Castor: Forever Loved- March 29, 1999-May 22, 2011

Where to start?  It's had to describe anything that's been a part of one's life for nearly half of it... even harder when that "thing" was a living being whom you loved.

  Castor was born as one of seven kittens to a mother owned by a couple other college kids in the town my university is located.  He and Pollux were the only two Siamese looking kittens in the entire litter.  We wanted named that wold reflect their twin-like appearance and ran through several, rejecting the most obvious ones like "Cain and Abel," "Romulus and Remus," and "Heckle and Jeckle."  I came up with the idea of Castor and Pollux.

From Wikipedia:

"In the myth the twins shared the same mother but had different fathers which meant that Pollux was immortal and Castor was mortal. When Castor died, Pollux asked Zeus to let him share his own immortality with his twin to keep them together and they were transformed into the Gemini constellation. The pair were regarded as the patrons of sailors, to whom they appeared as St. Elmo's fire."

 It took a while to figure out which was which, but their personalities helped make the distinction.  Spookily enough the mythological Pollux also outlived his brother.  That thought has been haunting me for about a year now...

Castor wasn't the runt of the litter but he was the smaller of the two.  I started referring to him as "my littlest love."  It stuck even when he became the bigger of them.  Even after baby Confetti came into our lives.  He loved playing fetch with paper wads, eating canned pasta (I didn't start him on that), and being outside on walks.  And people.  Being a university student I had friends coming and going almost every day.  Castor loved everyone and just knew they were there to see him.

Saturday morning everything was as normal as it had been for weeks.  Then right as the vet's office closed, Castor took a turn for the worse.  FH and I debated and decided we would wait and see if he was really in pain or if he might be able to wait until Monday morning.  He seemed fine through Saturday evening but Sunday morning was a different story.

He was so tired and couldn't walk on his own any longer.  Thankfully our vet works for the emergency clinic, so they were willing to work with us and our special needs.  FH and I decided (with our vet) months ago that we wanted a necropsy preformed so we'd be better prepared if Pollux starts showing these signs.  Usually the emergency clinic doesn't hold bodies for testing, but after a couple of phone calls the arrangements were made.

Everyone got to say good-bye here at home.  Castor loved on Artie like always.  Pollux has been increasingly upset for the last few days and didn't want to have much to do with his brother.  They did touch noses one last time though.

It was bittersweet letting him go.  Stopping the pain outweighed our own sadness though.  Castor was relaxed the whole time, from the car ride to the end.  In fact I'll swear to my dying day that he looked relieved.

Pollux and Artie are both sad and confused.  I'm hoping Artie can keep Pollux from slipping into a depressed funk.  Tempie hasn't noticed Castor's absence yet but she will eventually.  As for me, I'm stuck between relief that he's not hurting and being totally shattered that my baby's gone.  We've been preparing for this day since before moving to this house last year.  In fact we weren't sure he'd see his 12th birthday, but he fought hard to stay with us.

I believe he's earned the rest.  I know he's basking in the sun at the Rainbow Bridge with Confetti, 'Bert, and their Uncle Meat Loaf.  I'll see them all again eventually.

Good-bye, Castor, my littlest love. I will love you forever. See you at the Rainbow Bridge.

Wow I Can Sign In Again!

Alright so apparently I can log back into the blog.  This is good.

I've been wanting to get on here and say I haven't done a single bit of stitching or worked on any minis since I mailed Kim her package of goodies.

Castor is slowing down more rapidly than before.  His mobility has decreased quite a bit.  He still eats, drinks, uses his box, and asks to go out into the sunshine though.  And it seems he's quite taken with Artan.

 

The vet decided at this point it won't hurt Castor to be around him even though we can't test Artie for FIV and leukemia yet.  In fact it seems to be helping, so he gets unrestricted access.

As for the rest of my time... 

 

Artie is now quite mobile whenever he's not asleep.  We have cordoned off rooms of the house, both upstairs and down, so he can have safe areas to run around in.  Keeping him out of trouble has just become a full-time job!

