Remembering Cali

Links in this blog post can potentially generate a little bit of funding for our pets and this website. We appreciate if you purchase something using one of our affiliate links. Thanks!

Cali at Thompson Pond, Spencer MA

When I got the reminder email for Petey's annual vet visit the other day, I realized it's been a year since our situation with my beautiful Cali. I had asked if I could bring her along for that appointment, way back in September of 2020. In the middle of the pandemic, we were still on curbside visits. 

Cali had chronic sneezing for several weeks at that point, and I noticed she would sleep under the bed for many hours at a time. At the time, I had not noticed that she also was not eating and was not able to jump. I am technically not sure if that happened before the vet visits, or after. But one thing is for sure, I wish I had never brought her to the vet. She'd probably still be here, sneezing away, and sleeping under the bed in my office.

It's now nearly nine months since we said our goodbyes to Cali, our beautiful tortie/calico girl. We had a camping trip planned this past January, in Florida — the only place fully open at the time. We were going to bring Petey with us, and we had a reservation that we had made months before after we bought our van, that we ALSO bought in September. I think a lot was going on, and I just didn't realize how sick Cali was getting from the medication. About a week before the trip, I asked the kennel if they would take Petey instead, and we brought Cali with us on the camping trip.

Cali was under treatment for a supposed ear infection, and thing just got worse and worse and worse. The more often I brought her to the vet, the worse she got. In hindsight, and being a person who is basically anti-medication (I prefer natural treatments), I wish I had never agreed to all the meds she was given. 

Once we were in Florida, she took a really bad turn for the worse. When we arrived at our campground, I called the closest vet and told them I had brought my cat with me from out of state, and I think she needed to be euthanized. They graciously cleared their schedule and told me to bring her in immediately. I called them back an hour later and said I wanted to wait one more day. I know this is probably selfish, but I just wasn't sure, and one of my mottos is "when in doubt, don't". 

The next morning, Husband and I knew she was not living a life and there was no chance of recovery. I called the vet again, and they said just bring her on in. During a chilly January day in Florida (yes, Florida has those!), in the middle of COVID, we were allowed to go inside the vet's office, with masks on. The vet did an examination of Cali, and the techs cleaned her up (she had gotten covered with her own urine and feces and liquids coming out of her eyes and mouth). The vet said it certainly did seem like there was no hope of Cali surviving on her own. A week or two earlier, she had stopped eating, not for lack of interest, but her face was paralyzed and she could not eat the food nor swallow it when I fed her baby food in a syringe. It was time. 

I held Cali in my lap as the vet gave the shot to sedate the cat, and then the second shot to end her life. They had given me a puppy pad to cover my clothing, at my request. After all, I'd been through this before, I knew it wouldn't be pretty. 

They gave us as much time as we needed, and we stayed for what seemed forever. The two of us crying, and Brad whispering in Cali's ear to go to Baba. If you've never tried crying with a mask on, I don't recommend it! 

We made arrangements for the body. I was given the choice of taking her with us and keeping her in the camper's fridge. We actually considered that, but didn't want to deal with that for a week! Or, cremation and I could pick up the ashes in about 7-10 days. I explained that we would only be in town for six days, and wondered if they could expedite the process. They made no promise, but to my relief they came through for us! We picked up Cali's ashes on the way out of town six days later. 

Cali, on the day I adopted her in 2009

Cali's ashes are on the shelf in my office where I'm writing this. Along with her friend Hobie's ashes, and another cat's ashes, Filkin, who was quite a bit like Cali and I often wonder if she was reincarnated as Cali.

Cali was a beautiful kitty. She looked exactly like a kitten that was born at my house on Oak Lane, that I later gave to my mother. We called that cat Patches. Mom didn't keep the cat, but I have pictures and the markings bear an unbelievable resemblance!

There were a few times in her life when, just like Filkin, she would take little vacations and worry me sick! She would disappear for days at a time, only to turn up inside of someone's garage, or meowing at the back door. Eventually, I found out that my neighbors thought she was THEIR cat! This happened when I posted photos of her and attached them to telephone poles around the neighborhood when she was missing one time. They called me and said "The cat is here. We thought she was ours. She's been coming here for like two years!" I then had to show them kitten photos of her the first day I got her (and Tux)... not that they didn't believe me, but I wanted to prove that she was definitely mine. After that, they didn't let her into their house for more than a few minutes visit!

When we moved away, from Massachusetts to South Carolina, we were moving to a busy suburban area with lots of traffic from a dead-end dirt road in the middle of nowhere. So, my three cats would need to become indoor cats. Surprisingly, this turned out to be super easy, and I wish I had not lost as much sleep over this as I did during the months before we moved. 

After I got married, we moved again, into my husband's house. Once again out in the country, but... I did not want to let the cats out because they'd bring fleas and ticks into the house if they became outdoor cats again. They remained indoor cats, and seemed none the wiser (except for Newman who likes to sneak out occasionally).

There were some times when I would bring Cali into the yard and she always liked that. 

As we approach the year anniversary of losing Cali, I know there are some things I will do differently from now on. First off, no medications without checking them online first. The powerful antibiotic the vet gave Cali has a known and reported history of brain damage, loss of sight, stroke and paralysis in cats. This is precisely what happened, and I still feel guilty for letting it happen. It would have been much better to just live with the sneezing rather than destroying a perfectly healthy cat's life by giving a medication with such powerful side effects. 

I also will keep a better eye on whether my pets can eat, drink and climb (if necessary). Cali was unable to eat or drink, and could not climb. I did not know this, and it made her weaker because she could not get to the food, which is kept high off the ground away from the dogs. I inadvertently contributed to her demise because she was unable to get at the food. Then, she became paralyzed and was physically unable to eat it due to facial paralysis.

Photo dump of Cali photos from the years!!!

All photos property of Kathleen Mandell