#she went to the vet today and the vet couldn't figure out what was wrong with her

[dragonforsale]

Istg if i lose another goddamn animal this year i am going to strangle god himself.

[an-aura-about-you]

ok gang who's ready for the story of the bullshit I've been dealing with today?

so the day is already off to a promising start because I have to take my cat to the vet for his 3 times a week fluids treatment, so we're sequestered in my bedroom and he's waking me up because he has to mess with my stuff and can't just leave the room.

but eventually he chills out and we both go back to sleep.

I wake up and see I have a couple of missed calls. one's a voicemail from the body shop.

rewind for a bit: I had a car accident back on the 4th of July. I didn't mention it here because it was basically a fender bender, no one was hurt, and I didn't have to pay for anything since the other guy was considered at fault. but part of my car got crunched pretty good, so it went to the body shop for repairs and that's where it's been for the past two weeks.

anyway, my car is ready, so it's time to return the rental and get my car back. after taking the cat to the vet, which thankfully was without incident on my end but took some time because of an emergency they had.

I go to the rental place and return the car, and they try to stick me with the extra costs even though my claims adjuster said it should be free of charge to me. the extra costs being they were unable to provide a car in the covered size, so according to their contract with the insurance company the upgrade should be free to me. and I don't want to be a Karen about this but I also don't want to get the runaround from two groups telling me two different things. it also makes me wonder who the heck my claims adjuster talked to since she said she would give them a call. because really, it is neither my fault nor the insurance company's fault that they didn't have a small car available for my reservation. hell, maybe it isn't the rental place's fault either since they say they're returns based, but looking at the cars they had at their lot, I have to wonder if they DID have any small cars at all.

in any case, they charged it to the insurance company minus the fuel I agreed to cover (since I chose the option to bring it back on an empty tank instead of trying to match what fuel I had when they loaned me the car.) and they give me a ride to the body shop.

I get there, my car looks great, I go in to get my key and sign off on the paperwork.

and then my car won't start.

I go back inside like ??? and they go, "yeah we've had to jump your car a number of times while working on it." which, they didn't tell me that before?? and Dad and Razzz jumped on this being suspicious, but we'll get to that.

the guy jumps my car, I drive it over to the nearby AutoZone, and the car dies just as I'm pulling into the spot. I think, "well, if it is the battery, I couldn't have asked for a better spot for it to die."

I go in, I tell the dude what's up, and we jump my car again to get a read on the battery. things look bad but inconclusive, so he recommended I take it to another place to see if it is just the battery or if something else is going on. and I can't get it out of the parking lot.

fine. ok. I knew one day I'd have to cowboy up and handle things, so I pull up my insurance app and request roadside assistance for a tow. I don't have roadside included in my plan because this is the first time in the 7 years I've owned my car that I've needed roadside assistance, so I figure paying it out of pocket this one time balances out. they say it's going to be possibly 2 hours for them to get here, and I have to be at work in an hour at this point, so I make arrangements to have the car towed without me there.

fortunately the guy at AutoZone was happy to help, but that led to an interesting interaction. he saw the stickers on my car, including an Arkansas sticker in the colors of the Progressive Pride flag. and he asked if I knew a friend of his who was trans. we had a nice talk about it, but in my brain I was like, "??? We Don't All Know Each Other!" don't get me wrong, I would love to meet his friend! but we don't have like a meetup place or a psychic link.

THEN I call Dad to see if he can give me a ride. he can't, and that really should be the end of the conversation. but no, dads gotta dad, so he asks for more details about my car trouble and tells me it's super sus that I get the car back from the body shop and suddenly it's having this trouble. and it's like he's not wrong but he is not solving any problems by talking to me about them over the phone at that moment. he was also like, "the car didn't give you any trouble like this on your vacation," and I was like, "because I had the rental on vacation and haven't had my car for two weeks!" I eventually had to be like, "I'm handling it but right now if you can't give me a ride I REALLY need to get on the phone with someone who can!" that fortunately did the trick, and I jumped onto Uber.

I managed to get an Uber just in time for work, and the driver was weird about me slamming her doors?? I didn't think I was but she seemed to think I was slamming them. I wasn't even thinking really, just wanted to shut the door firmly because I don't want the door just hanging open. but that's whatever and I managed to remember to not "slam" the door when I left.

also, while in the Uber, I got a call from the tow truck saying he was almost there. I updated him on the situation including the guy at AutoZone who I left my key with. and turns out tow truck guy and AutoZone guy are friends who used to work together! that at least was a happy coincidence.

somehow I made it to work on time, then I was on the phone for like an hour talking to various people about the situation and where the car got towed to because it was brought to a different dealership (and actually the one I would have chosen had it been offered as a default on the app) and now that whole mess of it is sorted. as far as they can tell, it IS just the battery, but I asked them to make sure just in case anything else happens with the car. I will be a little sore if it IS just the battery because AutoZone could have resolved that problem without me paying for a tow, but I would rather be safe than sorry about my car.

anyway that's been my day so far. how are y'all?

[pbandjesse]

I just got out of the shower and washed my hair really good and I feel a lot better. Honestly I felt pretty fine all day except a sort of low level of being uncomfortable and slightly nauseous. I was mostly just fine, also just tired.

It didn't help that our smoke detector started chirping at 130 this morning. I woke James up to get it down but they were confused and went to check the hallway one when I knew it was the bedroom so they were sleepily walking around with the ladder. But they figured it out and got it down and we were able to go back to sleep.

But when I woke up I was just not about it. I gave James a hug and told then I was going back to sleep. And they left for work.

I would get up at 8. And felt a little better. I got dressed and made the bed. I warmed up the hash brown James made for me. They shredded way to much cheese so I gave the extra to Sweetp.

I gathered my stuff and headed out around 830. I arrived at 9 and still beat everyone else.

My plan was to start the embroidery for the bear in the teddy bear hospital. And while in the end I had to undo the whole thing it was very good practice for satin stitches. But I didn't know it was wrong at this point. So I spent like 45 minutes seeing the eyes and was pretty happy with it but it did look. Strange. I couldn't figure it out but the reference picture was at a weird angle where I couldn't see the eyes so I wasn't sure what they were supposed to look like. I would wait until later to text the owner to check in.

As I was finishing that Sarah and Elizabeth were getting in. And so I would actually do work work and not other stuff.

There wasn't a ton of large projects for me to do but thankfully there were more small ones. I started with walking up to the art building to cut more circle looms. I still need like 20. But I made great progress.

I was watching a really excellent 2.5 hour long video about a new arg about a time line switch. I love a very long video. It helps me get other stuff done because I'm not constantly looking for another video.

When I got back to the office I made it known I needed tasks. Heather read out a few from our meeting but I had already half heartedly started them. So I actually worked on those today. I collected ideas for games at programs. And organized my specialty ideas. Sent those off to Heather. And I worked harder on my slang PowerPoint.

This ended up being really fun. I had to check in about a few things with the group. And once I got to a place where I couldn't think of anything else I sent it out for review. Elizabeth said I wrote everyone's titles wrong but I just copied them off the website!!! Which means the website is wrong. She also thought I was very funny because of some of my commentary on what things mean. I just kept telling her that it was based off what people say!! That's the point of this!

But we did come to some agreements about some wording and specifics. One of the big arguments though was which spigot has the best water. I wrote tipi field and art building because that's what everyone tells me all summer. But Elizabeth says it's art and top bar. Alexi said that it didn't work for a long time so that's probably why no one says that one. We decided that we needed to make a flight of cups for each spigot and test then. I refered to this as a spigot sommelier which got absolutely huge laughs and I added it to the PowerPoint.

