Six Months Gone

Well it's yesterday now but the 15th marked six months since Googie died. I have been slacking with this blog and need to recommit before I lose more memories.

Sadly this week we lost another kitty, Bow, one of our fosters. He was FIV + and had chronic health problems. I don't think we'll know exactly why he died - his body just couldn't fight anymore.

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The Googie Song

When I first brought Googie home I had a roommate who later became more. He loved Googie; in fact he named him. His originally name was Apollyon, named for a demon from one of the Left Behind books. Apollyon stung people and caused them to suffer pain that couldn't be escaped. I shortened it to Poli. He had this horrific name because he bit your toes hard when he wanted breakfast and would climb your leg like a tree, digging his claws in. Jonny called him Googie as an affectionate nickname and it stuck. My ex is a lot of things, but he loved that cat. And Googie totally manipulated him. He could not stand to have Googie cry and Googie did manage to sound pretty distressed. He gave in every time, contributing to Googie's weight issues.

We even had a song: Mr. Googs, Mr. Googs, he's the one and only Mr. Googs. He's your friend to the end, he's the one and only Mr. Googs. Silly, I know.

Googie and Toys

Googie loved to play. He loved the laser toy, the kitty fishing pole and the crinkle tunnel. It was fun to watch him pounce all over his toys and play with the other cats. Oliver in particular liked to play with him. Here he is in his tunnel.

Baby Googie

This is one of the few pictures i have of Googie as a kitten. He was so tiny! When I first got him he couldn't even get out of the cardboard box I brought him home in. I wanted a kitten as a friend for Chuckles, who was sad because after years of me being around all the time, was now left alone a good part of the day. I was heading to my day program and took a detour past Union square Petco. Sitting in front was a girl with a box.I'm not sure how, but I knew that box had a kitten in it. So I went over to talk to her. Sure enough, it was a tiny kitten. She had found him in a dumpster in Brooklyn. She heard him crying. He was too little to have gotten in himself so he must have been thrown out. He looked like a mini Chuckles. I told her I'd been looking for a kitten and called my vet to make an appointment to have him tested and vaccinated. She had been planning on giving him to Kitty Kind, but petco wasn't even open yet and she had just started a new job and couldn't be late. So she gave him over to my care. At the time I was spending the weekends up in Larchmont with my ex-husband. I had been bringing Chuckles with me so I brought Googie too. He had two kittens, Strummer and Jones. They were about eight months old-already way bigger than Googie. That is Strummer in the picture.

Hey, You, Wake Up

This morning I woke up surrounded by cats and it made me really miss Googie. He was very vocal and active in the morning. He would tap me on the face and when I opened my eyes he'd meow at me in a plaintive voice that made me think he was saying "Hungry, soooo hungry." Other mornings he would sit on top of the fridge and knock off the magnets to wake me up. And then there were the mornings that I would wake up to him stepping on me on his way to watch the birds outside on the fire escape. He would make that funny trilling sound cats make and I would say "Get em birdies Googie" which never got me more than a scornful look.

Googie the intellectual

Googie often showed interest in the computer. Here he is on my laptop.

Really, he liked to come and stand on my computer while I was using it so I would pay attention to him. He was so full of personality-he is really missed. We put up a picture of him on top of the refrigerator on the front of the microwave (which itself is on top of the refrigerator) so Googie can in some way still be on his favorite perch watching us. 

Message to Googie

There have been a few new visitors and status updates since you left us Googie, I thought you would like to know ! 1st of all we have 3 kitty friends as temporary fosters.There's Fling and her kitten buddy Sherri . We're hoping they get adopted together as they've bonded so strongly. You would have tried taunting Fling into playing but she's more of a snuggly/sleepy girl,very affectionate ! Her buddy would have kept you amused I'm sure. There's also Wednesday, a beautiful small pure black longhair ! I can see you picking on her and stealing her food,she's pretty tough though. They're just visiting and not your replacement. No one could replace you my friend. The other big news is that your mommy and I are now engaged,I somehow think you would have approved. You welcomed me into the family almost 4 years ago with open paws,thank you. How funny it now seems that I had trouble back then telling you and Chuckles apart ! Mom and I are not the only ones who miss you,Bonnie and the other kitties seem to be a little off since you've gone. We all really miss you, keep in touch and we'll do the same ! Love Dad

Maneki Googie

I wanted to get a maneki neko cat tattoo for a long time. I had planned to use Googie as the model because he looked right for the part. So when I read about a tattoo artist who was trying to raise money to pay for life saving surgery for his pit bull, I decided the time was right. The traditional maneki neko cat has a medallion on his collar that says happiness. The coin he holds usually refers to lots of money. I had already decided I wanted to change what was on the coin and then when Googie died I decided that I wanted to have it say in memory.

