CATZILLA: Luna Black Cat, Late Stage Kidney Failure... Farewell! (Or See You Later!)

Luna Black Cat
Late Stage Kidney Failure... Farewell Soon

13 April 2022, Wednesday, 9:21 PM

We had Luna for almost five years as of now, he should be around 7 years old in 2022. A week ago, from April 6th (Wednesday), he began showing insecurity or extra clinginess and began climbing from the kitchen sa likod ng bahay up to my room, which he never did before. He looks scared of being alone, as if something was wrong. By Saturday April 9th, he began to lose weight again. He was always anorexic since 2020; would gain weight and at some point abruptly lose weight again, an on and off cycle.

Yesterday, April 12th (Tuesday), Luna began showing symptoms of late stage kidney failure. There was the visibly sunken eyes, he was teary eyed, worsening anorexia, wobbly walk, and incontinence. The symptoms only showed up yesterday. I took it as signs that that he would have to leave us soon.

Today, April 13th (Wednesday), I was able to (several times today) give him dextrose through the mouth and he responded with a little energy to lick his spoonful of nutritious food. He was even able to go to CR on his own. His ears were cold, but the body was safely warm. I'm still hoping he would get back in shape... too much to wish for at this stage.

[UPDATE: April 14th, Thursday, at 12:35PM, I checked on him every hour but by now he was having a seizure. The body was not moving but his left arm was thrashing. Luna already left us. He was immediately buried beside Angel. It was a bittersweet farewell, he will be suffering no more.]

LUNA'S HEALTH HISTORY

Luna was generally healthy but already showed some signs when he was still a stray cat in 2017. These include food allergy or irritable bowel and coughing out food. Health wasn't bad until his first bout of pneumonia in early 2020 due to cold aircon, two more instances occurred that year. By late 2020, he had jaundice from liver failure and we all thought he would already die. His health finally improved early 2021 after doing all I could to give him. No more jaundice. 2021 was a good year or recovering from anorexia, and early 2022 he began to gain more weight. Just when you think all is good, there goes the bad signs again.

Simula 2020, palagi ko binibigay sa kanya halos lahat ng ulam ko, I only get the skin or fat part. Because he needs a wet diet and real meat, not the dry kibbles since his dental problems has been giving him problems. Since 2020, his diet consist of wet food, health supplements, fish oil rich in anti-inflammatory Omega-3, virgin coconut oil, multivitamins with chlorella and taurine and lysine, probiotics, kalabasa, Vitamin B, etc.

Looking back at 2020, it's a blessing that his life was extended for one and a half year until now. Umaasa pa naman ako na we could still have many more years together, even reach his 20th year. He has been suffering since 2020, if he would pass soon, then it must be a relief for him and we could somehow accept. Yung loss of friendship talaga ang pinakamasakit sa lahat. Unlike the deaths of Tiger and Angel which happened abruptly (they were extremely healthy) but died too soon within a week.

FRIENDSHIP WITH LUNA WAS SPECIAL

Luna is a special cat, also my smartest cat. Iba siya sa lahat ng pusa namin. He was always looking for me since stray pa siya, as in nagaantay sa labas just to see me. He doesn't even want food but my company, ako talaga yung inaabangan niya. Siya lang yung pusa namin na buddy ang turing sa akin, he could never stand being separate from me. Kahit naliligo ako, nakabantay sa labas ng door. The other cats, they think of me as their slave and food dispenser and leave me once they get what they want.

Super friendly

No attitude problem

Not a hint of meanness

Always a friend

Very intelligent cat

KIDNEY FAILURE IS IRREVERSIBLE

Ilan sa mga symptoms ng end stage kidney failure in cats ay dull sunken eyes, inability to walk, body odor, frequently drinking water, incontinence, refusal to eat or drink, confusion, pacing and restlessness. Ang average lifespan ng mga pusa na magsimula pakita ng end-stage symptoms ay 35 days on average. Liver and kidney failure are irreversible, kaya supportive care lang ang magagawa natin for them to slow down the progression. Dapat ay mga diet na mababa sa phosphorus and protein, rich in Vitamin D, virgin coconut oil, and omega-3 (anti-inflammatory). During their final days, bigyan na lang natin sila ng company and love natin. The loss of that friendship which cannot be found elsewhere hurts the most.

Photo Album ni Luna

https://photos.app.goo.gl/Btyd7KBa6F9gz9ys7

Video Playlist ni Luna

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-bLdVTY4kExzIjTayXMrt6jH9BFO4UW2

Essay on select photos ni Luna...