I had a little lunch. The pasta salad I brought was way to vinegary and I ate it but I did not enjoy it. The peach I had cut up for myself and the yogurt were much better.

I finished my long video. Went up to art to work on some small stuff. I keep getting very dizzy walking up that hill but I am trying to not let it bother me. And when I got back to the art building Heather had me searching for shoes for our horses.

The vet has traced their little hooves and so I measured those and researched these special orthopedic shoes for horses. Which were $100 each! Not even a pair!! And we need 4 of them. So then I spent some time googling and researching and was able to find someone selling overstock, in the correct size, in box, for $55 each. I hope they follow up on that listing because it was a great deal.

I had a few other small things I worked on. I tried to do some research on an enclosure for our terrain. Who needs a much larger space. And in doing that I also found some good prices for tortoise food so I grabbed that too.

I stuck it out until 3. I let Alexi know I may not be in on Monday or Tuesday but I will be there Wednesday and Thursday for sure. She said that was just fine and to have a nice weekend.

I left camp and went right home. While I was driving I was thinking about the bear and thought maybe the eyes weren't actually. Eyes? But eyelashes. So I texted the owner and she agreed it seemed wrong.

When I got home I was texting her more. She sent me another reference but it was still a weird angle. So I tried Google lens. And not only did I find a better picture, a couple different ones, I also found a listing to buy the bear!! I sent it to her and was like. I'm the best googler. And she was so excited. She still wants me to fix the bear but now she'll have two. And she'll gift them to her twin brother. I am so excited that this is all coming together.

I tried cutting the embroidery I did to see if it could look like lashes but he just looked like Tammy Fey Baker. So I would pick those out and see in the lower eyelashes and it looked so much better. I'm very happy with the progress. I will try and repair the nose tomorrow. And possibly go to the store to look for a larger nose. But I'm not to concerned about getting that tomorrow.

When I got home before I went inside to work on the bear I had a nice chat with my neighbor about having babies. And she is always so nice so I always stop to talk to her. It's good community building. And when I got inside I would pull Crabcake from his tank to go outside in the chia plants. Which he crushed and was probably very good enrichment for him.

Sweetp also enjoyed being outside. It was a little to hot in the sun though so I went inside. Made a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. And laid on the couch and waited for James to come home.

They got a flat tire so it took an extra couple minutes. But they got home and got to work fixing the book shelf. Replaced the smoke detector battery. And got to work making pizza dough for dinner.

They would come lay with me on the couch. Held my belly. It doesn't have like a full round shape but it's doing something for sure. I do wish it would round out. But also I sneezed and it hurt so bad in my lower belly. Rude.

I came upstairs and laid in bed. Eventually James brought us really excellent pizza. We are together and when we were done they went to go play a game with their friends. And eventually I went to take that shower. And I am real tired but I'm also feeling happy.

Tomorrow I have the day off. I may hang out with Celia. I may work on art. Mostly I want to just chill. I have a weird schedule the next couple days. Day off. BMI event. Day off. BMI event. Day off. Back to camp for a two day retreat. And the. Going to the beach with Jess for the weekend. Busy busy week.

Let's hope it's a good one. I hope you all have fun tomorrow. Good night!!

[scriboniuscurio]

Rest in Peace, Sid.

We found Sid and assumed he was a stray, so we left food out for him until he became friendly. Then he spent his days lounging on our back porch, occasionally begging for food or picking a fight with our indoor cats through the window. We did eventually find out he belonged to our next door neighbors, but it was clear he lived here now. My mom named him Sid after the children's book "Six Dinner Sid" about a cat who had six homes so he got dinner six times.

As much as we wanted to, we couldn't bring him inside due to him not getting along with out cats, so we made the garage as comfortable as we could for him. A cooler for the summer, a heater for the winter. My dad always acts aloof or even annoyed towards our pets, but it was his idea to get Sid a heated cat bed.

Eventually the neighbors who were technically his owners moved, they didn't say anything to us before they did. Made no arrangements about officially giving Sid to us despite them knowing he was living with us. While a conversation would've been appreciated, Sid was now officially ours. It was a relief because we were always concerned about who would take responsibility if he needed vetinary care or for some other emergency.

Our usual routine continued for several years. He would hang out on the porch, keeping us company when we did outdoor activities and chores. We'd take him into the garage for the night. He was a cat. He slept on my dad's Acura, leaving his hair and small scratches. He'd leave the entrails of rodents on the floor for us to clean up. We loved him. He was an important part of our lives for so long.

One day, we noticed the sides of his abdomen bulging out, I now know this is called ascites. It went away after a few days, so we didn't think much of it, maybe he just ate something bad. A few weeks later it came back, and worse. Other than the bloating, he still seemed fairly normal, maybe a bit lazy, but it's summer in Arizona, and he's not at young as he used to be, so some lethargy was to be expected.

My dad called for me and asked me what I thought, I thought he needed to see a vet, but I know my parents are reluctant about that currently since we have another cat who is diabetic and needs regular vet care. I told him I don't know what he wanted me to do about it other than call the vet.

Appearently he had some sort of free subscription to an online vet consultation service, so we did that. We sent some pictures, did a video chat with the vet, upon seeing Sid's gums, he told us he was having liver problems and would need to see an in-person vet right away.

My dad grumbled, he hoped that the online vet could just write us a prescription for antibiotics and that would be that. He grumbled more as my mom made calls to various vets trying to get an appointment in for today, and was quoted an $800+ figure at an emergency vet for diagnostics. My mom accepted, and I accompanied her to the vet.

After only a few minutes of what was supposed to be an overnight visit, the vet came and told us that all the tests they did would just tell us what's obvious, he had acute liver failure. We could prolong his life for a while, but it would be costly and would only delay the inevitable. So we made the decision to put him down. Several hundreds of the $800 my mom had just paid were refunded in favor of putting him down and cremation.

It was so sudden. We hadn't gone there to put him down, we went there to see what was wrong. We never expected our elderly and diabetic cat to outlive him. We don't know his exact age, but he was probably around 8-10.

A previous cat of ours also died due to liver failure, but it was so obvious she was sick. She pretty much constantly had diarrhea. She wouldn't eat. Her jaundice was so easy to spot. As Sid spent his last moments wandering the room, sniffing everything, annoyed that he couldn't walk well due to his leg wrapped up in preparation for the injection, it didn't seem real how sick he was.

As my mom and I cried and spent our last moments with him, we apologized to him. We're sorry we couldn't make him better. We're sorry we didn't take him in sooner. We're sorry we made him live outside rather than trying harder to make our cats get along with him.

Having pets is a learning process, and unfortunately their deaths feel like the greatest learning moment, especially when it happens early. But also, you can't always know exactly where you went wrong. I want to do better. Maybe it's comforting to assume his disease was a random bodily failure we couldn't prevent, but I can't help but feel guilty. I always thought it seemed so sad that he had to live outdoors while our other cats enjoyed the comforts of the house, so why didn't I try harder to get him inside?

I'm sorry, Sid. Goodbye. We love you.

[stardust-static]

Hi, it's me your friendly neighborhood chicken vet.

No but seriously I could be a chicken vet with all the problems these birds have brought me....