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Feed me !!!!

Googie wasn't much for sleeping in. He would let you know that it was time to feed him and his kitty comrades (by default) in his own special way. Since there's many of us and space is precious I built a loft bed.For the unenlightened,a loft bed is a large platform (for a matress) built above head height with a ladder attached. A lot goes on up there,eating,TV,games.......and sleeping. It's also a refuge for the cats from our floor dweller Bonnie,the dog.Cats lounge up there and when we eat,bum rush us for our treats. But back to the morning wake up . Googie would come up on the loft and walk on us,tap our noses or MEOW LOUD hoping to get us up. After waking us he would skillfully avoid my foot under the covers as I would try to give him nudge. Another tactic used was to knock magnets off the fridge or things off the shelve. For a while we countered with a squirt gun.He made a pretty good alarm clock . He was an important piece of my life,but how quickly it feels so long ago. Why is that ?

Memories

I need to keep this project fresh. I am forgetting little things already. Googie, I still miss you.

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Is there a Dentist in the house ?

Yes, at our 14th St. apartment we were fortunate to have a 'Board Certified Dentist' named Googie ! Many times after returning home I would be greeted by Googie, high on his perch,the fridge.Then if I opened my mouth,he would put his face real close and give my teeth 'the once over'. Was he searching for food residue or cavities,we'll never know? But it was our little game ! A lap kittie he was not or at least not with me. But Googie was a 'leg man' ! He loved to lay across my legs when we'd watch TV or just call it a night. He'd look so content lying there and it was his way of hanging with his dad. Once he had settled in,he expected you to commit too. If you tried to move he would voice his displeasure. He was probably the crankiest of the cats,never afraid to voice his opinion. The kitty dynamics have certainly changed around here. We ALL miss him a lot !!

Googie the Bully

Googie was not always a nice cat to other cats. He would hiss and swat others at first and at meal times. He respected Chuckles who was here before he was but any newcomers were fair game.

The first newcomer cat was Vladimir, a senior medium haired grey cat.

Vladimir

Googie must have thought Vladimir was an easy target. He would stalk him and pounce. Vladimir is a tough old guy though and he fought back and usually kicked Googie's ass.Googie would chase him down. Vladimir clearly wanted to avoid a fight.But Googie was persistent and Vladimir would take a stand. And he'd fight well.He'd rabbit kick Googie in the face and usually end up the victor.

This picture is fuzzy but you can get the idea. This was Googie challenging Charlie, one of our newer cats. She has cerebellar hyperplasia so is a little off which confused the other cats at first. Googie wasn't quite sure what to make of her. Here he is sniffing her. Charlie defended herself well though and went on a short offensive where she stalked the other cats to assert herself. Googie for the most part left her alone except before breakfast. Low blood sugar? He was definitely cranky in the morning. And when he would swat Charlie her neurological problem would make her fall over, poor kid. He also would occasionally bite her on the neck.

Apollo was the last cat to join our family. He has impaired vision. Googie wasn't very nice to him-he didn't just swat Apollo, he would bite his neck. Appy w was a quiet cat when Googie was here. Now he has become the explorer. He wants to go out in the hall, he's started climbing and jumping on the counter and he spends less time with humans. I'm happy from Apollo-that he isn't intimidated anymore but it makes me sad that Googie was a bully and had the poor cat scared. Before he came here he was in a big foster cat household where he was also picked on but by many more cats. So I guess that even with Googie being a jerk he was still happier here than there.

Other People Miss Him Too

Googie wasn't just our cat-he had other cats who lived with him. He was kind of a bully but that didn't stop  Oliver from becoming his friend. They would wrestle and chase each other around. Then they would sleep together and Oliver would clean Googie's head. When Oliver first came Googie hissed and hissed at him. Then gradually they became friends. Googie was happy to have a young cat to play with - he was five when Oliver came to live with us and Oliver was about seven months.- and our other cats were older-Chuckles was 12 then and Vladimir 16. So a playful energetic cat was good for him. He used to stalk poor Vladimir before Oliver. In retrospect I think he was trying to play but Vladimir had no interest so it would end up as a fight.

This is Oliver and Googie sitting together on a food storage bin. Quite appropriate since they were both the most food driven of the cats.Since Googie's death Oliver has been acting strangely. He has been spending a lot of time in the bathroom by himself, he isn't as interested in food and he looks a bit lost. I don't know if he knows Googie is gone or if he just knows something is different. He plays with our foster kitten Sherry but some things, like the laser toy, don't interest him. He and Googie used to both chase it together. Or one would watch the other. There's a good chance I'm reading way too much into Oliver's behavior and projecting what I imagine Oliver might be feeling onto him. A VERY good chance.But that's okay-I like to believe Googie was loved by his cat friends and that in some way they miss him too.

