# RIP Roscoe - aka Captain Catastrophe!



## feorag (Jul 31, 2007)

Yesterday we lost our beloved Roscoe (Premier Feorag Caveat Emptor) and I'm still in shock. Every animal that I have taken to the vets to be euthanased, I've known what I was going to do and so had time to come to terms with it. Yesterday I had no idea at all, other than I knew he was a very sick cat and I still can’t really believe this has happened.

I came home from my son's in Scotland on Tuesday evening and he was sick as I walked in the door. I thought "hairball", because with his very soft silver coat he was more prone to hairballs than the others - the last time he had a serious problem with this was 2 years ago and the symptoms were the same - a trip to the vets, some Katalax and he was fine.

Unfortunately I was out at work all day on Thursday and so wasn't in the house to observe him, otherwise warning bells might have rung earlier. When I came home he was upstairs inside one of the cat drums asleep and I didn't think anything of it. It was only when he came downstairs at about 10 that night that I became alarmed at his condition and began to think it might not be a hairball, but if it was it was giving him more problems than any in the past had done and we'd have to go to the vets in the morning.

Yesterday morning I could see he was dehydrated and when I put him on the table at the vets I could see that the skin on his head (in the area between the eyes and ears where the hair is thinner) was yellow and that really panicked me and I was right to be panicked when the vet diagnosed that she thought he had kidney and liver failure. She took him in to put him on a drip while she ran blood tests and rang me 2 hours later to confirm that it was indeed kidney and liver failure. At that point I told her that if she couldn't guarantee to cure him (which I knew full well she couldn't) and give him a good quality of life, then I was not dragging this out with desperately hopeful treatments only to find myself in a week or more's time regretting putting him through it, because the paramount thing was that he must not suffer. So I told her that I want him put to sleep, but that I would go back to be with him and she agreed with me that it was for the best and we arranged that I would go back at 4:30. 

It was very simple because he was still on a drip and he died very peacefully in my arms yesterday afternoon leaving me truly gutted.

Now I'm left with the guilt (which I usually have and which I know is usually unfounded) that I really did let him down. Had he been a few years older, the possible ramifications of kidney problems would have come to my mind, but he was only 11 (12 in May) and I simply didn't think it could be kidney related. I just thought "hairball" again and for that I doubt I will ever forgive myself.

I never intended to keep him and offered him to a woman in the north of Scotland who was waiting for a usual boy from me, but she bought his sister instead and, as he was born only a month after we lost our beloved Merlin (our first Somali), we decided that here was a kitten of character who could fill Merlin's shoes and he did that - and more! 

He was such a character and earned his nickname of Captain Catastrophe because everything he attempted he failed at, he couldn't even jump across a 18" gap without falling through the gap! His pet name of Roscoe came from Roscoe P Coltrane from the Dukes of Hazzard, because he always got everything wrong too! He was a bit of a "worky ticket" (as we say up here in the north) and gave his younger brother Cadbury a bit of a hard time occasionally. One day he set his tail on fire and set off our smoke alarms.

He had charm and character in abundance and in Barry's and my eyes, he was one of the best Somalis we had ever bred. We were disappointed that he didn't manage to get his Grand title, before we retired him from the showbench, but he just didn't enjoy it and didn't show off. 

I will miss him so much! Strangely enough it was a year ago today that my friend and fellow breeder had his grandfather put to sleep, so we both cried buckets on the phone last night.

Here he is as a kitten and at 7 months 


















And this is one of the last photographs I took of him sitting on the window sill at our holiday cottage on Ardnamurchan in 2007










RIP my darling - you were too young and I wasn't ready to lose you yet!


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## Fixx (May 6, 2006)

RIP Roscoe, and our condolences Feorag he was a handsome boy.


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## elliottreed (Jan 9, 2008)

god bless roscoe, sleep well little man xxxxx


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## andy2086 (Dec 26, 2008)

What a beautiful cat! Sorry for your loss. R.I.P. Roscoe


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## Esarosa (Jul 13, 2007)

Only just seen this tribute Eileen, stunning just doesn't sum him up well enough really does it? R.I.P Roscoe you beautiful boy x


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## Shell195 (May 31, 2007)

As you already know Eileen I am truly sorry for your loss.You really have nothing to feel guilty about.
RIP Roscoe you where loved so much and will be deeply missed
Big Hugs Eileen X X


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## freekygeeky (May 25, 2007)

made me cry, what a stunner, r.i.p fluffy one, i just hope ginger will be ok now


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## Astritos (Feb 7, 2009)

Sorry for your loss. R.I.P.


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## MSL (Jul 30, 2007)

So sorry Eileen,
RIP little man.


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## butterfingersbimbo (Jan 26, 2008)

RIP Roscoe, what a beautiful boy you were, run free.


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