Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) : Discussion and Group Therapy Thread

[25 CPS]

The 141T, pretty much everything got put aside. The last eight or nine days or so have been horrible. My cat Vessa's digestive system problems back in February, right around when we were switching to this forum, which were never really fully understood came back with a nasty vengeance last weekend. Since then, I was divided my time between the vet's office, work and sleeping. They treated him again similarly to what they did in February on Tuesday and asked me to let them know if he showed any improvement overnight into Wednesday morning but there was none, and worse, he'd started hiding so he had to go back in. They kept him overnight because the ultrasound tech was already booked to come in on Thursday for someone else's pet and we added Vessa to the schedule.

On Thursday, the people at the vet's office were finally able to see what was wrong after that ultrasound, and the only options for treatment involved some drastic invasive surgery or heavy sedation and mechanically removing the blockage and hope that a diet of prescription food and medicine might buy a bit more time but success and quality of life, and for how long all far from guaranteed since that would only try to skate around the issue but wouldn't solve it. So, after discussing it with the vet and two friends that have had cats, I decided to put him to sleep. I left work, drove home to the vet's office and spent some time saying goodbye and held him as he went to sleep. I think I made the right decision, I hope I made the right decision.







The last two pictures of Vessa on my lap and presiding over the back yard from the porch steps were taken in mid-June during his last few weeks of good health. The house is so quiet now. It's hard to describe but it's hard being home with it being so alone now and I've been spending as much time out with friends to take my mind off it as I can. Thankfully I have the football season on right now for a few more weeks so that's keeping me occupied outside of work. Once that winds down, I'm probably going to ease back into things at home and maybe pick up the 141T again in a couple of weeks. I just need to take things at my own pace for now after all this.

[Cubdriver]

That is completely heartbreaking - I am so sorry to hear. He was a very handsome guy, and I'm sorry for your loss - my deepest condolences. They always leave us far too soon. That decision is one of the hardest ones you'll ever have to make, but know that it's for the best - it ends his suffering, and you were with him through to the last. He was obviously well loved, and I know you gave him a wonderful life. As much as it now hurts, eventually the hurt will fade but he'll always live on in your memories. I hate making these posts, because it always gets hard to read the screen before I'm done typing.

He'll be waiting in good company on the far side of the bridge, I know mine that have gone before will welcome him.

Hang in there, and again I'm so sorry to hear.

-Pat

[BU508A]

So sorry to hear about your loss - it feels like losing a good friend.
Keep the good memories then he will be with you for the rest of your life.

Take care!

Mounty
(missing my Max since Oct. 2021)

[Specmaster]

@25 CPS, So sorry about your loss, its never easy I know, 13 years ago I had to same thing, twice within months of each other when my 2 much loved cats who were 18 years old and reached the stage where it would be cruel to let them suffer any more. Hopefully you have plenty of photos around of Vessa so you can reflect all the years you had together. Incidentally how old was he, he looks a decent age in the photos?

Time will heal the great sadness you feel right now and when the time is right, get yourself another cat to love, I eventually got 2 more, sisters and strangely but as time went on it began to feel as the other 2 brothers lived on in the new cats because their personalities and even their sizes are so similar to their predecessors, 1 is big and chunky, affectionate and almost dog like in her desire to be with you all the time, while the other is much smaller, more timid and likes her own company more and hates having too much attention.

Take care, you did the right thing.

[tggzzz]

So, after discussing it with the vet and two friends that have had cats, I decided to put him to sleep. I left work, drove home to the vet's office and spent some time saying goodbye and held him as he went to sleep. I think I made the right decision, I hope I made the right decision.

Such things are always tough. I remember facing that decision with my childhood dog.

I wish I could ensure someone treats me with such consideration when my time comes.

[nixiefreqq]

the only options for treatment involved some drastic invasive surgery or heavy sedation and mechanically removing the blockage and hope that a diet of prescription food and medicine might buy a bit more time but success and quality of life, and for how long all far from guaranteed since that would only try to skate around the issue but wouldn't solve it. So, after discussing it with the vet and two friends that have had cats, I decided to put him to sleep. I left work, drove home to the vet's office and spent some time saying goodbye and held him as he went to sleep. I think I made the right decision, I hope I made the right decision.

have been in the same situation many times with pets. our experience says you did the right thing.

[MED6753]

25 CPS, I echo the same sentiments that others have expressed and you have my sincere condolences. Losing a long time pet and companion is never easy. Especially when the hard decision has to be made to put them down to end their suffering.

Perhaps some day you can help the healing process with something like this. Meet Harley. 6 week old short hair grey tiger. Harley is somewhat camera shy right now and is all tuckered out from eating a ton of cat food. I promise to have a better picture later. I could not have pets at my old place and I was looking forward to finally getting a lab cat.

[mnementh]

@25CPS -

Sorry for being late to this vigil... We've been working very hard for over a week to get a winter's worth of "put it off til later" cleaning and general housework done before friends came to dinner today.

Your furry family member reminds me very much of one of ours... she too lived to a good ol' age and got to a point where a recurring UTI became a secondary problem to failing kidneys and we had to do the same. She'd been with us from my grandmother, who'd passed a few years earlier... so it was hard to let her go. But it was the right thing to do.

Remember the good times; celebrate the life you had together. Let that lift you up in this time of loss.

mnem

[MED6753]

And here is Harley. Getting a decent pix of him is damn near impossible as he won't hold still. A bundle of energy. And yep....he has blue eyes. Figures, right?