Today I went into the run to do the daily water change and noticed one of my hens being super lethargic and gasping up at the sky. When I picked her up she was making gurgling noises. So I put her in quarantine in the brooder and googled what was wrong with her. Turns out she has respiratory sickness so I went and got the recommended medication and it should start to take effect within two days. Right now she looks on the brink of death. So I'm just trying to make sure she's comfortable and hopefully she can bounce back. 😔

So then just now I'm back in the run observing the chickens after I changed out their coop bedding and I noticed one of the baby chickens was also doing the little gasping up at the sky thing. Not as bad as my big chicken. She was still moving around fine, but yeah I think she has the beginning stages of it, and now I'm just wondering if all four of the babies have it because they're all housed together and I am just.... I need them to stop having a new issue every week. I'm tired of the chicken drama.

Especially right now. I'm sick. I can also barely breathe and it's that time of the month. I am at like 5% function capability right now. All I wanted today was to lay down and recover, but it's been another day of chicken things trying to make sure this chicken doesn't pass away on me.

I'm definitely not getting any more chickens any time soon... Like at first I just wanted more and more and had all these breeds I wanted to collect. I'm good.. I'm actually thinking of downsizing. At least one of them is a major pecker and is pulling out the others feathers and once I figure out who it is they gotta go. I have one rooster still cause no one wanted him. I tried getting rid of him but I couldn't. I actually think he's a nice rooster though. I don't think he's the one pecking. So Bailey is going to install a chicken cam so that I can spy on them and figure out who it is. At least they should start pulling their weight this month and producing eggs. Bailey built their nesting boxes today. Can't wait!

[pratleskitties]

My Poccie is dying dead

Edit: 9.10, Feb 16, 2023

She is gone.

I'm broken. I've been broken since last week. Poccie is dying. Probably is/will be gone by morning.

She has been sick for a while, won't eat on her own since Jan 26, when I asked the vet to get a bloodcheck for her. She was dehydrated, and the vet put her on saline IV. By Feb 1, it was clear that she was not getting better, and I asked the vet to get her admitted.

She was getting better when she was admitted, and I went so far as to get her a FIP test. It was negative, and the vet stated that it is likely Calici - most of her mouth and gums were inflamed. But she was eating and doing fine, getting better by the day.

She came home by Feb 9, I still keep her in a kennel just to keep watch. She peed/pooped and ate fine for exactly two days, and then started to refuse food. She also threw up twice, and thus I asked the vet for meds. After being given meds, she wasn't throwing up again and was able to keep a little food down.

By Sunday, the vet came and gave her Cerenia shot. She was still not eating much and being force-fed. The vet also put her on IV, and couldn't get a blood sample. We were planning on a more extensive blood check to figure out what's wrong, and were worried for her kidneys.

That night, the EGC polyp in her mouth erupted and she was literally spitting blood.

Little did I know that this would be the start of the drama.

She refused to eat - understandably. She was getting visibly weaker, couldn't get into the litterbox to pee and peed on the pad. Still no poop -- it has been yet another four days - since Feb 10 - that she did not poop. Vet and I presumed that she didn't poop because all of the nutrition that got into her were fully absorbed.

She weighted 2.8.

Yesterday she was bleeding from her gums again, and this morning (15/2) I asked the vet to pick her up again to be admitted. Her IV got tugged loose and I didn't have enough courage to put it back on myself.

Somehow, some time during the night and/or morning, she might have had a stroke. The vet checked her and cleaned her up, put her IV back on.

I am not optimistic. The vet said she still has some spirit in her. But she was somewhat paralyzed, her legs and arms were stiff, her tail was still moving, she could not hold up her head. At some point, her pupils started to differ in size, signs that she was in a coma. She'd somehow recovered like, after an hour of being in my lap.

I am torn.

I am not ready to let her go. She is half of my soul. My angel baby. Beloved princess.

But it hurts me to see her in so much pain.

Her eyes were somewhat empty, but she was still trying to look for mom when I put her on my lap and she heard mom's voice.

I stg was ugly crying at the vet with Poccie in my lap.

I am still crying.

I feel like I've failed to watch and care for Poccie.

I promised her, before I went home, that if she decides to stick around and fight, I'll be back tomorrow (as in later today) after I get back from the dentist. I unfortunately *have* to go to the dentist, I broke a tooth and it's getting annoying.

I told Poccie that if she's tired and doesn't want to fight anymore, I will be okay with it.

No I'm not. I won't be okay. But she only needs to know that it will be okay - I will be okay, *someday *- if she cannot fight anymore.

My guts said that she'll check out this morning. I've arranged with the Vet to have her returned home, whatever happens, rather than to have her buried at the Vet's.

I can only hope for a miracle, and I never put much stock in hopes or miracles I can't work to get.

I am so, SO sorry, Poccie. I wish I was better in caring for you. I wish this will not be the last photo of you and me together.

[thejosh1980]

Little Wing

(Trigger warning: animal/pet death)

Today, right now, I am sat at the spot where Mijo felt his last sunrise, just 24 hours ago.

He was 28 weeks old, he spent 20 of those weeks with me, and my family. He was my family. He was thrust upon me by my wife and mum, who knew Mijo would be the kind of birthday present I'd want, but could never ask for.

When he arrived he was unexpected. Straight from the car, into my bedroom, onto my lap, what a surprise, it was love at first sight. Those eyes, that tail, that round belly, the fur, I was all in. I had to say goodbye to 4 beautiful pets whom I loved dearly when I left Germany, so then and there I made a quiet, whisper promise to Mijo;

“I'll never ever leave you”...

We began like any other Daddy and cat story, playing, eating, talking to each other. We may have made a few messes on the bed learning to potty train, but I couldn't really fault him, he was perfect. He loved cuddles, got under our feet all the time, talked to us a lot and wanted to be a part of everything happening around the house.

He meowed very loudly too. Sometimes he'd meow from the next room sounding lost and worried. That's when I started to realized something was very different about him. It took about 2 weeks, but then I realized, he was totally deaf!!!! No vacuum cleaner, loud bangs, claps, or door slams could get his attention. When he meowed loudly, it was either because he had to, to feel himself meowing in his head, or he was missing us and could smell us, but not hear us in the next room. I had never had a cat who couldn't hear me call their name, so this was going to be a challenge.

Mijo accepted that challenge...

In a short time I figured out how to clicker train him, using a torch. I love training cats. Most folks think it's impossible, but I've taught cats to fetch, sit and come on command in the past.... So, pretty soon I had him jumping up, over and across chairs and tables on cue. I also learnt a way to “call” him; assuming he could see me, if I knelt down and tapped my leg, he'd come a running. Every time. We had it all figured out.

Grab a harness and a lead, and off we go, walking around the garden. This wasn't a cat, this was a dog. He had very little fear, I mean, he couldn't even hear the birds making a racket or the car driving by or the dog barking next door. He was fixated on me.

I bought him a blow up boat, to use in the pool, to help him get used to floating on water. It was a huge boat for his little size, but he'd hop in, and I'd “treat” him while he got used to the motion. The plan was to build him up to a real boat, or canoe or SUP. I could imagine him walking on water.

He was also great with other cats, so I could take him to visit his cousin and they'd play all day (if we'd let them). He'd come with me to visit other family and then... well, then the real adventures started. Mijo and I could go to the river, the park and the beach. We also went for coffee at the busiest part in the local village, and he took it all in his stride. We took bike rides too, as he sat in a special backpack I had for him. I could hold him while skateboarding or put him on my shoulder as I walked around. He was chill, happy to see and smell his silent world.

