Pearl's Legacy

This is the Mama.  I have some sad news to share.  Pearl went to the Rainbow Bridge this afternoon.  Pearl started getting a cold a week or so ago.  Since she isn’t very social and runs from me, I knew it would be hard to medicate her.  I procrastinated taking her to the vet.  On Monday, while I was eating lunch, Pearl jumped up on my chair.  I could tell she felt awful.  I called the vet that day.  At the vet, we discovered she had lost 4 pounds since she had been there last May.  I knew she was thinner but given that she doesn’t let me hold her, I had no idea how much thinner.  We decided to do blood work and x-rays.  She was also very dehydrated, so they gave her subcutaneous fluids.  The x-rays showed a weird pattern.  They couldn’t see her liver or kidneys.  They suspected she had a mass but thought it could have been an anomaly due to her dehydration.  We waited for the blood work to come back.  It showed that her white blood cell count was very high.  The doctor recommended that I take her to Blue Pearl Emergency Vet for an ultrasound as soon as I could get her in.   

Emergency Vet visits in the time of Covid-19 is a new experience. First, I had to have my vet call and speak with a vet there to get her transferred.  Once we arrived at the hospital, I had to call to check in Pearl where they gave me a kennel number. They wouldn’t let me in the hospital with her.   I had to put Pearl in a kennel and then wait in my car.  A technician called me to get details.  After a very long wait in my car, the vet called me with the results.  He said Pearl had a large mass.  It was inoperable.  We could do a biopsy, but it was more than likely cancer.  We could also do extreme measures like radiation or chemotherapy, but it didn’t sound as if the odds were in her favor.  I decide to take Pearl home.  I then had to wait for the office staff to call me to check-out.  Then I had to wait some more for the technician to call me with discharge instructions and to tell me what kennel Pearl was going to be placed in.

I took Pearl home and spoiled her as much as could.  I made sure the heat was on in her heated bed, I gave her kitten food, and lots of treats.  I pet her as much as she would let me.  She also spent part of the morning in her favorite bed by the window with the sun beating in.

This afternoon I took her our regular vet where he humanely euthanized her.  I was worried I wouldn’t be allowed in with her, but I was by her side when she passed. 

I adopted Pearl in October 2008 from Purrfect Pets.  She was 9 weeks old.  What I didn’t realize was that she was woefully under socialized.  I didn’t know what to do and I feel like I made many mistakes raising her.  Pearl became bonded with Gus and would only run from me.  Vowing I wouldn’t let that happen again, I read everything I could about cat socialization.  It was years later that I realized I could take that information and help shelter cats.  I began volunteering at Great Plains SPCA.  Pearl was my inspiration to begin fostering.   Since then I’ve fostered over 100 cats and kittens.  My heart is breaking at losing Pearl but I know her legacy is going to live on in each and every one of my fosters.  I started fostering because of Pearl and I will continue to do so in her memory. 

Pearl was preceded in death by her human Grandpa, her adoptive sister, Daisy and her adoptive brother Freddie. 

Pearl leaves behind her human mom who loved her unconditionally and her grieving brothers Gus and Jaq.  She is also survived by her human grandma with whom she had an amazing connection. 

Memorials, while are not necessary, can be given to Purrfect Pets or Great Plains SPCA.