Sunday, January 4, 2015

A year for Mr. Tripod

Can you believe it's been a year since Tux had his surgery? 2014 was definitely an eventful one for us, and it flew by very quickly.
That's what he looked like when he came home from the vet's office. I wasn't sure how things were going to go. A front leg amputation is much harder on a cat than a rear leg, but he surprised us all and bounced back very quickly.
He was walking (albeit unsteadily) within days. His large incision healed with minimal complications (only because he likes the taste of Polysporin too much).
And by spring his fur had grown in and he was back to being the lazy, lovable cat he's always been.
 He can still beat on his brother.
He's still full of catitude.
He can still get a move on when he wants to (which is not often)
But sadly, he is losing weight.
It's hard to see in most of my pictures, but his spine has become much more prominent, and he's lost a fair bit of meat in his back end.
We didn't have the lump tested after removal, but we're pretty sure it was hemangiosarcoma. The vet said if it was, it would likely show up again - most likely on his organs. He's got a few suspicious lumps and tender spots on his underside, so strongly suspect it has. And he definitely has days where he's not feeling too well.
Even if I could afford more surgery, because of the diabetes, he likely wouldn't survive a procedure on his organs.  So we're going to keep him as comfortable and happy as we can for as long as we can.
And no matter how long he has left, I'm forever grateful to all of you who helped me get him this far.

13 comments:

Samantha said...

Wow, a year! He is an amazing guy. I'm so glad you have had this time with him. What a character he is.

The cancer you mentioned is one of the suspects of Cybil's death, causing her heart to fail.

Seajaes said...

Ah poor kitty but he is lucky to have you give him a great life.

kathy b said...

He's so beautiful. Our near 18 year old Rozzy is in a similar HOSPICE type situation. She is in kidney failure and has dementia. Good days outnumber the bad...

Where do you live , with the snowy owls?

Unknown said...

Tux is a GEM of a cat!!

Bridget said...

Give him a kiss from me. I'm glad he has a happy life, no matter what. That's because of you guys, and a lot of people wouldn't even try.

Unknown said...

He is a fighter, he will give it his all. Just revel in his Tuxness and enjoy the days he gives you.

Araignee said...

Sweet little man. He's been such a fighter. Like Dear Old Doggie, he's not going to go easy into the night. It takes a lot of courage on our part to see their journey through but aren't we blessed to have known them.

Sue said...

I do hope that he isnt in too much pain. Our old cat passed away last year too but we didnt realise she was sick as she just carried on as normal and then one day we found her in the front yard passed away. I am thankful that she was with us for 12 wonderful years though. I hope that you can keep Tux a lot longer.

elns said...

I love this Tux post. I'm glad you've all weathered through the tough times together and he's back lazing about and keeping the family in-line :) Wishing you all a happy/healthy 2015

lexa said...

Awww, he's still a cutie pie! He knows he's loved big bunches. :)

Rachelle said...

He has done well so far, but it's hard when you know they have a limited amount of time left due to illness.
Let us hope that he has longer than expected and that he is comfortable during that time.

pendie said...

poor Tux. He's quite the cat. He's having a great life with you as his caretaker.

Delusional Knitter said...

The first thing I noticed in the photos was he lost weight. I was hoping it was self imposed due to maneuverability issues ... but cats usually don't work that way. My in laws had a cat with diabetes and she was an amputee ... she was always a fatty. Well you've given Tux so much care and love, he's as lucky to have you as you are him!!