Mom’s sweet and beautifu
l marmalade cat, Ozzie, died yesterday. We don’t know why. He’s a young cat, and was (we thought) perfectly healthy. He seemed fine, just a little delicate in his stomach, as cats get sometimes.
Then, suddenly, he was gone.
The vet will call us with results when (if) he gets any. right now, although we’re cognizant of the fact that worse things happen every day all over the world, we’re shocked and sad.
He wasn’t even really supposed to live here. Mom had a kitten, Sweetie Pie, who was rather too rambunctious. When she clawed her way up Mom’s pants leg and bit her in the butt, I said, “That kitten needs another kitten to play with.”
Mom’s friend Glenda had been feeding this stray boy she called Ollie, short for Oliver, because he always wanted some more, I guess. She was going away on a vacation, and asked if Mom would take Oliver. Mom thought she could keep him while Glenda was away and see if Sweetie Pie liked the idea of another cat in the house; if she liked it, Mom would get another kitten.
When Glenda got back, it turned out she thought she was offering for Mom to HAVE Ollie for KEEPS. By then, Sweetie Pie and Mom were attached to him, so it all worked out. Mom kept calling him Ozzie, though, instead of Ollie, and that stuck, too.
Here are some pictures of him.
I got that blanket out because I was spending the night at Mom’s. Ozzie went cuckoo over it! I don’t know what it was about that blanket, but he turned into a kitten again.
NO PROMPT TODAY.
MA
Marion Driessen
February 19, 2014 at 12:11pmThat is sad, especially since Ozzie was so young. I’ve never heard of heart worms before, Marian, that does sound very serious. Good you’ll have the other furry sweethearts checked.
Marian Allen
February 19, 2014 at 4:18pmThey’re carried by mosquitoes, Marion, spread from cat to cat or dog to dog only by mosquitoes, not directly. Strange, nasty little beast.
Maryann
February 11, 2014 at 9:40pmIt is so sad to lose a furry friend, especially when we don’t know why. Did we miss something that could have made a difference? I asked myself that when we lost a young cat for no apparent reason.
Marian Allen
February 12, 2014 at 10:43amMom had a necropsy performed, and we found out Ozzie had heartworms. It’s relatively rare in cats, or at least very difficult to diagnose. If she’d known it was a possibility, she would have given him the preventative, as she did her late lamented (died very old) dog. We’re getting some for the other cat today.
Maryann Miller
February 12, 2014 at 10:55amThis is the second time I’ve heard of heartworms in a cat. I did not know that could happen, especially with an inside cat.
I’m also intrigued by the term “necropsy”. When I was a vet-tech, I did lots of autopsies, and I don’t ever recall the doctor calling it a necropsy. Interesting.
Marian Allen
February 12, 2014 at 6:48pmThe website I looked at said that cats seem to be more resistant to heartworms than dogs are, although that might be a false perception. If your cat goes missing, you suspect cars or dogs or, around here, coyotes, but it could be heartworms and you’d never know.
As for “necropsy,” I looked on the forums at Officer.com and found this: “Necropsy is actually the exact same thing as an autopsy. However, the prefix “auto” means self, therefore, when performed on “one of our own” (i.e. human) it is called an autopsy. But when performed on a non-human, the term necropsy is used. Same thing, different application.” So now we know!
Maryann Miller
February 12, 2014 at 11:09pmI looked up necropsy, too, but the site I found said it was used interchangeably with autopsy. It is great when we learn new stuff. 🙂 I like the difference pointed out on the site you went to. Makes sense not to have the words mean the same thing. Then why would we need two words, right?
Marian Allen
February 13, 2014 at 6:59amYeah, according to the site I looked at, a cat would do an autopsy on a cat, but a necropsy on a human.
Jo
February 11, 2014 at 9:03pmThat’s so sad. Sorry Marian – awful for Ozzie to leave too soon. Bless the little guy.
