The Rowdy Rozsas: Max the Cat

Today, I am very sad to tell everyone that our fat cat, Max, was put to sleep. We had a feeling that he had been ill for some time, although his last check-up in October didn't reveal anything serious. Yesterday, Mykola dropped off Max for some more blood work, and the report wasn't good news.

Max had a severe, severe case of diabetes. A cat's sugar level should be somewhere between 90 and 149. Max's was 647. He had also lost 7 pounds since his last visit. The only option was to treat him with insulin shots twice a day, and monitor him monthly to see if it was even helping him at all. The vet said that due to his age and the severity of the disease, it was possible that the injections would not help him at all.

After Mykola and I talked about our options, I discussed it with Kolya. While he was upset, he understood what was happening and how sick Max was. Kolya was my helper when I was pregnant and had gestational diabetes. He brought me my medicine everyday, twice a day, and therefore knew that's what Max had to look forward to. (See, everything happens for a reason - even my gestational diabetes!) None of us wanted for him to go through that, and none of us wanted to be the one to have to stick him with a needle. That's not the life to which he was accustomed.

So, this morning I made the dreaded phone call to the vet clinic and spoke with Dawn. I apologized to her for making her cry, but it was one of the hardest phone calls I've ever had to make. Max was and will always be a part of our family. He was a wonderful cat who wanted nothing more than to be "loved on" be every person who walked through our door! He sensed every time I was pregnant, and would curl up along my legs and guard my belly! Max was gentle and loving, and we all will miss him dearly and forever!

Max in December 1999 - it took he and his sister, Maggie, a while to come out and play after we brought them home from the pound!

Max and Maggie "attacking" some birds in the feeder Mykola cruelly placed just outside the window. Everyone knows Max wouldn't attack anything - even a live mouse!!