Leukemia Losses

We lost Kojak this week.

Kojak - by Carol

This sweet boy has been a resident of the Old Aids area, where many of our leukemia cats live, since early 2013.  In that time he progressed from a scared, angry cat to one who would occasionally hop up into a lap – especially if chicken was on offer. We got to know his anxious little cries as he anticipated food being given out. He was loved by many volunteers – Carol, whose photo this is, Alice, Candy, Allison…  He was one of my own sponsor cats.

by Brigid

Feline leukemia affects the immune system, and cats carrying it have less resistance to infections – hence our emphasis on washing/sanitizing before handling them. It’s not to protect us – leukemia can’t be  transmitted to or through humans – it’s to protect them from something carried in from handling another cat.

by Michele

Kojak’s been unwell in the last few weeks, showing cold symptoms; he was caged for extra care, and a lot of loving from his human friends and the Kitty Comforters. But, as is typical with leukemia cats, his system just said “enough!” and shut down on him.  We know it can happen any time – we give them all the love we can, because we never know how long we can keep them.

As I lay in bed that night, having a little weep, I found myself naming the leukemia cats of Old Aids that I have loved and lost, and imagining them welcoming Kojak among them:  Aurora, Spot, Bella, Jeremy, Jasper, Panther, Bingo, Bobby, Frieda, Blue, Jessie, Butterbean, Bubba, Brady, Sabrina, Jackson, Max, Todd, Raven and probably many others.... I’ve included some of their previously unpublished photos here, and links where profiles have been featured.

Bella - by Phaedra

 Frieda - by Claire

Jackson - looking for handouts

Jessie - by Michele 

Blue & Sabrina - by Michele

 Aurora - by Michele

Bubba & Brady - by Debbie

We have them to love for all too short a time – but heaven wouldn’t be heaven without cats, and I’m sure these will all be waiting for us at the Rainbow Bridge

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Brigid Coult, Phaedra Hardman, Carol Porteous,

Debbie Wolanski & Michele Wright

Footnote: As you will see from the initial Kojak blog, he was one of the cats that found us; he was trapped in our own parking lot, and as was traditional for cats like this, named for a fictional detective.

On the day Kojak died, another cat was found and trapped in the parking lot. He has been named Watson (for Sherlock Holmes' sidekick). I'd like to think that Kojak's spirit had something to do with a homeless cat finding a new home with us.



Jessie

Jessie and his brother Jay were trapped a number of years ago as strays. Clearly siblings in appearance and attitude, they were very close and often seen together, as Ann tells it, moving around like a small school of fish. It wouldn't be unusual to find both brothers inhabiting the same lap, happily purring and drooling in unison.

Jessie & Jay

photo provided by RAPS

Around two years ago, Jay was ill with something or other - nothing out of the ordinary, from the sounds of it - and was put in a cage while he received his course of meds. One day Ann went in the cage to feed or clean and, to her horror, found Jay dead. It turned out he'd had a heart condition that no one had known about. He was a young cat and there'd been no sign. It came as a terrible shock to all.

This all happened before my time at the sanctuary, so I can't say just how Jessie responded to the loss of his brother other than he must have missed him terribly.

October 2009

January 2010

Last October, Jessie had to spend some time in a cage to be treated for gingivitis and to generally fatten him up. Then as soon as December/January, Jessie was back in a cage, this time with an ear hematoma which needed to be drained and treated repeatedly, meaning he had to not only be stuck in a cage but to face the ever unpopular prospect of needles as well.

After all this, Jessie was no longer the friendly cuddlepuss ready to drool on all comers, becoming instead shy and skittish. Only recently is he starting to show glimpses of his old self.

Jessie with Harley and Audrey in the background

I often see him on the porch at the back of the doublewide, where joins Harley, Audrey Hepburn and sometimes Bandit in cheerfully hassling me for a cuddle. Since the winter he's gone from being contented with a few pats, to climbing on my lap, to finally yesterday welcoming being picked up. He allowed Ann to pass him back and forth between us, purring the whole time. She did caution me against trying to walk around while holding him just yet, though - this apparently still makes him start suspecting a cage plus poking and prodding might be in his immediate future.

Jessie plays with visitor Maki's camera strap

Updated January 21, 2011: Jessie sadly left us yesterday. Very sad news for all of us who loved him, but for Jessie, think of him as having gone to join the brother he loved so much.