Marian Allen
February 12, 2014 at 10:41amThank you, dear Jo. I think Mom was literally in shock, it was so sudden and awful. Ozzie was her lap buddy. I’m secretly training Sweetie Pie to relax in a lap, although SP is so heavy she’ll probably cut off the circulation in Mom’s legs.
Jo
February 12, 2014 at 10:47amIt SO hurts when our little loves move on – really brings tears to my eyes your Mom losing her Ozzie. And it’s all very well to suggest a new little baby kitty, but it’s probably to fresh now. Loves to both of you, and my adopted Katya too of course. African Mommy sending hugs Katya – and sorries too! XXX
Marian Allen
February 12, 2014 at 10:52amThank you, Jo. Katya appreciates it. She didn’t like it when Ozzie came down here and sat on her porch, but she liked looking at pictures of him. Mom probably won’t want another cat; she didn’t want another cat when she accidentally got Ozzie; I was the one who thought Sweetie Pie needed somebody to roughhouse with. But Ozzie never grew out of roughhousing and Sweetie Pie did. After they grew up, SP would hiss and growl and run away when he wanted to play. He had LOADS of personality, and was a great sit-on-your-lap-and-nap kitty.
Mary Montague Sikes
February 11, 2014 at 3:50pmSo sorry about Ozzie. Know how important cats are to people and how sad they are when they cross that Rainbow Bridge. Hugs to you and your mom.
Mary Montague Sikes
Marian Allen
February 11, 2014 at 4:06pmThank you, Monti. Ozzie will be sorely missed. He was a lap-cat. Mom’s other cat is a floor-cat. Not as snuggly.
Terry Cramer
February 11, 2014 at 1:26pmWe are so sad for you. What a wonderful soul Ozzie was/is. You know, there’s a Jewish saying, maybe a Hillel quotation, and it is “Save a life and you save the world.” I think it really means that in that life is a world, and mystically, maybe The world. Conversely, when a beloved being dies, it feels like we’ve lost a universe, a world, the world.
It doesn’t matter what species that is. We mourn for you, and will say kaddish for Ozzie when we go to synagogue. Rather, when Mom goes to synagogue.
Livvie, from MatildasJourney.com
Marian Allen
February 11, 2014 at 2:03pmThank you so much, Livvie, dear! You and Kessie and your Mom are a great comfort. <3
Miss Elvira
February 11, 2014 at 12:14pmTouching tribute, cool photos, and fun video!
Purrs and purrayers from Sneakers and I.
Marian Allen
February 11, 2014 at 2:02pmThank you, Elvira and Sneakers. I know Elvira and Kiril know the pain of losing a dear fursoul. It hurts deeply, and we can only console ourselves by remembering that he was happy when he was with us.
Jane
February 11, 2014 at 9:13amThe Great and Powerful OZ is taking a break from us persons of non-cathood. Thanks for the video. I am shedding tears for your baby.
Marian Allen
February 11, 2014 at 9:47amThe vet’s on the phone right now. It was feline heartworms. The vet said he didn’t know it was in this area for cats, though he’d treated dogs for it. So now Sweetie Pie needs to be treated. Like NOW.
Etta Jean
February 11, 2014 at 8:27amAnyone who thinks pets are ‘just animals’ has obviously never owned one. They’re furry family members, and I’m so sorry for you and your mother’s loss. 🙁 May thoughts of the Rainbow Bridge comfort you both.
Marian Allen
February 11, 2014 at 8:34amTHANK YOU! And I’ve thought of the Rainbow Bridge, but I don’t think it works that way for cats. When a cat hears his special person, all the other cats turn and stare at him. He sits down, stares in the opposite direction from the bridge, yawns, and cleans his butt. I wouldn’t have it any other way. <3 cats
Jim Hilton
February 11, 2014 at 8:07amOzzie, we hardly knew ye. Enjoy your remaining lives, wherever you spend them.