This morning Ron and I said goodbye to Tupac as we helped him walk the rainbow bridge.  The best figures are that he was at least 17 years old and in very bad health.  He had humans who provided for him, then they lost him and went away without him.  He was adopted by a couple who loved and provided for him but then the woman he loved died.  He was again on the street homeless with massive health problems.  At one point in his life he got hit by a golf cart.   We know it was a golf cart because he has massive damage to his spine and ability of his intestine system to process food and poop and he is terrified of golf carts but not cars or trucks.  

So Tupac was living outside when we first met him.   He had a female companion, and they were fed by the surrounding neighbors.   But as I was getting up at 3 and 4 am in the morning I would open the door to our east room that opened on the carport and feed them.  The cat we named Tupac was so skinny despite how much he ate.   In fact we had to put down two bowls because the bigger female would eat most of a single bowl leaving little for the small skinny cat.  

So during the hurricane Ian James got Tupac in, he was used to coming in to homes while his companion had only recently started coming in to our east room after being bribed with food.  But she was ferral and wouldn’t let us anywhere near her while Tupac would let us pet and make of him.  After the hurricane Ron wanted to adopt him.  Ron named him Tupac and the cat wanted a home.   He came into our home we kept him in the east room until we had him checked out by our vet.  

That was when we learned that he was clear of parricides and other communicable things,  but he had a serious thyroid issue and if he did not get medication right away he would die soon.   His thyroid was racing far too high and it would kill him.   Ron wanted him and just looking at Ron’s face I had no hesitation.  I asked the vet to prescribe the needed medication and we moved Tupac into our entire home full time.   

He took to being an inside cat with outside privileges right away.  He soon learned that he needed to be in at night, as soon as it got twilight.  He loved the constant food and got very affectionate as he had his place on pillows in the center of the bed.  He would get us up twice a night for food as he was sure he was hungry.  But we soon learned the bad part of his bowel issues.   He couldn’t move his poop out to his butt and when it got there he couldn’t exspell it.  His poop was a square rock-hard thing you could step on that wouldn’t even squise under your foot.   He was leaving poop smears everywhere he sat.

So another trip to the vet.  The vet explained we would have to give him soft food and lots of powered fiber.  We did that and with the thyroid medication we paid for him he flourished.  He filled out a little but never much, he stayed thin and small.  Over time we had to increase his thyroid medication.  Everyone in the neighborhood understood and agreed he was now our cat and we were his humans.  

Over the next few years he became incontinate and started leaking pee all the time.  So we started covering everything with towels including our bed.  Then it got worse.  So we bought puppy pads and built a tower of towels and pads in the center of the bed.   When I would wake up I would check them and try to remove the wet ones.  He was happy.  We were happy.  He loved that I went to bed early and he came in to sleep with me and then when I got up early he would come to my office and get up on my desk and go to sleep while I posted.   He would get upset when Ron got up and we started speaking with each other.  

Over the last year we noticed he was getting thinner and weaker.  Any touch on his lower back would cause his back legs to buckle.  But this weekend things went bad fast.  He started peeing with blood in it.  He as always would try to get to his box but would leak constantly.  On the towels he laid on or the floor he leaked bloody urine.  

We already knew he had a tumor in his bladder because we had him checked twice a year by our wonderful vet clinic.  But what we did not know was that recently the tumor grew fast taking over most of his bladder.  It accounted for his incontance and his now peeing urine with blood.  

This morning before the vet opened Ron called them and left a message.   As soon as they opened the office they called back.  Bring him in right away.  Ron took him in while I waited at home.  I still hoped even if it was bad we would have a few more months with him.  It was not to be.   Ron called me, Tupac had only days and those would be very painful for him.  The tumor had taken over most of his bladder.   Ron said the vet recommended for Tupac’s own good that we walk him across the rainbow bridge.  Ron asked if he could bring him home, and the vet told him it would only be for a few days and Tupac’s pain would grow exponentially.  

I asked Ron to ask them to wait until I got there.  I have been with every furry friend since I was a teenager as they walked the rainbow bridge.  I wanted to be there for Tupac.  In the room they let us have some time with him and he rubbed on us and we gave him plenty of pets.  In a way it seemed he was OK with what was to happen.   They gave him the first injection, and we watched him fall asleep.   Then they asked us if we wanted to stay which both did.  The doctor gave Tupac the next injection and we touched and petted him as he went to the next place.  I am an atheist but if I had a heaven it would be a place I would be joined by all the wonderful furry family members I have had to hold and touch as I eased their pain and helped them cross over.  

All day today Ron and I have been talking about Tupac and things we would expect, like when we heard thunder outside we looked at each other and said better get Tupac in as he was terrified of thunder and boomies.  I tried to pick up and do all I could to take care of his stuff because Ron was more emotional than I.   We got it all done.  We have two boxes of food we bought for him that we will give to a person we know with a cat who is on a very limited budget.  I think Tupac would like that.  When we got home I had to remind Ron that he had no more pain, he had no fears, no issues.   Hugs