Henry the Brave

This has been a hard year for our four-legged family members. We lost Stanley in August, thought we might lose Bones, but he ended up being ok, then lost Fred in December. Now we are praying for Henry to make it.

I noticed he had started being a little more reclusive than normal the last few months. I chalked it up to moodiness over Gabriel getting bigger and stepping on him occasionally, and perhaps to age (he turned 8 this month). Then I noticed he didn't seem to want to play with me at all, which is really unusual. Then about a month ago, I picked him up one day and realized he had lost weight. Alot of weight. Once again, I tried to rationalize that maybe he didn't like the new low-cal food I had started all the cats on.

I finally took him in Friday, and our vet found a huge lump where his right kidney should be. X-rays found something that is probably a tumor, and has gotten so large it's pushed his intestines over to his left side. He's lost almost 4 pounds since last September when he had his last checkup. (This would be like a human losing 30-40 pounds). I couldn't wrap my brain around what the vet was telling me. Other than being blind, Henry's always been the healthiest pet we've had. He keeps in shape, eats right, drinks lots of water. I always expected him to outlive all the other pets. I really couldn't think straight in the vet's office, I was so shocked and upset. And feeling very, very guilty about not bringing him in earlier.

Our vet rarely does organ removal, but he is willing to remove Henry's kidney for us. We could take him for an ultrasound to see if it looks like there's any spreading to other areas, but that will be at least $300-$500, and our vet has graciously said it isn't necessary for him to proceed with the surgery. I totally trust Dr. Norris, and have great faith in his abilities. I know he wouldn't have offered to do the surgery if he thought he wasn't qualified. And not that another vet wouldn't do his best, but having someone do the surgery who knows us and knows what an amazing animal Henry is just means SO much to Jav and I.

I know you aren't supposed to pick favorites, but I have to say that Henry and I have a really special bond. He's sitting in my lap right now, and it just seems like my lap was made to hold him. The minute I start petting him I relax and breath deeper. It's been that way since the day I first picked him up, almost like we knew each other in a past life. So this is hitting me really hard. I know he's strong, and all we can do is pray that once his kidney is removed that I'll have my strong, brave and amazing Henry back in my lap, healthy again.