Our 4th Cat
Merlin was with us since he was 7 weeks old. He was the shy one of the three cats. Whenever a stranger came into the house, he would hide for hours and because of the pure black fur, it was so hard to find him. We would have to wait until he felt safe enough to come out.
Merlin was a warm-hearted cat once he got to know someone and was very vocal. All we had to do was look at him and it sounded like he was talking to us. Merlin hated to be held. You could not just pick up Merlin and put him on your lap. He had to come to you. Merlin would sleep next to you and stay on your lap but on his terms.
The last couple of months before he died, I saw that he was getting thin. Since he's not the type of cat that comes up to you to be petted, it was a shock to see he was almost a skeleton. I watched him for about 10 days and noticed he was not eating like the others. Thinking he was sick of the food, I went out and got every brand and flavor of cat food to find what he likes. None appealed to him. I called the vet and in his mouth he saw a grayish smelling mass towards the back of the cat's mouth. Thinking it was cancer, he scraped at the mass and it was rotting teeth. Four teeth were extracted. Merlin's stomach was felt and the vet had a puzzled look on his face and told us to see what happens. Wait a week or so and if Merlin is not eating to bring him back for blood tests.
Merlin still didn't eat. I knew his mouth was sore so we chopped up the soft food, he started to eat it and backed off. We got Merlin on Nutri-Cal which is a high calorie supplement. Merlin maintain his weight but he was not acting right. His stomach appeared full but his face and back was all bones.
I called the vet back and Merlin was taken right in. We were prepared to take blood tests on him when the vet re-felt his stomach. Since the cat lost more body weight the vet felt a mass in the stomach area. He thought something was there 2 weeks prior but now he was able to feel more. Merlin developed a stomach tumor that was there a long time. It was massive and Merlin couldn't eat because of the tumor. It filled his stomach. The cat was starving.
We had no choice but to let our Merlin go. He just had his 13th birthday four days prior. Merlin died at 4:09 p.m. on Monday, June 20, 2011. He was cremated at the Evercare Veterinary Crematory in Warminster Pennsylvania and Sandy has his ashes.
Rest In Peace little one. We all miss you!!
Merlin lived 13 years, 4 days
(In human years he would have been 68 yrs old)
Merlin was with us since he was 7 weeks old. He was the shy one of the three cats. Whenever a stranger came into the house, he would hide for hours and because of the pure black fur, it was so hard to find him. We would have to wait until he felt safe enough to come out.
Merlin was a warm-hearted cat once he got to know someone and was very vocal. All we had to do was look at him and it sounded like he was talking to us. Merlin hated to be held. You could not just pick up Merlin and put him on your lap. He had to come to you. Merlin would sleep next to you and stay on your lap but on his terms.
The last couple of months before he died, I saw that he was getting thin. Since he's not the type of cat that comes up to you to be petted, it was a shock to see he was almost a skeleton. I watched him for about 10 days and noticed he was not eating like the others. Thinking he was sick of the food, I went out and got every brand and flavor of cat food to find what he likes. None appealed to him. I called the vet and in his mouth he saw a grayish smelling mass towards the back of the cat's mouth. Thinking it was cancer, he scraped at the mass and it was rotting teeth. Four teeth were extracted. Merlin's stomach was felt and the vet had a puzzled look on his face and told us to see what happens. Wait a week or so and if Merlin is not eating to bring him back for blood tests.
Merlin still didn't eat. I knew his mouth was sore so we chopped up the soft food, he started to eat it and backed off. We got Merlin on Nutri-Cal which is a high calorie supplement. Merlin maintain his weight but he was not acting right. His stomach appeared full but his face and back was all bones.
I called the vet back and Merlin was taken right in. We were prepared to take blood tests on him when the vet re-felt his stomach. Since the cat lost more body weight the vet felt a mass in the stomach area. He thought something was there 2 weeks prior but now he was able to feel more. Merlin developed a stomach tumor that was there a long time. It was massive and Merlin couldn't eat because of the tumor. It filled his stomach. The cat was starving.
We had no choice but to let our Merlin go. He just had his 13th birthday four days prior. Merlin died at 4:09 p.m. on Monday, June 20, 2011. He was cremated at the Evercare Veterinary Crematory in Warminster Pennsylvania and Sandy has his ashes.
Rest In Peace little one. We all miss you!!
