 The
time from when we first heard about Ember until she passed away was
only a few weeks. Old, deaf, declawed, and sick with a severe hyperthyroid
problem, she'd been abandoned and had managed to survive, although
she was under 5 pounds and her heart raced along at 180-200 beats each
minute.
|
It was so clear why those who rescued her--when she was soaking in a
rain storm, just sitting in a puddle in the middle of the road--hoped she
would not need to be put down. Walking with an uncertain wobble, she'd come
right over to you and crawl into your arms and begin a loud and very interesting
(perhaps in part because she is deaf) purr. She was so friendly and interested
in everything.
|
We adopted her to live with the family of special needs cats and dogs
who live in our home, hoping she could be stabilized and her medical needs
attended to. It had been a good year--we hadn't lost anyone since the tough
year and a half from November 1999 to March 2001 when we lost Snow, Huckleberry,
and June--and
we were hopeful, particularly in light of her wonderful spirit. Unfortunately,
she continued to lose weight
and none of the interventions helped. We discovered that lymphoma had spread
throughout her body and there was nothing we could do except make her as
comfortable as possible until the end drew near, make sure she didn't suffer
needlessly, and try to let her know how much she was loved. She died peacefully
in our arms: March, 2002.
Please follow this link to the family of
special needs dogs and cats who live in our home. |