Over the last 5 months as Client Care Coordinator at mt. tabor veterinary care, I have gotten to know many of you well. During your visits, I have had the opportunity to share a lot about my sweet kitty Ruffles, who has spent the last two months courageously fighting lymphoma. Because so many of you have expressed concern about us, I wanted to share his story and the sad news that on September 22^nd he wearied of his battle and passed on surrounded by his family.

Ruffles, short for Rutherford, came into our lives in early 2004. I had been working for Cat Adoption Team for almost a year and had fallen in love with my fair share of homeless kitties. I missed out on adopting one adorable long-haired boy, so when my boyfriend said he had found a sweet orange-haired boy while volunteering at the Tigard Petsmart outreach location, I rushed over to meet him. His name was Tony, and he was a serious, wise looking, long-haired orange tabby. He had only been at the shelter for a couple of days after he and his two companions were relinquished when their owner passed away. He was quiet and handsome, and immediately hopped into the refuge on any loving lap he could find. Needless to say, he came home with us that day.  

Ruffles looking handsome

Because the name Tony represented a previous life for this boy, we decided to find him a new name to represent his new beginning. After a few failed naming attempts, we settled on Rutherford, which had its simple pun-like roots in the fact that he often had ruffled fur. Over time, he often went by a number of different names, including Ruffles, Ruffle-Roo, and BooBoo. We quickly realized that the somber, quiet personality we had originally met was not the real Ruffles. Within days he became a loving, bossy, loud-mouthed boy who wanted to be the center of everything. And that is how the love affair began.

The last three years with Ruffles have been incomparable. We spent so much time wondering how a cat could be so consistently snuggly and co-dependent—now I wonder if he knew his time was short and he needed to make the most of it. Most days would begin with a 6AM wake-up call for wet food. If we did not respond, we would get increasingly harsh taps on the face to remind us of his request. Evenings after work included a more snuggle time, and many naps with a soft, warm cat on our chests. Our picture album includes hundreds of pictures of Ruffles on one of our chests,  us passed out asleep instead of doing whatever productive task we had initially had in mind.  

Ruffles helping Daniela take a break

Of course, Ruffles did have his quirks. The constant harassment of his companion kitty, Tiger Lily, who he felt was there for the sole purpose of slapping and chasing around the house. The scratching of furniture when a post was right next to him. Unexpectedly slapping while being petted, and purring all the while.  Worst of all were the inappropriate peeing issues when we developed too close of a relationship with the neighbor kitties several years ago. Ruffles was our boy, and through thick or thin, we loved him.  I think he was meant to be with us, and we wouldn't trade it for the world. 

Enjoying the sunshine

In May of 2008, Ruffles lost his oh-so-unique voice. I had just started working for Dr. Sulis, and she helped me take great care of him. We did diagnostics, and though my heart feared the worst, all that showed at that time were some inflammatory issues. We treated with food trials and steroids. Then one day, a couple of weeks after my partner Geoff had flown to Prague for a month of film school, I came home to Ruffles incessantly demanding to be petted. When I rubbed under his chin, I found a very swollen lymph node. My heart sank. We did an aspirate and soon found it to be what I feared—lymphoma. Ruffles and I went through over a month of weekly visits to the Dr. Cyman's office for chemotherapy treatment and, despite developing a slight heart issue, he did great! Geoff came back from Prague and we were cautiously optimistic.  

A robust Ruffles and his scratching post

Sadly, Ruffles' lymphoma had not disappeared as I we'd hoped, and it quickly moved into his central nervous system. He lost use of one side of his face and had  trouble walking. We were all on an emotional roller coaster, and because the prognosis was so bad we opted for simple treatment to keep him comfortable. We believed that quality of life outweighed quantity, and looking back, we have no regrets about that choice.  

Daniela and Ruffles enjoying some snuggle time

One round of brain radiation and increased steroids gave us another valuable month with our boy. We started to go outside for visits in the front yard, which Ruffles adored. Up until two days before he passed, he would roll around in ecstasy on the cement outside our front door. Ruffles quickly decided that our dank, dark basement would be a great place for snuggling, and our morning and evening routine began to involve time there just being with each other. As so many of us do with our animal family members, I tried to explain what was going on to him and what we could do to try and help him. I think some part of him understood, and he was brave and loving throughout, even when he couldn't  do the things he used to be able to.  

Majestic Ruffles enjoying some outside time

On September 22, we knew in our hearts that our boy was ready to go. He had had trouble swallowing, eating, and pottying for a couple of days, and he seemed very tired. He slept the morning away while we cried and looked at old pictures of him in his glory days. When Kristin and Katie showed up at our house, he unexpectedly hopped up, jumped into Geoff's lap purring and made happy muffins towards me. That was good-bye. We went outside and helped him pass on—he went to sleep peacefully. His body was too tired to go on. Going through this has been more painful than anything, but it was worth the amazing, loving relationship we got to have with our boy.  

Ruffles tired from his fight with lymphoma

I owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to so many people for helping me through this. For Kristin, who was compassionate and supportive at every step of the way, and who went above and beyond, as she so often does, to help make everything easier. To my mother, for offering so much support while Geoff was in Prague, accompanying me to every chemotherapy session and helping me think straight to do what we needed to for Ruffles. To Geoff for devoting weeks of his time to staying home and providing a comfortable situation for Ruffles to feel completely loved in his last weeks. And our nurses, Katie and Melissa, for showing patience and caring both towards myself and towards Ruffles. We were so lucky to have the support of everyone at Dr. Cyman's office, Portland Veterinary Oncology Center, as I felt we got nothing but the best and most loving care. During Ruffles last visit to see Dr. Cyman, he spent the first part of his appointment head-butting her and asking for pets. There are more friends on my list to thank, but this is already too long, so I will have to settle for doing it in person.

I do want to thank all of you too, for taking the time to read this and letting me share this important experience with you.  There is nothing deeper than the love we get from our animal companions—we must all be grateful for that and share that love as much as we can.

Ruffles enjoying a snooze on the couch