Aspen came to us in early May of 2023. She belonged to a man who had pancreatic cancer and he was no longer able to care for her.
Aspen was a true Zen Cat. She accepted life as it came to her while always maintaining her philosophical calm. Her previous owner had gotten her a number of years earlier at FVHA when he was looking to adopt a cat. She jumped up on his lap and he said, "I will take this one." She remained a lap kitty for the rest of her life. Although Dick loved her very much, that didn't translate to proper veterinary care. Aspen had vomiting issues when we got her a year ago, after Dick's friends had reasons/ excuses for not taking her. We were just coming off a multi-year health struggle with our previous cat and we needed a break. We took Aspen because we felt it would not be fair to her to go back to another pet rescue.
Aspen immediately blended in with us. Her specialty was being at the breakfast table and finding the Post Crescent article we would be reading and curling up on top of it. She became very heavy and almost impossible to move. She just wanted to be with us and allowed us to attend to her personal hygiene including removing daily eye goo. She did struggle a bit when we medicated her orally because she was still a cat. After medicating and hygiene sessions, Aspen never held it against us and she continued her low purr of calm.
We saw glimpses of a happy Zen kitty at play and hanging out in her catnip scented bag. She loved looking out of our living room windows at the wildlife show taking place in our backyard.
Before we acquired Aspen, we had adopted a 100% feral cat from a rescue. Clarice stayed in her room for 6 months. It was only when Aspen came, that Clarice got the courage to explore the rest of our house. Aspen was like a consultant brought in to domesticate Clarice. Aspen accomplished what we could not. Clarice is now a happy house cat.
In the 12 months we had Aspen, we took her for 13 veterinary appointments. She had continued vomiting and losing weight. Her blood tests came back normal and an ultrasound was inconclusive. Aspen's conditions worsened to the point where steroids and hydration no longer helped to restore her quality of life. On a Friday evening, a few weeks ago, we took Aspen to the emergency vet clinic. An ultrasound showed a large mass had grown on her intestines. We then made the decision to no longer let Aspen suffer. She left this world later that evening in peaceful Zen kitty fashion. Where her spirit is now is not for us to say, but we do know that it lives within us.
WE DEEPLY MISS YOU ASPEN.