43 - kitty love

so hunter has been extremely sick and has been hospitalized since Monday. when we brought him to the vet Monday evening, there was a high risk that he was facing kidney failure, in which case there would be very little that could be done to save him. i have never been so stressed out and sick with worry - i came so close to accidentally killing my cat because i brought a beautiful bouquet of flowers into the house, which included lilies, and he ate its leaves. LILIES, it turns out, ARE EXTREMELY TOXIC TO CATS. if the toxins are fully absorbed into the system, it often results in kidney damage, acute renal faliure, and in many cases death. it is virtually a miracle that hunter did not suffer kidney failure given the length of time that passed from when he first ingested the plant leaves until we sought veterinary care. while it is possible that something other than the lilies made him sick, i have learned a valuable life-saving lesson and am actively informing cat owners and lovers of the toxicity of lilies. if you have a cat, never bring lilies into the house!

the little survivor is pulling through and he's coming home tonight! i can't wait to snuggle and baby him. i am so thankful and relieved. his warm, gentle, and loving presence in our lives is irreplaceable. i know i am biased, but he is the most amazing feline i have ever known and anyone who meets him immediately falls in love with him. we figure he has already been through 3 of his 9 lives (he was incredibly sick when we first saved him as a kitten, and he was just sick with a urinary tract infection this winter) and only has 6 remaining. he's such a little heartbreaker, i love him to death - or in his case, a strong, healthy life.