[tautech]

Wob says hello Harley and hope Mike feeds you well enough to grow into them whiskers.

[Cubdriver]

Mike, that young they almost always have bluish-grey eyes - their final color often develops at around the two month mark. He looks like he's going to be a handful!

-Pat

[Cerebus]

And here is Harley. Getting a decent pix of him is damn near impossible as he won't hold still. A bundle of energy. And yep....he has blue eyes. Figures, right?

A heads up. His eyes will probably change colour as he grows, kittens often start off blue and gradually change to their adult colour. If he definitely has blue eyes check that he's not deaf - the 'blue eye' gene in cats is partially linked to deafness but it's not a one-to-one thing. If a cat is white and blue eyed there's a high probability that they are deaf, but not so much for other coat colours.

Checking is easy, just sneak up behind, make a noise, and see if you get a reaction. If you can't sneak up you've almost certainly got a hearing cat.

I mention it purely because it can take some people a long time to realise that they have got a deaf cat. Sensing air movement with their whiskers, vibration in the ground and so on provide them with lots of cues to compensate for missing sound. You've got a little hunting and killing machine there (as your toes and fingers have probably discovered) and he's got a whole set of senses tuned to achieve that.

[Specmaster]

If a cat is white and blue eyed there's a high probability that they are deaf, but not so much for other coat colours.

I also heard that, but having said that I also can confirm that I used to have a pure white cat with brilliant blue eyes but he was most certainly not deaf. His brother which I also had and was again pure white, had a blue eye and the other was green, and he also was not deaf and both of them lived a long and happy life, passing when they where 18.

[mnementh]

*sighs and remembers...* a long-passed tortoise-colored shorthair kitty we once had named Harley Bitch.

It was shared history between me & my mum... one of those "local characters" in my little podunk town. If you'd ever met her, you know why we named this cat after her...

*mnemories*

[mnementh]

Hope all y'alls had a fun 4th! Ours was smokin' good fun & food!

Here are our friends who came to visit; the dwagon is making necessary fire as a dwagon is oft wont to do.

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mnem
yes, you may touch it.

[MED6753]

I can say without a doubt that Harley is not deaf. He reacts appropriately to sounds. I have limited experience with kittens this young. I've usually dealt with kittens much older and adults. I did not realize that blue eyes were subject to change. My experience here is many years ago with Siamese cats which as you know have blue eyes.

He is one active little bugger. Likes people and has a loud motorboat (purr). Within a day he adapted to his new surroundings and knows where the food bowl and litter box is....and uses it. In typical cat fashion he selected his sleeping area. Underneath and behind the Type 535A scope cart in the corner of the lab. I'm sure it's because he feels secure in that area. But if you call him he comes out and greets you.

[MED6753]

Hope all y'alls had a fun 4th! Ours was smokin' good fun & food!



mnem
yes, you may touch it.

It sounded like WW3 here up until midnight. So many assorted fireworks that a smoke haze hung over the place for at least an hour afterwards.

[Zenith]

If a cat is white and blue eyed there's a high probability that they are deaf, but not so much for other coat colours.

I also heard that, but having said that I also can confirm that I used to have a pure white cat with brilliant blue eyes but he was most certainly not deaf. His brother which I also had and was again pure white, had a blue eye and the other was green, and he also was not deaf and both of them lived a long and happy life, passing when they where 18.

I know someone who had a white cat with one blue eye and one green eye, which was deaf. He looked into it and there is a high probability that such a cat is deaf. You could walk up to it from behind and it would be completely surprised.

It was sad because it was knocked down outside the house. I'm sure it didn't know when cars were coming.

[Specmaster]

If a cat is white and blue eyed there's a high probability that they are deaf, but not so much for other coat colours.

I also heard that, but having said that I also can confirm that I used to have a pure white cat with brilliant blue eyes but he was most certainly not deaf. His brother which I also had and was again pure white, had a blue eye and the other was green, and he also was not deaf and both of them lived a long and happy life, passing when they where 18.

I know someone who had a white cat with one blue eye and one green eye, which was deaf. He looked into it and there is a high probability that such a cat is deaf. You could walk up to it from behind and it would be completely surprised.

It was sad because it was knocked down outside the house. I'm sure it didn't know when cars were coming.

Not disputing that, it is well known that white cats with both blues, or 1 blue and 1 green have a far higher chance of being deaf, a simple Google search will present the evidence for that. However, both of my cats were not deaf I pleased to say, but it was a major concern when I first got them.

[bd139]

On the subject of cats, bd140's has adopted me. Turns up at 3AM when I'm asleep for attention

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[mnementh]

"Human!!! I require attention! Attend to me NOW please!!!"

mnem
"I swear... humans nowadays... you just get one trained and it brings home another stray, and of course that one isn't trained either..."

[mnementh]

Hope all y'alls had a fun 4th! Ours was smokin' good fun & food!



mnem
yes, you may touch it.

It sounded like WW3 here up until midnight. So many assorted fireworks that a smoke haze hung over the place for at least an hour afterwards.

So... your cat heard them, right...?

mnem

[MED6753]

On the subject of cats, bd140's has adopted me. Turns up at 3AM when I'm asleep for attention

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I thought you hated cats?

[Cubdriver]

On the subject of cats, bd140's has adopted me. Turns up at 3AM when I'm asleep for attention

IMG_5267.JPG

I thought you hated cats?

Cats are insidious like that - build up gradually and before you realize, you’re done - the seeds have germinated and taken root.

-Pat

[BU508A]

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