RIP, little Miss Maggie

Yes, we had another tragedy in the family last night.  All I have to say is that I'm extremely thankful that we were home - and it was quick.

It was a regular day.  I was trying to make dinner and because I was in the kitchen, both Maggie & Chester were underfoot, wanting to be fed.  I used my foot to push Mag out of the way so I didn't kick her, and she yelped when I touched her back end.  I stopped to pick her up, and realized she was constipated again.  Last time I used a baggie & olive oil to "help" the stoppage come out.  Yeah - the things I do!!  But since I was making dinner, I thought she could wait a few minutes.

I petted & talked to her a minute, then put her back down.  As I was reaching for something in the cabinet, I felt her fall against my leg.  I assumed she was doing a dramatic "woe-is-me, I'm starving" flop that her & Chester are so well known for.  As I looked down, it took me a second for it to sink in that she was having a seizure.  Then she threw her head back and let out the loudest meow I'd ever heard from her.  Usually she'd open her mouth and barely a peep would be heard. I yelled for Angel to go get Randy from the garage.  He came right in and laid on the floor next to her - patting her side & talking to her.  I'd moved her out from the corner and she was like a limp rag.  She just flopped.  Randy stayed there & pressed on her side for a good 15 minutes, but her bladder let go & her tongue was turning blue.  She was gone.

We probably wouldn't have even been able to get her to the Animal Emergency Hospital, it happened so fast.   And Chester & Jack both got a chance to say goodbye to her.  They never did with Skeeter, since he was at the vet when it happened.

So we laid her to rest out next to Skeeter, wrapped in one of Randy's shirts like Skeeter is wrapped in one of mine.  Morbid for a second - I was amazed at how fast she cooled off.  I'm not sure how much time elapsed between Skeet's passing & us burying him, but he was still warm and pliable when I put him in his place.  But he also had 20 lbs of insulation on him - where Maggie didn't.   She'd been losing weight for the past couple months and it really showed on her tiny little frame.

Maggie's story

I took this one last Saturday - We'd gone out to lunch & dropped Angel off at dance and when we came home - Jack was pacing around & looking concerned.  She'd taken over his crate!

We are definitely going to miss her.  Randy was attached to her as much as I was with Skeeter. so he took it especially hard.   But she's got good company up there!