# Ratz' story



## tori (Sep 16, 2009)

This is about my beloved puss Ratz.

Ratz was the niece of Bob my ginger Tom, his sister was a ginger female (which I believe are not seen that often) and she broked her leg when she was attacked by an Alsation on the campsite.

Bob my ginger tomcat bought the kitten Ratz in his mouth and plonked her outside my doorstep of the caravan. She must have been about one week old she was so tiny I could lay her in the palm of my hand. We handfed her and when we came to leave the campsite we took her with us with Bob.

Ratz never grew that big, she weighed 3kg and acted and looked like a kitten for her five years of life. She was a very shy cat, never learnt to hunt and hated it when Bob killed birds and insects.
Her best friend was a blackbird which used to sit with her when she lay in the sunshine.

Ratz was a brilliant companion, she looked after me when I was ill never leaving my side, would watch tv with me and even sit on my lap when I was on the computer (I do a lot of writing) She slept snuggled into my chest and we were very close.

Anyway, I decided that i wanted to return home to England as I get so homesick in Spain and took her for her rabies jab. Three days later one morning she wouldnt eat breakfast, I thought this was just her having an off day and sat with her on the settee all day, she seemed quite calm then at 11pm at night she was sick, started drinking copious amounts of water then wet herself screamed and died.

I was and still am heartbroken, this happened only in July and it is still very raw as I am tormented that it was my fault that maybe if she hadn;t had the rabies jab she would have been here today or was it a coincidence? I told the vet and he denied that rabies jabs could do that and said she must have choked on some cotton ??????? This is impossible as I dont often sew.
Anyway I will post some photos and get off now as I feel sad again now and guilty, terribly guilty like it was my fault she died and I miss her so much. Sorry Ratz I only wanted to do what was best for us xxxxxxxxxx


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## PureMuttz (Jul 3, 2009)

Ratz was a very beautiful cat. I have a soft spot for the tortoiseshells.

I am so sorry that you lost her so suddenly and without a known reason.

I lost a dog a few years ago like that. She didn't have any weird behaviors, in fact she greeted me at the door when I got home around 6am, her usual happy tail-wagging kissy self. My mother woke me up when she was found deceased at 8am.

I think it adds an extra dose of grief when you don't even know WHY they're gone. Of course it runs through your head "What if/Could I have done something different/etc".


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## tori (Sep 16, 2009)

Hi I agree with you I think not knowing why is bad as I am always thinking what if she hadnt had the rabies jab and did I do something wrong and why did she die so young when she was so happy days before?
I need to focus on the happy memories but its difficult at times due to the guilt. Has anyone ever heard of a cat dying due to rabies jab? I was told it is not a live virus therefore could not have caused death but when I googled it there were people whose dogs had died


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## PureMuttz (Jul 3, 2009)

I think just about everything comes with a risk, even a very minimal one. Vaccines, flea treatments, and even pet food (recalls = risks).

I never had any issues with the Rabies vaccine with my own cats. My male, Jethro, did get real quiet and hid for a day, wouldn't eat, after he got his vaccines+rabies, but it's not an uncommon reaction.

It's hard though, because the Rabies is required by law (at least where I'm at, it is) so you don't really get a choice on whether or not to give it to your pets.


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## my5kitties (Sep 13, 2005)

Ratz was a certainly a beautiful girl. My heart goes out to you on the sudden loss of your precious Ratz.


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## tori (Sep 16, 2009)

Thank you for your kind comments. I have had many cats and everyone was special but you know she was such a special little girl so gentle and intelligent never ever scratched me or got moody. I wish I could stop feeling so sad about it. All I keep remembering is how she cried when she was dying and I cant get it out of my head and I try to think of all the happy times together. I need to sort my head out dont I. I think what makes it sad is that she was so close to Bob my other cat (her uncle) and he misses her and sits on her little grave, I have made a big fuss of him but he still goes looking for her. Sorry for going on...


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## LilRed (Jul 16, 2008)

I am so sorry too. She was beautiful. I like the shape of her face and I love torties. Thanks for sharing her pictures and story with us. I know how you feel. I adopted a stray cat and only had her for 7 months when she suddenly passed away. But I was tormented for quite some time not knowing why this had happened to her. Remembering the way she looked over her shoulder at me the last time I saw her alive as I left for work, I wondered if I had stayed home could I have saved her? I will never know what happened to my girl and you will never know either. But you do know you gave her life when you saved her as a kitten. Sounds to me like she had a beautiful life and lots of love from you. So try to think about the things you know, things that are true, like how special she was, instead of suffering for the things you don't. I hope you find some peace.


