Mini update: Jake

Not long after I posted about Jake last winter, his health had deteriorated to the point that our vet advised us to consider having him put down. He'd gotten incredibly skinny and his kidneys were going, so it really looked like he might not have much time left. But when it came down to making the final call on his fate, RAPS staff saw a cat who still had a good appetite and just didn't seem "ready."

And so Jake was given the meds he needed to make sure he was comfortable, and he was given a bit more time before anyone made any life or death decisions on his behalf. Still, there was very much a feeling that we should make an effort to enjoy his company while we could.

I'm posting about him today because he was there when I was giving the cats in the doublewide their evening meal, first watching me and then doing some fairly spirited mooching. Though still on borrowed time, Jake seems to have decided to borrow himself quite a bit, as he's rallied remarkably over the past months. And now, close to a year after that grim prognosis, here he is with us still. He's put on a little bit of weight and is generally looking perkier and more bright-eyed, thanks to the efforts of the RAPS med staff giving him any extra care he needs and, at least in some small part, to his own strength of spirit. 

And did I let him get away with mooching from the plates of wet food as I prepared them? You bet. Plus all the pats he could ask for.

Updated January 2012: Sadly, Jake's amazing rally came to an end a few short weeks after this post. He was loved and will be missed.