Month: April 2020

My Dearest Tripawd Family,

Thank you for helping my hoomins through one of the hardest days of their lives and the next days to come.  I know their hearts are breaking, but I am really in a better place.

Rescuing these two silly people in 2014 is the best thing I ever did.  When they became my Mommy and Daddy, they gave me so many treats, stuffed carrots, my own king size bed that I sometimes shared with them, belly rubs, head scritches, scratchy pads, foam tiles, food in every room, stairs everywhere to help me to my favorite spots, lots of Cat TV, toys and so many more things.   I got to meet Dr. Scott who helped them keep me healthy too.  Too bad I had to go on those stoooopid car rides to see him!

We had a few years that I was 100% healthy then my leg started hurting.  Mommy and Daddy paid my rescuing them forward and rescued me right back.  They found a way to keep me healthy and pain free for almost 3 more years!  During this part of my journey is when I got to meet all of you!  Mommy and I shared all of the cool things we did together to make it easier on us Tripawds.  I hope some of it helps those of kitties that are new to this world.  You guys sure helped us.  With your help, I became the Super Tripawd you know.  I caught mice, stole hearts, and lived my life to the fullest.  I helped Daddy wrap Christmas presents, stole puzzle pieces from my Grandma, loved on our visitors, and was simply the best Bunnyman I could be.

Unfortunately a few weeks ago I could no longer hide the fact that my breathing wasn’t good.  Mommy and Daddy were able to tell something was wrong…as they usually can.  Despite my protests, they brought me in to the emergency room in the middle of the night where someone who wasn’t Dr. Scott looked at me, gave me a shot and catheter, put me in a special room/cage with “oxygen”, and gave me meds.  They took xrays and called Mommy and Daddy.  I stayed with these people for 2 days and felt a little better but still not great.  Dr. Scott even visited with me during my stay.

Because I try to be a good boy, I rallied enough to go home to Mommy and Daddy.  I heard them saying stuff like congestive heart failure, cancer in lungs, quality of life, etc but I just wanted to sleep.  I hung out in the closet in our bedroom for a few days.  I didn’t want to eat anything.  I was just too tired.  When I finally had enough rest, I moved out to couch so I could spend time with them.  I ate a little bit for Mommy but my belly couldn’t really take it.  (BTW-after a few days of this, Mommy called the vet and then got this fetish with my ears!!!  Transdermal meds she called them.  WEIRD.)

Anyway, I wanted my hoomins to know how much I loved them and wanted to visit their special spots.  I spent the last week at home in the bedroom (either on the bed, in the closet, or on the blankies), on the couch and even went to Daddy’s special Comic Book Room where I stayed for a few days hanging out on his recliner.  It was nice and cool and easier to breathe.  Mommy and Daddy brought me my favorite blankie and CARROT!  To thank them, I ate a little bit for Mommy again.  I also wanted to surprise them.

After they visited me in the comic room, I made my way upstairs.  It was a long journey.  I took 3 or 4 steps and had to rest, but I did it!  I made it to the top of the stairs, laid down in the hallway for a few minutes, then yelled Mom! Dad! (or to the hoomin ear…MEEOOOOOOW!)  They, of course, came running as always.  Somehow I knew it was important for them to see me upstairs.  I went on the bed, hoping Mommy would get the message and join me.  She did.  We cuddled all night.  Daddy gave me pets and then let me stay with Mommy.

The next day, the three of us watched Cat Tv and just had quiet day.  I could no longer hide my breathing.  It was hard.  I slept with Mommy one more night, letting her know I love her.

On Saturday, Mommy and Daddy called Dr.Scott.  After a brief conversation, they brought me on another car ride during which I complained.  This felt different though.  They seemed very sad.  When we got to Dr Scott’s place, we went inside.  Mommy and Daddy kept petting me and telling me how much they loved me until someone took me away from them.  Those people stuck a catheter into my back leg.  You would be proud of me…I did not make it easy for them!!  They brought me back to Mommy and Daddy and Dr Scott came in and said hi too.  They all were telling me what a brave, strong boy I am.  How I put up an awesome fight but I could let go now.

I started feeling very sleepy, put my head on my carrot and favorite blankie … and then suddenly I could breathe freely and run once more!!

I looked around and saw Mommy and Daddy crying like I never have before but I couldn’t do anything to stop it.  I just wanted them to know that I AM OK now.  Thank you for loving me and I will always love you.

As their journey on Earth continues, I know they have more love to give and that is why it hurts so much.  I came to Mommy in a dream and showed her kittens that need her and Daddy to love them.  They can pay my love forward and start feeling those Sand Paper Kisses again soon.

Thank you again my Tripawd family for letting me and my hoomins into your hearts.  I will be looking over you and waiting for you on the other side of the Rainbow Bridge.

