Saying Goodbye to Baxter

Saying Goodbye to Baxter

I have tears in my eyes as I am writing this post. It’s the type of news I never expected to share; certainly not this soon.

Last Sunday, we had to say goodbye to the goodest of cats: our boy, Baxter.

silver tabby cat

Baxter came to us from Toronto Animal Services on a dark, rainy evening in November 2012. From the beginning, he was the best cat. Calm, confident and kind to all; there will never be another. (Read his coming home story here.)

He left us on a dark, rainy afternoon after 3 nights in the ICU ward. I hate to think that he spent his last nights in a hospital, but we were trying to save him. And I honestly thought we would be able to bring him home, even if it was for a short time.

His diagnosis was acute-on-chronic renal failure. Unbeknownst to us, his right kidney was small (from genetics or disease) and his left kidney had been picking up the slack for some time. That worked until sometime probably on Monday, when the left kidney became blocked. His creatinine levels shot up and by the time of his admission into ICU on Thursday evening, they were at 1300. (Normal levels are approximately 80-204).

Ultimately, he could not be stabilized and his little body could not recover. We, therefore, made the heart-rending decision to gently let him go. He was only 11 years old.

silver tabby lying on bed

His sudden decline has left us in shock. Especially his sister, Panda, who I would describe as bonded and whom he loved dearly. I would daily find them curled up somewhere sleeping. Or grooming. Or playing. Or quietly sitting experiencing the day together. He was a huge part of her life and his absence has left her disoriented and unsure.

two cats watching the snow

We are, of course, thankful to his vets Dr. Buller and Dr. Rosamund of Westbridge Veterinary Hospital in Mississauga who cared for Baxter during his life with us. And for the multitude of vets and staff in the ICU at Toronto Veterinary Emergency Hospital in Scarborough, that worked tirelessly to try and save him at the end.

Oh, Baxter…I thought we had years of adventures ahead of us. In the end, we had 9 years, 22 days, 20 hours, and 12 minutes. Every minute you were with us was precious.  We will take care of your favourite girl, Panda, and together, we will find a new rhythm. But the hole you have left cannot be filled and we will miss you and love you forever. At 1:12 p.m. on Sunday, December 5, 2021, my heart shattered into a million pieces. 

Goodbye, my boy. You were the best.

tabby sitting on red furniture

The photos of Baxter I have now are some of the most precious things I own, and really all that I have that is tangible from the incredible life he shared with us. If you too have a loved pet that you want beautiful portraits of, a Heritage Session may be for you.

POSH PETS® HERITAGE SESSIONS

Celebrating the life, love and legacy of your pet. ™

  • High-priority sessions are reserved for pets that become ill or are simply elderly. We make every effort to schedule these on short notice and work within their restrictions.
  • An opportunity to take time out of your busy schedule to spend some quality time together, celebrate the life you have shared and create images you will treasure forever.
  • Please note: The Creative Fee covers time and talent to photograph a maximum of four (4) subjects, which can be any combination of people and up to two (2) pets who live within the same household. Additional subjects may be photographed for a small additional fee.
  • More information can be found here.
Project 52 – Favourite Toy | Pet Photographers in Toronto

Project 52 – Favourite Toy | Pet Photographers in Toronto

Play is a wonderful way to spend some time with your pet – it is part of the bonding experience and can be a great de-stresser for you as well. However, it is important to remember that each animal is an individual with differing likes and preferences. But finding out what they enjoy to do is all part of the fun.

Since welcoming Baxter into our home, we have had to make adjustments to accommodate his energy! We had forgotten what it was like to have a 2 year old around and Baxter simply loves to interact and play. We have, however, found his most favourite toy in the whole wide world. As in, please play with me all of the time. Want to know what it is? Well, enjoy this 15 second clip (turn the sound up for full effect 🙂 ) …

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I4N5xarQAOA&feature=plcp

Yes, the classic game of chase the red dot…Baxter thinks that this is what he was born on earth to chase!

He is a smart little furry face – he has figured out that he needs us to ‘engage’ the little red light. He is lightening fast and would make an excellent hockey player (good little Canadian cat!) because he anticipates where the red light will be, as opposed to where it currently is. What he hasn’t figured out is that he will never, ever catch it.

And, of course, once all of the play is over, it is time for naps…what a life!

If you are planning for a Posh Pets‘ session and your furry face has a favourite toy, bring it! Not only will it help us keep his or her attention, but by incorporating their favourite toy in the images, their personality can shine through!

This is a blog circle, so there are many more images (and toys) to look at! Let’s start with the wonderful Charleston SC dog photographer Dana Cubbage and see what her guys’ favourite toys are!

