Hello everybody.

Thank you so much for all of your thoughts.  It means so very much to me.

I'll share with you the last few days of Tika's life.  We knew she was slowing down, the Prednisone had been upped, but didn't seem to be helping.  She started having accidents because she didn't want to walk to the door or find me.  I started letting her out in the front yard so she didn't have to go far.  Then Caya got sick, so I was running back and forth to the vet visiting her and panicking.

Friday, Tika would barely move, the vet had given us some Buprenorphine for pain, but it's a pretty powerful drug so it was last resort.  I gave her the shot and then got the call that Caya needed to go to the emergency hospital in Kansas City. We rushed off to do that, picking up Caya's paperwork and admitting papers and loading her up. 

We got back home and the shot must have kicked in because Tika was feeling pretty good, and we had a good night, but I had a feeling that it would be our last good night.  Her breathing was rapidly become more and more ragged and she had started to bite and gulp at the air.

Saturday was a hellish day, Tim and I got in our first blow up about Tika, everything we've been through we'd get snappish or tense, but this was a bit ugly. I really think the strain of everything got to us.  I tell you this so you can try to avoid this situation.  We visited Caya and came back and just hung out with Tika, she was rapidly declining.  She was no longer cleaning up after herself and we had to clean her up after a loose stool.  I knew in my heart it was time, but Tim was so scared to let her go.  We were also receiving very bad news about Caya. 

That night, Tim woke me up about 2am and said, "It's time". It's the first time I saw him cry.  I went downstairs and held Tika, she couldn't catch her breath and I just rubbed her back and chest and comforted her until she was able to finally catch it.  We dozed off and on for the rest of the night. 

Sunday morning, Tim just was pretty much a zombie. I think preparing myself so much for this day helped, I went into automaton mode and made the call to the vet.  She said she'd meet us at the clinic, they had a comfort room we could do it in and nobody would be there.

Tim gave Tika a few last treats, and we said goodbye at home, I told her that she needed to go take care of her sister, that soon it wouldn't hurt anymore and she she'd be strong again.  We loaded her up in the truck and she took her favorite position right behind the console, she seemed a bit dazed, but happy to be in the truck.  Her gums and tongue were chalk white from lack of oxygen.

We got to the vet and Tika wagged her tail a bit and just laid down, the doctor explained everything to us and we signed the consent. Of course, there has to be something off the wall to happen right?  I think now that the Tripawd Angels sent us a bit of a practical joke, or comedic moment.  Here we are, early Sunday morning in an abandoned vet clinic and here comes this farmer with a cat that had been hit by a car and was screaming bloody murder. So here's our doctor trying to explain everything to us, we're crying and MEOW, MREOWR, MWREOR. That was it, nerves are shot I got the giggles. Our doctor was horrified and said, I will go take care of this.

We got everything calmed down and one of Tika's favorite techs had arrived to assist.  Tim couldn't be there as they got the IV ready, which is good because I don't think I could have handled him fainting also.  They had a nice soft bed ready for Tika, she got settled and we got the IV in.  I sat next to her and started scratching her ears, Tim held me and Tika. 

I think Tika passed before the injection was finished.  And she left us with the same grace and bravery that she's handled this whole ordeal with.  Right before she passed she stretched her head out to the vet as if to lick her and then gently laid her head on the floor and that was it.  She was no longer gasping, struggling to walk, hurting.  The doctor left us with her for a bit, and I stroked her fur was last time and kissed her goodbye.

We have granted permission for her body to be donated to the Vet School at KState. I don't know if they took her or not.  I have this image of Spirit Tika watching over a bunch of vet students going hey, take it easy, don't screw it up. Oooh, no wonder I couldn't breathe that's nasty.

It's funny how we deal with grief.  Tim was zoned out on the couch, I was in perpetual motion, I couldn't stay still. I cleaned up the living room which had been our bedroom for the last two weeks, I cleaned up a lot of Tika's stuff and packed it away, I couldn't stay still. We went to see Caya and told her that her sister is looking over her now, and she needs to be strong.  Then I had to go to Wichita until Thursday.

So that leads us to Caya.  She is now my poor little Frankenpuppy, she has tubes coming from all directions. She's very, very sick.  Leptospirosis was confirmed yesterday, the titers indicated exposure to four different strains including the mother rat bastard of them all, Leptospira Grippotyphosa (say that three times real fast).  Over the weekend her blood pressure had climbed to 200 and they had her on blood pressure meds and a nitroglycerin paste in her ear.  She has a jugular cath and a urine cath.  Yesterday's blood test indicated that her BUN et al has finally stopped climbing and may even be starting to go down.  We discussed the possibility of dialysis which the best type we could get would be in Baton Rouge at LSU.  However, Caya was continuing to produce urine and her fever broke and her BP returned to normal.

Tim went to see her today and is worried about her, she looks ragged and they are having trouble getting her to eat, so they may have to insert another catheter for feeding.  Tim is going over there tomorrow with some treats and I'm leaving after my job is complete tomorrow and going straight to the hospital and I'll try to pick up something for her to eat. We hope she can come home next Monday/Tuesday. She's being spoiled and has 24 hour care but she needs to rest at home. Unfortunately, they can't release her to us with a major catheter like that in her.  All of my acquired vet skills over the last few years does not qualify me for that!

We are hoping that she doesn't have permanent kidney damage. We need to get her to eat soon. Ironically, she's in the same kennel that Tika was in for her amputation surgery, I asked if they would put a plaque over the door that reads "Hunsinger Family Kennel". So I picture Tika in there laying by Caya and cleaning her face.

I think Spirit Tika is trying to help, because Monday night I woke up to the sound of her rooos and of course lost it when I reached for her. The next day we heard that Caya's kidney values were stabilizing.  Monday it also snowed, I think Tika arranged that also.

Caya is strong, I hope she'll pull through.  We had a lot of plans for next summer and the RV she wants to go visit a certain handsome three-legged shepherd she met in Colorado.

One of the hardest things I have had to do this week is post Tika's passing on this website.  It made it so.......official somehow. Does that sound weird?

Take care everyone, send your healing thoughts to Caya.  I know Tika is looking over her, and then she's going to go join the gang at the bridge and then things will really start getting interesting up there!

Love, Kim, Tim, Caya and Spirit Tika

PS--Sorry, it appears I have written a novel.