Rainbow Bridge and Free Online Pet Memorials, Tributes, Remembrance and Stories Website

My Cat Fred

Written by Linda Herring

My cat Fred was 16 when he passed away on 2/13/08 of Lung Cancer. He was a "rescue cat." I adopted him from the shelter in 1992. He was 9 weeks old. Fred had quite a few problems at first but mostly with ear mites. He had them so bad that he lost his right ear drum. After surgery he wouldn't eat and was very depressed so the Doctor had him on Prozac and Valium for about 6 months. The medication worked like a charm! Fred turned out to be the most beautiful cat was a great cat. Very loveable and very affectionate. He was a big boy too. He weighed 18 pounds and if you stood him on his hind legs and measured him from the top of his head to his paws he was almost 33 inches tall! He had the sweetest disposition of any cat I ever owned. He was also a great comfort to me during many hard times during the 16 years he was with me. Unfortunately I have been very sick and in the hospital since 11/13/08 so when my baby Fred got sick my sister was the one who took him to the Vet. At first they said he had pneumonia and sent him home with medication but after two days it was obvious to my sister that Fred was very sick. The doctor had told her they suspected Lung Cancer at first and we prayed the diagnosis would be wrong but unfortunately it wasn't. We were making plans to have Fred brought to the hospital so he could visit me but it wasn't meant to be. The Doctor called and said Fred was having trouble breathing and would not be able to come to the hospital. My heart was broke. I would not get to see my baby one last time or tell him how much I loved him. My sister is the one who went to be with him in the end. She told me the doctor brought Fred to her wrapped in a blue receiving blanket and it was heartbreaking for her because she also loved Fred very much. They allowed her to have some time with him alone and she told me she spent those precious minutes holding him, petting him, kissing him and telling him how much we loved him. The doctor came back in 15 minutes later and gave Fred a sedative so it would ease his passing. My sister refused to put him down and held him the entire time the Doctor gave him the sedative. Fred passed away in my sister's arms a few minutes later so thankfully the euthanasia wasn't necessary. I'm so heartbroken over his loss. He was my baby. I loved him very much and still do. I'm comforted by the fact that although I wasn't the one who was with him at the end I know he knew I loved him.