Farewell Only (2006 - 2019)

Only crossed the Rainbow Bridge peacefully a few days ago at home nestled on my lap while the vet gave him his final injection.

Only Christmas 2018

We noticed last summer that Only had lost some weight and muscle mass. No other symptoms were evident. The vet checked him out and his blood work was fine. No tumors were felt and the scan did not show anything amiss.  A GI panel showed his B12 and folate low - an indication of either IBD or lymphoma.  We began a protocol of B12 shots, prednisolone and CBD oil with herbal and nutritional immune boosters. Being a rescue, we could not afford chemo for him, so we did not want to subject him to exploratory surgery.  We treated it as if it was lymphoma, the worst case scenario and hoped for the best.

Only a couple of weeks ago

 None of his treatments worked for long term. He began to lose more weight. Hiss appetite dropped severely and he developed diarrhea in his last few weeks.  We suspected cancer and knew the end was approaching. Only enjoyed his last days, going out on the porch, napping on Don's lap,  and cuddling with his siblings.

Only had a larger than life personality.  He was our Eddie Haskill (from the old TV show Leave it to Beaver) - always causing trouble with the other cats but acting all innocent when we came into the picture. 

Only sitting on Lily

When Don got the cat food ready, Only would get on the shelf above the counter and persistently tap Don's hat as if  he was saying "Hurry up".  If Only wanted to sit someplace other cats had already acquired, nothing fazed him.  He would just plunk himself down and put up with bites, swats and abuse until the other cat or cats left.  Only always got what he wanted.

Only on the right

Only in front with his litter mates and Lily

Even his name was unique.  As kittens, born under our back porch in Lily's third and final litter, Only and two litter mates were all white with smudges of black on their heads like paint got smeared  

on them. Two Spot had two smudges of black, Smidge has just a trace of black and Only had only one smudge - thus the name Only.  Little did we know that these bits of black fur would fade away as they got older!

Only in front, Two Spot behind

Only and Two Spot

Only bonded with Two Spot as kittens.  They were inseparable, even sleeping together.  All ears and long thin bodies. Two peas in a pod. When we caught them to bring them inside as young cats, we trapped them together before we caught the other cats and Lily.

Only with Two Spot

Only had large bedroom eyes - sleepy and intensely green.  I called him my Lounge Lizard.  I could see him making girls swoon, playing some musical instrument in a bar if he was a human.

Only loved to cuddle with us or his siblings but was very shy with others or if there was any unfamiliar noise.  He hid at the first sign of something new - burrowed under blankets, opened the old cabinet and hid in it.  Once at the vet Only tried to hide in the basket of dog toys before the vet came into the room.

Only with the whitesters

Under a blanket

In the toy box

A few weeks ago

We were his family and with us he was so easy going.  He would patiently let me pose him for holiday photos.  He even came when I called his name.  He even came for his nicknames - Only Baloney, Own Balone.

Only's gift to us was his ability to be totally himself all the time. He answered to no one but himself. He even had a goofy walk uniquely his, wiggling his hips from side to side.  Only was extraordinarily, uncommonly, singularly himself.

Snuggling with Tabitha on his last day.

On his last day, he was very unsteady on his feet but still stopped to play with his ball, and used the cat scratcher on the floor. I spoke to our animal communicator and she said Only wanted to be with the cats outside in the shelter one last time.  We had moved only inside with us a few months ago to better care for him. Don swaddled him in a fleece blanket and carried him out to see Snowball, Two Spot and the others.  Only seemed to settle down a bit once he had been with them.  

Napping on Don

We took turns talking to him, loving him up and telling him how much we will miss him. He napped on the sofa next to Don or myself.  Once the vet came, things went so peacefully and quietly.  Only was gone in a second.  We buried him with his favorite toy, wrapped in a soft fleece throw in a grave above Darby on our land with a red rose on his grave. We will get a stone with his name and dates in a few months.

We will never forget our little man and his enormous personality. We love you and miss you so much!

Until we meet again dear Only.

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