Mr. Nine crossed the rainbow bridge into the big meadow unexpectedly on March 10.

If it isn’t weird enough to have 1 pet with oral cancer (Louise has Canine Acanthomatous Ambleoblastoma which we have been dealing with for months), who would ever expect to have another pet with cancer at the same time? Though they are different oral cancers.

I did not know that oral cancer is the 4th most common cause of death in cats. Cats are stoic animals, and sadly, by the time Nine’s cancer, Feline Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma, was even discovered, it was too late to treat. His jaw had disintegrated and though we tried to treat the secondary infection for over a week, we knew that he needed to be out of pain before it got out of hand for him. The growth had doubled in only a week. He didn’t want to eat and he clearly was in discomfort.

We are all in shock. Poor little Mini Cooper is lost without him. She is crying and wandering all around looking for her buddy.

There is a large hole at the DogDaz_Cats2 Zoo and in our hearts. We are keeping a light burning while he makes his journey to the big meadow over the rainbow bridge.

The vet took his paw print and made a little stone for us.

“IN THE RISING of the sun, and in it’s going down, we remember them. From the moment I wake till I fall asleep, all that I do is remember them. In the blowing of the wind and the chill of winter, we remember them. On the frigid days of winter and the moments I breathe the cold air, I warm myself with their embrace and remember them. In the opening of buds and the rebirth of spring, we remember them. As the days grow longer and the outside becomes warmer, I am more awake and I remember them.” – Hebrew remembrance

NOT Just another DogDaz morning at the zoo ❤