Mark Caudill: Katy the cat rallies from the brink of death

I made an appointment to have Katy the cat put to sleep.

My long-haired tabby, who already had been through so much, got sick over Labor Day weekend and went downhill fast.

I scheduled an appointment with Phillips Animal Hospital for 2:15 p.m. a week ago Monday for her to be euthanized. I had given up, but Dr. Jordan asked me to wait until Katy's bloodwork came back that Wednesday.

I'm so glad I did.

Why did I ever doubt Katy? Five years ago, she survived being tortured with a firecracker. She had major, life-saving surgery on her colon and lost her tail to amputation.

Katy could have died then but showed her incredible will to survive.

She did it again, even though she didn't eat for over a week.

Dr. Jordan attributed the problem to a flareup of Katy's irritable bowel syndrome, which led to severe dehydration. Because she already is fragile, it made everything worse. Dr. Jordan wants to check her kidneys next month to make sure they are OK.

Backtracking to Labor Day weekend, Katy threw up twice Sunday night and twice more on Monday. She does vomit from time to time, but four times in under 24 hours put me on edge.

Then she stopped eating. Katy didn't touch her food the next two days, so I took her to the vet two weeks ago Thursday. She received three shots and underwent some bloodwork.

Unfortunately, she still wouldn't eat. Dr. Jordan asked me to bring her back two days later for more bloodwork.

Watching Katy slip away over difficult weekend

The weekend of Sept. 9-10 was excruciating. I watched Katy as she seemed to fade away. She still wouldn't eat. I can't remember the last time I cried so much.

Katy spent a lot of time sleeping in her carrier or under the sink. She got up only to use the litterbox or get a drink of water.

I spent part of that Saturday night doing online research. I looked up "signs your cat is dying." Katy had almost all of them — not eating, lack of coordination, lethargy, breathing slowly, excessive sleeping.

She was so weak. When Katy tried to walk, she staggered around like an old drunk.

Since I adopted her, Katy has resisted being held and had never cuddled with me. That Sunday morning, I picked her up and lay with her on the bed, holding her close to me.

For the first time, she didn't protest, probably because she was too weak to do so. I cherished the opportunity to be close to her, then laid her beside me on the bed for about two hours.

I felt we were nearing the end and wondered if Katy would make it through the night.

When I got up a week ago Monday, she appeared to have slipped even further. I tried to cuddle with her again, but she staggered to her feet and flopped beside me on the bed.

It was as if Katy was saying, "No, Daddy, you know I don't like to be held." I smiled at her spirit.

Still, I didn't know what to do. She appeared to be resting comfortably, but I wasn't sure if she was suffering inside.

While agonizing, I asked God to take Katy while also telling her that it was OK to let go.

Making a difficult decision about Katy's situation

I ultimately called Phillips Animal Hospital and made the appointment for her to be put to sleep.

We were running a bit late, and I passed a car on U.S. 42 on the way from Ashland to Mansfield. I chastised myself for doing so.

"Why are you in a hurry to make the appointment on time?!"

As I waited in a side room at the vet's office, I sobbed, hoping people wouldn't hear me. Katy was so far gone.

Dr. Jordan examined her and said he had never seen Katy so sick. Still, he wanted to wait on her latest bloodwork. I agreed.

After work the next day, I went to visit Katy for about 30 minutes. She still wasn't eating, even though the vet had given her an appetite stimulant. I left feeling discouraged because she was receiving fluids intravenously but still looked about the same to me.

Katy did give me a soft meow. I think/hope she knew I was with her.

Dr. Jordan went with a different plan of attack the next day. When another appetite stimulant didn't help, he had his staff force-feed her on the hour. Without food, Katy's liver was in danger of shutting down.

When staff members went back to force-feed Katy again, they noticed that she had finally eaten some of her dry food on her own.

She was coming back!

Never doubt Katy's will to live

Dr. Jordan called me with the good news and said I should be able to take Katy home the next day. As I drove home from work that evening, I found myself shaking my head, marveling at my cat's will to live.

I don't know if Katy's recovery is a miracle, but it's in the ballpark. I thought about how close I came to having her put to sleep and shuddered at the thought of going through with it.

Never again will I doubt Katy.

"She was really close to death. She really was," Dr. Jordan told me, "but she's a fighter.

"Katy's not done yet."

mcaudill@gannett.com

419-521-7219

X (formerly Twitter): @MarkCau32059251

This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: News Journal reporter's cat makes miraculous recovery