On my 29th wedding anniversary, Aug. 16, 2004, my beloved little Himalayan cat, Beezie, then 17 years old, was diagnosed with lymphoma. She already had some kidney problems, so this came on top of that, and it looked pretty grim. We were given the option of chemotherapy, at quite a high cost, or going on Prednisone treatment alone, at about $8 a month. We were advised that once we started prednisone, we would not be able to later try the chemo. Because of her age and other health problems, we decided to go for the prednisone, and hope for the best for her. I began to prepare myself to lose her.

That was 16 months ago. Beezie turned 18 this past June, and is still going strong. She takes one prednisone tablet a day, and has come to demand she be given her pill when its time. Because I thought she was in imminent danger of dying, I decided to stop the special kidney formula diet she didn't like, and feed her whatever she wanted for the duration of her life. She eats Fancy Feast, Whiska's, and several other types of cat food, as she is easily bored. The gets people tuna every night as a treat for taking her pill, and we buy her deli meat as a special treat. I don't advocate this diet, but it definitely works for her. I decided she could at least eat what she loved best in her "last" days, and her vet agreed. At her yearly checkup in November, she had actually gained some weight. Right now you would never know she was 18, and you'd never know she has cancer. She leads a happy and healthy life, along with our two 4 year old cats, and still rates as the "alpha" kitty. The young ones still defer to her. She eats and drinks well, grooms, and generally looks and acts like a healthy cat. At our vets, they call her "miracle kitty" and are all just delighted with her longevity. At this stage, whenever she has to leave us, it wouldn't really be any sooner than if she just died of old age. I've had all these bonus months to love her, and I'm so very grateful. She sleeps with us every night, and spends her waking hours on someones lap, purring contentedly. We have been so blessed with her, and I just wanted others to know her story, so they would know there is always hope, and sometimes there are even miracles. Merry Christmas to all of you, and to all your "furbabies" out there.