Romeo from Springfield

by Margaret Carson
(Springfield, VT)

I adopted Romeo from a cattery that wasn't clean and he came to me about 9 months old. The first thing he did was run behind the couch, and wait for my sister (who brought him to me) to leave.

Eventually he came out and jumped up to greet me. Oh that poor little boy, he was so matted and dirty, fleas all over, poop all on his bottom, yet he wanted to greet me and say hello... so I let him come up and started loving him immediately!

I was trying to decide on a name, well the first I thought of was stinky, because he stunk so bad. But I decided I would wait a few days and he will let me know what to name him.

So the next day I brought him right to the vet's and got him all cleaned up shaved all the matted hair off, placed flea medicine on him, and bottom all cleaned up with sanitary shave. You see underneath all the dirty kitty was a beautiful red Persian!!

Oh, when I picked him up he was so happy, tail up in the air and purring so loud. We both were very happy. Romeo and I lived a very happy good life together for 16 years! He passed this past May due to kidney disease, which he had for 3 years.

But my vet and I kept him healthy with diet and check-ups as needed. Romeo did not like to be groomed, so I always got him a Lion Cut about every 4 months, like the first day I got him from the vet. He purred for days and that tail was always so high.

He LOVED being clean, and I sure understood why. I had Romeo for 8 years, and I found a stray on Halloween. It was a poor soul whose eyes were in bad shape. I took him in and we got help for vet care because his eyes were very bad.

I took him to the vet and he was blind in one eye and almost blind due to the herpes virus, so I took care of him and retained his sight in that eye. He and Romeo became good friends, just being together.

One day after having Salem a few months he started vomiting and I took him to the vet's. They tried to help him but he had to be put down because of illness and cost. But the last day I was visiting Salem, I saw a lady with 3 kittens, and I fell in love!

Well Romeo was very sad and lonely, he missed Salem and would cry most of the few nights he was gone. So I found out who the woman was and called about the kitten. So off to get my new little boy.

He was found with his brothers in an abandoned car, with his mother and siblings dead. He was so tiny, only 1 pound 6 ounces at his first vet check. I named him Sully Sullivan from "Monsters Inc." and Romeo loved him so... taught him how to run and jump and be a good boy and a bad boy. They were best friends for 8 years.

Romeo always had some kind of problem with bladder and kidneys. He had crystals in his urine and had to take medicine daily. Then, as he got older he started peeing on my bathroom rug, so off to the vet's (Dr. Tony). Come to find out he was in renal failure. The Dr. gave me bad news and I said what do we do?

So with Dr. Tony's help and care we kept him on a special diet of 2 foods and constant vet checks. We kept him alive for 3 more years. On his last visit, Dr. Tony told me his kidney function was failing quickly, so I took him home to love as long as I could.

I stopped there a few days later, tears in my eyes. I talked to a wonderful woman who groomed Romeo with all those lovely Lion Cuts. I asked Penny what should I do? Bring him in and put him to sleep?

She said no, he will tell you when it is time. He is not in pain and keep him comfortable. OK, so I was just blessed for every day I had with him, and then one Friday in the afternoon he let out a yowl I will hear forever! I dropped everything and called the vet's and told them it was his time, he told me so.

I rushed him in and he passed in my arms not a half hour later. They took us right away and didn't want him to be in discomfort. There were tears everywhere that day. Everyone knew Romeo from all his grooming days to all his Dr. visits.

I have his ashes and I was distraught for a bit. Now I had Sully missing him and I wanted another Persian. I love the breed, so mellow and not a care in the world they have.

So I went online to all the Persian Rescue Groups I could find, along with Petfinders. Well the rescue groups were all too far away, so I prayed and God heard my cries as it wasn't two weeks and I was getting X-rays done and a vet tech worked at the hospital part time.

She told me she was sorry about Romeo and I told her I was determined to get another Persian and that I was online from here in Vermont to California. Well, she told me to go home and call our small rural shelter as they just got a Persian abandoned at shelter.

I rushed home and went up and I guess the vet's must have called as they were all set to let me take Caillou after his rash was cleared up! So I rushed up to see him and he looked so sad in that cage, but I knew I found a new love.

I brought him home the following week and Sully and Caillou took a few days to get used to each other. Caillou needs a special diet because of food allergies (Persian's will always cost money), so his special diet is a little expensive but I love him and he has adjusted.

He came from a home with small children and other cats and little dogs, and he just got stressed too much, so now he loves the peacefulness as it is just Sully, Caillou and me... it took him time to adjust to peace and quiet.

So that is my story about my sweet Romeo and my first Persian. I miss him and so does Sully but getting Caillou so quickly has made the change a bit easier. But I miss my bed buddy.

Thank You for letting me tell my story of Romeo, it gives one peace of mind to reminisce and let go and share with others my story.