When Alex or I came home, and he'd be in the bedroom snoozing or gazing out the window, we could come in, take off our shoes, put our stuff down, maybe run to the loo, then we could snuggle up with him, cause he hadn't heard us arrive. He would just be waiting... He'd just wait for someone to step close enough, blow on his ear, feel a vibration and then he'd meow a big BIG hello, purr and snuggle. He was a no pressure cat... But always ready for hugs and pats.

Besides being deaf, he just didn't seem like any other cat I'd had or even met...

But isn't the way it is with all pets? They're all unique.

He loved Alex. He always had a hard decision between my lap and hers, or sleeping close to one or the other. We had a son to take care of, to love and to enjoy. At the beginning, Alex wasn't sure about having a cat, she'd pretty much always been a dog person, but it didn't take long for Mijo to wrap her around his little paw. She was hooked.

We thought he was going to be grow up to become a big boy. You know, Maine Coon sized 5-6 or maybe 7 kilo. We had high hopes for a dog-like cat, big enough to take on the world. We wanted to show him the world too.

After he had his snip (desexing) in mid March, he wasn't very well, and it really traumatized all of us, we just weren't sure why he took it so badly. He was in a lot of pain, even though the operation itself was quick and really good, with no issues. He would spend the day, in his “bread loaf” position, with his nose to the ground. It was like he was conserving all his energy for when we came home or wanted his attention.

Eventually, after a few weeks he bounced back, back to being his usual self, for a while. He actually lost a lot of fur during this time, most likely due to a reaction to the antibiotics and pain killers. Where his collar and harness were, he lost all his hair. It only took a few days, a bit too quick to realize what was going on, he rarely wore the collar or harness after that. It meant we sometimes lost him in the house without his bell on to tell which room he was in, so I'd be running around turning on and off the lights to get his attention and a meow.

It was our fun game of “Mijo Polo”.

We had noticed he wasn't eating as much, and he wasn't as playful. In fact, all his toys were being ignored, and he rarely chased anything we teased him with. When we took him for playtime with his cousin, he wouldn't last as long play fighting. Something was up, we thought he'd bounce back by now.

Overall, he was a very chilled cat, having just had an operation and now with, ringworm, a tooth problem (one adult tooth was causing him problems and needed to be pulled) maybe that was why he wasn't too interested in food. Surely it wasn't bacteria, an infection or a virus in his blood.

In early May, Mijo developed ringworm, which, by the way, isn't a worm but rather a fungal infection. The vet already had us on anti fungal cream day and night. It's very unusual to get ringworm; it's all around us, but a strong immune system, actually, a decent immune system, would fight off any infection naturally. Cats generally just lick it all off their fur. Humans sometimes get it, from a scratch or a wound. It's in the soil, it's in the air.

When we got the treatment for the ringworm, we also gave him an appetite stimulant, to encourage him to eat, but it made little difference. As nothing changed, we went back to the vet a few days later, and did a hypothyroidism test; the results were borderline.

What could be going on?

At the time of his desexing operation, he was 1.7 kilos, a week later he was down to 1.5 and eventually 1.45 kilo. His body was growing a little, but his muscle and fat wasn't.

We talked to the vet and decided, even though his ringworm was infectious, the tooth had to go, sooner rather than later. It seemed logical that it was his biggest barrier to fulfilling his dietary requirements and his well being. We wanted him fattening up, growing up, and being his usual self again, ASAP. We needed to get him back on track towards good health, enough was enough.

On Monday 17th May I dropped the little guy off at the vet for the day. A check up and a tooth pull.

Before any cat gets an anesthetic, they run a simple blood test to determine if the cat is well enough. During the day we got a call that the operation couldn't happen, and that he'd have to stay in over night or longer, with meds to help him, because his red cell blood count was low. 10%. Most cats need around 40%, if there's any complication with the tooth pull, his blood may not clot.

It's official, he was very unwell.

I was at school when I got the news. I was in shock. Our little boy was that unwell? But he does eat (a little), he does walk on the lead with me, he's eating his treats... was he that unwell?

Suddenly we had to decide on some expensive tests to figure out what was wrong with him. I mean, the red blood cells were being eaten up by the white ones, but why?? We arranged the suggested tests and they kept him in over night.

I was very distraught. How can my little guy be so unwell yet behave well? With that blood count, he shouldn't be able to walk, he should be so lethargic that he can't keep his head up!! He should be in a coma.

All in all, theoretically, he should be dead.

So was it dwarfism, hypothyroidism, mycoplasma??? And and and?? Tests... Blood being taken.. Our boy in the vet over night, alone, worried, scared??? Will he make it through the night? I didn't sleep well...

On Tuesday afternoon the vet let us bring him home. His blood level was down to 9.1%. The idea was that, at least at home he'd have cuddles and love, and that might help his immune system. He was lethargic but not completely terrible. I would need to bring him in on Wednesday for another blood test, to see how he was doing.

On Wednesday, it didn't go well, Mijo had gone from 9 to 8.1% blood level. It was now becoming almost impossible to get any blood out of him. I saw how difficult it was 2 weeks earlier when he had the hypothyroid test, they had to try on both legs and his neck to get a half mil of blood! He was a champ and barely complained. But now, I couldn't imagine the pain he went through with even less blood.

He's been that sick for how long?? Why hadn't we noticed?

We were panicking.

The vet suggested we meet with a mature, more experienced doc, on Thursday. We should be able to figure something out, we had to. Each day = less blood = more chance of...

Well, I am a hopeful guy. I realize, I live on hope. I spent years hoping certain people in my life would change, or love me in a way that I feel some love. I always hope things will change for the better. I don't know why, but it's ingrained in me to feel hopelessness or hope... I think I'm never in the middle... or is that called acceptance? OK, maybe I do feel that too, eventually... But it takes a long long time...

I have videos of Mijo on Thursday 20th, he's cleaning himself in the sun, meowing and purring, happy to see me, walking around the garden with me. Full of life and adventure.

At lunch time, Mijo and I go to the vet. He is his usual cute self, always curious at the vets, and now there's a the new guy he's meeting, what an adventure.

Before he opens the cat box he said something along the lines of “Well, because his blood levels are so low, today is really about deciding if he goes to heaven or not...” I'm not sure, but I know I heard words like “heaven” and “euthanasia” early on in the consultation. Shock was setting in. I barely heard anything else he said, luckily we had Alex on the speaker phone.

Turns out, not only is our little guy deaf, he's an anomaly.

Any cat with 8.1% should be comatose. They should barely be able to walk. They certainly can't pee or poo without help and don't drink or eat much. Mijo came out of his box and sniffed around, was alert and ready to meet the new guy!!

The vet was stumped. He had never seen this before, in over 30 years...

We didn't know he was so sick, because, he was, overall, a well behaved cat. His weight he lost, sure, but he was now at least stable. He was eating, it just took a lot of creativity sometimes to spark his interest (mostly warming up meals and giving him treats).

The vet tried to explain to me, but I'm sure Alex on the phone understood it clearly, that we had very little time, well, no time. We had 3 choices that day. Go to a specialist an hour's drive away, give Mijo steroids and hope he had mycoplasma or Immune mediated hemolytic anemia (IMHA) or, lastly, euthanasia.

Wait???? What does that even mean??

The specialist would give him a blood transfusion, and some special custom drugs which should help him. The vet said it could cost in the 10s of thousands, and may help Mijo for a few weeks, but it's not a solution that we are sure would be long term or not.

