Our Mighty Oak
by Rachel Schumacher
We rescued Okie from a local Petsmart. It had been approaching one year since the death of our last cat (Mittens, born 12/25/2008-3/15/2017). His name had been Skunk, by the woman who had been fostering him the last 3 years, while also bringing him to Petsmart on weekends. This caused him a great deal of stress, to which his fur was falling out. Once he became our cat, he was at his best, despite also having respiratory issues throughout his life.
He quickly became a wonderful companion to our dog (Lily, rescued 9/08/2015) & eventually, our other dog, (Clancy, born 2/26/2018).
More than any other cat I've ever known, Okie was always wanting to cuddle with everyone. Friends of ours would come over, mentioning that they aren't complete cat people, but within minutes of meeting him, they would be snuggled up together. One of his cute quirks was that he would only ever lay on your left side though
Everything was pretty normal until very recently. But on December 4th, 2019, his health took a major plummet. His eating/drinking habits were changing (straight up refusing since the 6th), he began hiding in odd places without voluntarily moving, increasingly lethargic... As time passed, his breathing was labored, stiff behavior, and everything previously mentioned was worsening. But he also was having seizures lasting between 1-3 minutes long. Earlier, he could (barely) manage to move around without stumbling. Unfortunately, as it reached closer to the end, he was unable to walk due to the clear neurological damage.
At 11:30pm on December 6th, 2019, I frantically texted & called one of my very good friends, as her sister is a veterinary technician (actually specializing in feline care).
We took him to the 24/7 Emergency Vet. Clinic. They said the hospitalization & care for his critical condition would be over $1,000. But we knew the right decision for the situation was euthanasia. At approximately 4:30am on December 7th, 2019, he crossed the Rainbow Bridge. Though he may not physically be with us anymore, he will always remain in our hearts. Rest in peace, sweet boy. You're free from your pain. We love you so much.

Quick thank you to Sophia, Lizzie, & the compassionate staff of Oklahoma Veterinary Specialists
Comments would be appreciated by the author, Rachel Schumacher
 
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