2017-2018 Angel Cats
Kevin, 11 came to us in 2017 with his “brothers” and “sisters” Happe, Scooby, Missy, and Indy. We lost Kevin very quickly. We discovered a wound on his back paw and amputated one of his toes. A biopsy revealed a tumor which most likely had metastasized from elsewhere. He had lost weight, but we felt it was due to the surgery and was on his way to recovery. Exactly one week after the surgery, he was stumbling about and manifesting other troubling neurological symptoms. A visit to a neurologist resulted in a dire prognosis—he’d had either a brain tumor or pulmonary embolism resulting in stroke. For a few days he was eating and alert but Saturday morning, October 20, he went limp. Though he was breathing, he was not responsive. Dr. Hamil came immediately and determined he would not recover so we let him go. He is now with siblings Scooby, who predeceased him shortly after his admission in 2017, and most recently Missy.
Sweet Pea,17 was a handsome black and white tuxedo who came to Blue Bell in October, 2007 with his “sisters” Josette and Princess who have since left us. Sweet Pea was the youngest but acted the oldest and was very shy, preferring to stay in his cubby during the day and come out at night. In the past few years, he blossomed and enjoyed being out in the community and going out onto the patios. He loved head butts and his favorite thing to do was to push his head into the wall or bench, letting you know he wanted head pets. His hyperthyroidism was very difficult to regulate and we were constantly adjusting his medication. He also had IBD but that was regulated. He had been losing weight but eating fairly well and developed a cold one weekend and had to be hospitalized. The vet found a large mass in his abdomen and it started to bleed so euthanasia was the only option. He left us on October 9.
Sweet Pea, 14 came with her “sister” CoCo in October, 2014 . And sweet she was. A tiny little cat with a kittenish face, she loved to roll on her back and pet her own face with her paws in order to get your attention to pet her. She was diagnosed earlier this year with intestinal lymphoma and despite losing weight, she continued to eat well and chase us around to beg for and eat handfuls of chicken. She could never get enough. On the morning of September 6, Santiago found her. She had made the decision to leave us and passed on her own with a full belly of food, treats and chicken.
Tiffany, 19 came to us in 2014. She had been at the Irvine Shelter for almost a year and as a 14 year old, she was deemed un-adoptable. They reached out to us to see if we could save her life. She was beautiful—a brown tabby with unique amber doe eyes. A shy sweet girl, she lived her first years in the A/W house but moved this past year to the main cottage where she ventured on the patio. Tiffany had been diagnosed with a large fluid filled cyst/tumor. As the tumor progressed, more and more fluid accumulated in her abdomen and it was not reasonable to have her continue in that condition so she was compassionately euthanized on Wednesday September 27.
Pagoda, 15+ came to us as a rescue from an LA shelter in 2017. She had only one functioning kidney. Pagoda presented all of her care givers with her special "challenging personality” . She meowed for attention and allowed us to sit and play with her, but she could suddenly become a little too love-bitey. She would not tolerate any “hands-on” attempts at receiving medication. As her kidney function continued to decline, her appetite decreased and she continued to refuse all medication. In her final 10 days, she was still a spitfire, but was finally open to receiving love— allowing us to pet and brush her, sitting in our laps, and eating treats. In her last week she began having seizures. Based on the decline in her quality of life and her inability to accept oral or injectable medications, we made the difficult decision to put her to sleep Monday afternoon September 24.
Coming soon
Momma Kitty, 20 came to us on February 29, 2016— our little “leap kitty”. Momma is originally from France and came to us when her owner died. Momma was always at her former owner’s side. Momma was an introvert who preferred to stay in her suite--most likely she missed her former owner as she was a lap cat. She also didn't like to be handled. She was diagnosed with severe kidney failure a few months before she died. Caregivers Rima and Joyce were able to start giving her fluids and medications, which made her more comfortable. She didn't bond with everyone, but those she did she loved very much. Volunteer Ken would sit on the floor, brushing and petting her. She liked to cruise around the kitchen area with Joyce and surprisingly she started enjoy being on the community patio--out of her suite. The morning she died she began having trouble breathing and x-rays showed chest fluid, likely due to a heart condition. Her prognosis was poor so putting her to sleep was the kindest thing for her. She died Saturday, June 23.
