dare you to mess with me.
    Bring it on script kiddies – if you’re young enough you’ll just get probation anyway.
    So crack me, DOS me, SPAM me, whatever.
    I could use the extra cash.
    ( server is OpenBSD – all patched – nope got that one too (or did I, yeah try that one) – CMS is postnuke – come on, you can do better than that – watch out for poison ports – watch out for trip wire – just kidding – I’m too lazy to install that stuff, or contact my local field office subpoena your ISP info. cocky? hell yeah, bring it )
    -Scott
    TwoPeanuts.com

  46. I’m glad to hear Felix is doing better — hope it continues. Sending much mental mojo his (and your) way!

  47. Hey BJ, I mean Wil,I hope The Bear gets better. Mucho mojo!! Also, to the kiddie porn freak out there, there is a lesson to be learned here and that is: Ne conjugare nobiscumTake it to heart or perish in the fire that is Unca Willie’s posse because ONE OF US WILL FIND YOU.

  49. d00d – my human t0ld me ab0ut y0ur 0wner, Felix… I g0tta let ya kn0w – I t0ssed a few me0ws t0 s0me fell0w feline hax0rs I kn0w 0n irc, and if th0se m0r0ns happen t0 p0st again, lemme kn0w. I’ll tell my human t0 keep his ears 0pen t00.
    0h yeah – tell felix I said t0 st0p chewin’ the sh0pping bags, and try t0 cut d0wn 0n the catnip.
    laterz.
    Ach00
    (m0ppy from fark’s owner)

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