Percival and his lady love are remembered in this guest post by Valerie Giles, Ph.D. Percival started out living in Vancouver in a neighbourhood near Queen Elizabeth Park. He didn’t have a home until a friend noticed him in the alley and started feeding him. It turned out that he was part of a cat couple, and he and a beautiful black and white Manx named Muffin started a family together. They were very strongly bonded. When their kittens were born, Percival was protective of them. Once they could walk, he helped Muffin watch over them in the yard. Eventually, I brought all of them home to live at my house.
Because he had gone for long periods without food, Percy would start to meow pitifully the entire time I was setting out their food dishes morning and night. I would ask him, “Have I ever let you miss a meal?” Percy extended his affection to me and anyone who was kind to him. He loved to cuddle and had the loudest purr! He started to have an upset tummy, so his veterinarian prescribed Deltasone tablets to suppress throwing up. He had been diagnosed with Eosinophilic Granuloma Complex – similar to ulcers in humans. After we moved to Prince George, he was fine and active. Eventually, he seemed to slow down and was getting thin. I took him to the Olson Animal Hospital where he was examined, a urine sample was taken and a blood panel was ordered. The results confirmed he had developed diabetes. There began a complicated process to find the right type of insulin to help him. At one point, that involved having blood tested four times in a day. I took him in four times because I didn’t want him to sit in a cage all day. After that, I had to learn how to give him insulin injections. He needed that twice a day and I never, ever missed giving him his doses. When he started to decline, I was at the veterinary hospital. They decided he should stay overnight. I was called to come in and see him because he was fading fast and was near death. Long ago, I was told that many animals bonded strongly like Percival and Muffin pine for and keep searching for their mates. That’s how I knew to go home and get Muffin. I brought her back to the clinic. I will always be grateful for Dr. Olson’s kindness. He had us stay in one of the examination rooms. I opened the carry case so Muffin could come out and be near Percival. For more than an hour, I sat on the floor holding him in my arms. When he stopped breathing, Muffin knew he was gone. She came over and touched her head to his. It remains one of the most outstanding displays of affection I’ve ever witnessed. - Valerie M.E. Giles, Ph.D. Topics: Cat health, cat love, Percival, Muffin, Olson Animal Hospital, Prince George, Vancouver, Deltasone, Eosinophilic Granuloma Complex, diabetes, veterinarians
2 Comments
2/23/2018 08:45:24 am
What a beautiful story, I'm glad Percy and Muffin became cats with a home and that you were there for them until the very end.
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2/23/2018 12:10:07 pm
Thanks for your kind comments. I'm grateful too that Valerie was such a compassionate cat parent, and has shared her story here.
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