Giving Mijo steroids would give him a fighting chance, or not... Basically it could cure or kill him. Because we aren't sure what is the cause of the low blood count, it could be IMHA, mycoplasma or something else, but it's a best educated guess at this rate. If it is the wrong choice, he may die quicker than expected.

Euthanasia, no explanation needed.

We decided on steroids. According to the vet, there was a 50/50 chance it would work. If the cause of the blood cells killing off each other was for or against steroids, we'd know soon enough. Still shocked I tried to understand it all. I'm so grateful Alex was on the line and knows this stuff through experience and study.

The idea of taking Mijo an hour's drive north to the specialist, to a cubicle, a place where we may not be with him 24/7, on the off chance that he wouldn't make it and die alone, we couldn't fathom that.

Mijo took the steroid injection like a champ, he always did injections well. He was given some antibiotics to also help. The vet said, that by Saturday we'll know if it was the right decision. We'd know if he would be getting better...

It was decided that on Monday 24th we'd go back in for a blood test to actually see if the steroids were working (cause apparently one can't really tell with Mijo's behavior, the cheeky monkey).

Mijo and I came home, and well, he ate, he was purring, sitting on my lap. The usual deal. When I went out to get the washing in, he tried to go out too, something we, as parents, have been very protective about. He doesn't go out alone, he doesn't go out without a lead or a bell. He's not an easy cat to find if he runs off, not that he has ever tried. He deaf, he can't hear cars or other dangers out there.

I promised him I'd take him out to that side of the house/garden that afternoon...

So we did, we went out, we sat down, he explored. He was well, good, better, best. He was my boy. He trusted me, I trusted him. I'm always amazed how well he walks by my side, like a dog, with loose leash... Taking my steps as cues when to walk, and when to stop.

We also met the neighbor's dog, which was a first, both were not really interested in each other... But still, Mijo knew there's a lot to live for...

Overnight he went great... Woke up with him on my chest relaxing waiting for me to get up and feed him, luckily I have a wife who had to get up for work at that moment. I remember she sang him a lullaby and held him like a baby. It was really sweet to see how much love they had for each other. Rock-a-bye Mijo...

We wanted to him feel as much love as we could. We felt that, if the steroids and antibiotics were doing their part, and we did ours, there's nothing he can't beat. And he sure felt the love...

I held him while doing some singing exercises, close to my chest. It was something we hadn't done before, and he purred. He'd look up and meow every time I stopped making vibrations. He felt it, I felt it, it was a connection.

We spent a lot of time, reading, relaxing and sitting on laps. Alex and I cuddled him, told him we loved him. He was really fighting. He was eating. He was a little more playful than in recent weeks. He wanted to live. We could feel it...

He went from eating half a packet to 1.5 packets a day, plus dry food. He always wanted treats, and I was always glad to oblige.

By Saturday he was wonder cat! Kneading... Purring... Chasing toys... Eager to hang out...

We'd overcome the problem! He was getting better. There's fight, love and life left in him. He was amazing. If it hadn't been for his ringworm (which was also healing very very well) I'd say he was perfect, especially once he put on another few grams...

We had 4 awesome days, loads of energy and love. He was never alone in the house, and rarely alone in a room. We wanted him to know, to feel, that we loved him so deeply and that all we want was him in our life, for adventures and cuddles.

On Monday morning, his appetite went down... He didn't really eat much...

We all left for the day, work and school. I think we were all worried, but he'd been so good and improved so so much, that we were sure he'd be fine. We have the blood test booked for the afternoon, I'm sure he'll pep up by then. The injection could be wearing off too...

Mijo and I went in to the vet, and his test came back at 14%!!! Damn, that's 6 points!! The vet expected 3 to be a big improvement. In fact, if he had 3 or less, euthanasia may have been the only option... Happy days! He was well. He's going to live! He'll be fine.

We're not out of the woods yet, but we are in the right direction.

All that love we lavished on him, not just in the past days, but the past 4 months. The adventures, the friends he'd made (both human and animal) the smells and sights he'd seen, the vibrations he felt, it was all coming together... He was a fighter with a lot of love to give...

We were over joyed. Really, I couldn't have been happier when I got the results. I gave a “whoop” and threw my fist in the air (I've never done that before in my life!).

We changed to tablet form steroids, as they'll be better long term, keep up the antibiotics and off we go...

But we all know, that often people and animals, when they know they are dying, they give it one last shot. And that was it... We didn't realize until Wednesday, that he wasn't actually going to get better...

Mijo stopped grooming himself, he slowly ate less and less... He became more and more lethargic, he started to sit in the “bread loaf” position with his nose on the ground, as he did after the snip, resting. We thought it was the change in steroids, and as I was at school and the girls at work, we just kept thinking he'd pep up eventually.

When I left for school Wednesday morning, he was alert, but lethargic. When I came home early to check on him, he had really changed again.

His belly was a little bloated, but he had hardly eaten. He had trouble walking, it seemed like it was a mix of muscle degradation/pain and confusion. His meowing changed to a high pitch cry, similar to that of a young kitten. He also stopped eating, he wouldn't even touch any of his tasty treats. He searched for any bit of sun to stand in, but he was looking so uncomfortable, his posture had changed, half sitting, half standing. I was grateful, when I carried him to his water bowl, that he drank a lot. He also went to the toilet, I held his tail so he didn't make a mess on himself.

We spent the afternoon outside, as the sun started to set. He loved the sun, I wanted him to feel warmth... I held him, talked to him. I don't know now many times I asked him to please hold on, please fight and that I loved him. He looked more comfortable in the sun.

I did film us walking around the pool. I am forever grateful for technology, so that I could just put my phone down, touch a button and record a moment. As we walked and talked, oblivious to the camera, I recognized a change in his breathing... I may have missed it previously, but for sure, his breath was becoming more and more labored. Every 3 or 4 breaths, he just had to try harder... His eyes were changing too... But I was sure he could recognize me, the way the vibrations from my chest reached his body and the way I smell. He would react from time to time, shifting or clawing at me.

He often touched my chest with his paw. Reaching out...

Mum and I went to the vet late Wednesday afternoon, the earliest we could. I explained it must be the change of steroids. No, it wasn't. They were the same type, it was just that he wasn't able to fight anymore. We discussed the specialist, called them and made a plan to go in first thing in the morning. I arranged for a friend to come with me, and Thursday morning bright and early, we were going up to get Mijo cured. Transfusion, drugs, you name it, we were going to do it. We had to, we told him we'd make him better.

There and then, Alex and I decided to trade in our honeymoon, you know from the wedding we had 13 months ago and still haven't done the traditional thing of a week or two away somewhere. We decided the money we had aside for that, would go to Mijo's specialist costs, because without Mijo, our honeymoon, whatever and whenever we decide to do it, wouldn't be worth doing, if he wasn't around.

I made a firm plan on how to help him through the night. We would hold him in shifts... All 3 of us... If one showered, the other held him. Dinner time, we shared the responsibility, not that we ate much anyhow. We cuddled, we talked, we purred, I would blow gently on his head... He was feeling love and he was fighting...

Because he hadn't eaten all day, we decided to try feeding him with a syringe, with success. With the tablets we were putting into his stomach, I felt he needed something else down there too... With a small syringe, he took it well, lapping up a tasty liquid treat.

