"Marina" <frankiennikki@yahoo.co.uk> wrote in message

Mega purrs for Frank's topsy-turvy tum-tum to feel better.

Purrs and Hugs,

Nan and the felinity felines

A wise man talks because he has something to say;
a fool talks because he has to say something.

Many purrs and many prayers that Frank is feeling well soon, that the
problem is easily solved and that he is home again before you know it!
Charleen

Oh dear Marina.  Hope he (and you) starts feeling a bit better very
soon-- and that you have as much happy time together as possible.

Theresa
Stinky Pictures: http://community.webshots.com/album/125591586JWEFwh
My Blog: http://www.humanitas.blogspot.com

Make Levees, Not War

Oh Marina...

With TLC he could make it and more. My heart aches for you & for Frank. He
is an incredibly special cat. I keep reminding myself with Francis that a
vet said I'd only have him for a few more days at the longest and here we
are... a year later, with a cat that loves life, and who is currently
playing the cello on the chair opposite me :)

I know you'll give Frank loads of TLC however much time he has on this
plane.

*hugs* helen s

I wish the news were better.

Our tiny dog, Willie developed kidney problems when she was about seven.  We
fed her K/D for years and it pretty much cleared up.  Of course it is a lot
easier to get a dog to eat something she doesn't much like than it is with a
cat.  Worst part of it was she was always hungry.  She lived to a good old
age.  But the last year of her life, we decided she had had a good run and
deserved some pleasure in exchange for any extra time.  We figured a dog
that was old and nearly blind and nearly deaf deserved to at least enjoy her
meals.  So we fed her what she liked as long as it didn't give her the runs.

Jo

Purrs and hugs. One never knows. My vet tells me that it's increasingly
common to see cats in their twenties, and active cats indeed. Clifford
(RB) was extremely vigorous until he developed a rapidly spreading
cancer a little before his 18th birthday.

Oh, Marina ... *hug*

<snip>

I hope he has at least another summer on the island, preferably more than
one. Still purring.

{{{hugs for both you and Frankie}}}
Lily & her mama
Jazz, RB

Mega purrs for Frank and his worried meowmie.

{{{{{{{{Marina & Frank}}}}}}}}

Purrs and Hugs,

Nan and the felinity felines

A wise man talks because he has something to say;
a fool talks because he has to say something.

{{{{Marina}}}} I am glad it looks like it's nothing major, but I'm so
sorry about his system starting to shut down.  Our Internet is 16, and
I'm sure we will be dealing with this soon, like we did with Sabra.
It's hard to watch the old guys slowly fading.

Purrs that Frank feels better soon and has much more time left to
share with you.

Ginger-lyn

Home Pages:
 http://www.spiritrealm.com/summer/
 http://www.angelfire.com/folk/glsummer (homepage & cats)
 http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~summer/index.htm (genealogy)
 http://www.movieanimals.bravehost.com/ (The Violence Against
                        Animals in Movies Website)

Oh, Marina! You've got our best, strongest purrs.

Dan

So sorry, Marina!  But at least, if it's just a matter of
old-age catching up with him, he's not really suffering - I
don't believe in keeping animals (or humans) with terminal
conditions alive just for my own comfort, but we all slow
down as we age, and animals are more accepting of the fact
than people.  He might have several years yet, before he
decides to give up.  I've had cats as old as twenty, and
I've read of some who reached twenty-five or so - it may not
happen as soon as you fear.

Here's to not one, buy many more summers in the island. He's still got
much to teach Mir-Mir and Caliban!

Victor

Many purrs for you and for Frank's health. It's so hard when they age so
much faster than we do. :-(

Deb.

{{{{{{{{{{Marina & Frank}}}}}}}}}}  I hope his tummy feels better soon in
the short term and that he defies your vets expectations in the long term.
He's a much loved very special boy and I wish him health and happiness.

Susan M
Otis and Chester

Lots and lots of purrs and best wishes for Frank to prove TED wrong and for
him (Frank) to enjoy many more summers at the island,

So do I, Marina,so do I.

Many many purrs coming Frank's way.

Yowie

Ah, Marina, I'm in tears!  Im trying to prepare myself for this with
Bandit - she's almost 16 now.  But no matter how we try, no matter what we
tell ourselves, it's never easy.

{{{{{{{{{{Marina and Frank}}}}}}}}}}

Here's something I'd written about Bandit a while back...

Looking into your eyes now, I don't see that sparkle of mischievousness that
used to make them glow with the joy of life and the exuberance of youth.
Instead there are spots there."Iris Pigmentation" the vet calls it, normal
for your age, something like liver spots in older people - yes, I'm familiar
with those. Your eyes are misted, cloudy with the years you've lived. But
those eyes still look at me with love and can still melt my heart. The power
of your eyes has not dimmed in the least.

