 Buster. 10 Aug 2009 - 8 Aug 2023
Buster arrived here at Pets Niagara with his step-sister, Queenie, as permanent residents. Conversations with their lady had started during August, 2018. She knew with the serious medical challenge she was facing that she would need to move into a retirement residence and that she wouldn't be allowed to take her beloved felines with her. But, she loved her kitties so much that she wanted to be absolutely sure that they would be well taken care of for the remainder of their lives. Buster's lady described him as independent, but will loyal and will follow you anywhere, just like a dog. Buster is laid back and once he trusts you he is very loving. Buster is neutered with rabies vaccine and blood work up to date. Buster is about 7 years old. Buster enjoys going outside, but would be quite happy to stay indoors. He does have one eye that blind and quite clouded over. His then veterinarian has indicated that this is causing him no pain and enucleation of the eye is not required.
Buster had been adopted by her lady from the Seaway Mall, Welland outlet for the Niagara Falls and Welland Humane Societies, during 2015. At that time she learned that Buster's birthday had been assigned as August 10, 2009. So, as of now, Buster has been in 3 homes certainly through no fault of his own.
On his first visit with his veterinarian on November 18, 2015, his vet recorded on his Pet Health Card that Buster was "bright and has a health curiosity. He has good body conformation with normal weight and muscle mass for his age and breed. Hydration and body temperature are completely normal. Eyes are bright and clear. Ears appear normal and healthy with no signs of parasites or infection. The heart is strong and healthy. Each heart valve sounds normal. There are no murmurs. The pulse has a normal rate and strength with a regular rhythm. Normal reflexes, perception and mental attitude. No lameness, limping or joint pain. No swelling or abnormalities such as arthritis or muscle wasting. He has a few mats. No behavioral problems were reported. Overall, your cat is fit, handsome and in excellent health." The reason for his visit was a general exam and dematting of his fur. Buster is a long hair feline with very thick fur. His has a healthy hair coat and skin. Buster's fur needs regular brushing to keep the mats away, but while he was with her lady she was routinely groomed by his veterinarian.
Like Queenie, Buster's one bug-a-boo are his teeth. He has been through several dental surgeries and overall has had numerous teeth removed over the years.
Buster and Queenie arrived with a bag of Purina Pro Plan dry food, which I was successful in using to transition them both to wet food. They both have covered cozy beds and while Queenie prefers snuggling into my bed, Buster really likes his covered bed. They are both purring, so I take that as a good sign. It was necessary to also integrate Buster and Queenie into the space with two other residents, Lily and Teddy. Teddy wasn't up for the challenge so he moved upstairs with Bunny and Alexandros. Buster and Queenie, though, from the moment they arrived were wonderful! They were both doing very well, were very happy and settling in well. Lily, even today (2024), is tolerant of new sanctuary residents but not what I had hoped for and become a playmate for them.
Buster truly is a special little soul. Quiet. No fuss and such a very good boy. He has been easy to train to permit and even enjoy nail trimming and frequent brushing.
In December of 2022 Buster visited his veterinarian for a health check following the sudden loss of his step-sister, Queenie to an aggressive lung cancer. My main concern was to be certain that Buster didn't have the same condition brewing in his lungs and his vision seemed to be decreasing in his good eye. Full blood work and viral testing was done. His blood work was good and revealed no indication of liver disease. His STMA was slighty above the maximum level, 17 over by 3 points of 14, indicating a stage 1 or 2 kidney disease, certainly a good stage for control of any further kidney damage. The one surprise that was revealed was that Buster was FIV positive. He had never been viral tested while he was with his lady, nor while he was at the Seaway Mall adoption centre. But, as he did have a history of outdoor privileges and had come home with a few deep injuries on a few occasions, the FIV diagnosis was not entirely a shock. He was FelV negative. Buster's lymphocytes were normal as were the globulins so there was then no active infections. Having experience in caring for FIV felines and knowing that Buster had been indoor-only since he arrived here, I had no misgivings that he should be able to continue to live a healthy and full live, here.
Little did I know that we would only have another 8 months with Buster. Over this 8 months his eyesight became increasingly poorer. Again, experience with my blind grandfather put me in a good position to know how to keep Buster happily finding his way around his home and finding his dinner with no accidents. His failing eyesight was no difficulty.
We lost Buster just two days before his 14th birthday on 10 August 2023. About a month earlier I noticed that he had a small hard growth on his right jaw line. It rapidly grew larger and off to the vet we went. His vet immediately realized that this was likely a form of an aggressive oral sarcoma, something that I had experienced with another one of my FIV pets many years ago, and something that I had also suspected. At that point, Buster was still eating and quite happy. To be cautious his vet prescribed Gabapentin twice a day for any pain and Cyproheptadine twice a day to keep Buster's appetite up. In the textbook fashion of oral carcinomas the lump continue to grow quite rapidly. With a few weeks Buster stopped eating and just didn't enjoy any of the comforts he had before. It was time to say goodbye and that painful appointment was made with his vet. Buster's ashes will be buried along with his step-sister's, Queenie's, at Pets Niagara's plot at Eden Pet Cemetery outside of London, Ontario.
Thank you, Buster, for the amazing 4 years that we had with you. Oh, how we wish it could have been longer. How I had hoped that you would live to celebrate your 15th birthday. You were such a loving soul and never far away from my side. We will remember you every day and will honour your life and memory in having your photo, paw and nose prints and fur clipping take pride of place in our Much-Loved Pets gallery.
We want to thank all of Wilson's Animal Hospital staff and Buster's veterinarian for all the care that they provided to Buster during his time with Pets Niagara.
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