We are sorry to announce the loss of Teddy. He was a true character.
Teddy came into our care when I spotted him living rough amid a group of ferals I was TNRing. He was an extremely loving puss, very mature in years and almost crippled with rotten teeth.
When we established that no one was taking care of Teddy, we took him to the vets. We saved him only just in time as his teeth were so decayed they were turning his jaw bones septic.
Also, and ultimately what finished him, we discovered his liver was failing.
Although he was in a poor state, we felt Teddy had been so badly let down he deserved some peace in his final months. Estimates of his age varied between 18-23 and with liver problems, we knew it was only going to be hospice care. So Teddy was treated for his teeth and started liver meds.
We have a very dedicated welfare officer and she immediately agreed Teddy could live with her for the remaining time he had left. With all but one of his teeth removed now, and painfree for the first time in years, Teddy began to eat. And eat! And eat! It was like a newly found joy to him and wonderful to watch. He would never be hungry again! Stunned at his sudden good fortune, Teddy took advantage of the chance to eat at every opportunity. And sometimes even when the opportunity was a bit flimsy to say the least - like the time Caroline discovered he's snuck into her fridge and was sitting on a shelf with his gums glued to a cooked beef joint.
So for the next 6 months or so Teddy lived a comfortable life, surrounded by love, the best of care and he was never hungry again. The last time I saw Teddy was a week ago at our branch Christmas party. He had deteriorated enormously and had started to suffer fits. Even so, he remained pain free and still enjoying life and was the star of the show with a queue of swooning admirers waiting in line to fuss him. And he tapped every single one of us for a nibble from our plates!
It came as so surprise to hear he'd had another massive fit and the decision was made to PTS. It was his time to go and he went with a full tum and a fuss having had a very happy last 6 months.
Please raise a glass to Teddy. A true cat's cat.
