Captain Carl's Memorial Homepage
Baby Of Mine - Lyrics by Ned Washington

Baby mine, Don't you cry.
Baby mine, Dry your eyes.
Rest your head close to my heart, never to part, baby of mine.

Little one, when you play.
Don't you mind what they say.
Let those eyes sparkle and shine, Never a tear, baby of mine.

And if they knew sweet little you...
... They'd end up loving you too.
Now all those same people who scold you...
... What they'd give for just the right to hold you!

From your head to your toes.
You're not much, goodness knows.
But your so precious to me, cute as can be, baby of mine.

You know that your so special to me, Baby of mine.

Captain Carl save a place for me. March 1984 - Jan 1999
Capt Carl was my best friend and companion for 15 wonderful years and I had high hopes that he would be around for at least 5 more since he was an indoor cat and always seemed to be in great health. Just before Christmas this year I noticed that he was having a hard time breathing and so I took him in right away to the nearest Vet. The verdict was fluid in his chest cavity and not a clue as to what was the cause. A large amount of testing and a few doctors later we were still at a loss. Then on New Years eve Albert and decided that our last best chance would be to see a specialist , primarily to rule out a heart based tumor ( instant death) but a sonagram revealed heart disease and an enlarged heart that had been inefficient for some time but in cats, it doesnt show up until its nearly too late. So the chest was tapped of fluid for the 7th time and he was put on a battery of pills, cardiziam and lasix to get rid of the fluid. This was a cause for celebration as Albert and I were convinced we would be ringing in the new year in tears but instead we got a second chance.It was the only alternative to losing him but he just did not dig the pills at all but I finally found a way of getting the medicine into his body twice a day with the least amount of stress. We were hopeful that Capt would respond to the medication better than he did but then his breathing kept getting rapid and we would have to up the medication (diruretic) to try to keep him stable but he just didnt respond to it and then the fluid changed from just clear transitory fluid to cholic fluid with all sorts of fat cells in addition to his minerals and fluids so he was dehydrated and yet the fluid would still collect. ER visits were common and things got worse until the night I took him to the Er after a visit and a chest tap just 4 days previous. The vet told me that it was time to try to let him go since all these trips to the ER and the taps and the increased medicines were just draining him, she also said that it was very likely that putting him thru all these things would only extend his life ( and not a good quality) for about an extra week. That night I decided to stop feeding him the pills and just let him go for as long as he could and enjoy the time we had left, we thought it might be as long as three days so after the final tap I took him home and loved him up all night long trying to say goodbye and trying to believe that it was the right thing to do.
The next morning, less than 8 hrs later his chest was filled again and his breathing was so labored that he was barely aware of anything else.

Our time to say goodbye had come and it was way too early. I made the phone call and brought him in to the vet. We sat in a room me in tears him holding onto my shoulder giving /getting comfort from me as he tried to breathe. the Docotr cam e in and in tears I told him, "It's time, is'nt it?" He just nodded and patted my head in sympathy and got things ready then I had to follow him into the back and capt lay down on the table. an assistant held his legs and I had my head up against his face giving him kisses and telling him in my way just how much I loved him he looked at me as the needle entered his leg and blinked and I hugged him tighter. The needle removed my hand on his heart and I kissed him on the face and felt his heart switch off like a light and he was gone. Gone,. I picked up his empty body and held him close and kissed his face then put him down on his side on the table and left him curled up and at peace.

A part of who I am has gone and I am in misery. I always knew that when this day came I would die a little, but all I can do is know that Capt Carl is out there, wherever that is, and waiting for me. No matter what I will miss him every day I live.
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