When it was bed time, we put pillows around the bed, incase he fell, because he was very wobbly on his feet. He would cry out at random times, possibly from pain, but I think more from confusion. He sometimes wanted to get away from us, as we know, pets know when it's time and usually disappear, isolate.

We barely slept. I managed about 3 hours... But it was tough.. He wouldn't stay still, and eventually we put him in his little bed, near our bed... Of course he didn't stay there long.

At 4am I heard him crying... I found him under the bed... Alex woke up too... His breathing had changed a lot... Every breath was labored. He wasn't getting enough oxygen.

I laid on my back, and Mijo laid on my chest. This was how it often was, especially when I was reading... We did that until around 7am... Alex taking turns, holding him, talking to him, loving him. Mijo could barely hold himself up, he just laid in our arms... Breathing... His eyes began to glaze over...

We discussed our options, we felt the specialist was now a long shot. We didn't think he'd make the drive, he was near the end. Our little man had little fight left... And we wouldn't forgive ourselves for him dying in a foreign place. There were a lot of tears and back and forwards, including mum coming in for cuddles with the little guy at 5am...

Alex called the emergency vet, and we planned to go in at 8:30... Mijo's time had come...

When the sun comes up, if the blind is open in our bedroom, the sun shines right on through to Alex in bed, Mijo was in her arms, while she drank coffee as the sun rose.

Sometime later I took the little guy out to the pool, where we walked and talked, cuddled and loved, around and around, in the morning sun. I talked to him about all the adventures we had, riding bikes, visiting people, the beach and the river. I spent most of that hour, holding him, looking to his eyes... He gazed up, I just hope he knew it was me. I just knew he felt the vibrations of my words.

We both told him, it was OK to let go now. We were ready. But he kept on fighting for each breath... I think he was just like his Dad, always hopeful..

He last moments at home, where in the chair I'm sat in now. It gets the best light, first thing, even though it's inside the “catio”. Alex had sat down while I was walking outside, I seem to do better when I walk, and I brought him in for cuddles with her in the sun... He was bathed in sunshine, in Alex's arms... It was beautiful...

Actually getting in the car and going to the vet, was tough, but it really hit me when I walked in. I held the little guy, and just burst into middle-aged-man tears and sobbing... If you were there, you'd know I was my mother's son, cause she was sobbing too... I couldn't look anyone in the eye... I didn't understand what was going on, or about to go on...

I think I was in another place...

We went into a consult room, and I just laid the little guy down, not thinking of using the blanket we had... The vet explained the procedure and took him away for his catheter and first injection, some anesthetic? I don't know, but apparently it was the right thing, it helped with his pain.

I couldn't even look Alex or Mum in the eye... I just cried...

I still had hope...

When they came back, Mijo was wrapped in a soft blanket, what a great idea...!! He was quieter, more peaceful... The vet left to give us a moment...

He was still breathing, still fighting... I put my ear to his face, and heard him...

I kept making sure his eye lids closed from time to time. I remember back when Catalina, my little girl in Germany, needed to be anesthetized for a check up. The vet put some put liquid drops in her eyes and made her blink, so her eyes didn't dry out... So for Mijo, I did that every once in a while... I didn't want his eyes to dry up... I wanted him to be able to see me, because laying on that table, he couldn't hear me.

I begged Alex not to bring the vet back in for the final injection... I think I may have screamed something at her... I don't know... I wasn't me... I was trying to hold him in my arms, without moving him... I was trying to give him another chance...

I bawled...

I don't know if I have ever cried like that before... I thought I'd be all cried out... I thought all my tears had already left the building the previous hours and days... But there was more... a lot more... and more to come...

I know that Alex and I held hands over his body... I felt the love... I felt his warmth... his breathing... I know I cried tears onto him, there were tear drops on his lips...

I looked him in the eye as much as I could, but mostly, I cried...

I felt the liquid go into him, I felt it go around my hand into him...

I don't know much about what happened after that... I know I didn't want to leave him, I had promised him I would never do it. I regret not holding him once more... I know that at that moment, I felt the life drain out of me... I felt hope die...

I walked out, not knowing what to do, and flopped down on the grass outside... I never sit on grass, but Mijo liked it...

I managed to drive home...

That was yesterday...

Since then I've tried to rest, tried to come to grips with what has happened, tried to connect with a few friends, I've tried... I'm still trying...

This morning I got up wanting to do some sport, washing, then study and take on the day with confidence... It's a new day, I should take that opportunity to get back into my routine... It took all of 1 minute, from bed to bathroom, to be bawling... Except for the time I manage to calm down enough to type this blog, I've been crying... It's now 10am... I was awake at 6:15...

We are running out of tissues..

I felt so bad this morning, I wanted to plead with Alex not to go to work, because I just can't today. I just can't. We have discussed how she copes in these situations, and I know that's how she copes, by going to work, so I kept my trap shut. I just want her to hug me all day, so I can feel her warmth.

I cried so much on the drive to drop mum off at work this morning, she started crying too, and contemplated not going to work... She wanted to be there for me, but I told her, honestly, I don't think I'd be much company today.

I don't know the grieving process, we haven't learnt that in counseling school yet, but I do know, I'm feeling very lost... I feel very numb...

I can't explain it, and maybe that's why folks can never really explain how they feel after someone close to them, or their pet, has passed. We are just lost.

I also feel that I am grieving for my other losses in my life. It's a bit like, it's a culmination of all the others before him, plus him on top, making me feel pain like I have never experienced before.

Grief is just love, with no place to go... Alex and I talked about that quote last night. I used this quote to help me through leaving my 4 pets in Germany, I know I have to find a new place for my love, but for now, I just can't.

I know I couldn't have gotten through this without the support of my Mum and Alex...

While Mum cries at the drop of a hat, she is solid and thoughtful and loving. Alex is strong and experienced in these matters. She knew what to say, and when, even if I did yell back… Both have a lot of time and patience for me.

I know Alex and Mum feel bad, maybe even guilty, for choosing him. Mijo was a present, to give me joy and love and comfort. And he sure did, in multitudes, to all of us. I would never have gotten a cat back then, I didn't feel Alex or I were ready, we were still working through our issues with our pets in Germany.

Alex and I decided that we want Mijo home with us. He was only on this earth for 6.5 months, we expected him to be with us for 10+ years. Taken too early. Once he's cremated we'll have him in a little urn. He was so small, but if there's a little left over, we will either plant a tree with his ashes or sprinkle him down by the river, the first place he went to that was close to water.

The past day or so, I have shared what happened with some friends, classmates and family, and everyone has been so thoughtful and caring. Thank you, it's really helped to know you're all out there, thinking of the little guy. He would have loved to meet you all.

He was perfection. If someone else had gotten him, realized he was deaf, they may not have given him the adventures and life he had. Mum considers him a rescue cat...

So here I am, in the chair, his last chair in his last moments at home.

I can still smell him on my shirt. When I walk around the house, dazed, I sniff my shirt. He had a wonderful smell. The smell of love and adventure. I hope that smell lasts a life time.

I miss his warmth, his meow, which was damn loud!! I miss, that sometimes he'd get lost around the house... Or he'd lose me, around the house. He was gentle, and only bit me once, by accident, piercing my thumb a little. I miss the fact he had 1 tooth growing forward, directly out, making him a tri-toothed kitten with a protruding top lip! He took on the world without fear. I've never experienced anything like it in a cat. My girl Catalina did sit on my shoulder as I walked down the street in Germany, but Mijo, he let me go skateboarding with him, played guitar with me (he'd chew the strings) and one time, I even vacuumed his tail.

