Monti Boi – My Soul Cat

August 6, 2021 was absolutely the hardest day I had in my 40some years of being a Cat Mom. It was the day that I said goodbye to my Monti. My Monti Boi, my Soul Cat. I deeply love and have a bond with all of my cats. They all hold special places in my heart. Monti was different. There was something extra special about him. A bond deeper than I have ever had with any of my cats was formed from the very beginning of our lives together. Monti was my Soul Cat and losing him after only 4 years together was the hardest loss I have dealt with so far. Even a year later, as I sit here writing about him, there are tears pouring down my face. Some cats secure a place in your heart so firmly that you will feel their absence forever. Monti was one of those cats.

Monti was definitely my Soul Cat. He would follow me around, chatting the entire time. We had some great conversations. He had a great fondness for the bathroom sink faucet and wanted it to stay on a slow drip so he could drink it or lay in the sink and take his “faucet shower”. He would let me know very loudly if Cat Dad had turned off his faucet. My favorite thing about Monti was his desire to jump on my back anytime I was bent over. He loved to jump up and rub his head against mine, purring the whole time. Sometimes, he would “fix” my hair while on my back. He was Bodie’s BFF and I think that Bodie felt his passing just as hard as I did.

From Healthy to Dying in a Blink of an Eye

I have always prided myself in being a great Cat Mom. My cats live the life of luxury. The running joke among my family and friends is that when you die, you want to come back as one of my cats. At the time that Monti came into my life, I was feeding my cats what I thought was “good” food. They were getting grain free dry food that I left out for them to “munch” on throughout the day. They would get wet food at mealtimes. I was following the postcard reminders from my vet and taking my cats for their yearly vaccinations. Everything that I thought I was doing to keep my cats healthy was actually causing health issues in Monti.

Monti started showing signs of a health issue the beginning of July 2021. I immediately made a vet appointment for him. I was not prepared for what the vet found. After doing bloodwork, Monti was diagnosed with Stage 4 Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD). He was referred an Emergency Specialist. This was a shock to everyone. CKD is not something that you usually find in a 4-year-old cat. CKD is generally thought of as an “old cat” disease. So, what had caused my sweet Monti Boi to develop and, ultimately, die from this disease as such a young age? That was my question, and I was determined to find the answer.

Lessons Learned the Hard Way

During Monti’s last month, I went on a mission to figure out why this was happening to him. Was this a fluke? Genetics? Or was it something that I had contributed to? Be careful of the questions that you ask, you may not like the answers. Through lots of tests and in-depth conversations with vets and internal specialists, we were able to determine that this was not something genetic. Monti also had 2 brothers who were in perfect health. His internal specialist had told me that something that Monti was exposed to had caused damage to his kidneys. He had asked me about his vaccination history. That made me start wondering if his yearly vaccinations might have been the cause.

I needed to take a non-traditional approach to find some answers. So, I contacted Pam Roussell from Purrrfectly Holistic to have an Optimal Cat Health Analysis done on Monti. This included muscle testing. It was through this analysis that I, finally, got some answers. And it was not answers that I wanted. It turns out that a couple of things had caused damage to Monti’s kidneys. Things that I had done to him. Things that I thought I was doing to keep him healthy. I was devastated.

My first mistake was not only feeding dry food but leaving it out for them to graze throughout the day. Yes, I was feeding a “better” grain-free dry food, but dry food of any kind is not optimal for cat’s diet. Species appropriate raw food is the best diet for your cat to remain healthy. My biggest mistake was over vaccinating my cats. The rabies vaccine was the main contributor to the damage to Monti’s kidneys. He had been having an adverse reaction to the vaccine and did not show signs until it was too late. The damage was done.

Know Better, Do Better

It was too late for my Monti, but now that I knew what I had been doing wrong, I could make the necessary changes to make sure this did not happen to any of my other cats. I started transitioning my cats to a species appropriate raw diet. We stopped the all-day buffet dry food. In fact, we stopped dry food all-together. I, also, stopped over vaccinating my cats. We now request a titer test which determines whether they still the antibodies from their previous vaccine present. If the antibodies are still present, they do not need an updated vaccine. Unfortunately, NC does not recognize a titer test for the rabies vaccine. So, when it is time for that vaccine, we use a vaccine detox to help flush the system of the harmful chemicals.

I have started my cats on daily supplements. OxyCat, Catalyst, B12 and Probiotic/Prebiotics from The-Two-Crazy-Cat-Ladies. They also get pure pumpkin to help with hairballs and aid in digestion. We also made the change in their treats. No more Temptations. They now get freeze-dried raw treats. All of these changes have been gradual. Each day I notice significant changes in their health and well-being. They have more energy. Softer and shinier coats. They are happier and healthier. Exactly what I want for my babies.

Forever in My Heart

I miss Monti every single day and still get teary-eyed when I think or talk about him on most days. There is deep regret that I was a contributor to making him sick. I really wish that I knew then what I know now. Maybe Monti would still be with me, maybe he wouldn’t. But a lot of good did come from his passing. I did a lot of growing and learning this past year. Diet changes, supplements, herb gardens, color therapy, feeling comfortable to ask my vet’s questions and deny certain procedures and medications have all come about due to Monti’s passing. He is the main reason that I created this blog. I needed to share everything I have learned and continue to learn in hopes to prevent others from going through the pain I experienced. Monti was not only my Soul Cat, but he was also my greatest teacher. I will forever be grateful for him and our time together.

“The memories and paw print of a beloved cat remains in our heart and soul forever.” – Unknown