Wanted to say hi.

[glennab]

Hello my wonderful OPR pals,

I wanted to let you know that my further absence from the forum is because a couple more of my cats died, and I've been dealing with a tremendous amount of unbearable grief.  My favorite (even though I never let on to the others), Aaron Neville, died last weekend of what we think was feline HIV. Since last year we've lost 7 of my beloved pride, probably of the same disease.  Being unemployed, we can't afford a veterinarian, so we've been caring for them ourselves.  We only have 4 left, and 2 of them appear to be ill as well.

They're all old, and we're old, so it's a tough situation.  Besides which they were all rescues and unbelievably precious to me.  I saw Aaron and his cousin Smoke born and have adored them for the last 14 years.

Anyway, I'm bouncing back, so hopefully I'll be here a bit more often.  I miss you all!

Hugs,

GK

[kevinashworth]

Glenna my heart goes out to you. I'm a cat lover too, and i know i'd be lost without my little pal. I hope things work out for for you and the ill ones make it through. You're with your mates here GK.  :hug:

[Hannie]

Glenna, this is terrible news.  I'm so sorry for your loss and now the others are sick as well?
What about a nonprofit place or an animal shelter like this one:

http://www.petpalanimalshelter.com/veterinary-clinic/clinic-home/

They sound pretty decent and perhaps they are willing to help you out?

Wishing you all the best,

Hannie

[glennab]

Thanks so much, K. One of the difficult things about being a cat rescuer is having to say goodbye to them.  I can't imagine anyone in the world loving cats more than I do.  Among my pride have been some incredible characters.  They've been fun, smart, loving and so darn much trouble.  And I'd take them all in again - in a heartbeat.

My life has become very silent, as my talkative best friend Lynne died last July, and Aaron Neville was a non-stop talker for 14 years - from before I got out of bed until I crawled back in.  He'd meow at me and I'd say "What?" and he'd say "What?", and I'd say "What?" until one of us got tired of the game.  I've been filling in with CNN when I'm not taking webinars, knitting (I'm making a memorial blanket for Aaron right now) or reading.

I'm always glad when I get back to my "mates" here on OPR. What an awesome group!

Cheers,

GK

Hannie, your post just came up.  Someone else mentioned that veterinarian.  I haven't checked them out, because we just realized what we were up against, and there's no cure for feline HIV and by the time we realize they're sick, they're already nearly dead.  I've held most of them in my arms after they've come to me, barely able to walk, and they've expired within a half hour.  I may contact them about the 4 that are left, as I can't imagine losing the rest any time soon.  I don't know how I'd survive a cat-less house, and we don't want to adopt any more, as we're getting too old.  Since I work with Save Our Strays, I may foster momma cats and their kittens until they're adopted.  I think I could handle that.  That's how my rescue mission started, so many years ago. Probably would be a fitting end to my career! Thanks so much for caring.

[Mhayes]

GK,

I am so sorry for your loss and to lose so many at one time would be heartbreaking. I was thinking the same thing as what Hannie posted, but did not have their email address. I would check into that right away. Also, that would give you an idea of whether it is safe to bring in any more cats. I hope that you can be a foster mom, but you know you will get attached and not want to let go.

Hope things turn around for you!

Margie

[glennab]

Hi Margie,

Thanks for your sweet concern.

I wouldn't bring in any other cats until I either am able to get my last 4 checked or they're gone.  We have a totally destroyed house from 15 years of the felines making projects out of every piece of furniture and anything fabric that we own, so when these 4 head for the "Bridge." I'm going to do a major clean-up, donate just about everything to Save Our Strays and then decide if fostering is what I want to do.  I definitely get attached, especially as usually with SOS you take a pregnant momma cat, care for her and her babies until they're weaned and ready for their shots and to be spayed and neutered, and then they go to adoption centers in pet food stores.  Many of my rescues went that route.  I ended up with the unadoptables, who were feral or semi-feral.

One of the owners of a pet store at which we get our supplies knows me quite well, and she used to call me at work and ask me if I wanted a "kitten fix." She'd have a litter she was fostering, and they needed to be played with and handled, so I'd go and get my "fix."  I'm sure I could do that now, too.

Iron Man said the dearest thing to me a week or so ago.  I was in total despair at losing 2 more cats, and as I was crying, he said that I should consider that somewhere in heaven there's a "Glenna Wing" for cats where all my babies have gone to be together once they've crossed the Rainbow Bridge, and I should feel good about that. It really helped me get through that first rough spell.

So I love my remaining beloved pride a little extra every day and appreciate so much that my friends realize how much they've all meant to me.

Hugs!

GK

[Pat]

Glenna, I am so sorry for your loss.  Even though I know from personal experience the unbearable grief of losing a pet I can not even begin to imagine the loss of so many in such a short time.  Take care of yourself friend.



Pat

[glennab]

Pat, thank you so much for your kindness.  I can't tell you how much I appreciate it.

Hugs.

GK

[Tori803]

I'm so sorry to hear about your kitties! We've had cats all our lives, each with its unique personality, appeal, and quirks, and the hardest part has always been losing one of them. Hoping for the best for you and Ironman.

Tori

[glennab]

Thank you so much, Tori. They are definitely individuals and have amazing personalities.  I comfort myself with the fact that they've given me much more than I could ever give them. Losing them is awful, but the alternative is not to have had them to adore.  Not a chance I'd have missed out on that! For all IM's protests, this has been tough for him, too.

Many hugs,

GK