My cat retired!

[mapper]

Ours is getting up there in years 11-12? He hasn't retired yet but he did cost us a bit last year when he contracted cryptococus a upper respiratory fungal infection. He is now a $2000 cat, the things we do for our critters! He had to be confined inside for about six months, much to his displeasure. When he was allowed out again he went right back to ridding the place of mice, voles and rabbits, about one a day. He brings them to the door, calls to us to come look, then scarfs them down, leaving only the gall bladders for me to clean up.
Cryptococus is a fungal infection that cats can get from dried pigeon rung, we think he may well have gotten it in a nearby neighbors unused barn that has a lot of pigeons living in it. It's very difficult to treat and requires daily doses of an antifungal that is not cheap. And they won't let me put him on my medical insurance. :confused3:

 

[Yamaha2112]

Man, I'm so sorry, mapper.
The loss of my cat is one of the hardest things I've ever gone through. I hope yours pulls through!

 

[mapper]

Man, I'm so sorry, mapper.
The loss of my cat is one of the hardest things I've ever gone through. I hope yours pulls through!

Oh he is doing fine now, he bounced back very well. He is currently out hunting the newly mowed hay in my front field.
I have lived long enough to realize that I will outlive most of my critter kids but each one we lose is tough, we do get attached to them!
This particular cat has definitely found a place in our hearts, he is 9 pounds, white and yellow with crooked fangs on the left side of his mouth. Not going to take any beauty awards, I used to tell my son that he had the seeds and stems of his genetic heritage, the only perfect part of him was his tail.

 

[Yamaha2112]

Ah cool!

 

[k0ua]

Man, I'm so sorry, mapper.
The loss of my cat is one of the hardest things I've ever gone through. I hope yours pulls through!

Sorry to hear about the loss of your cat, we sure get attached to them. Our current kitty looks a lot like yours and every time we put him outside you wonder if he will come home safe. My wife is "his person", but he and I get along fine too. I sure am going to miss him when he doesn't come home some day. He has been a great cat.

 

[Gem99ultra]

Sorry to hear about the loss of your cat, we sure get attached to them. Our current kitty looks a lot like yours and every time we put him outside you wonder if he will come home safe. My wife is "his person", but he and I get along fine too. I sure am going to miss him when he doesn't come home some day. He has been a great cat.View attachment 514538View attachment 514539View attachment 514540

Your cat is nearly a twin to ours (actually spouses). Ours is probably a Maine Coon cat, 20 pounds, 4 years old. He's a bully with the two 5 pound Toy Rat Terriers, but he's also a great hunter. Catches chipmunks, birds including humming birds, mice and lizards, then brings them inside, often still alive, to show spouse his bounty.

With all of the coyotes and hawks around here, I'm shocked that he's survived though. I'm looking forward to when he settles down and turns into a door-stop. Hope he makes it that long...

 

[Yamaha2112]

Wow. He does kinda look like mine. Cool cat!

Sorry to hear about the loss of your cat, we sure get attached to them. Our current kitty looks a lot like yours and every time we put him outside you wonder if he will come home safe. My wife is "his person", but he and I get along fine too. I sure am going to miss him when he doesn't come home some day. He has been a great cat.View attachment 514538View attachment 514539View attachment 514540

 

[stuckmotor]

We've had older cats lose interest in mice. The vet told me the average life expectancy of a cat is 12 years. I guess they're entitled to a couple of years of taking it easy.

 

[Yamaha2112]

We've had older cats lose interest in mice. The vet told me the average life expectancy of a cat is 12 years. I guess they're entitled to a couple of years of taking it easy.

Definitely. The last few years of his life he was petted daily while lounging. Also let him inside anytime he wanted. Such a nice cat. Just thought it was funny picturing him on a Lazy Boy with a beer and a remote watching TV during his senior years. He had a great life living on a farm. Thankfully, 15 years is an EXCELLENT lifespan for a cat. I miss him so much. I've lived alone with him for the duration of his life so I'm a real mess right now. So much so, I think I literally need a therapist.

 

[ericm979]

Sorry Yamaha.

We retired our outdoor cat when she was 10. She'd gotten caught by a larger predator and barely made it home. We have mountain lions, coyotes and bobcats. This cat was tough enough that she ran a coyote off the lawn and cornered a racoon twice her size on the porch. She loved to follow me around the place and race around me on the lawn. She lived another seven years as an indoor cat until cancer got her last year. We have a couple other former feral or rescue cats but I still miss that one.