STEVE'S STORY
Steve was a 4 year old Siamese snowshoe cat when a series of events brought him into the lives of Mike and Rheta Meyer. (Mike is Bob & Christine’s son from Ollie's story.) It was one of those situations where if any of the events did not happen when they did, Mike & Rheta would have never even met Steve. They rescued Steve in 2015 after his previous guardian was unable to care for him and released control of Steve over to a veterinarian. Mike then met the veterinarian through a business contact shortly after she was trying to find a "forever home" for Steve. Rheta and Mike had just talked weeks earlier about possibly getting their first pet since getting married in 2013. The timing turned out to be perfect.
Steve was a "handsome" cat that even people who strongly prefer dogs over cats actually liked. One even described Steve as a "dog in a cat's body!" He was quick to welcome any guest to the house and would lay down on the foot of the neighbor, the plumber or the exterminator! He even learned to sit for a treat, which people never grew tired of watching.
He was also one of the more physically mobile cats as he could calculate jumping nearly 5 feet straight up from a standstill. It was not uncommon to find him sleeping on the kitchen cabinets where he could look out over his "palace!"
In early January, 2021, with Mike out of town for work, Rheta noticed Steve missing the litter box and sneezing quite a bit. Antibiotics did not seem to be working so she decided to take him to the emergency vet on January 14, 2021. Earlier that day, Rheta received a call that her father was in the hospital, but they thought things would be okay with him. She also was not too worried about Steve, was had been very healthy for his entire life. Everything was about to change.
Late that same night, Rheta received Steve's unexpected and terminal prognosis of kidney failure. The vet initially said Steve might have a few days left. She immediately called Mike so he could come home. Just 36 hours after this call and Mike arriving home just hours earlier, Rheta got a call from her mother -- her father, Bill had died during the night.
Steve always loved to sleep with Mike and Rheta. Mike made a little bed in the back of his enclosed work truck. Just hours after finding out Rheta's father died, they managed to get to the vet to allow Steve a couple hours to lie down with them and possibly say good-bye. In the middle of COVID, they could not go inside to visit Steve. But Steve could be brought out to spend time in the truck with Mike and Rheta. They did not want his last day or two to be spent with strangers in an unfamiliar hospital.
After the second night of spending a few hours with Steve in the truck, the vet discharged Steve to go home under hospice care. They said he was in such a better mood after coming in from the visit and would finally eat. They figured he might have a week left so he may as well be at home where is happy. At a time when Steve could have brought comfort to Rheta, his condition was now a source of additional pain. Rheta then had to make the very difficult decision to leave Steve with Mike so she could visit her mother. Rheta said her final tearful goodbyes to Steve and hoped he would not feel abandoned. Mike also felt guilty being out of town for so long as no one knew Steve was ill and he was afraid Steve may have felt abandoned by him when he needed his guardians the most.
On Monday morning, Mike took Steve to his regular vet hospital to let them say good-bye and also get one final opinion. While there, Mike was made aware of a potential “Hail Mary” treatment. Recently expired epogen was available to try to build up Steve's red blood cells. Normally expensive, these epogen shots were actually affordable since the medicine was technically expired. However, Steve would need them 3 times per week. Mike signed a form saying he gave permission to use the expired medicine as there was nothing to lose and they could not hurt Steve. As the vet put it, this is like "recently expired grain, not expired milk! It's still fine!"
Steve started his first day of treatment on January 21. All the sudden, even that same day, there was a noticeable improvement for Steve. A few days later, during the Super Bowl, he was back to jumping in people's laps, using the litter box, eating, and drinking. He even made one of his comical jumps into the refrigerator looking for turkey leading a guest to comment "Are you sure that cat is sick?"
Now mourning the loss of her father, Steve curled up with Rheta and provided her the comfort she never thought he'd able to provide. Steve had 16 straight great days in a row, a big difference from how he appeared right after his diagnosis when they feared he could pass at any time.
After a sonogram, Steve's vet feared the cause of the kidney failure might be a cancer and suggested a 3 hour trip to Raleigh to visit The NC State Veterinary Hospital for a third opinion and ideas for future treatments. This trip to Raleigh did in fact confirm that kidney cancer was behind all of the issues. It was really just a matter of time and as long as Steve was comfortable, Mike & Rheta should try to enjoy the time left with him.
Starting in mid February, Steve started to gradually decline again. Steve never stopped loving on Mike & Rheta, even using pet stairs to walk onto their laps.....even considerately taking turns between them. Steve got to enjoy the beach a few times, seemingly impressed with the "world's largest litter box" until he died naturally on March 9, 2021 with Mike & Rheta at his side.
Throughout his treatment, Mike and Rheta asked the veterinarian to tell them if Steve reached a point when it was time to stop. On his final visit, she told them he had reached that time. She planned to come to their home the next day so Steve could be in a familiar and comfortable place, loved to the last second. Steve passed that night just 8 hours before the vet was scheduled to come to their home.
