RIP Our Lovely Nuffy Boy

by Jackie
(Auckland, New Zealand)

Never sure whether Snuffleupagus (Nuffy for short) was a Maine Coon mix or just a giant kitty kat. I posted pics of him on here a couple of years back and some readers thought yes for sure.

Either way it doesn't really matter he was a gorgeous gorgeous boy. Lovely to look at, with a huge personality, he would roll on his back waiting to have his tummy rubbed every chance he got. He loved being brushed and had the sweetest most gentle nature.

The first thing that alerted me to the fact that there might be something wrong was a disinterest in food which was most unusual, and a general kind of lethargy, he just wasn't himself.

A visit to the vet confirmed my suspicions that he was indeed very unwell, the vet told us he had a blocked bladder and would need emergency surgery to save his life or immediate euthanasia to end his pain.

She also told me that there were no guarantees that he would come through the surgery but that the majority of cats were fine and there was no reason to think he wouldn't be one of those cats.

We left Nuffy at the vet hopeful that all would be OK and were overjoyed the next day when the vet called to say he was responding well to treatment and all going well we should be able to take him home the next day.

When I rang to check on him later that day I was told he was doing well but still refusing to eat so we called into the vet to see if we could coax him into eating something. On seeing myself and my son he started purring and rubbed himself around our legs and was just super affectionate.

I am so thankful now that I made that visit to the vet as that was the last time I saw my gorgeous boy alive. The vet called the next morning to say he had had a relapse and that he wasn't going to recover after all and the kindest thing I could do was to let him go.

So I made the heart wrenching decision to have him euthanised.

As it was also going to be a good 6 hours before I was able to get to the vet (I was working some distance away) I gave them permission to have him put to sleep without me being there, the vet is a really lovely woman and said it would be very quick and he wouldn't feel any pain and yes of course she would cuddle him for me.

Anyone who has ever had to do that will know how incredibly painful it is, even when you know it's the best for your sweet kitty.

I decided I wanted to remember him as he was the last time I had seen him and chose to have him cremated as opposed to bringing him home to bury in the garden.

Going to the vet last Monday (this happened two Fridays ago) was the absolute pits, I was given a bill for over a $1000.00 and an empty cat cage to bring home. I managed to hold it together long enough to get back to my car and then I just wept and wept.

It's summer here in New Zealand so my son and I will make a memorial garden for Nuffy decorated with sea shells collected from the local beach in his favourite sleeping spot.

I like to think he is in the happy hunting ground along with all the other kitties who have been loved and lost and I know eventually I'll stop missing him but for now I just want to hold him in my arms and give him a big squeeze :(