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Fall under the spell... |
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BEJULED BENGALS |
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Sonny’s Spot |
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January 6, 2003 The morning one of my best and most favorite Bengal queens went into labor was full of excitement and drama. Janey’s kittens were delivered by cesarean section; the kitten with the large head was Sonny. When Sonny was born the Veterinarian handed him to me, he was limp as I rubbed him and breathed life into his tiny body. Finally he squeaked, and I fell instantly in love. Even as a soaking wet newborn, he was the most beautiful kitten I had ever seen. I took the two baby boys home along with their still groggy mother who had also been spayed that morning. The kittens began to open their eyes and both boys showed so much promise. They began to toddle, and I hardly ever had that baby out of my sight, or my arms. We picked out the only name that seemed fitting - Fortunate Son. I picked out a special home for Sonny’s brother, Indy. Later, the brothers even competed in their first kitten show together and it was a neck-and-neck competition. That was the beginning of a four-month, intense show career for Sonny. Sonny and I were together constantly. He went to work with me, traveled to many out of state shows with me, and was my soul-mate. This boy was slated as the foundation for my program, my breeding; he was more than I could have ever hoped for. One of “our moments” was when my little guy finished fifth place in the kitten division at On Safari and when he won the award for Best Bengal kitten tail. He managed to make it all the way to number one in the TICA Bengal kitten standings. Sonny lived life as a happy teenage kitten. He loved to fetch, walk on a harness, and push his little muzzle up against my cheek. He had a way of “bleating” like a lamb when he purred and spoke pretty much in unison. He was everyone’s friend. Then, it all came to a screeching halt. Sonny was only obviously ill for five days. For that I am thankful. FIP was in Sonny’s case a silent killer. When he went to the Vet, he had a high fever (105.8) and had only been “off” for one night. The Veterinarian thought he had a blockage; had perhaps eaten a toy. He went in for surgery; there were lesions in his mesentery and spleen. These lesions were indicative of FIP. His titer was 1:400 and I had never had an FIP case in the seven years of breeding. I was and still am numb from this complete and total loss. At the time of this writing, Bejuled Cattery was a 1600 square foot home. I keep four cats in one room, I had a room for kittens. I keep one female in my den. The other cats were free roaming in my house. Sonny was included in the free-roaming group. The free-roaming group consisted of seven. I had six litter boxes, I used a biodegradable litter, I completely dump, bleach the box, and fill with new litter on a daily basis. I always have. I have a dust pan and brush for each room that I have a litter box in. I have seven litter scoops and all scoops go into a bleach solution nightly. Dust pans and brushes are put into a bleach solution on a bi-weekly basis. I mop my hardwood floors with a bleach solution three days a week. This has been a routine for as long as I can remember. Today, our home is larger and we have fewer cats; however, the cleaning and sanitation regimen stay the same. Sonny’s histology, cytology, and all of his test results were sent to the Orion Foundation for further research. Please don’t feel ashamed about FIP. It can happen to the best of us. Let’s all be part of the solution. Please don’t let my beloved cat die in vain. Sonny I will always miss you. Julie Samuelson-Coleman |
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Julie with Sonny. |
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Bejuled Fortunate Son |
