Pashta (who was initially named Pasht, but everyone kept adding the ‘a’ to the end, so I made it official) was estimated to have been born around July 2006, and was picked up by Shea and I in late 2008 from Lort Smith – and at the time was so energetic that we didn’t even notice her missing limb when she was in her enclosure.
10+ years and many adventures (and travelling around Australia) later, she has passed on.
During the last few days of March, she slowed down and was off her food; by 1st of April, we called a vet to look at her and blood sample was taken much to her unhappiness. It appeared to just be pancreatitis by the symptoms, though inflammation of the kidneys was checked by the vet who expressed surprise at not being able to find one of them (not unheard of though, as they’re a small target and somewhat mobile in a cat).
Unfortunately, the blood tests came back positive for both pancreatitis (manageable to an extent) and severe renal failure (much more dramatic). She was picked up and taken to a clinic for an ultrasound and treatment; the ultrasound showed that the vet was entirely on target in not finding the kidney as Pashta effectively only had one (this being news to everyone as there’d been no sign of kidney problems ever, including in a recent blood test late last year).
Despite treatment improving her overall demeanor (and she started eating somewhat again), her follow up blood tests showed no sign of kidney function resuming, so the treatment would only have a short term effect before the lack of working kidney caught up with her again. Rather than have her suffer a slow drawn out poisoning of her system that her kidney wasn’t able to clear out, it was decided to have her go out as comfortably as possible.
On Friday April 5th, she was brought home at around 5pm, and was perky, very happy to see her people and not be at the vets and was picking at all the food she normally wasn’t allowed to steal from us. She was spoilt rotten, but soon started wilting again.
Around midday April 6th, she was put to sleep in Amanda and my laps, purring until she died.
Sleep well kitty. You’re missed terribly.