A Tribute to Jasmine

Yesterday was a sad day in our house as our beloved cat, Jasmine, passed away right before our eyes. She has been with us for over 7 years. She lived with us in two different apartments in Chicago, made the road trip out west, and welcomed us at our apartment in downtown Portland. When we bought our house last summer, she was very happy to finally have more space and a backyard to roam freely whenever she pleased. While Emily was working from home for her father's company, Jas was there to keep her company while I worked long hours in the lab during grad school.
We adopted Jas from the animal shelter in Chicago. After returning from our honeymoon, we noticed that she had lost considerable weight so we took her to my brother for a vet checkup. She was diagnosed with a thyroid disorder and FIV (feline immunodeficiency virus). Because the potential thyroid treatments contain immunosuppressants, the treatment would only exacerbate her FIV condition. She was given 1 year to live; that was 3 years ago. We took the best care of her as we could and fed her as much as she would eat, however she was slowing losing weight due to her thyroid condition. During the last few months, we could see a decline in her activity, and she could no longer jump up on the couch. Despite her ailing health, she retained her lovable charm and warm compassion.
When we returned from our recent trip to Chicago (we'll post about it later), Jas had taken a turn for the worse and stopped eating. We immediately scheduled a vet appointment, but could not get her in until 5:30PM. As we waited in the exam room for the vet, we opened her carrier such that she could walk around. Her strength was dropping exponentially, and she could not fully stand without falling back down. It was very sad to see her struggle. As she laid in the carrier, I could see her fading away....but I had to continually try to convince Em that everything would be OK and the vet could give her some IVs or something to make her better. Then I saw a tuft of her fur land on her eyeball and she did not even blink to get it off of her eye. I knew at this point that the situation was dire. I kept petting her and trying to stimulate her to keep her alive. The vet was still not in the exam room. I told a teary eyed Em to run to the receptionist and tell them to get a vet into the room immediately. I looked at Jas and saw her breathing becoming shallow with more time elapsing between each breath. And then I could no longer see her breathing. The vet walked into the room and searched for a heartbeat, but none was to be found. It was too late. Based on her declining health and the low probability of success, we agreed that it would not be appropriate to try to resuscitate. We took her home and gave her a proper burial in her favorite sleeping spot in the backyard amongst the flowerbed. We laid a few of her favorite toys with her.

We have both lost loved ones in the past, but this is our first time experiencing loss together. I have always struggled with loss, but this time it hits even harder as she died right before my eyes and I felt helpless to change the situation. It makes me even sadder to see how much this hurts Em. She has a bigger heart than I, and she always has a soft spot for cute furry animals.

We definitely miss her company around the house, and we will never forget her lovable attitude. We sign off today with a few of our favorite pics through the years.......

when we first brought her home from the shelter, she was shy and would hide under furniture

she soon warmed up to us and started exploring our first Chicago apartment...this time getting caught in between the glass and screen door to the balcony. :)

she liked hanging out in the loft at our Clybourn apartment in Chicago (our second place together) as it gave her a birds-eye view of the entire place

During countless visits from the Kern's in Portland, Zoe and Jas would jockey for control of the coveted spot to snuggle on Em's lap. Even though Jas never got along with Zoe (despite Zoe's innocent attempts to play), they would tolerate each other in close proximity only when snuggling with Em.

so vain when she stared at herself in the mirror ;)

....looking comfy in her little bed