Poultry and Pets > Pets without Feathers

Rufus went today

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John:
Some 10 years ago, Cara gave us two semi-feral cats. Rufus & Martha, who would live in the cowshed and would be no trouble..
Well Martha vanished we know not where and pretty soon I woke one night to find him asleep on my bed. After a few weeks he was one of the gang in the house and very settled, thank you. As a feral, following the call of the wild and living on his hunting skills, he wasn't very successful. Being scared of mice and spiders isn't a great start in the feline world.
The only real illnesses he had was some fitting in2015 which turned out to be an allergic reaction to flea bites and an infected eye in 2020. Being as he was really tough to catch we got him to the vets too late to sort things and eventually he had to have the eye removed. He recovered really well and didn't seem bothered by it.
He liked the other cats but us humans were at best tolerated. I could get a sneaky stroke when he was eating but that was it. He put on a bit of weight, I'd guess he was about 8 kg and should have been 6kg but there's not much you can do to diet one cat in a multiple cat house. He really was a couch potato - hardly goes out in the winter.
The other week he came into the office and miaowed at me until I got up and went to the food bowls, but no he didn't want food, he wanted me to light the fire!
Anyway, this morning he was leading the charge for breakfast and all was normal Then about lunchtime I went into my bedroom and he was sprawled out asleep, as I thought, on the floor. Then I thought I couldn't see him breathing and discovered he was dead.
Oddly I was talking with Cara last week and said I dreaded him falling ill and needing vet visits. Catching him would be a nightmare for us and the vet's a trauma for him.We said the best would be if he just fell asleep one night and didn't wake, we thought we were talking years into the future,
He looked very peaceful, just flopped out and asleep - I hope it was fast and painless. I suspect a heart attack - overweight and he had a heart murmur diagnosed in 2015 when he went to vet.
If he'd been rescued just a few weeks earlier he may well have been a cuddly lap cat instead of an 'arms length is close enough' cat.
We'll miss him
Strange, from 6 cats to 3 in 7 months. I'm very much afraid we're going to lose Pixie next week. The vet seemed to think her kidney disease was moving to full failure and the end was pretty much nigh. We'll see how she is but it's not looking hopeful.
The photo of him in the chair is from 2014 and the other is him recuperating from his eye removal in crate in 2020. Very fed up he was too.

Plot 1 Problems:
Sorry to hear it John, all my best to you and Val.

New shoot:
That is sad news, but I suspect Rufus would have preferred it that way.  Multiple vet visits can be a trauma for any cat, but a hands off suspicious ex-feral would have found it extremely tough.  10 years of living life his way with humans who knew their place is a pretty good outcome for a cat who started out living wild.

Sad about Pixie as well.  Even if you know what is coming, it doesn’t make it any easier  :(

mumofstig:
Sad news John, but you know the years he had with you were the best he could have.
RIP Rufus!

Aunt Sally:
When you go to heaven, John, you will be given honorary whiskers and hang out with all the cool cats  :D

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