Sand Paper Kisses,

Rusty the Bunnyman

My heart is broken.  We made the call. Dr.Scott agreed it was time.We brought Rusty in and helped him to the Rainbow Bridge this morning.

Until the very end, our boy was giving us gifts of love and memories.  As mentioned in earlier posts, he chose Daddy’s comic book room in the basement to hang out in for a few days.  On Thursday evening we had checked on Rusty in the basement and came back upstairs.

We were sitting in the living room and heard MEOW. He was upstairs on his own.

He hung in the hallway for a little bit then up on my bed.

He cuddled with Mommy overnight and stayed in the bedroom all day Friday, alternating between the closet, blankets on the floor and the bed.
I woke up to this face.

We watched some Cat TV.

We had one more night of sleeping on the bed with Mommy and his carrot.

This morning we knew. We love him forever and are grateful for what he gave us.  We had to give him our last gift. Peace.

(you can see in this last picture of him at the vets office today, he didn’t have the Bunnyman life in his eyes (although he did fight the catheter and complained to Dr Scott).  )

Thank you to the Tripawd nation for your prayers, support and love from the first moment our little boy was introduced to you.

With love… head scritches and memories of his sand paper kisses…

Gina and Nick

In an effort to make sure our Lord and Master, Sir Rusty the Bunnyman, is the most comfortable and content that he could be, we brought two of his favorite blankets, a towel fresh out of the dryer so it was toasty warm, and HIS CARROT to him in the basement.  He had been laying facing out on the chair.  When we put the carrot down, he moved right over to it.  Bunnymen need their carrots!!

When I went to visit him this morning, this is the cuteness that awaited me.

   

He also accepted some food!

I don’t expect miracles.  I already have received more than my share with him.

• • • He chose us when we first met at an estate sale where the people were going to bring him to kill shelter that night in 2014.  There were a few families walking around and he came to us.
    • We survived his original cancer scare and amputation over 900 days ago
    • He was brought to the ER (day 931 since amputation) two weeks ago and we didn’t know if we would ever see him again
    • He is still with us today and seems to be resting OK.

We just want him to be happy and not in pain.  Without food for 10 days, he has grown weak.  If he going to stick around, he needs to eat.  If he is going to move on, then we are as OK with that as we can be.

So seeing him eat made me cry… again…

Thank you for all of the prayers and positive energy that each of you have sent Bunnyman’s way.  I believe it is making a difference!

Until the next update…

Gina and Nick

 

 

 

Two weeks (as of Thursday) since this hell started again.  We didn’t know if we would see him ever again as we handed him over in the parking lot 13 days ago yet he is still here!!

We really don’t have any huge updates that haven’t been shared. Here is something new.

Rusty tried to open the basement door over the weekend. We have decided that we are letting live out the rest of his life on his terms (just like he has to this point) and opened the door for him.  He made his way down the stairs and to the back room.
 
He has decided to hang in the basement in his Daddy’s comic book room (AKA Man Cave) surrounded by a kitty buffet of food and treats that he is not touching. We are on day 3 of the Mirataz appetite stimulant and he still isn’t eating. He did take a few tiny licks of warmed broth yesterday morning and some water.  He is mostly just sitting in Daddy’s recliner, sleeping, resting etc.

He is still receiving the transdermal lasix too.

We did have a water issue in part of the room when bad storms went through our area on Monday.  Rusty decided he had to be in the middle of everything as we tried to clean up the water.

He has also started to scratch at the foam tiles again.  This may sound like a weird thing to bring up, but he uses this foam tiles as another cat would a cardboard scratching post/pad.  He hasn’t done this since he was home.

He let Mommy give him a belly rub too.

Hope all of your furbabies are doing well.  Until the next update…

Head Scritches and Sandpaper Kisses,

Gina and Nick

So a week has gone by since our world was turned upside down again. The update…

Rusty the Bunnyman is still holding on. We have been back and forth via phone with the vet.  We thought we were going to have to take him in to help him along to rainbow bridge. The vet said increase the frequency of the Lasix. He hasn’t really eaten anything, so the vet had us pick up a transdermal cream for appetite stimulant. They are not ready to give up on him yet.

with that being said, he did tell us to make sure Rusty didn’t start panting and having labored breathing. Not to be too concerned about the belly breathing as long as the breathing rate is down.

They recommend we keep track of the good days versus bad days so they can help us if we need to make a final decision.

I am grateful we’ve had this extra week with him and don’t know how many more we will have. This is exhausting from the human standpoint. We don’t know what to feel what to prep for. We don’t know if this is just the new normal for a while. I know there is no right or wrong answer right now. Every time we talk about putting him down, he does something else that shows he’s not ready to leave.  A simple example… He wasn’t eating or drinking anything for over 24 hours. This was him five minutes ago.

I continue to pray that we can do the best thing for him.

wishing you all a very happy Easter. Hoping you are all staying healthy and your for babies are doing well.

With love,

Gina and Nick