I called into (RIP Sparky 2006-2012)

the office last nigh to let the boss know I wasn't coming in for today because we had to put Sparky down last night. He had what was called the Corona virus a strain called FIP, which can't be cured. It's fatal, the Doctor said. he took us in privately to a small room and showed us x-rays and samples that he took. He said if it was his cat he would take him home and monitor him for a couple of days and see what happens but in his opinion Sparky was to gone into the virus. He might have survived until the weekend but to put him through any more suffering because his breathing was labored and he wasn't eating anything. it might have given us a few days with him but prolonged his suffering. I don't know what happens to a cat in the finale stages of this FIP and we'd have to put Sparky down eventually. I made the decision to end his suffering and put him down. Anne and I talked about it and thought it would be the best thing for him. Good for him, bad for us of course

At first I didn't want to say goodbye and I waited in the Doctors office then as I was mulling it over and the Doctor came back in said I would like to say my goodbyes. So I went into this room and there was Anne poking her head in his cage crying. Sparky perked right up when he saw me. An image I'll never forget. Anne made room for me and kissed him and said my goodbyes for about 10 minutes we were there. It was already passed closing time for the clinic and at 6pm we went to the reception desk and filled out the form to give the Doctor permission to euthanize Sparky. He wont feel a thing. We're also going to have him cremated later this month and we get his ashes in something called a scatterbox until we get him an urn. He'll be sitting next to Pledges on the coffee table.

We got Sparky & Sporty in the Spring of 2006 from Noreen in the business room. Anne and I were looking for a couple of cats to keep Silky and Pledges company. Anne was attracted to this little male Siamese kitten and I asked if there was another male but there was only a female. I noticed this spunky little tabby kitten and I said I'd take that one. Anne named him Sparky. Little did any of us know we'd have him for a short 5 years.

The Corona virus (or FIP) can be transmitted 2 ways, 1, it can rest in the imune system as a "time bomb" for years and the cat that has it display no symptoms. Usually activated by stress (Boots) 2, through bite marks when cats get into fights with each other (Boots) I think what happened because Boots was an outdoor stray cat he had the virus in him and Boots and Sparky did get into a fight recently this year and I think that's what caused it. Otherwise Sparky would have had it in his system for years if Boots wasn't in this apartment we would still have Sparky with us. I don't blame Anne because we knew nothing about this. Boot's is what's called a carrier of the virus and I think he gave it to Sparky. I'll know the next time when Boots and the other cats get into what Anne calls a "Tumble & tuk" (TT) if within 6-8 weeks of that, one of them get it. We'll know Boots is the carrier. I went to bed earlier then Anne this morning and I heard a TT from Boots & Silky and left it at that. If Silky got bitten by Boots in that last TT, within the next 6 weeks or so SIlky begins to display the same labored breathing conditions, we'll know that the FIP virus came from Boots or it was lying dormant in Sparky from birth.

As I'm beginning to sort this out in my mind it doesn't make it any easier Sparky's passing last night and overnight surprisingly I was able to sleep ok. I heard Anne laughing at something on TV but she still wanted me here because through out her day she's going to be crying and choking back tears. She doesn;t deserve to be alone on a day like today. Over the next couple of days and weeks and months ahead, life will return to "normal" and we'll move on with Sparky in our hearts but not forgotten. Life always compensates as I firmly believe for every loss there is a gain, somewhere if you know where to look. It might not happen right away, it could take weeks or even months but the universe has a strange way of filling in gaps in a void. 

Anne and I will eventually let Sparky "go" and move on and like I said life will "return to normal,"  RIP Sparky, 2006-2012.

There could be an absence of posts here over the next couple of days. I'll post something on Twitter of course but it's going to take some time to work this thing out with Sparky. Anyway that's all for now.