Pollux is lamenting Artan's recent discovery of pouncing.  FH laughing at him doesn't help matters.

Speaking of FH his grades were finally posted.  He passed with A's in both classes, which means he officially has his master's degree in computer science.  Life is more normal than it was before, even with Artie's addition to the household.

I'm going to try and get more mini time in as Artie gets weaned, but I may not have time for blogging.  So here's hoping whenever I get back I'll have more pictures from both the Panda Nursery and (hopefully) Rose Cuttings!

News of the Feline Persuasion

I know I said I was going to not blog about Castor's illness anymore, but honestly we didn't think he'd make it this far.

He wasn't looking too well today so FH and I took him to the vet.  Apparently his liver is now involved which is why he's not doing well this week.  An exact quote from today was, "one liver value was so high my machine couldn't read it."  Not good.  The vet gave him a different antibiotic and we're going back in two weeks to check his liver function again.  If it doesn't help then we're going to have to start figuring out what's best for Castor.

As I type this Castor is snoozing on a lawn chair on the sun porch.  A little later I think I'm going to put his harness on his for a stroll around the back gardens.

We ended up coming home with some medicine for me too, which was totally unexpected.

He was found in a woodpile by a very sweet man who is extremely allergic to cats and has a young human baby that needs his love and attention.

The vet says he's approximately three weeks old, around the same age Confetti was when I brought her home.  Right now we're keeping him separated from the big cats, for their own health.  But Pollux is very curious about him and likes to be able to see him.  I make all kinds of sweet talk to the big boys so they know this is an ok thing. 

Currently he does not have a name but we're pondering a few.  He goes back to the vet in two weeks too so we can check him for FIV and leukemia.  The plan is to foster him until he's old enough for a new home.  We'll see how well that works.

***Edit:  His name is Artan, which is Gaelic for "little bear."  He sounds like a bear cub when he cries.

Still Distracted

Castor here.  Dad got a sad phone call last night.  His uncle was in a fatal motorcycle accident.  This means Mom and Dad are going to be gone all day Sunday for the funeral.  Mom hopes to get some of her toys played with tomorrow but she isn't sure.  She's out right now finding clothes to wear.  I promise she'll be back soon.

Almost Forgot!

Happy 12th Birthday, Castor and Pollux!

They've partied so hard they're exhausted.  I think I'll join them after my day of driving.

Oh and Tempie did just fine.  One molar needed trimming so they took care of it and sent us on our way.

Who Needs A Plumb Line When You've Got Scissors!

Not me anyway. What I need are more egg cartons.  Happily I have a lead on where I can get a few more (minus the eggs) soon.

 

Castor and Maddie had a bit of a disagreement earlier today.  He decided to "snoop-ervise" while Maddie was evaluating some outdoor minis from my stash.  Apparently she decided he got a bit too close to the items in question. 

 She yelled at him and ran to the door, but all that did was make him more curious.

 Finally he was bored with his findings and he wandered off.

 Maddie decided to move everything further up onto the porch for safe-keeping.  She's trying to coax that little bird into coming inside where it's safe.  I don't think the bird wants to be inside and is more curious as to what Maddie's doing with his house.

 

One of the minis I unearthed over the weekend is this wheelbarrow planter I made years ago.  I don't know if it will stay on the porch or go back into a box for now.  However for the moment I'm going to enjoy it.

 Hopefully I can get the additional egg cartons soon and finish the stonework.  Oh and for anyone who's interested, pop over to Casey's blog and see her tutorial on egg carton stonework.

Filling in for Mom

Castor here.  Mom's still a little sad from her friend's funeral today.

 So here are some neat pictures Dad took this morning of turkeys in the yard.  One even came right up to the house!  It was really neat.

 

 

Time for Another Lazy Weekend

At least for the kitties... and FH.

