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From My Live Journal Post, 23th January 2010: My sweet Captain Leo
Friday, I noticed that I thought he was breathing a little heavier but thought it was just because he was purring. All you had to do is look at him and he would start purring. He was still up and around begging for catnip, eating, sitting in the open window, he seemed fine. Later that night I noticed that he was breathing heavy all the time so I decided to take him to the Emergency Vet Hospital. It was after 10 at night on Friday and that is the only vet open. Dewey was working and couldn't leave, my mom was tired and didn't want to go with me. Neither of them thought it was that serious. I thought it was so I left to take him by myself. I wasn't even out of my neighborhood and my car got a flat tire. So I called my mom and she came and drove me to the vet with Leo. That flat tire turned out to be the best thing because I could not of done this all alone. I got there & started to signed in, the guy at the desk took one look at him and said he needed to take him back asap. I waited what seemed like forever and the vet lady came in to talk to me. She said Leo had severe congestive heart failure & his lungs were filling with fluids. She said he had probably been hiding his pain as cats usually do that and that is why I didn't notice anything wrong with him sooner. The medicine that she put him on when they took him to the back along with the oxygen wasn't working as well as she had hoped. At his age and the how bad his condition was, even if they would of been able to pull him through this he would of only had 3-6 months to live at the most and his quality of life would not be the same. She felt it was best for Leo that we end his suffering and not put him through all of what would of been necessary for those few months. So after talking to Dewey, my mom and my dad we decide that the vet was right and did what was best for Leo. They brought him back in the room with oxygen so he could breathe and I said goodbye. Dewey & Ian picked Leo up Saturday afternoon and we buried him in our yard next to Pookie Bear :(
Leo had changed so much in the last few years. He was no longer the super skittish scaredy cat. He was out and about around the house and even around the dog. He found he like to eat little pieces of people food and loved to be petted, even by Angel. He had the loudest purr. My bedroom was still his favorite place and any time one of us would lay on the bed he was there two seconds later purring and wanting to be petted. I just wish Leo had broken out of his scared shell sooner so he could of had more years like this but I'm glad his last few years with us was probably his happiest. Rest in peace Leo! We miss you so much!
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The painting I created using Leo's photo above, "Captain Leo" 12" x 16" Acrylic on Canvas
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This is Leo, A.K.A.: The Scaredy Cat.
He was born in 1996 and is Tabby's brother.
I took in both him and Tabby as kittens. They had been living on some lady's back porch in a large pet carrier. They had never even been held by a person before. The lady would just slide some food through the bars and put new litter on top of the old in the cage. Tabby and Leo were two wild kittens being kept in a cage 24 hours a day, for I'm not quite sure how long. My husband brought them both home to me and I started working with them. The were so scared of me and my husband for a long time.
I don't think Leo has ever fully recovered. To this day he hides a lot and I'm just about the only person who can pet him. He's a sweet cat, just very nervous. He does come out of hiding every night for me to love him.
I don't have too many good photos of him because he always runs before I can take one. |
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Play Leo's Dot Game! Click Here
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