Zip. May 13, 2002 - November 8, 2011
A routine morning was unfolding with too much to do and not enough time to get it done. Dan had just gotten home from a long night shift and was eating something before heading up to bed. I was just coming downstairs with more laundry to do and a little girl to feed and get ready for our day while Dan slept for more work that night. We were also getting ready for our trip, school, work...a busy day ahead.
It was chilly so I went to our spare, catch-all bedroom to look for some warmer clothes to toss on. Don't know why I went in there, since I kind of knew the top I was looking for was in Molly's room. I never really know where things are when Dan's on the nightshift, things are here and there as we try to leave him alone to rest.
As I was in the darkened room, I saw what I thought might be a sweater in the corner under a table. I thought that would be odd to have a sweater down there...but I realized it was actually Zip lying there in a strange position from how he normally lays. He was breathing very quick but shallow breaths and then he made a crackly chirpy cry as he tried to look up at me. I pet his belly but for some reason, was afraid to pick him up. I felt strange asking Dan to come look at him, but I did anyway. This just wasn't right and I wanted him to see for himself how Zip was laying.
He raced in there and saw him, picked him up and we noticed he was favoring his front right leg..it was curled inward and he couldn't walk or stand. We thought he must have fallen from the upstairs hall to the entryway floor and landed hard breaking his leg or spraining it. We also wondered if he may have been bitten by a spider or bug and was hurting from that.
As we rushed to the vet's office, we were thinking he would need to get a leg cast and get medicated for his stay at the kennel while we are gone. We had no idea what the morning would quickly bring for us to have to handle.
Within minutes, we saw our vet, she happens to be our neighbors' daughter... he got a full body x-ray and she told us he appeared to have many nodules and growths in his lungs making his breathing labored. While we were talking with her about this prognosis, another vet was watching him and giving him oxygen..she peeked in to tell her he was in trouble. We discussed the various treatments and she told us this would just prolong the inevitable. Within a few more minutes, the decision was made..we clearly had to put him down..to let him go before he was truly suffering. He had already endured so much that morning.
With a sleepy mind and heavy heart and many tears, Dan made the decision and they brought Zip back in so we could spend a little while with him. Dan picked him up in his arms, cuddled him, talked to him and told him how much he loved him and that he was sorry they had to say goodbye so quickly. Zip had been given a mild sedative since he was in distress, so he was mellow and calm while we kissed his head and talked to him and about him.
Quietly, we joked about his "toxic" nose making us itch when he touched it to our skin all the time...how he would sit between us during a movie and we called him the "orange wedge." He was the one who motioned to Zap when it was time to eat and they walked together to their food bowl. Zip was also the one to complain loudly when the water dish was getting murky...he liked his fresh water and let you know you were down on the job. We became very used to him being in the way in the kitchen as he stretched out for a mile and a half on the floor between the sink and stove. Walking around him as he watched us going about our kitchenly tasks. I was always impressed by his perfectly symmetrical markings and his extremely soft rabbit-fur-like white bib...the fur there was the softest I have ever felt before.
He was always there to greet Dan early in the mornings when he got home from a nightshift and Molly and I were still asleep. He would greet him like a devoted dog, watching his every move and rushing to sit in his lap before he even had a chance to sit down. We always laughed at how completely and utterly devoted Zip was to Dan. He would stare at Dan like he would do anything for him...their bond ran deep. Dan was his daddy, his world, his everything.
Within one year, we've gone from being a 4 cat household to just one left. This year has been heartbreaking for the losses of our 3 cats, Ringo, Katrina and now Zip. We can hardly wrap our minds around this loss because it was 2 hours from seeing something wrong to him being just totally gone from our lives. Just like that, he was gone...no time for final days to say goodbye, take special photos like I did with Ringo and Katrina, no time to reflect and just hold him close. In a way, his passing quickly told us he didn't suffer long...but it was just so scary and sad to see how fast a life can just be over.
Yesterday, I had to run some errands after our school let out at 2:30, a haircut for Molly, run to the post office, pick up a few things...then I found myself across the street from the vet and the boarding kennels where Zip and Zap stayed. I needed to let them know about Zip but Zap would still stay there. I walked in and told them what happened and very compassionately, the woman there gave me a great photo of Zip to keep. They keep photos of the cats on the outer doors of the cages. She had it right there and was teary eyed as I told her about him..I hadn't really had time to cry until then, working with little kids all day then being with Molly...moms and dads aren't given much time to just cry and be sad. As soon as I saw his pretty photo, I lost it for a bit...then came home.
We are so sad he is gone. We love you Zip...play with Ringo and Katrina, Mocha and Jasmine until your brother joins you again. Goodbye to our little golden boy.
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