Wordless Progress with a Helper

Bad News for Castor

I didn't mention this last week because FH's brother and soon-to-be sister-in-law were visiting, but Castor went back to the vet last Thursday.  It has been determined that he has some kind of lesion in his brain, specifically on the left side.  This is what is causing the seizures and all the strange behaviors that he's been exhibiting.  We don't know what kind of lesion it is but it's most likely either metastasized cancer or a blood clot.  I know there are other options, but based on his medical history these are the best guess.

We will not be putting him through the stress of driving 1.5 hours to the closest MRI facility nor the anesthesia required to give a cat an MRI.  Even the short drive to our vets' offices (less than 10 minutes) causes him a horrifying amount of stress and pushes him to the brink of having a seizure.  Also once we're at the vets' he is terrified and shaking, when he used to explore the room, look the windows, and flirt with all the people in the room.  Therefore we will not know exactly what is putting pressure on his brain until he's gone.

FH and I are monitoring his behavioral changes daily.  The odd neurological "ticks" he was having over the summer had come back again right before Christmas despite the anti-seizure medications.  So far Castor's balance is really the only thing affected.  He did a somersault off the coffee table on Saturday while trying to hurry down after a piece of cheese that landed on the floor.  I don't know who was more surprised, us or him.  Also he has issues sitting upright for too long, but once he's laying down he's comfortable. 

Castor is eating, drinking, and eliminating fine as well.  He's also being spoiled rotten and loved and petted for a good portion of everyday.  The vets assure us that he's in no pain and that he can continue to be happy and comfortable for weeks to months.  However we've no idea how fast the lesion is growing and that is really what dictates how much time he has left.

 

FH, the vets, and I have agreed on what we'll consider the last straw.  We've also agreed that because Pollux also has irritable bowel disease (which can turn into cancer like it did for his brother) we're going to learn as much as we can from Castor in the hopes that if this happens to Pollux we can be better prepared.  

I'm going to try and refrain from posting anything more on Castor's illness.  I want this blog to help be an escape from the stress.  However adorable pictures and funny stories about the animals will continue as always.  Also the amount of care and attention he needs is much different than what Confetti needed or the rabbits need when they're sick, so I should still have time to not only work on projects but to post about them as well.  At least for a while.  For now Castor just wants to sleep near us or in a lap and be included in what we're doing.  In fact he's in my lap as I type this.  ;-)

Christmas Day 2010

Here's the second post for today. 

FH and I enjoyed a leisurely breakfast for two yesterday morning.

We opened our stockings through breakfast and then moved onto the boxes under the tree.

Castor was worn out after all the excitement.  Pollux was just waiting to see what would happen next.

 

Then we packed up some yummy things and put jeans on over our pajamas and made the drive over to the apartment to spend the rest of the day with our friend and her previously naughty children.  Pajamas were the dress of the day/evening over there, hence our choice of wardrobe.

Dinner consisted of turkey, mashed potatoes, homemade gravy, broccoli casserole, cranberry-apple stuffing, humus and flat bread, and a fresh vegetable tray.  Here's the lovely bird coming out of the oven.

For Christmas FH and I got Little D a beginner's leather tool set so he can 1)have his own tools and 2) can work on leather at home instead of always at our house, giving him more freedom to practice.  Hummingbird was given lots of findings, beads, and tools that fit her hands so she can make jewelry at home with her mom.  Their mother was given a night out at her favorite restaurant.

For dessert we dug into a red velvet cake and watched the kids play with their treasures.  It was a fantastic day.

By the Fireside

On to Happier Things

FH suggested I make Castor a new sweater, so I checked my notes on the blue one and made a few modifications.  Again the original design is by DIY Maven.

The last two rounds at the next are done in kitchen cotton while the rest of the body is worked in LB Homespun.  I used kitchen cotton to embroider the numbers on the back.

The yellow cotton at the collar helps snug in the neck enough that it doesn't flop as easily as the blue one.  He's been gaining some weight back, so I made the belly a little loose so it won't get too tight.

I could have used cotton for the whole thing but I didn't think he'd stay as warm so I went out and bought some green Homespun.

