Hi there! This is Sydney, a black and white domestic shorthair, both spayed and front declawed. We adopted her from the Nebraska Humane Society on October 27th, 2001. Her old family gave her up on October 22nd due to a family allergy. She was a very friendly and sweet kitty, and we loved her very much! Her favorite activities included eating, sleeping on the dining room table, playing with toys, watching birds on the patio, and being loved by her Mommy and Daddy. In August 2003, our family moved to a new house in west Omaha. Sydney loved our new home, as it's twice the size of our old apartment. She loved having more space to roam around, more closets to get in, and more places to sleep! She even tried to get outside every now and then - but we always caught her.
In early June 2007, we took Sydney to see Dr. Nelson at the animal clinic. It was time for her yearly check-up, and we asked the vet to check out an unusual lump in her neck. They stuck a needle in the lump to get a tissue sample. Unfortunately, it was not good news. She was diagnosed with lymphoma, a common cancer in cats. A week later, we took her back in to be tested for feline leukemia and AIDS. There was good news on that front since she tested negative for both.
During the last week of June, Sydney started hiding a lot and didn't feel like eating anything other than kitty treats. We got really worried about her, so we took her back to see Dr. Nelson. Our vet told us that Sydney wasn't doing too bad. her weight was down a little, but still healthy. Dr. Nelson gave us some pills and showed us how to administer them by practicing on Sydney. She also gave us some prescription cat food to start feeding her. Dr. Nelson told us a story about how her cat had the same illness as Sydney. I can't even begin to tell you just how nice Dr. Nelson and the other vet techs were during our ordeal.
We gave Sydney some of the new food after we got home - and she really liked it. It was softer and much easier for her to eat - she just lapped it up like milk or water. It also smelled very fragrant - like tuna and liver. I would put it on a special plate and heat it up for her. She threw a little bit of of the new food up during the first 24 hours, but we think it was because she ate a little of her cat litter with it. I noticed that she had been trying to eat it, and changed her litter back to the old brand. I'm glad I did - the other stuff was too perfumey and made her paws smell funny! Within a couple days of being on the medication, Sydney seemed to be doing a lot better.
UPDATE (7/25/07): We went back to Dr. Nelson yesterday evening for the one month check-up. We thought it might be fun to take her in the convertible, but she didn't enjoy it very much. There were no major changes in her health, and Dr. Nelson was happy with the progress she had made. Sydney did lose another 1/2 pound, but her weight (a trim 12.75 lbs) was still considered healthy. Dr. Nelson told us to bring Sydney back in a few weeks for another weight check and med refill. Our awesome vet tech clipped her nails, refilled our meds, gave Sydney a good butt rubbing, and back home we went. Sydney wasn't very happy when we got home, and let us know that by pooping on the bathroom rug. We gave me a lecture and then cleaned up the pile. The next morning, she once again voiced her unhappiness by peeing on the same rug! I got really upset & started crying while cleaning up yet another mess. I couldn't understand why she wasn't using her litter box. Steve insisted that we take the rug out of bathroom so it wouldn't happen again! While on my lunch hour, I bought her another litter box for upstairs, along with a new kitty bed to cheer her up. We put the new box in the guest room so she wouldn't have to go all the way downstairs in order to relieve herself. She fell in love with the kitty lounger right away - it was truly a bed for a kitty princess!
UPDATE (8/14/07): Over the past couple of weeks, Sydney continued to go downhill. She stopped moving around as much, and decided that her favorite spot to sleep was on the lamp table in the guest bedroom. I cleared everything off of it for her so that she could have it all to herself. That table (and the guest bed) is where she spent the majority of her last days. Deep down, we knew her time was approaching, and we think she did, too. We (along with my mother) took her to the vet at around 6:30 in the evening for the last time. Once we got there, Sydney laid on the exam table and rested her head on her front paws. After saying a very hard and very tearful goodbye, Dr. Nelson administered the drugs to take away her pain and helped her cross the Rainbow Bridge. After the procedure, I bought some flowers at a nearby florist and put them on the lamp table in honor of her.
Here are some photos of Sydney in her cutest moments. I loved to take pictures of her.
All curled up in a ball!
In this one, I was sleeping on one of my favorite pillows.
Sometimes I would hide in my kitty perch.
I really loved the old sofa in the rec room!
My kitty bed kept me warm in the winter.
Bird watching was fun too.
I also liked laying on the dining room table.
And here's one more, just because! Sydney is terribly missed, and life just hasn't been the same without her. We hope that wherever her spirit is, she is free from pain and happy once again. I hope that one day I will be reunited with my best friend.
