Goodbye, Jet. Options

[Walk Alone]

Hello everybody. I am glad to find this forum. I don’t have a family or anyone else to talk to.

On August 7, 2007, I adopted an eleven-week-old kitten from an animal shelter who they called “Marty”. I was actually a volunteer at the shelter and noticed that the kitten’s eye was very infected. I called it to the attention of the staff on several occasions. After it remained untreated for over a week, I adopted him and took him to one of my own veterinarians, who is especially good with eyes. I renamed the kitten “Jet”.

My veterinarian initially thought Jet’s eye had already ruptured. After they cleaned it out, they saw it had not ruptured. Jet suffered permanent damage to his tear duct, but otherwise fully recovered.

When Jet’s eye was being treated, I would sit on the edge of the bathtub to medicate him. Anytime I sat there after the medication was done, Jet would hop up on my lap and rub his nose against my nose as if he remembered the treatments and was saying “Thank you.” He was my best friend.

On February 2, 2010, I took Jet to the veterinarian after I noticed some weight loss. Jet was diagnosed with Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP). Working with animals for many years, I knew that disease well. I was devastated.

I read about a veterinarian in the UK that had a 25% survival rate with FIP when using Prednisolone and Interferon. Jet and I fought hard with these medications for nine months. He was so brave and strong! Unfortunately, on November 8, 2010, I couldn’t ask him to fight anymore. We said goodbye at 6:20 p.m. at the veterinarian’s office. He died in my arms. My baby boy.

I feel absolutely terrible because when we arrived at the veterinarian for the last time, Jet hid his little face in my arm for protection, but I was the one who brought him there to die! It was me! I absolutely hate myself.

Why, oh why, was he given only three years to live? Why is there no cure for this disease? Why did he recover so well from the eye infection just to get sick again? It is not fair. Jet deserved so much more.

My grandma passed away on Christmas Eve. I asked her to please give me a sign that Jet is in heaven with her. I needed to know that animals go to heaven. This morning on the way to work, an SUV in front of me had a license plate that simply read “JETME”. I read it as “Jet is with Me.” I hope so.

[Walk Alone]

Aaron, Cheryl83, moon_beam and missy, thank you for your responses. You had a black cat named "Marty", Aaron! What a coincidence, because it is such an unsual name for a cat.

I'm sorry for all your recent losses - Reggie (my boss has a Labridoodle named Reggie) and Opie. It is so wonderful to read about people who love their pets so much. I cannot wait to read more on this site. I'm really glad I came here. You all are so kind and really do understand. Thank you for that.

I went to pick up Jet's remains from the vet yesterday. They had them in a beautiful wooden urn with carvings of flowers on the top of it. They also made me his paw print in clay, and wrote "Jet" in the clay above his paw print. When I got home, there was a card in the mail from my vet with a bookmark that had the Rainbow Bridge poem on it.

There are lots of things that I will remember about Jet. He played so furiously with his toys when he was a baby that I called him "Turbo Jet". When he grew up and got a little bit of a belly, I called him "Jumbo Jet". He loved the laser pointer toy the most. It sounded like he was ripping the carpet to shreds as he rounded bends and leaped into the air. He also loved to watch helium balloons on the ceiling - the silver, metalic kind. I'd cut the ribbon off so he didn't chew it and he'd just watch them and was especially fascinated when the furnace would come on and make the balloon glide. In fact, he had a "Get Well Soon" balloon during his final week.

I try not to feel guilty. I did do everything I could and I know that. It is just hard because I had to put my Mittens down years ago. He had so many things going on with him and I could tell he didn't want to go on. I had to have my ferret, Journey, put down last year. He had a grand mal seizure and sustained a severe brain injury during the 20 mile drive to the closest vet that was open (it happened on a Saturday night). But, Jet was different. He wanted to live. I know he wanted to live and stay with me; I could see it in his eyes.

I need to focus on the blessing I was given by having nine precious months with him after his diagnosis. The vet estimated six months, so we were fortunate.

I took the first picture right before we left for the vet on his final day. What an angel on earth he was.

The second picture is his collar. I wear it as a bracelet because the bell makes me feel like he is nearby.

[Aaron]

Aaron, Cheryl83, moon_beam and missy, thank you for your responses. You had a black cat named "Marty", Aaron! What a coincidence, because it is such an unsual name for a cat.

Yep, and he was an amazing cat. I need to find some old pictures of him sitting on top of a chimney across the street from us. It was an older house built with brick with a lot of "grip" so he was able to climb up the side of that chimney and would wait up top for birds to fly out of it. I was only 4 or 5 when he passed, so I don't have as many memories as my parents do. But enough about me....

As everyone said, we are truly sorry for your loss and completely understand what you are gong through. This site has helped me in more ways than I can describe, as this has undoubtedly been one of the most difficult things I have ever dealt with and certainly the toughest since I married my wife. Reading others' posts and how they are healing helps a great deal. Please don't be a stranger.