In Memory of Ajay

I finally started a blog, and my first posting is in memory of our lovely cat Ajay. He grew sick over the last week, we think because he ate some of the cat food recently recalled by Menu Foods. His poor kidneys shut down and we had to put him to sleep. He was a great guy, the best cat I ever owned.....please feel free to read on for more details.
About a week and a half ago, he started to get sick, throwing up, and just seemed generally a little lethargic. We took him to our vet (Dr. Morrissey at the Altoona Vet Hospital in Altoona, IA) to have them take a look at him last Friday before we made our way up north to Minnesota to see some of our friends for a birthday party.

When we got back on Monday we found out his kidney values were through the roof. Our vet recommended we hospitalize him for a couple days and give him IV fluids to help flush the kidneys and thus bring his levels down. We also had an ultra-sound done to check his kidneys to make sure they didn't have any stones, crystals, etc.

He normally weighs between 11.7-12 pounds, a healthy weight for a cat his size. On Monday, he was down to 10.8 pounds. After his IV fluids we rechecked his kidney values, only to find that they went up, not down. A sure sign, along with the fact that he wouldn't eat, that he was fading away.

We brought him home on Wednesday night, hoping that being home would encourage him to eat and maybe get some strength back. Unfortunately he continued to not eat, and continued to get weaker. On Friday we took him back to the vet, after having him on some medication to help his kidneys, while the number was a little lower, it was still 7 times the number considered the "high end of normal". Also, on Friday he weighed only 9.9 pounds, he'd lost almost two pounds in just a little over a week. It was obvious to him and to our vet that the time had come to let him go. We were told there was really nothing else we could do, even if we had all the money in the world, there was really nothing that could save him.

On Saturday, Dan and I took Ajay to the vet so he could rest in peace, free of the pain and sickness that was slowly killing him. I can honestly say it was the hardest day I can remember for a very long time. I don't ever remember crying that hard or for that long. My husband was great, trying to comfort me even as he cried and morned for our son, only a little over five years old, not nearly enough time on this earth for a cat with so much life and personality. We will be missing him, mourning him, and expecting to see him waiting for us in the window when we get home for a long time. If we do find out after his autopsy that is was the Iams pet food (Menu Foods) that killed him, you can bet I'll sign up for the class action lawsuit faster than you can imagine. Maybe if these people loose enough money from the lawsuits of other pet owners like me who have lost, or come close to loosing there pets, maybe, just maybe, they will stop using overseas companies, like the one in China that caused this problem, to help process their pet foods.

Enough with the sad, I've cried through writing most of this post....I guess maybe I tried to start it sooner than I should have, but I wanted to get something out there, in memory of my little furry son. Please see some great pictures of him below....you'll see what I mean about him having so much personality.


Ajay LOVED boxes, any shape or size, he'd try to fit into them.

Ajay was a very trusting cat, not afraid of strangers. He'd go right up to you, sniff you for a while to make sure you were okay, then he'd either take off and go sleep (one of his favorite past-times) or flop on his back a little out of your reach and wait for you to pet, scratch or rub his tummy. My cat, almost like a dog, loved to have his tummy rubbed.


We found out shortly after my husband got his PlayStation2 as a wedding gift that Ajay thought it would be fun to play with it too....
He loved to sleep, anytime, anywhere, almost any position. But he especially like to sleep on Daddy's hands...

He liked the Christmas tree....and our laundry basket if he was able to get into the closet.











Daddy and I love you baby boy, and we miss you terribly.....we will never forget you.