Our Boy Googie ! Part 1

This is a nice idea,a way to remember an important part of our family ,Our Boy Googie. Last night I read through the first post and it gave me more details of the sad events leading up to Saturday the 15th.The bus trip and the wait at the vet's made me sad and brought tears to my eyes. He was just such a shadow of his former portly self. I grew up in a house with a dog or two but I was not around when they passed. This was difficult and I felt horrible that I wasn't home to be there for our family that weekend. It was in the back of my mind when I said goodbye to Googie the Sunday before that I might not see him again. But I wanted to focus on the positive. He was always the greeter of the cats standing on the stool next to the door. Curious with what was outside the door but he knew his limits ! He loved our neighbors Brian, Gabe and Johnny too! I remember being very impressed with Johnny when you mentioned him offering to escort you and Googie to the vet. He loved that darn cat !! When I joined the family in 2007 it was much smaller,just Bonnie,Chuckles and Googie.Back then I had a hard time remembering which was which.I have to laugh at that now.Googie got a little portly over the years with a pinch of Bulimia . Always there for a good meal or a snack of Greenies !Yes, he could be a real jerk but he had a real sweet side too. In that way we were a lot alike I guess !I'm gonna miss him,he was a real friend !

About this blog

 This blog is dedicated to Googie, a loyal and not always sweet kitty who shared his life with me, my boyfriend, our dog Bonnie and our other cats.

On January 15, 2011, my cat Googie died. He had FIP and I had to make the decision to have him euthanized. He had been sick for several weeks-I'm not sure exactly when it started. The beginning stages of FIP are very subtle. I know his appetite started to decline and on December 27th I mentioned online that I was thinking about taking him to the vet. I walked past the vet the 29th and saw they were closed until after New Years. I decided that I would call that following Monday and take him in. Then on New Year's Eve I felt his ears and belly and thought he had a fever. He did- one of 106.2 which is really high, even for a cat. Since my regular vet was closed, I made an emergency appointment at The Cat Practice. The vet said he needed to be admitted to the hospital but that they were closed over the holiday weekend. He gave him cool fluids and a shot to bring down his fever. I called Gisella, who runs the rescue I volunteer with. Three of our cats are from her. She was at the vet the rescue uses and arranged for me to bring him there. That vet released him to my care because I know how to administer fluids and give shots and that was what they would do and he would be happier at home rather than in a strange place with strangers. So we returned home with him.He was okay seeming- he ate some food-I was only feeding him kibble by then because that was all he would eat. The next week was up and down-one day his temperature would be normal and he be a little less lethargic then the next day back to a fever and sleeping. I took him back to the vet January 7th. The vet drew blood and changed his meds. I brought home food to force feed him. His temperature went up and down yet again. It became harder and harder to feed him. Sometimes he'd throw up the food. I called Monday but the results weren't back. Tuesday they were in - nothing. They gave us no clue what was wrong. The next day, January 12th, I took him back to the vet to be admitted. He cried on the bus on the way and I put my hand in his carrier to try and comfort him. He didn't cry as much as usual when travelling which worried me. Another person with a cat-also tabby and white-got on and the cats had a call and response thing going on. At the vet's people in the waiting room remarked on his good looks. I filled out the paper work and waited. I murmured to him as we waited I told him I loved him, that he was a good strong boy and that I was only leaving him because I wanted him to get better. And again that I loved him. It was supposed to be just-in-case. Just in case he wasn't okay and whatever was happening wasn't treatable, I wanted to tell him I loved him. I didn't really believe that-I was worrying like I always do but since he had had a physical just about a month before and was fine then, I really thought he would be okay. They would figure out the problem, treat him and he would come back to us, On Friday Gisella texted me his fever was down and he was also keeping food down. (Googie was at the vet under the rescue's account so I had to get all my information through her.) She was optimistic but I pointed out he had been bouncing back and forth for two weeks now. I didn't know what to think but I'm superstitious about thinking the best, Think that and your hopes will be dashed. The next day, Saturday,  I was having a lazy day. I was on my laptop when I got a cry from a tearful Gisella. "I have really bad news. Googie has FIP and they want permission to euthanize. He has fluid in his lungs. Dr. G tested it and it showed FIP." I asked her to please wait so I could come and say goodbye. She told me he was suffering and that they wanted to do it immediately. I gave my permission.

I have had many cats over the years. I have lost countless photos, forgotten many things. I don't want that to happen this time. While everything is still fresh and my memory is so full of him, I want to write  it all down. This is painful but I know in the end I will be grateful to have a record of my boy. There is more to the story of his death but this is enough for a start.