Another Akhenaten Update

Some very bad news about Akhenaten, our wonderful little Siamese cat. His kidneys have failed. Wendy has been hydrating him with Lactated Ringer’s a couple times a day, but we’re not keeping up.

Akhenaten is dying. And quickly.

The feeling is that tonight, Tuesday January 18, 2011, we will have to make the decision to euthanize him.

He’s been an amazing cat – he was found near “room temperature” after being discarded from a kitty mill. He fought his way back to good health (as close as he could), but his kidney numbers were bad from the beginning of his time with us.

At that time, Wendy said, “We’ve got to love him a lot, because we won’t get to love him for very long”. So sad to say that she was right, but even so, his time was shorter than either of us expected.

When he moved into our house, it seemed that he’d never been in a social situation, nor had the run of a home. He took to both very well and soon was enmeshed in the fabric of the household. He loves laying on the heat registers, or on anyone – human or animal – who will lay still enough for him to snuggle in (I don’t think Akhenaten was EVER warm enough!). Lately, he discovered the joys of sleeping under the covers in bed with Wendy & me, and crouches (he’s an expert croucher) atop whomever he is near – us, dogs, other cats – it doesn’t matter to him, as long as they’re warm!

I will remember Akhenaten’s meow (which sounds like a baby crying), his clumsiness (he’s knocked over more stuff in the house than most of the other animals combined), his sense of humor (I’m sure he thought it was funny when he set the time on my alarm clock FORWARD an hour, making me get up extra-early one morning!), and his weird, sweet long face and brilliant blue eyes (crossed, like any good Siamese). I will also remember that when he was crouched atop me in bed that he’d dig his claws in when I rolled around. I’ve currently got the scratches on my belly as proof.

It’s been a pleasure and joy to give this little cat, who knew so little of the warm human world, exposure to the loving, bumbling circus that is my home. His home. Our time with him was short, but hopefully full of love and hopefully that will be a good set of memories for him.

We love you Akhenaten.



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