Casper, The Friendly Cat

Casper, The Friendly Cat
By Donna Lowich

“Casper’s in very good health,” the vet smiled as he finished our cat’s annual checkup. We were happy to hear it because we were concerned that our lovable and friendly cat had gained some weight in the two years since we had adopted him from the local shelter. We never thought of our blonde, longhaired cat as “heavy” or even “chubby”. We always considered him to be “big boned”.

But the vet, new to us this year, didn’t seem concerned that Cazzie tipped the scales at twenty-three pounds. We were especially pleased when he called two days later and told us his blood work had all come back as normal.

That was four weeks ago. Today, Casper is in a large veterinary hospital in the ICU. He has lost about ten pounds and has a feeding tube.

It all happened quickly, too quickly. He sneaked into the garage and squeezed behind the lawnmower. In doing so, he cut deep into his skin. There was no blood, and we didn’t see it before it became infected. We noticed he was not eating with his usual gusto. Now he is recovering from pancreatitis and his liver stopped working because he wasn’t eating.

Two days ago, he underwent the procedure to implant a feeding tube. If he tolerates it, the pureed food syringed into the feeding tube will spur his liver to function again.

Through it all, Cazzie has remained the same gentle, kind soul who loved nothing more than to clamber on to my husband, Walter’s lap. He’d place his paws around Walter’s neck, stare into his eyes and purr. Even when he was sick, too sick to eat, he remained true to his favorite routine.

He never growled or showed anything but love for us and held on to his sunny disposition. He has battled and managed to overcome each hurdle as it presented itself: coming through the surgery for the feeding tube with flying colors, eating a small amount of dry cat food on his own. He stunned the doctors by purring when he was extremely ill.

Walter and I visited Cazzie within hours of the feeding tube procedure. He was still a bit groggy but he twitched his ears in recognition when he heard our voices calling his name. He bravely kept trying to keep his eyes open while we soothed him and stroked his beautiful fur and too-thin body.

As I watched him, I thought back to all the times he made us laugh as he became the centerpiece of our family and home. Casper loves to sleep on Walter’s recliner. He‘ll fall asleep on his back. Since he’s near the sliding glass door, the sun can get to be too bright. If that happens, he’ll throw a paw over his eyes.

When someone comes to visit, the other cats scatter, but not our Cazzie. Curiosity gets the best of him and he runs to the door, ready to greet whoever is on the other side.

His favorite toy is an extra-long shoelace. He loves to chase it across the floor. He’ll crouch down and get so excited that his entire body wiggles in anticipation!

Casper still has some medical issues to face. But he brings his stoic manner and gentle spirit to this battle. He is teaching us by example not only how to enjoy each and every day but also how to face life’s challenges when they arise.