Pollux is in for a shock though.  I think he needs a matching one before the game this Sunday night. ;-)

Update on Critters

Anna from Random Thoughts of a Stay at Home Mom popped by and asked how Castor is doing. She read about him a while back when I made him his sweater. I'd given a link to the sweater post to the original designer's blog and Anna has just made a sweater for her kitty, Flake. If you've got the time check out the sweater on it's adorable model.

It occurred to me that I've been not only neglecting the blog, but in my sporadic posts I've only hinted at how the animals are doing. So since I find myself with some time today, I'm going to remedy the situation. Here we go:

First a look at Pollux. As you can see he's completely relaxed. Besides that his last checkup labeled him with fantastic dental health and great body condition. There have been no flare ups of either his irritable bowel disease or the sterile bladder infections that have plagued him in the past.

He has slowed down a bit, but he's 11 and we've had odd weather for a few weeks. If I'm starting to creak around he's got to be creaking around too. His favorite place to sleep is the cat condo next to the door to the deck. Sunlight streams in those windows all day.

The mice did not cooperate with a recent picture. Ada is starting to look like an old mouse, but she is still doing well. Alana keeps her warm and makes sure she eats, so life is good for two ladies who were in danger of becoming snake food.

Tempie and 'Bert are doing much better now.'Bert has recovered beautifully from the sudden episode of gut stasis/skin infection last week. He's back to eating normally and running around the family room, kicking up his heels. His round of antibiotics fir the skin infection will be done next Tuesday.

Tempie's mouth has healed from her dental-work. She's giving us more ammunition in thinking she's a carnivore in bunny clothes by wolfing down her food every night. Since she can't get to the cats' food anymore, she makes due with obliterating hers... and 'Bert's if she can reach it.

Finally Castor has put some weight back on thanks to a combination of steroids and probiotics. However he started having seizures about a month ago. He's on medication for them and it appears to be working. Other than having no memory of his favorite game/toy, fetch with a paper ball (which was his favorite for eleven years), the two seizures we can verify did not do any major damage.

We think the seizures may be related to some developmental issues he showed as a kitten due to complications during birth. [I adopted him from friends of a friend who owned his parents. When his mother was giving birth he was stuck in the birth canal for a bit. It took about a month after I brought him home for him to walk normally and he's always been both a klutz and a little dumb.]

The vet suggested an MRI, which I'd really like to get, but FH and I had to weigh the options and costs. For the price of the MRI we can get him all the medicines he needs for at least five years. That includes the steroids, the probiotics (which aren't cheap), and the cans of tuna and wet food we mix the probiotics in. Given the news in the next paragraph, you'll know why we decided to skip the MRI.

The steroids did in fact stop helping his guts behave normally (or rather as normal as they ever got), and therefore the vets and I are fairly certain he is developing bowel cancer. But the drugs make him hungry, so we're keeping him on them for the time being. If this was just a bad flare up of his irritable bowel disease the steroids would have worked and kept working. FH, the vets, and I agree that we do not want to put an 11 year old cat through a biopsy of his intestines so we're just going to ride things out. It may be a year, maybe two. More if we're lucky, less if we're not.

Recent blood tests (within the last month) show his numbers look good, so I'm hoping that we're in the extremely early stages. We also know that his teeth are still in fantastic shape (which will help with his overall health) and he's developed arthritis in his hips. These last few mornings have been stiff ones for him, but he solves that problem by sleeping in sunbeams on the window seat in my sewing room.

Castor is still extremely vocal with his demands to go out onto the sun porch and to get my attention while I'm working on something. At night he comes and cuddles with us on the couch and tries to nose his way into our dinner dishes. So other than a mess (understatement) around the litter boxes and him forgetting what paper balls are for, he's the same spoiled, lovable, sweet kitty that looks like he's been helping with one too many projects involving white paint and glue.

Speaking of projects, I've got a in the works currently, and one if them is of the miniature variety (finally!) and I hope to start posting again with more regularity.