Ester
We were contacted a couple of weeks ago by our beloved friend and rescuer Chili Childress regarding a senior hospice kitty at a local shelter. She knows we are softies for all the broken babies, especially those who have limited time.
This gal in particular was abandoned in the midddle of the night. She was completely matted and in horrible condition, so her hair had to be shaved on her entire back end. Weighing in at only 4lbs at arrival, the shelter diagnosed her with Azotemia, a urogenital condition that results in her having high level of nitrogenous waste products in her blood. Without vet care from her owners the progression caused weight loss, increased thirst, lack of appetite and vomiting as well as progressing to blindness in one eye. This exceptional shelter did all they could and put her on a renal diet in attempt to try and help extend whatever time she had left, however she hated the four walls of a cage and cried often, a end of life they did not want for her. People don’t come looking to adopt cats who have conditions which require palliative care and they never leave…unfortunately that is just the way it is.
We immediately agreed to take her in as we knew she deserved to roam, be loved on and have endless naps and cuddles until that day comes.
She arrived here at FHAH last week and has settled in nicely. We have no idea how long she has left but for now we’ve discovered she loves to play with feathers, begs for attention and has claimed her own personal couch. She has her own incredible spunk to her and love for people, despite all she’s been through. She has an upcoming vet appointment to see if there is any medication in addition to her prescription food to help extend her quality of life and keep her comfortable while she is here. All animals deserve the same end of life care just like people do.
If you would like to have a hand in helping to ensure she has everything to keep her comfortable during this leg of her journey, we are always thankful.
June 4th
Miss Ester went to the vet last week to see if there were any modifications that will help her as she continues to receive palliative care for chronic kidney disease and azotemia. They did a full exam, took her blood pressure and gave her subcutaneous fluids.
They recommended a renal care diet but typically cats aren’t crazy about prescription diets and they advised that if she was uninterested, to keep her on low phosphorus foods as it would be her second best bet. So of course after a couple days of being on a renal diet she just wasn’t having it and decided to turn her nose up to it.
She prefers her feline broths, soups and occasional purées with lower phosphorus content. We have been supplementing her with Hydra Care along with doing subcutaneous fluids ourselves every 2-3 days (as advised by the vet) to keep her hydrated and flushing her kidneys. She loves being cuddled and enjoys the chest of anyone and everyone who visits. Once you receive a “Ester hug” you won’t rise again for hours.
June 17th
Last week she wasn’t eating as well and we could tell she seemed more nauseous than the weeks prior. Normally social, she was hiding more often which was the complete opposite of what we had seen previously. Ester is the type of cat that always wants to be held. Due to the fact that our #1 goal is to keep her comfortable on her palliative care journey, we made a trip to the vet.
Wondering if she had a UTI (not uncommon for chronic kidney disease cats and lack of water intake) she received antibiotics and pain medication in addition to medication for the arthritis we noticed in her back end. The vet recommended we give her subcutaneous fluids under the skin every two days to keep her hydrated and make sure she was drinking enough. Within a few days she was back to begging for attention and snuggling up to shoulders and faces again…this lovable girl sure knows how to melt one’s heart. So glad that she is feeling better again!
July 26th
Ester has been at FHAH for over two months now. She has her good days and she has her not so great days, but shes always in the mood for attention and looks forward to snuggles from her human friends. Her appetite changes daily, always switching to a different food and tiring from it a few days later. Due to the fact that she is on comfort care from her azotemia and kidney disease, Miss Ester can have whatever she likes and she enjoys her gravies. We have now increased her subcutaneous fluids to every other day which has helped with the nausea tremendously. For a couple of weeks after, her appetite had almost doubled. She gained .8 ounces during that time which is a huge stride for her. We give her as much as she wants but we do have to limit her food at times. We found that on days shes feeling really good she will get so excited about what she’s eating that she will overeat, making her nauseous as well and then she won’t have an appetite.
Ester loves everyone and knows no stranger. She enjoys her long naps, head rubs and falling asleep on anyone who comes to visit.
September 6
With saddened hearts we laid beloved Ester to rest after being able to call FHAH her home for a little over 4 months.
Esters life was not an easy one. This elderly lady weighed in at around 3 1/2 lbs when she was first abandoned…it was clear she had suffered for a very long time. Despite her long fur, her hip and spine bones were easily visible (which had to be shaved on arrival because she was covered with feces). Blind in one eye and arthritic-her owners had let her condition go on for far too long without seeking help. Her life could have very well been prolonged her and her disease may have not taken such a toll on her organs by the time she received help.
When she arrived to our doors we knew she was a hospice kitty and that her time was limited. Regardless, we wouldn’t let her live her last days in a cage (which she hated) so we immediately agreed to have this special girl transferred into our care. Chili Childress (an incredible and fierce animal advocate) knew when she contacted us that Ester would be welcomed with open arms. Thank you Chili for looking out for her like you did, as you do with all animals!
While in our care Ester received antibiotics, small feedings 4x a day, fluids to help her kidneys function better and several supplements to keep the nausea at bay. She gained weight and she played. She couldn’t see well so we kept her litter boxes close because she’d sometimes have accidents.
The moment she arrived she walked in like she owned the place. She claimed her very own couch and we could tell that she felt at home. That’s just who she was.
Ester was a volunteer favorite. She oddly was a cat who LOVED her belly rubbed. She jumped down and greeted everyone at the door, followed them to her couch, waiting patiently to climb in their lap. She laid sweetly at their chest and was a constant purrer. She could spend hours there and easily made people feel like they never wanted to leave. She felt love, she knew kindness, quiet and comfort.
The last couple of days of Esters life our very social girl told us she was no longer comfortable. She slept constantly, didn’t rush to the door anymore and her nausea was making it hard for her to keep things down. Her disease had progressed and her kidneys had become large and painful. We knew she was telling us she was ready to let go.
Allowing hospice animals into your heart is not an easy thing. Knowing that one day (sometimes sooner than later) you have to let them go…even harder. It’s literally impossible not to get attached and they will undoubtedly make a way into your heart. Not only that, but senior and sick animals always have a way of returning a wonderful yet undeniable love in return…like they know you are trying to help. Loosing them is hard, but knowing you may of given them the only kindness they have ever felt..always worth it.
Ester was no exception, her love simply radiated towards anyone she ever met.
Thank you always to the incredibly kind Dr. Sirk (among the many others at Old Dominion Animal Hospital Charlottesville) that helped keep her comfortable on the last leg of her journey.
Rest in peace Ester-you will be missed by so many!