Little Girl, 19 , came in July, 2014 with her sister Tri-Tip when their owner was placed in assisted living. The 2 tortie girls were affectionate, but Little Girl was extremely shy. With the help of staff and volunteers, Little Girl finally came out of her shell and thrived. She was admitted with high blood pressure and kidney disease but thrived. Around November she became anorexic and losing weight, but then bounced back. On December 23 she was diagnosed with probable lymphoma. We didn’t expect her to make it a few more days, let alone 2 more months. Again, she bounced back. Not knowing how long, everyone showered extra attention on her. Right until her last day she was snacking and enjoying the sunshine. But early the next morning of February 17, her body could not keep up with her spirit and she passed away on her own. Thanks to Caregiver Joyce who provided the details for these memorials.
We lost our sweet, big boy Harry, 17 1/2 on Monday afternoon, January 29th. He came to us with his slender sister Sally, in December, 2014. He had been in relatively good health until about a week prior. Lab work showed possible pancreatitis and he was hospitalized. He began having trouble breathing and x-rays showed he had fluid in his chest. We took him to urgent care where stayed so he could be monitored 24/7. An ultrasound showed that he had severe hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a condition where the right side of the heart thickens and can’t pump well, so fluid starts to build up in the chest. The medications were not making an improvement and he was not able to breathe well unless he was on oxygen. So the difficult decision was made to put him to sleep. We took his snuggle buddy, Angelo to say good bye and they head butted and snuggled and Harry was purring up a storm.
Coming soon
Tiger Lilly, est. age 12, came to us in 2012 from a shelter. She was a dilute gray and tan tabby, with a sweet round face. Though bashful with a soft meow, she would welcome company as she sat in her favorite round bowl in the window of the main cottage. Tiger Lilly had hyperthyroidism and was also treated for failing kidneys. She fell ill a week before she died and was in the hospital for 4 days. She passed on Saturday, September 2. Her little heart gave out despite our veterinarians’ best efforts
Nero, 17, was a 2 yr. old stray when a volunteer placed him in 2002. He was adopted in 2004 but his owner died so he came back to us briefly. In 2005 he went to a senior care facility as a pet therapy cat—ideal for his sweet disposition. Somehow he escaped and was once again homeless. A kind woman started feeding him and when she took him to her veterinarian, they traced him to us from his original microchip. The woman agreed to continue to care for him indoors, but sadly in 2015, she also passed away. So Nero came back to us for good. He loved soft toys, being brushed, and the fresh air on the patio. He was a gentle kitty—very patient with his caregivers when they had to give him his daily medications for several ongoing age-related health issues. Nero was a fighter, most likely due to his survival instincts of being a stray - twice! His health started declining and despite trying several medications, he continued to lose weight and on Tuesday afternoon, August 22, he let us know it was time. Caregiver Joyce took him to our vet and waited with him outside on a soft, thick blanket in the grass. She took his last picture (above, right). It was a beautiful, warm afternoon and he enjoyed sniffing the flowers, smelling the fresh breeze, and feeling the sun’s rays. Caregiver Rima made him a beautiful memorial where he loved to lounge in his bed atop his favorite cat tree.
Peek-A-Boo, 16, is a beautiful classic orange tiger. She arrived in February all the way from Arizona when her owner died of cancer. Peek-A-Boo was at home from the start. This affectionate lady loved lap sitting and being petted. Her gorgeous coloring brought a splash of color to the lower house. She will be missed.
Kelli, 14 came to us in 2014 and was fine for those 3 years. She was a very pretty and demure girl who loved being outside on the patio. Just 2 weeks before she passed she lost her appetite and began losing weight. An ultrasound found a huge mass in her abdomen—intestinal lymphoma. She did not respond well to new medications. We kept her comfortable, but it wasn't long before she began to fade. A few days before passing, Kelli had a vacant stare. Staffer Santiago came in the morning of June 14 and could see she was dying. She was humanely euthanized to end her suffering. She joins her "sister" Nikki with whom she was placed, and who passed in 2016.
Pinky, 20, A classic tabby, with a pink nose and paw pads, came in 2014. She was a neighborhood cat whose main caretaker could no longer continue feeding her so other kind neighbors Bob & Pat placed her and visited regularly. She was hyperthyroid and severely arthritic. We had steps for her so she could get up into an enclosed window patio and sleep in her bed in the sun. At night, she slept either in a bed on the ground or on a bench. She loved fish and beef flavored foods, and would always be one of the first begging for food at mealtime. She also loved being brushed and combed around her neck and head. She had been stable on meds but had started to lose weight, despite eating well. An examination found a large intestinal tumor. She maintained a few weeks but declined very rapidly, becoming wobbly. Caretaker Rima was with her when she passed peacefully at Canyon in May, 2017.