He was the only kitten that survived in his litter. My sister found this tiny sickly, very young, eye encrusted kitten in my dads garage. Crying out to anyone still so young, blind. I said I would take him. And I did.
It was my first time being a mom in a sense. First I took him to the vet and got him a good check up. He had a chest congestion, itchy skin, crusted up eye infection and weak. The vet said he might not make it. But he was my baby. I would do what I could to help him out. I loved him. I had a plastic tote with soft warm plushies and towels set up beside my bed at night. He cried every 2 hours for a feeding so I got up and bottle fed him he had a good strong appetite. Then had to warmly stimulate his belly and lower half so he could do his business. Then tapped his chest a bit to help him with breathing after a feeding.
I did this for a while. Eventually he started to eat wet and improve alot. Overtime he out grew most of his problems from birth except the bronchitis. He was running around like crazy, hyper kitten. I named him Vladimir because I wanted a good Serbian name. And also due to the fact of how he acted. He had an alpha male attitude, very social and a pervert at times. He loved to fight, bite and climb and hang upside down on the top bunk mattress above me.
A year later we got Gizmo. Hes still with me. They were complete opposites. Gizmo the more shy and calm one. Around the age of 2 Vladimir started to develop crystals in his urine. Yes he was fixed had yearly checkups and his shots. Over the years he started to have kidney and heart issues as well. He lived a full life for a cat with special needs. Loved to cuddle on daddy's lap and watch him play video games. Go for walks with him on a harness. He was harness trained as a kitten.
Specially after he was shot by the crazy neighbour with a hard bullet pellet gun. Which was lodged near is lungs, his body calcified around it to protect him. We had no idea he was shot until Xrays 8 years later. To remove it would kill him too risky. He survived through alot.
One day in the middle of May 2013 I noticed he started to smell strongly of urine. And was having trouble peeing and when he did it was all over the bathroom tiled floor. So rushed him in to the cat hospital. We thought it was crystals again. But it was worse his kidneys had large stones in him. Which began the process of them starting to shut down. Visited him everyday for about a week. It hurt me so much. He wanted to go home. He acted in good spirits the whole time. There was no reversing it and no cure. He was on so much pain meds.
The decision was made. Having my all my past experiences I knew he might come back and that he might become something more. I couldn't handle seeing him in so much pain and not being able to go home.
I was in a room where you can do your last goodbyes it was a nice comfortable room with a couch. Vladimir was let in he was soooo happy to see everyone. He was walking around wanting food as always and petting's and cuddles. They gave him pain meds before hand. He got all of that. Including a whole bag of dried fish cat treats and a banana. He loved banana nibbles. After abit the pain meds began to ware off. And while being held in the arms he loved the most he passed.
....But that's not the end of the story.....
It was my first time being a mom in a sense. First I took him to the vet and got him a good check up. He had a chest congestion, itchy skin, crusted up eye infection and weak. The vet said he might not make it. But he was my baby. I would do what I could to help him out. I loved him. I had a plastic tote with soft warm plushies and towels set up beside my bed at night. He cried every 2 hours for a feeding so I got up and bottle fed him he had a good strong appetite. Then had to warmly stimulate his belly and lower half so he could do his business. Then tapped his chest a bit to help him with breathing after a feeding.
I did this for a while. Eventually he started to eat wet and improve alot. Overtime he out grew most of his problems from birth except the bronchitis. He was running around like crazy, hyper kitten. I named him Vladimir because I wanted a good Serbian name. And also due to the fact of how he acted. He had an alpha male attitude, very social and a pervert at times. He loved to fight, bite and climb and hang upside down on the top bunk mattress above me.
A year later we got Gizmo. Hes still with me. They were complete opposites. Gizmo the more shy and calm one. Around the age of 2 Vladimir started to develop crystals in his urine. Yes he was fixed had yearly checkups and his shots. Over the years he started to have kidney and heart issues as well. He lived a full life for a cat with special needs. Loved to cuddle on daddy's lap and watch him play video games. Go for walks with him on a harness. He was harness trained as a kitten.
Specially after he was shot by the crazy neighbour with a hard bullet pellet gun. Which was lodged near is lungs, his body calcified around it to protect him. We had no idea he was shot until Xrays 8 years later. To remove it would kill him too risky. He survived through alot.
One day in the middle of May 2013 I noticed he started to smell strongly of urine. And was having trouble peeing and when he did it was all over the bathroom tiled floor. So rushed him in to the cat hospital. We thought it was crystals again. But it was worse his kidneys had large stones in him. Which began the process of them starting to shut down. Visited him everyday for about a week. It hurt me so much. He wanted to go home. He acted in good spirits the whole time. There was no reversing it and no cure. He was on so much pain meds.
The decision was made. Having my all my past experiences I knew he might come back and that he might become something more. I couldn't handle seeing him in so much pain and not being able to go home.
I was in a room where you can do your last goodbyes it was a nice comfortable room with a couch. Vladimir was let in he was soooo happy to see everyone. He was walking around wanting food as always and petting's and cuddles. They gave him pain meds before hand. He got all of that. Including a whole bag of dried fish cat treats and a banana. He loved banana nibbles. After abit the pain meds began to ware off. And while being held in the arms he loved the most he passed.
....But that's not the end of the story.....
So how did it move from facing forward to onto the floor then facing my shamanism alter (no its not satanic stuff its a shelf where I keep my sacred items and totems) where his urn is.
Then showing up in an photo I took on one of my bad days. Article can be found HERE
Update: October 28th 2018
Vladimir made himself known again. This time moving the catnip pillow I made him around the room. It never scares me. I just smile.
Update: December 21st 2018
Gizmo was paying attention to something so I snapped a pic.
Update: May 2019
I had covered my couch with a black wool throw blanket and then went off to bed. I woke up the next morning and moved the blanket out of the way so that I could sit. I noticed this. Its 2 cat paw prints side by side. This is not the first time Vladimir has left paw prints. We moved recently, however his urn is upstairs in my studio.