From being told Steve had a few days to maybe one week, Steve made it nearly two months: time to bring comfort to Rheta, time for closure with Mike, and time for Steve to enjoy some new experiences and to love on those who cared for him the most.
Steve was a "handsome" cat that even people who strongly prefer dogs over cats actually liked. One even described Steve as a "dog in a cat's body!" He was quick to welcome any guest to the house and would lay down on the foot of the neighbor, the plumber or the exterminator! He even learned to sit for a treat, which people never grew tired of watching.
He was also one of the more physically mobile cats as he could calculate jumping nearly 5 feet straight up from a standstill. It was not uncommon to find him sleeping on the kitchen cabinets where he could look out over his "palace!"
In early January, 2021, with Mike out of town for work, Rheta noticed Steve missing the litter box and sneezing quite a bit. Antibiotics did not seem to be working so she decided to take him to the emergency vet on January 14, 2021. Earlier that day, Rheta received a call that her father was in the hospital, but they thought things would be okay with him. She also was not too worried about Steve, was had been very healthy for his entire life. Everything was about to change.
Late that same night, Rheta received Steve's unexpected and terminal prognosis of kidney failure. The vet initially said Steve might have a few days left. She immediately called Mike so he could come home. Just 36 hours after this call and Mike arriving home just hours earlier, Rheta got a call from her mother -- her father, Bill had died during the night.
Steve always loved to sleep with Mike and Rheta. Mike made a little bed in the back of his enclosed work truck. Just hours after finding out Rheta's father died, they managed to get to the vet to allow Steve a couple hours to lie down with them and possibly say good-bye. In the middle of COVID, they could not go inside to visit Steve. But Steve could be brought out to spend time in the truck with Mike and Rheta. They did not want his last day or two to be spent with strangers in an unfamiliar hospital.
After the second night of spending a few hours with Steve in the truck, the vet discharged Steve to go home under hospice care. They said he was in such a better mood after coming in from the visit and would finally eat. They figured he might have a week left so he may as well be at home where is happy. At a time when Steve could have brought comfort to Rheta, his condition was now a source of additional pain. Rheta then had to make the very difficult decision to leave Steve with Mike so she could visit her mother. Rheta said her final tearful goodbyes to Steve and hoped he would not feel abandoned. Mike also felt guilty being out of town for so long as no one knew Steve was ill and he was afraid Steve may have felt abandoned by him when he needed his guardians the most.
On Monday morning, Mike took Steve to his regular vet hospital to let them say good-bye and also get one final opinion. While there, Mike was made aware of a potential “Hail Mary” treatment. Recently expired epogen was available to try to build up Steve's red blood cells. Normally expensive, these epogen shots were actually affordable since the medicine was technically expired. However, Steve would need them 3 times per week. Mike signed a form saying he gave permission to use the expired medicine as there was nothing to lose and they could not hurt Steve. As the vet put it, this is like "recently expired grain, not expired milk! It's still fine!"
Steve started his first day of treatment on January 21. All the sudden, even that same day, there was a noticeable improvement for Steve. A few days later, during the Super Bowl, he was back to jumping in people's laps, using the litter box, eating, and drinking. He even made one of his comical jumps into the refrigerator looking for turkey leading a guest to comment "Are you sure that cat is sick?"
Now mourning the loss of her father, Steve curled up with Rheta and provided her the comfort she never thought he'd able to provide. Steve had 16 straight great days in a row, a big difference from how he appeared right after his diagnosis when they feared he could pass at any time.
After a sonogram, Steve's vet feared the cause of the kidney failure might be a cancer and suggested a 3 hour trip to Raleigh to visit The NC State Veterinary Hospital for a third opinion and ideas for future treatments. This trip to Raleigh did in fact confirm that kidney cancer was behind all of the issues. It was really just a matter of time and as long as Steve was comfortable, Mike & Rheta should try to enjoy the time left with him.
Starting in mid February, Steve started to gradually decline again. Steve never stopped loving on Mike & Rheta, even using pet stairs to walk onto their laps.....even considerately taking turns between them. Steve got to enjoy the beach a few times, seemingly impressed with the "world's largest litter box" until he died naturally on March 9, 2021 with Mike & Rheta at his side.
Throughout his treatment, Mike and Rheta asked the veterinarian to tell them if Steve reached a point when it was time to stop. On his final visit, she told them he had reached that time. She planned to come to their home the next day so Steve could be in a familiar and comfortable place, loved to the last second. Steve passed that night just 8 hours before the vet was scheduled to come to their home.
From being told Steve had a few days to maybe one week, Steve made it nearly two months: time to bring comfort to Rheta, time for closure with Mike, and time for Steve to enjoy some new experiences and to love on those who cared for him the most.
