I honestly thought this was going to be a "Farewell Riley" post. He's 16 years old and has arthritis and a little hearing loss. He's also been having seizures lately, which is the most worrisome to watch.
It's been hard watching him grow old. Some days are better than others, but he gets around on his own, has a good appetite, uses his litter box, loves attention, manages to pull himself up onto our bed for his naps, and loudly shares his opinions about what he likes and what he doesn't.
He doesn't go outside much anymore, but on sunny days he loves to nap on the front porch, so we reluctantly let him go out. Occasionally he goes down the two front steps to sit in the front yard to enjoy the sun. I always bring him in at dusk at the latest, because we have coyotes roaming around and Riley just doesn't have the ability to move quickly to get out of their way.
The other day after a seizure, he wanted to go out. I really didn't want him to, but his way of yowling loudly and persistently to get what he wants won out. He seemed disoriented and had a very difficult time walking out. For the first time, Dan and I said maybe it's time for that last visit to the vet to help him cross the Rainbow Bridge.
He settled down in his corner of the front porch for a nap. I checked on him several times but he didn't move. It seemed as if he was barely still breathing. At dusk, when it was time to come in, I couldn't find him.
We searched all over the yard, calling and calling. But no Riley. Eventually we gave up in the dark.
The next morning, still no Riley. The searching and calling were repeated several times throughout the day. But no Riley. Night came and I went out with a flashlight, calling and hunting. No Riley.
That next morning he was still nowhere to be soon, and we finally accepted that he was gone. He'd been missing for two nights. Some say animals know when they are going to die and "go off" to do it in private. We could only think that was the case with Riley. Later that morning Dan went out to hunt for his body. We wanted to give him a proper burial.
A few minutes later I heard Dan calling me from the front yard. I opened the front door and he pointed at the cat tree next to the door. There, sitting in the kitty bed on the top of the tree, was Riley! He was alert and purring. I picked him up and he meowed for his breakfast. After three helpings of his favorite cat food for breakfast, he climbed onto our bed, took a bath, and curled up for a nap.
He's been his usual happy self ever since. Both Dan and I think it's a miracle.
We also accept he probably won't be with us much longer. As long as he's happy to be alive, we're happy too. He's been a good mouse hunter and faithful companion, so he gets a bit of pampering in his retirement time of life. He deserves that.
26 comments:
How very worrying that would have been. It is so hard to watch the decline, but you are doing the best you can for such a faithful companion.
He sounds like the typical independent kitty. I'm glad he has lived his best life with you. He sounds well loved. Blessings...
I'm so happy Riley showed up again for you. I considered every day after that bonus time, when my elderly pup went missing and was found.
So glad he showed back up after two nights of worrying. We lock our cats up every night in our large storage building to keep them safe from all the varmints. A bobcat tried to get them one night by tearing the window screen. We’ve since put “cat” burglar bars on all the windows. RHill, TX
Unlike dogs, we've had many a cat over the years that got old and disappeared like Riley, only never to be seen again. I'm glad that he was found and gets to enjoy retirement for a little while longer.
What a happy reprieve! Animal ages make me realize how long I've been following some blogs like yours; I remember when you got him!
Rosalea, it is hard, but we're able to help him in little ways. He's adapted to his limitations and certainly seems happy enough.
Daisy, he is that! We've had him since he was a kitten and he's been a great hunter and companion. Now, he's perfectly happy to nap in the sun.
Laurie, then you know how it feels! And he's no worse for the wear, acting like nothing strange happened.
RHill, now that would be scary. We keep all our critters in their respective shelters for the night, but the cats can be noisily insistent about going out. The others are more mobile so we worry less about them. Riley is so unsteady on his feet that I feel better with him indoors at night.
Ed, we've had several disappear, never to be found again. I don't like not knowing what happened, especially for the younger ones in good health. But sometimes things happen, sadly.
Michelle, oh gosh, we got Riley in 2010. How time flies! Animal lives have a way of marking our time.
My cat has seizures, they were becoming frequent and scary. I found Hempwell, cbd relief plus oil and no seizures for over a year now.
Anonymous, thank you for that! I'll look into it.
Our pets, we grow to love them as family and they show affection and loyalty without judgement. So reassuring Riley is back in your fold for now. Pets just don't live long enough! I lost my little ankle-biter, Guido last December after 18 years and sure enough the cat distribution center noted the absence of a companion and I was blessed with a two year old tortoise shell female named Nora, my second cat in my life. It is an adventure keeping up with a youngster. I pray Riley sticks around a bit longer!
Kevin, it's definitely an adventure with a youngster! Especially torties. We had one and on my, what a fire cracker of a cat. They have what's known as "torti-tude!"
We feel really blessed to have Riley back. We know it won't likely be much longer, but he's our cat. (Him and the three others :)
Leigh, I'm so glad he came back home. We had a cat that did that several times in his later years. He lived to be 20. One of the most beautiful cats we've ever owned. A cream point. He found me at a rest area on the highway as a 1 lb tiny terror.
Leigh, one of the most upsetting things during The Plague was when A the Cat went missing. We were worried he went outside, ran up and down the neighborhood looking, and one of children put up a "Have You Seen This Cat?" picture on a box outside our house.
At the end of the day he came strolling in from the garage. Apparently when some workmen were there they left the ladder to the attic down. He crawled up there, spent the day, and then came back with bits of insulation on him. We have a picture of our middle daughter crying and smiling, holding a rather miffed Orange cat.
Deb, interesting. Do you think it had anything to do with his age? With the weather warmer, Riley is certainly insistent about going out. He likes to sleep in a sunny spot in the garden. When the nights are warmer, I'll let him stay out and hope he stays put.
TB, now that's a story. Did he climb the ladder himself? Our Sam loves to sleep in the hay loft and climbs our ships ladder stairs to get there. I have to remember to make sure he isn't there when I close up the barn at night.
Leigh, as far as we know, he slipped out into the garage when no one was looking and then got up there himself.
Awww, such a good ending to your story. So glad he came home. Riley sounds a lot like our Smokey. He loves being inside with us but also demands that we open the front door when he wants to go out. Hope Riley stays around for a lot longer.
Henny, gotta love those happy endings. :)
TB, cats do some pretty amazing things and then wonder why we're surprised. :)
Over our 55+ years of marriage, my husband and I have had 10 cats. Not one of them wandered off in the end. We have always done our best - giving them the best that veterinary care can provide so they all lived long lives, but in the end, when age and disease made living too much of a burden for them, we were forced to take them for their final trip to the vet. It rips my heart out to do so but it isn’t about me.It is about them and what is humane. That Riley is not ready yet. He has life left to live, but love him bunches because seizures mean something in brewing. I will say, in that picture, he looks like he could live to 20!!
RT, it's just tough when they get old. We've been on the verge of the decision for that final trip to the vet, but he's still the same happy cat in spite of the physical problems. The hardest part now is that Riley still wants to go out. Demands to go out. When he does, I wonder if it's the last time we'll see him.
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