Last week I noticed Pippin was behaving strangely - not able to jump up and his back legs were a bit "odd". I felt along his spine and around his back legs, but he didn't object nor flinch and he purred when I stroked him. Well over the week, he lost the use of his back legs completely. He would walk on his two front legs and drag his back legs etc behind him. Now he wasn't a small cat so there was a lot of body to drag around.

I realised that there was something really wrong with him by this time and I rang the vet. They said it sounded as if he'd had a stroke or something and it would need an MRI to confirm etc. They asked if I had vet insurance, I didn't, and that's when they informed me that for an MRI it would be around £1,000 with everything else!!!! Now you know I've got heart failure anyway - to hear those costs nearly gave me a heart attack. I just don't have that kind of money, and they thought it might be necessary to euthanise him anyway, which would be another £112 !!!! So I said that I'd take him up to the surgery and they could let me know what to do.

As you can imagine - it's been an awful week, watching Pippin struggle and knowing I was probably going to lose him anyway. He's been my constant companion for 14 years and I just couldn't imagine him not being here with me. Okay he didn't like having his picture taken, he didn't like being cuddled much, certainly not to hold him! But he showed his love by walking across the computer board and lying on it to have a stroke and then a brush.

Emily very kindly took me up to to the veterinary and a lovely vet came over to me and took Pippin in his carry box to the consulting room. She examined Pip and said that he'd had a spinal injury and it was so bad that it was the kindest thing to do, to put him out of his misery! Apparently he'd either fallen badly or had something fall ontop of him, but he never complained or anything. I had no idea. I feel so cruel that he'd been hurt and I didn't do anything about it until it was too late. The vet was so wonderfully kind and gentle. She was stoking Pip and I was kissing him while she put the anaesthetic in. It took just 3 seconds and he slipped away. I could hardly believe how quick it was. I'm really going to miss him so much. He's been my companion and even though he couldn't do much to help - it was just knowing that I wasn't alone in the house.

I brought him home and my neighbours, Peter and Anne, very kindly buried him in a little flower bed to the side of the house, so I'll be able to chat to him whenever I go out of the house.



Well my first trip out this year was to the vets - last year I left the house 4 times - 3 times to the hospital and the last time to the optician!!! I would really like to go out this year and go anywhere but a medical place!!!! Maybe the beach - now that would be heaven.

I'm sorry this has been a bit of a sad blog, I wasn't too sure whether I should write it, but you know how dear my feline friend was to me. I love this picture of him - caught unawares. I'm going to miss him so much.