Your fur is not as sleek and shiny now, you don't groom as much as when you
were a young and prideful girl - arthritis keeps you from bending as easily
as you once did. There are spots that are patchy and dry, places where the
hair is thinning (mine is thinning too, my love). Never mind, I will brush
your coat for you, tenderly smoothing those places that are now hard for you
to reach with your scratchy little tongue. My payment for all the times that
tongue lovingly dried the tears on my cheeks when life or love was treating
me badly.

Those legs, once powerful enough to leap to the highest perch, now tremble a
bit when you walk. My heart breaks when I see you eying a favorite napping
spot that you can no longer reach, and then quietly retreating to a corner
on the floor to rest. Be at ease my sweet, I will lift you to wherever you
want to go. I owe you that for all the times you lifted my heart and made me
laugh with your cavorting through the house in pursuit of a fly! I will be
there for you as you have always been for me. I can't run and play as I did
in my youth either, but we can sit together in front of a fire to warm our
tired old bones and reminisce about the time when we thought we could
conquer the world.

Your heart, once so strong and steady, now falters with age. Please, please
dear heart, keep beating. Defy the end and stay with me a little longer. My
own heart will break beyond repair when you are taken from me. Your tiny
heart has always been big enough to hold a whole universe full of love, and
generous enough to forgive me all my faults and stupid mistakes. Yours is
the only heart that has been ever steadfast and true, unlike so many others
that may have been bigger in physical size, but so much smaller in the
capacity to love and forgive. You have always accepted me as I am and never
faltered in your love and devotion to me. I will love you to the end and
beyond, I will never forget you after you have been forced to leave me. My
love will go beyond the grave and lift you to the farthest star, my dear.

I will always remember the gift you gave me, the greatest gift imaginable,
the gift of your life, the gift of your love. I can never repay what you
have given me. I stand in awe of your devotion to such a frail and fallible
soul such as me. The times I ignored you (when someone not nearly as
deserving took my attention from you), the times I left you to fend for
yourself while I took care of more "important" business - oh how those times
now sear my soul with their loss. How I wish now I could recapture those
lost chances to be with you. I know that our time together is so short now
and each second with you is precious beyond belief. Please make those
moments stretch out long enough to assuage my need for your purrs, your nose
kisses, your love.

You no longer pounce through our home with your tail held high, but that is
as it should be. The time we do have left can better be spent cuddled close,
in peace, softly dreaming of what was and hopeful of what will be.

My dear heart, may I have the grace to appreciate what we have, and the
courage to face what will come. I know I can never match your indomitable
spirit, your dignity, and your acceptance of what life brings, so please
lend me your faith that life is good as it is and death will bring peace and
a well deserved rest for a friend who is the best friend I will ever have.

Hugs,

CatNipped

Not in time for the TED purrs, but plenty of purrs that he holds
out for longer than anyone expects. As long as the quality of life
is there, and with you there to give him love and be his caregiver
and do what's best for him, I expect it will be for longer. Hugs
for you Marina.

Hugs. I know it is hard no matter what. I hope you can keep him comfy.
I can't even seem to get my cats to the double digits anymore :(   You
are doing a VERY good job.

Just saw this update, Marina -- glad he's able to be back home now.
Heartfelt purrs -- it is hard to get old -- cats, dogs, people.
(((Marina)))
Christine

{{{{Marina and Frank}}}

Gennie

...

Marina,
So do I.  It is so soon after losing Nikki to be going through this.
My heart aches for you.
I hope Frank hangs in there for more good times and another summer on the
island.
Annie

We are sending loving hugs and purrs for you and Frank. He is a
valiant old boy and we really hope he has another summer on the
island.

--
CATherine

Ah, Marina, I hope so too -- and maybe more summers after that.
But no matter how many years he gives you to prepare, you know
you won't really be prepared.

We know that whenever it comes it's going to hurt, so it seems
like we wouldn't need to have strong opinions about putting it
off -- but we do.

Purrs for long life and vigor for the sweet old fella.

Continue purrs for you and Frank from Rusty who also had tummy
problems for a long time last year.

Winnie

Ah Marina, I'm sorry to hear the news. You may have longer with him than
you expect though - I hope you do! When my Simon started treatment for
CRF at nearly nineteen, I really thought he had only months left, but he
made it to past his twenty first. The treatments available for older
cats now make such a difference to their quality of life, and that's the
important thing. Here's to lots more Uncle Frank stories from the island.

I've been preparing for this the last four years, but it's still hard to
face. He'll be 18 next month. I just hope he'll see another summer out
on the island.

I'm sorry to hear this.  I don't think all the preparation in the world
will keep us from wanting out kitties to be with us forever, even if we
know that they can't.  I hope you get to spend at least another summer
and hopefully more summers with him.

Many purrs for Frank.  I realized when thinking about our move in 2007
(when DP gets his medical residency) how quickly the time has
gone...Nox will be 6, Smokey 7+ when we move.  Senior-cat-food time for
pokey.  And then I take an extra moment to pet my kitties with the time
we have.

--Fil