In my April blog post I talk about the amazing care my cat Cheddar was receiving after his cancer diagnosis.
He was also receiving amazing care from our local vet, who helped us for many years -and up until the last few days -with his unique care needs.
On Friday, May 11th we had to say goodbye to our handsome orange guy. It’s only been 20 days but it feels so much longer.
It took a long time for our household to adjust and we are still working on it. We have three other cats and a dog that experienced this loss as well. We are a close tribe. We would all sleep together every night-yes, all seven of us!
This has been an experience. Losing a 22 year relationship at 30 years young is still hard for me to comprehend. The last three months have been a roller coaster of emotions, providing IV fluids at home, good days, long nights, bad days, and long calls with care credit to ask them to please up my credit limit to pay these weekly visits.
Our only interest was keeping cheddar comfortable. This cat was the most amazing spirit I have ever encountered. Yes, I’m sure we all say this about our animals, but EVERYONE who ever met him knew this.
Awesome Cheddar facts include- but not limited to:
- Cheddar riding a window air conditioning unit from the 3rd story of an apartment window, which crashed into pieces but Cheddar was unscathed. Cheddar 1, A/C unit 0 my mom got the call from the leasing agent, who had witnessed the whole thing. My family still talks about it to this day!
- He lived in a remote lake camping and recreation area where he resided among raccoons, eagles and cougars.
- He ate the heads off chipmunks and when it was hot out, he would follow us on shore as we floated in the lake all day.
- Cheddar has been on vacation to eastern Washington and is a true Washingtonian who had lived in Pierce, King, Snohomish, Thurston and Mason counties.
- At 18 years old he would jump from the second story deck at my dad’s house in Puyallup because he wanted to go outside so bad, and howl up and down the halls all night long keeping my whole family up(sorry everyone!)
- He even lived in Oregon for a short time and received actual US mail in his name
When we moved to Yelm in 2012 the vet suggested we keep him in doors, which we did but would let him out for short supervised periods of time because it was his absolute favorite thing
At the end of his life he weighed less than 6 pounds but ate 96 cats of cat food a month, yes that’s 3 cans per day, at least! #hyperthyroidism
Cheddar demanded a room, and would always let you know when he arrived. His personality was golden. He was very sensitive to my moods and could always make me feel loved and calm. He did this my entire life, almost like my emotional support cat which in return I had to share all my food with him.
Below is a video from Christmas 2015, the infamous shrimp thief!
He was 23 years old
WOW, and I got to have 22 years with that amazing animal. I feel so warm when I think of him and how he lit up my life in dark times and light.
We still joke that Cheddar is famous. He had his own hash tag on Instagram #Ceedlion. He was featured on our local vets Facebook page and NW Remedies. He was an amazing cat, like I said, EVERYONE knew he was special.
On the day we made the call, I contacted my local vet and the vet oncologist, bawling but trying to ask questions about my options for helping him cross the rainbow bridge. I was so grateful for the loving voices on the other end of the phone comforting me, giving me the information I needed and letting me know to call anytime and to let them know if we needed anything. I can’t recall the names of who I spoke to, but thank you!
I didn’t know what to do, I was trying to push through my work meetings as he lay at my feet in my office but then I had this overwhelming feeling and I knew it was time.
We decided to schedule an appointment at Olympia Veterinary Specialists so we could be in a private room with him and with staff we knew and trusted. I was able to hold him in my arms, pet him and tell him how much I loved him until he crossed. Jon and I were a wreck. It was Friday night at 6PM and the waiting room was packed with owners picking up their animals. We had chosen to do cremation so they let us go out the back and take care of the paperwork later, which was such an amazing act of kindness we appreciate so much.
Last week we went to pick up his remains. We were taken into a room and given a small box with a plaque that said “Cheddar” and a clay round with his paw prints. I was so thankful for that gesture, it was not even something I knew was an option, I was so moved by the thoughtfulness.
Fast forward to Memorial Day weekend, we come home to a package on the porch. I take it inside and open it up to see a beautiful stone with Cheddars name and four paw prints accompanied by a beautiful note from the cancer center at OVS.
I still have a really hard time expressing how meaningful these gestures are to me and I am so very grateful to have had the absolute best care for Cheddar in the end of his life. Thoughtful care structured around our needs and wants which were only to make sure Cheddar had the best quality of life . They helped us feel informed so we could make the right decisions for what was best for Cheddar.
Both Dr. Autumn Dutelle at Olympia Veterinary Specialists and Dr. Deb Thomas at Horse Cart Small Animal Hospital are the most amazing people and I am eternally grateful for their empathy and guidance through some very emotional times. I am also thankful for NW Remedies and the awesome compounding medications we received for Cheddar.
Thank you to everyone who knew Cheddar and who has shared their memories with me. Just as with any loved one, we always want to remember and cherish the good times. I am so grateful for having the opportunity to spend 22 years with the coolest cat.
The fact that he impacted other people in a way that is meaningful is pretty amazing for a domestic short hair orange tabby that a little girl adopted from the pound over 20 years ago.
Small miracles are all around- Be open and accepting of them
Everyday Slay 