bj

[cj]

this is bj, my cat. he's 18, and this year, i have had him exactly half my life. he's an old man, and more and more i am noticing little things that show his age. he now takes stairs slowly and carefully, and he occasionally misses the box. and when he was an outdoor cat he used to roam the neighborhood. now, the only reason he can be out at all in our busy neighborhood is that he pretty much sticks to the driveway to eat weeds, or the porch, to lay in the sun. so, he's not going to be around that much longer. but for now, he still seeks out sunbeams, hangs with jeremy even though three year olds kind of annoy him, so sometimes he just sits beside him and stares jj down. :funny1: i just hope that when his time comes, i will recognize it, accept it and not allow him to suffer for a second. :heart:

snuggling with kev and jeremy last winter.http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y270/jsbal73/late%2008/009_9.jpg

[cj]

freakshow glowy-eyed cat!
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y270/jsbal73/IMG_0159.jpg

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y270/jsbal73/IMG_0160.jpg

licking water off himself after being accidentally squirted by two maniacal three year olds with squirters. quinn is laughing her butt off, telling jeremy that they squirted bj. :funny1:
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y270/jsbal73/summer%2009/114.jpg

[Elphaba]

{{bj}} :heart:

[Drop_o_Rain]

((((((BJ))))))

Kitty was 18 and we just had to make the decision to let her go peacefully back in August. It was so hard. You are a great mommy, cj, you will know. For now, enjoy your moments. xoxoxoxo

What a great life he has had... which other cat in North America has had a castle designed for him and has posted on this board all in the same weekend! :heart:

[sums]

:heart:

[cj]

:lol: kimmy, i haven't thought of that in ages! that sure was an awesome castle terry built for him. he was the best cat sitter ever! :Phishfolk:

[TEO]

[quote=Drop_o_Rain;441377What a great life he has had... which other cat in North America has had a castle designed for him and has posted on this board all in the same weekend! :heart:[/quote]


He is so famous! :heart:

[nancykind]

i remember that :) 18 years gives lots of good memories, Tigger was 18 too. much love to you all. :heart:

[vinandtonic]

:heart:

[Butterfly]

Wow he looks really good for 18:heart:god bless him!!!

[pixiebug]

:heart: yay BJ! I hope you get many more years together. it's not unheard of!

[cj]

so, a certain tiger-striped jerk (who will remain nameless) is choosing to poop on the floor *near* his litterbox. not even trying!!! :joker:

[deadheadskier]

is he still peeing in his litter box though?

[georgi]

Did you change litters?

When we change brands, our kitties get mad and do that!

[cj]

so, he is sometimes trying, sometimes succeeding, and other times not even going close to his box.

and he stays primarily in one place, on a blanket in front of a heat duct. he is up and about at snack times and meal times, but not much.

i've known for a while logically that yes, bj is going to either die or have to be put down soon. i had my first emotional realization that the time is very near tonight when i had to help him up and when kevin massaged his hips later, to help them get going again after sitting. which he does very strangely now. i don't think he's in pain, he's not crying or flinching when he's touched. he still purrs when you touch him.

:heart:

[musicmomma]

:heart:

[sums]

i really believe that you'll know what to do, or not do, when the time comes :heart:

[nancykind]

i do too. he'll let you know and you are already listening. :heart:

[Drop_o_Rain]

:heart:

[cj]

it's time. if we can get an appointment after work, bj will go peacefully late this afternoon. :heart:

[TEO]

(((cj, freerange & Jeremy))) (((bj)))

Love & comfort :heart:

May happy memories bring smiles to your heart that quickly makes the sadness fade. :heart:

[Drop_o_Rain]

:heart: :heart: :heart: :heart: :heart: :heart: :heart: :heart: :heart: :heart: :heart: :heart: :heart: :heart:

[Rayzeeday]

BJ so reminds me of our Tiger, I just hope we are blessed to have him at least as long:heart::heart::heart::heart::heart::heart::hea rt::heart:

[deadheadskier]

:cry1::heart:

[TEO]

:heart::heart::heart::heart:

[cj]

so tonight was not the night. but this is the week. kev asked for a day before making the appointment to see if beej rallied. he is not is distress, but he is clearly showing signs of too much prednisone for too long. and he is just so fragile and slow. i have to steel myself for this, then i can fall apart after it is done. can you even imagine? i got him when i was 18 -- over half my life to date. :heart: beej :heart:

[pixiebug]

:heart::heart::heart::heart::heart::heart::heart:

[mamapajama]

:heart:

[sums]

:heart: :heart: :heart:

[cj]

*sigh* calling the vet in the morning.

[TEO]

:heart::heart::heart:

[sums]

i'm so sorry carla.... :heart:

[cj]

tomorrow at 6:30

[nancykind]

i'm sorry Carla :heart: we love them so....... keep the happy memories close, alllll the way back to the beginning of the journey you two shared. they help so much and they're the important part. :heart:

[TEO]

:heart:

[deadheadskier]

:heart:

[cj]

kev left with bj a few minutes ago. i'm heartbroken.

[pixiebug]

i'm so sorry Carla :heart: it's never easy asking your "kids" to wait for you at the Rainbow Bridge, but BJ will be there. He'll run up to you when you see him there and he'll purr and rub against your legs like he did when he was a younger kitty, full of energy and all that kitty goodness.... :heart:

[TEO]

:heart::heart::heart:

(((cj, freerange, Jeremy)))

[vinandtonic]

:heart::heart:

[cj]

thank you thank you thank you for all of the love and support, everyone. it has been just over a month now, and i am finally ready to acknowledge the whole thing. your kind words and sympathy, and empathy touched our hearts. that and the outpouring of love and sadness from all of the people who knew bj helped us to get through the hardest thing we have ever had to do.

i still can barely think of the day and the following days. i don't want to because it is so raw. so many emotions, and guilt over the past few years -- i was so allergic to him after i had jeremy that i could barely touch him, and there were times when i had to gate our room so he wouldn't sleep on our bed. *sigh*

we still see him everywhere -- everything has the capability of looking like beej, a sweater left on the couch, or a pillow on the floor in front of the heater (jeremy leaves them there a lot, he sits there like bj did.) and we still hear him, a creak on the stairs that sounds like him walking down them. all of my neural pathways in this house involve him.

i watched him walk into our living room at the time of his death.

gah. i miss him. so much that if i think of it too closely i can't breathe.

[seany]

The first "most difficult thing" I ever did in my life was to put down my 19 yo Siamese cat, Erin, that had been with me since I was an infant. My mother couldn't do it, so it fell on me. At 19. Absolutely heart-wrenching, but it was the right thing to do. She was a wonderful companion and best friend.

I now have two cats - 14 yo and 8 yo. Delia, the oldest, is Siamese and pretty healthy, but showing her age. It is going to be a horrible day when she eventually passes. The younger cat, Cassady, is a very needy cat and loves her so much, as do I. I can't imagine them both not piling on me at every opportunity.

:heart:

[sums]

:heart: :heart: