Farewell, Princess Pixel. Godspeed.

This past Wednesday, 16December, I noticed that Pixel seemed to be having a bit of difficulty breathing. It was late in the evening, so I brought her in to the vet the next afternoon (yesterday) to see what was going on.

Initially, the veterinarian thought it might be asthma, but Pixel was pretty stressed, so the doc wanted to keep her overnight to get blood samples and make sure the cortisone shot helped her lungs. Later that evening, though, I got a call... The doc said there was fluid around our Pixel-purr's lungs, and that she'd drawn off almost half a pint. 

Something else was wrong...

This morning, I got another call from the vet, saying that she earnestly recommended that I take Pixel down to the emergency vet in Greensboro, NC, for more testing. Pixel rested in my lap, getting lots of strokes and skritchies, almost all the way down - a 90 minute drive.

Unfortunately, Pix's breathing continued to worsen, and when the new sonogram and x-rays were taken, the doc found a large mass in her chest, along with serious irregularities on her lungs.

Oh, what a hard decision! The doc said that even with a good reaction to aggressive chemo (suspected lymphoma cancer), Pixel only had maybe another six months. She was only about 5 years old; I feel like I'd just done this with her older brother, Romeo, when he died at 19. I did not want to have to do this again - especially so SOON!

But today, at about 11am ET, Practically Perfect Princess Pixel of the Prodigious Purr went across the Rainbow Bridge to join her brother Romeo. I told her how very much we all loved her and that she had to tell him he was supposed to take good care of her until we could join them.

And then I held her and loved her as she went across...

Bye, bye, Picklepurr. I love you. I miss you already.

UPDATE:

• She had the most actively expressive tail I've ever seen on a cat
• She loved to carry on long, involved conversations with her people
• She had the cutest unique way of lap-lap-lap-sip-sip-sipping water
• She knew when she wanted your skritchies, and when she didn't
• She loved to play "come away closer," and you never knew if she'd allow you to pet her
• She had the most awesome, satisfied and smug kitty "I am SO happy that my humans are properly worshipful" smile I've ever seen on a cat

(submitted to the Friday Ark at the Modulator)

Comments

[Nicki]

1.

She was such a pretty kitty. Y'all are in my thoughts and prayers!

[kate]

2.

princess pixel looks quite the charmer and very impish! i know how hard these next few days will be - it's so hard to lose a faithful friend.

[Always On Watch]

3.

Oh, how tragic! And just before Christmas too!

My deepest sympathies on the loss of your dear one, Pixel.

[Steve]

4.

Farewell Pixel!

From all your old friends on the Friday Ark.

[GM Roper]

5.

There is no cure for the loss of a beloved pet except for a new one as soon as possible. You'll always miss the lost pet, but sometimes loosing yourself in the care and loving of a new kitty helps heal old wounds. It always worked when my daughter was a little girl, and for me when I lost Diamond a couple of years ago.

I'm sorry for your loss Munchkin, ask Moms for a special I love you hug!

[Man of the West]

6.

Sorry to hear about your loss. Can't be easy.

[Kat]

7.

We're thinking - and probably will - of telling the Munchkin on Christmas morning that, when she's ready, we'll go to the pound and SHE will choose the next purr. I'm going to encourage her to try for a young cat, not a kitten (but not fully grown), since kittens tend to be adopted quickly, but older cats don't. Of course, a kitten would adapt more easily...

*sigh*

I've just paid my 3am visit to the necessary, and missed Pixel's typical charge off the bed to keep me company. And there was no one pinning my legs down in bed, since Smudgie is curled up down by the fireplace. BIG hole in my heart!

[Kat]

8.

No, MotW, it's not, as I'm sure you know. She was a very charismatic and expressive cat, and we all loved her.