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Ernie Berry 1999-2003
May. 26th, 2003 10:18 pmAt 7pm on Memorial Day of 2003, Ernie Berry was put to sleep. He had been in good spirits the past couple of days after enduring another long distance move. He was very loving and cuddle-starved once we arrived here in Huntsville. Ernie explored JD's parents' home and had picked out a couple of rugs that he seemed to constantly stretch out on and demand people's attention. After growing out of kittenhood, Ernie rarely purred. The past 48 hours were filled with huge, big, contented purrs...which everyone noticed and commented about the past couple of days.
My parents and brother came over this afternoon for ribs and a mini-B-day party for myself. Shortly after they left, I realized that I hadn't seen Ernie after they arrived. As anyone who has moved with a pet knows, the darned things always seem to find their way outside and freak you out that they will be found at your old home in a few days/weeks. I found him in our bedroom breathing slow and heavy with a slight gargle sound in his purrs. We rushed him down to the North Alabama Animal Clinic. The vet told us that Ernie was having a heart attack and she needed to do some Xrays and other tests to verify. Ernie was immediately given oxygen and they did what tests they could without stressing him out. The Xrays showed that Ernie's heart was 2-3 times the normal size (a congenital problem, she said) and failing. She also showed me in the Xrays all of the fluid that had gathered in his lungs and the air that he had swallowed into his stomach as he'd been gasping for air. He wasn't going to make it and it was just a matter of how soon I was willing to put him to sleep.
I called JD and had her come down to the hospital. We both got to see and pet him one last time. She stuck around to be there while they put him under, but I had to go outside...I just didn't want to be there.
Ernie was a fantastic cat. He was a very good brother to Calvin. The two of them played together quite a bit. It was very good to see how well they got along and how Ernie seemed to accept Calvin as a brother. I had hoped that they would be able to continue that relationship longer than it was, of course.
My parents and brother came over this afternoon for ribs and a mini-B-day party for myself. Shortly after they left, I realized that I hadn't seen Ernie after they arrived. As anyone who has moved with a pet knows, the darned things always seem to find their way outside and freak you out that they will be found at your old home in a few days/weeks. I found him in our bedroom breathing slow and heavy with a slight gargle sound in his purrs. We rushed him down to the North Alabama Animal Clinic. The vet told us that Ernie was having a heart attack and she needed to do some Xrays and other tests to verify. Ernie was immediately given oxygen and they did what tests they could without stressing him out. The Xrays showed that Ernie's heart was 2-3 times the normal size (a congenital problem, she said) and failing. She also showed me in the Xrays all of the fluid that had gathered in his lungs and the air that he had swallowed into his stomach as he'd been gasping for air. He wasn't going to make it and it was just a matter of how soon I was willing to put him to sleep.
I called JD and had her come down to the hospital. We both got to see and pet him one last time. She stuck around to be there while they put him under, but I had to go outside...I just didn't want to be there.
Ernie was a fantastic cat. He was a very good brother to Calvin. The two of them played together quite a bit. It was very good to see how well they got along and how Ernie seemed to accept Calvin as a brother. I had hoped that they would be able to continue that relationship longer than it was, of course.