All trust. No fear.

Back when he lost all his hair around his neck and stomach after his snip operation, we were pretty concerned. Funnily enough, it grew back pretty quickly, but it grew back white, not grey. He had a ring around his neck and kind of marks on his back wrapping around to his belly. Alex googled it, and actually found out, cats can often have their hair grow back white after trauma or experiencing extremes of temperature if their hair was cut short or fell out.

About a month ago, I sent my dearest of friends, Sandra, a photo of his regrowth, and she commented looks like “little angel wings”...

Fly on little wing, fly on...

RIP Mijo Angus

12-11-2020 – 27-05-2021

Thanks for reading,

Josh

[kannra21]

@owishi Asdfghjkhgfds I want to write sum HCs rn! 😆✨✨

~o0o~

After a successful photoshoot the MCPTF duo took for a detective magazine, Haru bashfuly thanked the camera crew for their work and started to gather his belongings. After a couple of seconds he didn't see Daisuke moving much from his spot at the studio backdrop so he decided to check on him.

Daisuke was still standing there, petting a beautiful cat on his shoulders. He was smiling for the first time in a long time and Haru couldn't help himself but to tease him a little.

"You have a soft spot for kittens, huh Kambe?" "Huh?" "You love animals don't you?" "Don't get the wrong idea. Just because I helped that little boy with a dog back the-" "I get it, no need to get so self-defensive." Haru approached the two and pet the cat as well. Daisuke continued "We had a family cat back in the days but she died from a kidney failure." "I'm sorry to hear that." "Pedigree cats are always difficult to maintain."

He then approached the studio producer and asked "What's the name?" while pointing at the purring ball of fluff. "Oh the name's Kumo-" "No, I meant the name of the breed." "It's a Maine Coon my good sir."

Daisuke took his phone, dialed a number and a lovely lady could be heard on the opposite line "Yes, Daisuke-sama?" "Suzue, do we have all the predispositions that satisfy the adoption of a cat?" "I mean yes but we can't charge a butler to take responsibility for everything. Consider chipping, regular visits to the vet, special shampoos, nail clippers, toothbrushes, specialized treats, eye drops, litter box, toys, climbing frames, there are many factors which need to be taken care of Daisuke-sama. Besides, it's been such a long tim-" "Alright"

Daisuke ended the phone call with a dissatisfied sigh before asking quietly "How much?" to which Haru needed to interfere. "Didn't Suzue-san just tell you not to take a cat home?" and Daisuke gave him an annoyed side-glance "I'll figure something out."

When he arrived to the mansion in his Bentley Continental GT, he glanced at the backseat to address the feline comfortably lying in the fancy pet carrier. "You better not make a sound, understood?" to which the cat just purred in satisfaction. Daisuke felt so silly at this moment, like a little boy hiding a broken vase from his mother.

When he was about to enter the mansion, he accidentally walked on Suzue typing something on her tablet. She looked up and was delighted to see Daisuke coming home safe and sound. Daisuke stood at the doors, one side of his body peering from the corner while the other with a cat was hidden behind the wall. "Welcome back Daisuke-sama, the crack-open naengmyeon is already served on the table, you can take your seat." "Actually, I was planning on doing something else beforehand. Would you please excuse me for a moment?" "Of course." Suzue turned around and waited for him in the dining room. And although Daisuke was very good at keeping his serious demeanor, Suzue still noticed that something was off, with the tone of his voice for instance. It was very faint but Suzue was able to recognize things like this since she knew him so well. Still, she decided not to question him about it.

Daisuke entered his room and laid the pet carrier on the floor. Opening the zipper, the cat jumped out and rolled cozily on his bed. Daisuke held his phone and took a picture. He decided that he couldn't leave it by itself so he went downstairs to the storeroom where he took a litter box and filled it with old newspapers just in case.

After that he joined Suzue for lunch, they talked about Daisuke's photoshoot and Suzue's data she collected on certain people regarding a case. Daisuke told her that the magazine will be published in three weeks or so and Suzue was so happy she promised that she'll be the first costumer to buy it. Daisuke smiled more around Suzue after he let go of his past and threw his father into the jail. Now that all the bad things are behind him, he can finally indulge in his life and pay more attention to Suzue to whom he has yet to make up for all she has done for him over the years. He's thinking about marrying her soon.

While they were eating and pleasantly chatting, a high pitched "mrow" could be heard from the upper floor.

"What was that?" Daisuke let out a dry cough and said "My apologies. It seems that I needed to take a thicker coat before leaving for an appointment." "But.. you always pay attention to things like this." "It's true, but today I was a little late, had other things to do." "Don't overwork yourself, you need to think about your health." "Seems like you need to take better care of me.", he said with a smirk plastered on his lips to which Suzue just laughed and replied "You're so spoiled." and he scooted closer to her whispering "But I like it better when you do it.", and almost kissed her before the two heard a soft thud coming from the above.

"Excuse me for a moment, I need to check what's happening up there. Will be right back.", maybe the moment was ruined but he kissed her forehead nonetheless and went upstairs, leaving her full-hearted and all mushy inside. Her mind was so hazed from the thought of Daisuke kissing her forehead and almost kissing her lips that she didn't register the cause of his concern.

When he arrived to his room he had things to behold; scattered papers and documents all over the floor and the ashtray he typically used after his "adventurous nights with Suzue" was lying on the ground right next to the nightstand. The cat was sitting on his working table licking her paw as if nothing of this concerned her in the slightest. Daisuke sighed in disappointment and put her back in her "baby jail". She already gave him such a hard time but he couldn't be angry with her, she was his baby (yes he already considered himself a dad for god's sake).

Since they already finished with their meals, Suzue went back to her tech room to finish her work and Daisuke took the opportunity to place some meat and water on small plates and bring it to his naughty little friend.

The cat calmed down instantly after she ate and went straight to sleep. Daisuke couldn't believe his own eyes, the audacity, the sheer amount of spoilage this creature showed was unreal. It reminded him so much of himself and he smiled a little. He really missed having a cat.

After he cleaned up and finished his other tasks, he laid on the bed next to her and pet her soft white fur, making her purr louder and snuggle up beside him. Daisuke knows that Suzue is not stupid and that she'll eventually catch up on him sneaking behind her back to give Furry Elise treats (yes her name is Furry Elise, "Für Elise" might be one of Beethoven’s best-known piano pieces and Daisuke knows how to play it too).

And it actually happened that same night. Daisuke was about to fill her small plate with more meat when he met Suzue in the kitchen and she asked him what he was doing. He instantly gave up because it would be so blatantly obvious and incredibly stupid of him to say that he was trying out a new weight-losing tip when no one in this god-forsaken world ate raw chicken.

So he took her to his room and showed her Furry Elise. And although the cat purred really loudly upon seeing them, Suzue wasn't happy about it. In fact, she looked really disappointed and Daisuke needed to apologize. He explained her how it happened and how he wished to have a pet after a really long time. He thought she liked cats as well and therefore concluded that it wouldn't be such a big deal to adopt this cute little feline she loved so much, but apparently it was, so he asked her one more time why she was so reluctant to the whole idea of owning a cat again.

Suzue now shredded a couple of tears and Daisuke was seriously alarmed upon seeing her like this so he carefully cupped her with his hand behind her back and hugged her, asking why she was crying all of a sudden.

