Streaker's Blog

I am sorry to hear that Streaker

awww - Streak, soooo sorry to hear this news!
Condolences to you and your galpal!! :>(
Kitties don't get colds - it's a virus that is similar to Distemper - sometimes, younger cats can fight it fairly easily, but it is hard on older guys, like yours.
Someone had to come in contact with it and transmitted it - do you have other cats? Did your cat go outside - sit in the window and encounter a stray? Some are carriers, some are immune if they were born of a female that fought it and came through it...
If you have another cat, keep your eyes open for signs - if any of the signs start up, get to a vet asap - vaccines are sooo important but even at that, there is a wild strain that even vaccines won't help, but it does help to ward it off. It all depends on contacts with other kitties and it is an airborn virus, which makes it harder to fight.
If you do have another cat, it may be wise to get the cat vaccined just the same and clean the house - walls, especially windows, wipe down the couch - stuff like that - areas where your bud here would sleep is really important!!!
Everything would have to be detergent washed and disinfected with a small amount of bleach.
And if you do have another cat and symptoms start, the vet will give you a strong antibiotic - probably Chlor Palm - that helps their immune system fight off the virus. When they get this virus, any little bacteria can excellerate into something pretty serious, where as in a normal kitty, it wouldn't bother them and their immune system could naturally fight it off easily - but with the virus your babe had, anything and everything would affect it.
A Vet backed me where this virus is concerned, he agreed that there is a wild strain and not just in Alberta, it is everywhere - folks I talk to all over the world have mentioned the symptoms - it's because people don't vaccinate their pets, some breed and this doesn't help matters, some cats get abandoned, roam the streets, come in contact with it and become carriers... and other scenerios!
But tell yourself one thing, it's not your fault!
and if you have a sec, take a gander at what the vet said about the wild strain, it may help understand a little better (vulcan advocate article)
http://www.animals-alone.com/media.html even vaccined cats, who might have a weak immune system can catch it - especially older guys -
Again, sorry to hear the news - memories live on and love never dies!
take care

Brenda... wolfwithin... Thanks for the kind words.

We never got around to getting a final diagnosis, so I don't know if it was distemper or not. Max was an indoor cat in recent years except when lounging on the balcony, so he never had contact with other animals. When we took him to the vet we gave a quick description of the symptoms we'd noticed (like I said before, it looked a lot like a common cold to my layman's eyes) and she then gave him a quick examination. She mentioned that the problem could be any number of things such as lung tumours, pneumonia etc... and that the prognosis was not good.

It was too late at that point anyways, that morning he was much worse - in pain and he seemed confused and afraid, so the decision to euthanise him was a no-brainer. He was 18 years old and had a good long life.

My roommate is now in the "It's my fault, I should have taken him to the vet sooner" phase. The way I see it, I don't think there's anything we could have done that would have lead to a different outcome.

Yesterday evening was strange - we're not used to the quiet at home. Max was very vocal!

Awwww streaker thats very sad to hear Give your roommate a hug for me.

Again, so sad to hear. Here at the shelter, I see a lot of things, have been through alot with the critters - medical being #1.
I did put up a post in my blog, that may or may not help - it's from the Vet's connection website about 200 cats being put down, all because of 2 that came in with the Virus - I'm no Vet, but from what you are saying - my pet-health page on the dot com - clearly defines that Cats do not get colds and then I lead into what the possibilites are...
Lungs filling at your babe's age, is not what usually happens (diabetes is #1 - fragile limbs, kidneys) but - from the symptoms, I say it was an airborn virus - no one's fault in your house that's FOR CERTAIN!!!
Just being in the window or out on the balcony is enough for them to catch it if it is in the neighborhood!
EIGHTEEN years old! That babes was surely loved!
There's nothing either of you could have done! It was out of your hands - looks to me like your furbabe had a long and loving life - you surely musta been doing something right!!! :>)
If you want, look up Rhinotractitis or Panaleukopenia - both basically follow the same "cold like symptoms" - maybe if your galpal reads up on it, she'll stop blaming herself - IT'S NOT EITHER OF YOUR FAULTS!
Somebody elses perhaps, but nothing on your part(s)- Vets can be a tad unsensitive at times, if they weren't they'd have a hard time doing their job. But maybe even inquiring about the 2 mentioned viruses, if not looking them up, will help understand what happened.
Any loved Pet, IS a family member, they are loved and loving, so it is truly understandable that the loss is devestating and please - maybe if your galpal reads some articles, it may help ease her self blame... I reread the media article and sorry, there was just a brief in the second column, however, it does say that there is a wild strain and Vets don't know how to treat it!
Vaccined kitties are catching it, health helps them fight it but like us, when we get old, immune systems break down.
Bless ya both, I am so sorry about your loss.
(there are so many that need homes, it is too soon and one does not replace the other, but - well you know what i mean - once the hurt has subsided a little, maybe there'll be room to love another)
What a BEAUTY!
Bless you both for being loving, caring "pet parents".
Hugs to you both and take care.

Streak...I am really very sorry to hear of your loss. My heart goes out to you and your roommate. It is so sad when you lose a part of your family. I really hope you and your roommate can feel good about the fact that you were a positive part of anothers life.

Thanks nova and TTG!

Things are better now - my roommate's no longer beating herself up over it and life goes on.

It's still strangely quiet here without him, though.