23 October 2017, Monday, 2:41 PM

I first saw Luna sa labas ng bahay

sa simula ng Oktubre 2017.

Paalis ako nito and papunta sa

Manila Baywalk to do photowalk.

Video link: https://youtu.be/khkzNnQZVKs

23 October 2017, Monday 2:43PM

This photo was my first picture of him.

Hinahabol niya ako while I was already leaving.

8 November 2017, Wednesday, 1:58 AM

Testing my Nikkor-O 35mm f/2.

Pagkabukas ko ng gate namin,

si Luna agad sasalubong

with a loud jolly greeting.

21 November 2017, Tuesday, 12:02 AM

Nikon D5200

Helios 44M-6 58mm f/2

Gumagawa ako ng night time lens test sa labas.

Luna frequently crashes the sessions

so I particularly set this just for him.

18 December 2017, Monday

(Photo of Tiger, shot 12:25AM. Luna and I went for a walk afterward.)

Pupunta sana ako Burger Machine Mayon. Luna was very eager to follow me at the time, so we went together for a walk. It took us one hour to get there because he kept stopping from fear of the new scents and sounds. Later we reached Amoranto Park, he decided to stop there and wait for me. I went further to BM and returned to the park. It was very dark, there was a tree newly pruned at the time and a pile of branches left. I heard Luna calling from there and we met again. Our way back home was much easier without stops. I ran along the sidewalk while he ran and hopped like a jaguar to chase me. It was five blocks on our way home. It was fun and I always wanted to do it again, pero hindi na naulit yung walk.

11 February 2018, Sunday, 2:53 PM

Nikon D5200

Soligor 105mm f/2.8

Luna chilling and lounging sa sidewalk

9 March 2018, Friday, 3:18 PM

Minolta MC Rokkor-PF 58mm f/1.4

Nikon D5200

Ito si Luna, frequently sleeping on

and destroying my plants

13 April 2018, Friday, 4:50 PM

Ito yung isa sa mga proof na

nag aabang si Luna sa labas

just waiting for me to come out.

He gives me that loud jolly greeting

every time he sees me.

8 June 2018, Friday, 11:54 AM

This was the last photo of Luna as an outdoor stray cat. He almost drowned during a flood on June 13th. It was about past 5:30PM, umulan nang malakas for half an hour. Tumatawag ako sa labas ng bahay pero no response from Luna, which is highly unusual dahil palagi niya ako inaabangan. Assuming he was probably somewhere safe. As soon as I went inside and closed the door, he began screaming for help outside. I ran outside, located his calls coming from under the chassis of a car beside us, just behind the wheel. I had to yank him out from behind the wheel because he was already drowning during the flood and NOT cooperating. The next day, Luna became our permanent house cat.

25 June 2018, Monday, 2:56 PM

One month lang sila magkasama

ni Tiger dito sa bahay.

Tiger died on July 16th.

Video link: https://youtu.be/ZoIprtdvQoM

7 August 2018

Isang buwan naging tahimik

si Luna after Tiger died.

Depressed, and always

hiding in a corner.

Video link: https://youtu.be/AmQnE5XUrIs

26 September 2018, Wednesday

Nagrereklamo si Luna when he saw Angel here. First day ni Angel sa bahay. Nagiisa si Luna so he was given company, malungkot talaga siya all the time since Tiger died. Ironic lang... both Tiger and Angel already died, Luna outlived them.

6 October 2018, Saturday, 2:44 PM

One of the very few portraits of Luna

(dahil palagi siya natutulog and

does not cooperate with pictorials).

30 October 2018, Tuesday, 12:29 PM

Luna is literally litter training Angel.

Angel copies him.

Filmed May to June 2019

Luna being the loud chatty cat before being neutered.

Video link: https://youtu.be/wCTnWkcnYQw

10 June 2019, Monday, 1:49 PM

Palagi natutulog si Luna.

Luna was neutered on June 6th.

His only offspring Pepper born June 20th.

25 July 2019, Thursday, 12:07 AM

One month after Pepper was born.

Tatlo na sila pusa sa bahay.

27 November 2019, Wednesday, 2:56 PM

FUJIFILM X-T10

Minolta AF Zoom 75-300mm f/4-5.6

27 May 2020, 1:58 AM

Pepper showing love to papa Luna

Video link: https://youtu.be/9i6ZalQTSk8

10 February 2021, Wednesday, 8:33 AM

Luna is recovering from liver failure at this time. Wala na yung jaundice niya. He is getting alot of wet food and supplements. Months of effort paid off and he got a second chance in life.