So Long Sweet Panda

 

Panda, bottom left with her buddies.  Haley is next to her, Shady's back end next to Haley and Echo.  Up top is Gracie.

Panda again bottom left.  Above her--Gracie.  Next to Panda, on the pillow is Nemo, who is Starry's brother.  And finally, far right, Soloman, Panda's brother.

In all her days here, I didn't get to pet Panda until her last three.

She couldn't walk anymore very well and hadn't eaten in the last three days.  She just wasn't interested. I kept her hydrated with sub cu fluids or she would have gone a week ago.

She had an episode two weeks or so back, and then afterwards fell off the cat runs twice.  I finally put her in the bathroom, with a heat pad in a carrier bed for her, which she liked very much.  She wandered out a couple of times, to go lay on the window shelf, then couldn't make it there anymore.

So today was the day and I said goodbye.  She was about 16 years old.

Old age is just not fun.

She was semi wild her whole life here, and greeted me with a hiss, as if that was the normal hello, whenever I got a little too close.  She was extremely loved by the other old gals of the family, especially Shady, Echo and Haley.   They were her besties.

Before I took her over to the vet, I took the bird lady for an outing to Panera.  I'd found a gift card I'd not used yet and we used it, got tuna salad sandwiches and chocolate crossaints, which are to die for.  We drove to Three Lakes County Park to sit in the car and eat.  Not much to see there but I couldn't think of anywhere else.  

She talked how her life had changed since the fall she took.  Then it was a year before she could get back surgery, to repair the painful damage done to her back, that eventually caused one leg and foot to go mostly numb.  But it was probably too long and damage was done  and she can't walk more than a few steps now and always with a walker, so she can't drive anymore.  She said a week ago she just broke down sobbing over it all.  Now she's confined to her house 24/7 pretty much.  The lonliness and lack of freedom get to her and the boredom.   Oh boy, I didn't know what to say because I know exactly how she feels.

I told her I'm off work all summer and we can do things.  I've got an old wheelchair here, I can put in the car, I told her.   I told her we'll go to Walmart and run around in their electric carts, for one thing.  

Course the cost of gas puts a damper on everything and all plans now.  

So long my dear Panda girl.  I love you.  You were such a familiar part of home.  We will all miss you.