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## tori (Sep 16, 2009)

LilRed said:


> I am so sorry too. She was beautiful. I like the shape of her face and I love torties. Thanks for sharing her pictures and story with us. I know how you feel. I adopted a stray cat and only had her for 7 months when she suddenly passed away. But I was tormented for quite some time not knowing why this had happened to her. Remembering the way she looked over her shoulder at me the last time I saw her alive as I left for work, I wondered if I had stayed home could I have saved her? I will never know what happened to my girl and you will never know either. But you do know you gave her life when you saved her as a kitten. Sounds to me like she had a beautiful life and lots of love from you. So try to think about the things you know, things that are true, like how special she was, instead of suffering for the things you don't. I hope you find some peace.



Thanks for that, that is a nice way of putting it that i gave her life and I spoilt her rotten! Sorry about your stray, I know there are probably lots of people on this forum who have experienced loss and all our cats are special to us. How long do you think it will be until I stop feeling so bad? Its night I miss her most when i go to bed as she always slept with me snuggled up


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## Zachariah Atteberry (Sep 2, 2009)

Hi, I know how it feels to lose a cat, i lost my first cat midnight i had for 1 year to an "unknown cause"

i also have a soft spot for for tortoise shells. The cat was sure a beautiful one. I wish your cat a happily ever after in the 
Rainbow Bridge, as people said before, You gave her life, you gave her everything she could of not had if you saved her that one faithful day, be proud of that fact she lived longer then she would have if you didn't take her in.

Its about how we treasure the heart loving and the precious times with our loved ones and cats before its time to go in to the world of never ending play and happiness, known as the Rainbow Bridge, That really matters the most in the life of a cat.

The Best thing a cat owner can really do is give a cat a good healthy life from life to death, And you definitely did that. Accidents and tragedys do happen in this world, Sadly. Don't feel to guilty everything comes with a risk, So its not your fault more then it is fate, your cat would want you to feel better and you should, you tried your best for your cat and thats what really matters,
I't wasn't your fault for what happened to your cat atback 

It will take a few weeks maybe a few months, it all depends on the owner of the cat, it took me 2 months to get over midnight without crying thinking about her, So NO cat owner can tell you the real amount of days, its all reliant on your heart and feelings of the human.

One day you 2 will become one again <3
I sincerely, hope you feel better soon, Best of luck and healing thoughts are with you =]

"love till the end is without regrets, but not without memory's <3"
May Ratz rest in peace, Love, and harmony, Shes in a better place now.
She will always be in your heart, and the hearts of many this has touched.
~Zach~


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## tori (Sep 16, 2009)

Oh Zacharia
Thank you for those kind words and for the beautiful poem it was very touching thank you.
You are right, I have to focus now on the happy memories and there were plenty and I suppose that as I had to hand feed her who knows if she would have survived without her cat mother as she was so young when I got her.
I have lots of photos of her and thankfully film footage on the video camera and her on you tube which makes me cry, but one day i can look at the footage and giggle happily remembering th joy she bought into our lives!
Thank you you have made me smile  x

Here is her you tube appearance, a songwriter friend of ours liked ratz so much he wanted her in his video!
It is shot in benidorm Spain

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ha_TIStkGOY


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## Jeanie (Jun 18, 2003)

What a beautiful cat! I'm sure it was a terrible shock to you when she died, but please don't blame yourself! Our gracious God lends us, trusts us with his precious little creatures for a little while. They bring us such joy and enlarge our hearts so that we are capable of more and more love. What a wonderful lesson they teach us. 

You gave this baby a wonderful life, and, of course, you will cry for her. How we wish we could lengthen their lives. But God knows every sparrow that falls. He knows that Katz is purring for the angels now, and that your heart is broken. If your heart is sad, God knows and will be with you when you need Him. We have to cry. Some day, perhaps, you will save another needy kitten, and your heart will grow even more. May God bless you and give you peace.


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## razzle (May 20, 2010)

Tori I think Ratz might of had a bad reaction to the rabies vaccine. 

I brought my healthy cat, Isis, to the vet's to get his shots. The newbie vet gave him his shots and I went out to bring my 2 dogs in to get their shots. I came back in the exam room and the cat was not right. He was vomiting. The vet gave him Compazine to help with the vomiting then she went out to talk to the experienced vet. I was holding my Isis and he suddenly froze, I guess you'd call it, I ran out of the room and the vets were there. They couldn't save him. God I was so upset. Here I brought my Isis to the vet's to get shots to keep him healthy and he dies. The vets asked if they could do an autopsy and I agreed. The report said that Isis had an anaphylactic shock to the rabies vaccine. So they stopped using that rabies vaccine. All I could think of was why did this have to happen to my cat? That happened back in in the late 1970's. I still cry about it. He was only 5 years old, and I loved him so much. He was all black except for white hairs coming out of his ears. Now when my cats get a rabies vaccine I wait at least 15 minutes to see if they have a bad reaction to it. I'm still mad at that new vet for not knowing this was going on. Yes anaphylactic shock is rare but I would think vets and doctors would be taught about this. God I still miss him. 


Kathy


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