"It's just.. I don't want to go though this all over again." "What are you talking about?" "You see, my parents died, your parent died, our previous cat died so soon. I'm living in fear every day and asking myself if something's going to happen to you as well, that's why I'm so excessively worrying about you. And everything I need right now is another sweet creature that I love so much leaving us again. I don't think I'd be able to handle it anymore."

"Suzue.. I never thought..", Daisuke kissed her head and felt a big amount of guilt dawning on him. He was so selfish for only thinking about what made him happy without considering Suzue's emotions. But then he reclaimed his mind and tried to concentrate on saying the right thing. Hopefully he can make her feel better again.

"Suzue, my dear, you shouldn't limit yourself to things that make you happy. It's not healthy. You see, none of us is eternal; neither you, nor me, nor this kitten down there looking at you with so much love in her eyes. But for that very reason that none of us is eternal, we should dedicate our time to one another and make most of it. So please don't deny yourself or your feelings. Instead of dwelling on the sad things, we should concentrate more on our time spent together and be happy, okay?"

Even Daisuke didn't know how he managed to word it this nicely but he did and he realized that both of them were crying by now. They shared a passionate kiss but got interrupted by a small furball rubbing on their feet like it wanted to share a hug as well and Suzue smiled through tears.

She squatted and carefully took the cat in her hands. "What's her name?" "Furry Elise." Suzue now needed to laugh so much and she hadn't even recovered from her previous emotional outburst.

"I love it, you're really good at this.. it's.. the song you used to play for me all the time before you went studying overseas."

He looked at her with so much love and adoration at this exact moment.

"Know what? I think I'm falling for you all over again, Mr. Millionaire." Daisuke swore, his heart was full that night and no money could ever compare to this feeling.

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[thenightling]

Did you like the novelization? What were the most interesting differences (or added things)? (In case you couldn't answer me in public because of spoilers, could you do it in a private message, please? I don't care for spoilers. Thank you! 😊)

It was decent.  I haven’t decided if I liked it or not yet.   There were definitely some changes that rubbed me the wrong way but there were a few I liked.

MAJOR SPOILERS AHEADSPOILERSSPOILERS

SPOILERS

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-RRRRRRSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Changes that bugged me:

1.   If The Beast dies or when the last petal falls they aren’t just doomed to stay that way forever.  Everyone who was turned into an object transforms into an inanimate object / dies.  If the last petal fell The Beast would be alone with his now lifeless servant furniture.  This is weirdly unnecessary since being a sentient coat rack, ect is already a pretty dark fate.  Also they try to explain away that the curse is on them too because they did nothing to stop The Prince from becoming so cruel and selfish.  But what about Chip?  What the Hell could a little boy have done?  Why is he being punished?

2.    The original animated movie gave a specific timeline for the curse and the Broadway play removes that, sort of indicating that it could have been centuries.   But this one the curse could not have been very long.  The castle servants have loved ones living in the village who don’t remember them (part of the enchantment).

3.  One change I absolutely despise is a scene that felt like pandering.  There’s a scene where Belle is teaching a little girl to read (I’m okay with this).  What I’m not okay with is that she’s interrupted by a Headmaster who says girls aren’t supposed to learn how to read and tries to stop her.  This is blatantly historically inaccurate.  In France in the 1700s twenty five percent of all women could read.  That’s pretty high a number for the era if you think about it, and this was not merely in the big cities.  This bit of historical inaccuracy in the name of “Girl Power” really, really bugs me.  Belle was already a strong, feminist character.  She didn’t need to stand up to “The system” that “doesn’t allow women to read.”  That was utterly unnecessary and threw me out of the story because of how out of place it was for the setting.  Male or female, being a book Geek is enough to make you odd in many places today.  It was enough.

4.   Gaston shoots Beast in the back instead of stabbing him.

5.   Gaston is now a War Vet who talks a lot about his glory days.  This made me slightly uncomfortable as it felt like it was mocking war vets.  I liked him better as the arrogant hunter / owner of the tavern (or son of the tavern owner, implied in the animated film since his trophies were there and he went there after hours).  This paints a negative stereotype of men who survived war.   A guy who hunts for sport and is a popular jock was enough for the setting.

6.  Gaston seemed a little too nice in the beginning of the novelization (in my opinion).  He compliment’s Belle’s book instead of saying “How can you read this?  There are no pictures!”  And he doesn’t mock Maurice in front of her.  He gets nasty later though and even pretends to believe Maurice about The Beast only to get fed up later, knocks him unconscious and leaves him to the mercy of the wolves.  When Maurice comes back from this that is when Gaston convinces everyone that he’s crazy.

7.  I know everyone jokes that Prince Adam was cuter as The Beast but Belle practically says it to him in this version!  WTF, Belle?!?   That wasn’t funny.  She pauses near the end and he asks her “What is it?” and she suggests he grow a beard.  He laughs and nods.   But this kind of bugs me.  Also I don’t think blonds look very good with beards to be honest but that’s a personal preference.

8.  Belle knows about the curse in this one.  She partly figures it out and she gets told the rest.   She’s never told how the curse can break, just that if the last petal falls the Beast will remain a Beast forever.   This bugs me because in the original animated film she knew the place was Enchanted but for all she knew The Beast had deliberately become a Beast and had Enchanted his property to life out of boredom / loneliness.   Knowing he used to be human kind of contradicts the idea that she fell in love with him even though she thought he would always be a Beast and that’s that.

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Changes I do like / think are okay.

1.  I’m fine with the idea that Maurice now makes music boxes and Belle can practically read his thoughts about what tool he needs next before he speaks.  That’s kind of cute.  And I like music boxes.  Apparently that’s how he earns an income (besides their little farm).

2.  I like the details about Belle’s past / Beast’s enchanted book.  The Beast has an enchanted book in this version that can literally take you anywhere via magick.  He thought of it as a cruel joke of the Enchantress since he can’t fit in anywhere as a Beast.  But they use it to see the flat in Paris where Belle was born and learn that Belle’s father had fled with her to save Belle from The Plague when her mother was on her death bed with it.  Maurice was ashamed of leaving Belle’s mother there to die to save Belle.  And he became obsessed with keeping Belle safe.   That’s how they ended up in the village.

3.    At first I thought I’d hate that The Beast is not illiterate in this like he is in the extended version of the animated movie or the Broadway play where Belle helps him learn to read / re-learn to read.  But no, they handled this part really well.  The Beast is a book lover too.  And while Belle is nursing him back to health after the wolf attack (in his formerly princely bed, I might add) she quotes A Midsnummer Night’s Dream (My favorite play by Shakespeare) Beast finishes the quote for her.

4.  They go a little bit into The Beast’s backstory, revealing that he had a kind and loving mother but when she died his father became cruel and molded Prince Adam to be like him.  The servants did nothing to stop it and have lived to regret it.  It’s implied that The Beast’s father was abusive.

5.  LeFou switches sides close to the end and during the mob attack saves Mrs. Potts from shattering.  I kind of like that.

6.  The village was named after the woman who wrote the original Beauty and the Beast novel.  I thought this was a nice touch.

7.  They changed why Maurice was captured by The Beast in this version.  He was stealing a rose to give to Belle.  Belle has an obsession with roses stemming from an old baby rattle she had that was shaped like a rose.  Stealing a rose is what got him in trouble in the 1740 original novel.  And no, this was not the enchanted rose.  Also when Belle takes his place she tricks her father and shoves him out of the cell so he can’t linger behind.  This was unnecessary as The Beast dragged him away in the original but it was a good moment for Belle so I’ll let it be.