Lincoln :(

[Fierce Critter]

We lost our Lincoln today. It was extremely sudden, and completely unexpected.

The last time I saw him alive was last night around 11:00 at night. Then I woke up this morning about 5:40, went to the bathroom and went to fill our humidifier. I saw Lincoln lying on the floor at the end of the bed and I immediately knew something was wrong.

I threw on the light and saw that Lincoln was nearly immobile on his side, but seemed to be breathing. He was warm. Jon got up too and within seconds, it was obvious Lincoln was gone. He just stopped breathing. Jon tried mouth-to-snout breathing, but it didn't do any good.

I called a 24-hour emergency vet about bringing him in for a necropsy. For him to die so completely suddenly with other cats in the house made it imperative we find out what happened for the sake of the others. She said it wasn't necessary to do it at an emergency hospital, but to take him when a vet's office opened.

We took him at 8:00 to our vet. The doctor there was exceptionally nice. She explained a little about necropsies and how they work. Basically she will do a visual exam to see if there is something obvious such as a broken neck or obstruction of the digestive system. Then she would take tissue samples and send them to Michigan State University for examination. That would take a week or two.

I had her keep Lincoln for private cremation. We'd bury him someplace north if we could, but with frozen ground and no set place to go, we opted for the cremation.

I just came home and slept while my husband went to work. And I woke up to a message on my phone to call the vet's office.

The vet had done her visual exam. She believes he had hypertrophic cardio myapathy (sp). She said it is the most common feline heart disease. She found that his heart and lungs looked abnormal - his left atrium was dilated, and the wall tissue was thin. His ventricles are thickened. The one thing I forgot to ask her was what actually killed him, but it looks like a cat heart attack. I'll be doing some online research to learn more about the condition, and welcome input from others.

We will have to have Grover, his twin brother, examined. There is a 1 in 4 chance that he will have it too, as it is genetic. The signs we might have looked for was a heart murmur upon veterinary examination, trouble breathing, inability to exercise. Lincoln hadn't been seen by a vet in about 2-3 years, which is standard - they get vaccines every 3 years, and we had him to the vet where we lived in North Carolina within the past 2-3 years for a skin condition. But I don't believe they listened to his heart. He was a placid cat, didn't run around much, and definitely showed the signs of tiredness. But without a listen to the heart and an EKG, there would have been no way to know this was a heart condition. We actually thought Lincoln was getting MORE healthy. He was overweight in NC, and despite putting him on a vet-purchased diet food, he didn't lose weight. But when we moved here with stairs to run up and down, he lost all the weight.

This is really sad. Lincoln and Grover were our 2nd and 3rd cats. They'd been dropped over the fence at the pound in the city we first lived in in NC. When I saw them both in the cage together, I couldn't pick just one. I brought both of them home intending to watch them for a while, and give one of them to a local cat rescue for re-homing. But I fell in love with Lincoln, and Jon fell in love with Grover, so they were the start of our massive cat accumulation.

Lincoln was mostly sweet, but he could be sassy. From earliest days in "new-cat-quarantine" in the bathroom in the house we were living in, it he would see something he didn't like and SMACK it. But he was also the only cat in the house who Asia - our Siamese - felt comfortable with. He'd curl up on the bed at night and she'd be right there curled up against him.

He was a heck of a food hog. He'd sit by as you ate and rear up and paw the air for a handout. He could be downright annoying sometimes, doing his damndest to get SOMETHING off your plate. He had the most unusual meow, small and muffled like he was under water, and it was a rare treat to hear one from him.

It doesn't look like Grover really realizes he's gone. I'd like to think cats are more perceptive & sentimental, but really I don't think any of them took notice when Jack died a few years ago, and I don't think any are noticing Lincoln's gone now. Asia might be hard-pressed to find another cat as accommodating as Lincoln was to her, so maybe she'll feel his absence more than even his brother.

Grover and Lincoln would have been 5 years old on Valentine's Day.

I'm really going to miss him.

From 14 to 13 and now 12.

Camille

[Onyx]

(((hugs)))

[Msterbeau]

*Big Hug* :-(

[kellygrrrrrl]

Awwww......Sorry hunny.

[torn asunder]

i'm sorry to hear this... =(

[Shade Everdark]

Good-bye, Lincoln.

Anytime is too soon for them to go.

[Homicidalheathen]

Aw, I am so sorry. I know its like loosing a child. I saw this and just knew you had lost one of your wonderful kitties.

I am sure living with you was like heaven to the critter though.......because we all know your good to your critters.

[Steven]

I'm sorry babe. Fur buddies are family, I know.......

[Fierce Critter]

You guys make me feel better, you know? Thanks. I mean it.

It's funny. I still have 12 cats. But it just seems like there are so few now. Just not "enough".

I don't know how to explain or express it. It's completely odd. Things just don't feel the same.

Grover is obviously missing him. I can't say it's like he's grieving. I love cats, but for the most part, they don't seem to really miss one when it's gone.

But Grover is more seeming like he knows Lincoln isn't here, and is wondering what's up with that. He spends a lot more time on the bed now, where Lincoln used to be a majority of the time.

Sigh.

I did make the decision to halt the sending of the tissue samples to Michigan State. I talked to the vet, and told her I trust her diagnosis as-is. I decided it made more sense to concentrate on the living right now, and re-direct the monies for the tissue analysis to getting Grover in ASAP to be examined, have an EKG, and get on medication if need be.

Got an appointment Monday at 3:00.

[pomba gira]

So sad. I know I was devastated when my Zu-i disappeared, and would be even more so if anything happened to any of my current posse. But... at least, as someone else said, you gave him the best life any kitty could ask for... hope you can take comfort in knowing that.

*hugs*

[Guest Megalicious]

I'm soooo sorry FC.

I know how it is to lose a furry child

[ManicQueen]

Camille, I feel for you. I've lost so many pets it's rediculous.

My boyfriend, recently threw my cat out the door without saying anything to me.. this was 2 days ago. Tonight, I opened the back door to bring my case of beer in and there she was, my baby kitty. I, of course, let her back in. My boyfriend and daughter weren't too thrilled but I don't care. I thought for sure she died that night because of the weather *how cold it was* but I'm just happy she returned home and is still alive. Makes me appreciate her even more.

[Lilith]

i am so sorry to here this. Big huggs.

[Brenda Starrr]

*hugs*

I'm sorry, Camille.

[pomba gira]

Camille, I feel for you. I've lost so many pets it's rediculous.

My boyfriend, recently threw my cat out the door without saying anything to me.. this was 2 days ago. Tonight, I opened the back door to bring my case of beer in and there she was, my baby kitty. I, of course, let her back in. My boyfriend and daughter weren't too thrilled but I don't care. I thought for sure she died that night because of the weather *how cold it was* but I'm just happy she returned home and is still alive. Makes me appreciate her even more.

Oh, gawd, that's terrible! In this weather! I was wracked with guilt just keeping Kitsu in the unheated part of my basement for the past few days but at least I made sure she had a crate & blankets to snuggle in.

Not to slag off your BF but... I can't think helping, you should tie him down, sprinkle catnip on his manly parts, & let kitty have at it. Anyway I'm very glad she came back & is OK! Give her a little kitty hug for me.