Merlin lived 13 years, 4 days
(In human years he would have been 68 yrs old)
Our 4th Cat
Merlin was with us since he was 7 weeks old. He was the shy one of the three cats. Whenever a stranger came into the house, he would hide for hours and because of the pure black fur, it was so hard to find him. We would have to wait until he felt safe enough to come out.
Merlin was a warm-hearted cat once he got to know someone and was very vocal. All we had to do was look at him and it sounded like he was talking to us. Merlin hated to be held. You could not just pick up Merlin and put him on your lap. He had to come to you. Merlin would sleep next to you and stay on your lap but on his terms.
The last couple of months before he died, I saw that he was getting thin. Since he's not the type of cat that comes up to you to be petted, it was a shock to see he was almost a skeleton. I watched him for about 10 days and noticed he was not eating like the others. Thinking he was sick of the food, I went out and got every brand and flavor of cat food to find what he likes. None appealed to him. I called the vet and in his mouth he saw a grayish smelling mass towards the back of the cat's mouth. Thinking it was cancer, he scraped at the mass and it was rotting teeth. Four teeth were extracted. Merlin's stomach was felt and the vet had a puzzled look on his face and told us to see what happens. Wait a week or so and if Merlin is not eating to bring him back for blood tests.
Merlin still didn't eat. I knew his mouth was sore so we chopped up the soft food, he started to eat it and backed off. We got Merlin on Nutri-Cal which is a high calorie supplement. Merlin maintain his weight but he was not acting right. His stomach appeared full but his face and back was all bones.
I called the vet back and Merlin was taken right in. We were prepared to take blood tests on him when the vet re-felt his stomach. Since the cat lost more body weight the vet felt a mass in the stomach area. He thought something was there 2 weeks prior but now he was able to feel more. Merlin developed a stomach tumor that was there a long time. It was massive and Merlin couldn't eat because of the tumor. It filled his stomach. The cat was starving.
We had no choice but to let our Merlin go. He just had his 13th birthday four days prior. Merlin died at 4:09 p.m. on Monday, June 20, 2011. He was cremated at the Evercare Veterinary Crematory in Warminster Pennsylvania and Sandy has his ashes.
Rest In Peace little one. We all miss you!!
Merlin lived 13 years, 4 days
(In human years he would have been 68 yrs old)
Merlin was with us since he was 7 weeks old. He was the shy one of the three cats. Whenever a stranger came into the house, he would hide for hours and because of the pure black fur, it was so hard to find him. We would have to wait until he felt safe enough to come out.
Merlin was a warm-hearted cat once he got to know someone and was very vocal. All we had to do was look at him and it sounded like he was talking to us. Merlin hated to be held. You could not just pick up Merlin and put him on your lap. He had to come to you. Merlin would sleep next to you and stay on your lap but on his terms.
The last couple of months before he died, I saw that he was getting thin. Since he's not the type of cat that comes up to you to be petted, it was a shock to see he was almost a skeleton. I watched him for about 10 days and noticed he was not eating like the others. Thinking he was sick of the food, I went out and got every brand and flavor of cat food to find what he likes. None appealed to him. I called the vet and in his mouth he saw a grayish smelling mass towards the back of the cat's mouth. Thinking it was cancer, he scraped at the mass and it was rotting teeth. Four teeth were extracted. Merlin's stomach was felt and the vet had a puzzled look on his face and told us to see what happens. Wait a week or so and if Merlin is not eating to bring him back for blood tests.
Merlin still didn't eat. I knew his mouth was sore so we chopped up the soft food, he started to eat it and backed off. We got Merlin on Nutri-Cal which is a high calorie supplement. Merlin maintain his weight but he was not acting right. His stomach appeared full but his face and back was all bones.
I called the vet back and Merlin was taken right in. We were prepared to take blood tests on him when the vet re-felt his stomach. Since the cat lost more body weight the vet felt a mass in the stomach area. He thought something was there 2 weeks prior but now he was able to feel more. Merlin developed a stomach tumor that was there a long time. It was massive and Merlin couldn't eat because of the tumor. It filled his stomach. The cat was starving.
We had no choice but to let our Merlin go. He just had his 13th birthday four days prior. Merlin died at 4:09 p.m. on Monday, June 20, 2011. He was cremated at the Evercare Veterinary Crematory in Warminster Pennsylvania and Sandy has his ashes.
Rest In Peace little one. We all miss you!!
Merlin lived 13 years, 4 days
(In human years he would have been 68 yrs old)