Baxter – A Cat About Town…Comes Home | Exclusive Toronto Pet Photographer

Baxter – A Cat About Town…Comes Home | Exclusive Toronto Pet Photographer

If you have been following the Posh Pets’ Facebook page, you know that we have welcomed a new furry face into our life. Baxter is 2 years old and a beautiful grey tabby whom we adopted from Toronto Animal Services (North Region) on November 12, 2012. It has only been 2 weeks and yet I think we could not have chosen a better companion for our 15.5 year old Lady Jane.

cat gazing with head on bed
silver tabby on blue chair

For the benefit to those who do not know, Ripley (who was our 17+ years old orange tabby) passed away at the end of May. For the first four days, Lady Jane did nothing but sleep…I believe she was mourning the loss of the companion she had known all of her life. Together, the three of us slowly made adjustments to a new routine that did not involve Ripley. But for Lady Jane, this meant she no longer had a playmate or simply another feline creature to interact with. We, therefore, became her only source of companionship. Daily, she would holler at us to come to sit on the bed with her and would have been thrilled if we could simply nap there for hours. Of course, as much as I would have liked to some days, that simply was not practical and we came to realize that Lady Jane needed a friend.

When we discussed the possibility, my husband had two requirements: he wanted a male cat (he thought Lady Jane would accept a male more easily than a female) and he wanted him to be cuddly so that he could pick him up (as he had done with Ripley). I wanted a cat whose personality would mesh with Lady Jane’s, for I refused to put her in the position of being uncomfortable in her own home. We both agreed that whoever he was, he would be adopted from a shelter.

Fortunately, I volunteer once a week at the Toronto Animal Services and therefore see my share of kitties all looking for forever homes. But, I would return week after week with no one special having caught my eye. That was until I met Baxter (who had been given the name Horatio upon arrival at the shelter).

Baxter was in the “bubble” at the shelter which meant he interacted well with other cats. Unfortunately, his bubble mates were both females and one, in particular, was a bit of diva – she would walk up to Baxter and swat at him. So, he spent a lot of his time hiding the walls of the shelter (there is a little space just big enough for a cat to squeeze through – the timid ones will find their way in there). He also sneezed. A lot. But, when I or any other person came into the room, he would eventually come out from his hiding spot and greet them. So, he passed the first test: he was male. And the second question was answered when I picked him up and he nuzzled my neck. However, as you can imagine it is not easy to tell the personality of a cat by spending a few minutes with him, especially as Baxter seemed to have a rather difficult relationship with the females he shared the bubble with. But, I did notice that he simply retreated as opposed to becoming aggressive – I never saw a swat, heard a hiss or any other such things – and it was enough to get me thinking…perhaps he would be the one.

I returned home and told my husband about him and showed him the pictures I had taken. He agreed that he was a beautiful cat and when I told him that he liked to cuddle, we made arrangements to return that evening.

It didn’t take long. Dean picked Baxter up and cuddled him. Baxter sneezed. And I talked to him about what type of home he might come home to. Within 10 minutes, my husband said, “let’s take him home”.

beautiful eyes on a silver tabby

Many have asked how Lady Jane has adjusted to the new “man” in her life. Well, Baxter has won her over. The first evening when he arrived, he was greeted with curiosity and then low throated growls as Lady Jane told him that he was not welcome. But, he held his own for Baxter was not afraid. He simply lay down calmly at a nice distance away and ever so slowly closed his eyes. If you know anything about cat communication, that was a signal that he was not about to become an alpha cat and he was really no threat. He would yawn, turn his head away, and even showed his belly…all in an effort to make friends.

By the third day, Lady Jane was no longer growling when she saw him and Baxter and her could sleep together on our bed. I suppose that is why Baxter thought he should take their relationship to the next step – he walked up to her, sniffed her, and then kissed her! Well, he got a growl and a hiss for that (and rightly so for being so forward, so early in the relationship)!

cat relaxing on a red couch

Two weeks later, Baxter is a new man. He no longer sneezes (we think it was simply the dust from the walls) and he got a clean bill of health from our vet! Everyone who meets him wants to take him home with them and it is amazing to us how different he is from the cat we met at the shelter. The Baxter we know is full of energy and loves to play and run and jump and is not at all bothered by the fact that he still gets the odd “warning” from Lady Jane when he takes the play too far. He simply wants to be friends with all he meets – human or feline – and has a lovely personality to do so. He’s even gorgeous when he sleeps and has an innate sense to turn his head to the light to be photographed 🙂

cat sleeping on the bed

We love our boy – and love seems to be the only thing that Baxter wants. Given that Lady Jane is approximately 85 years old and Baxter is 24 years old in human years, we are so happy that things have gone so well. Lady Jane is his girl and he follows her everywhere, even waiting patiently outside the litter box while she does her business. (I’ve told him he has to learn to give her a little privacy.) As my mother says,”if at Lady Jane’s age you can get a 24 year old to be that into you without the help of surgery…well, kudos to her!”

Yes, Baxter has come home. And, it is forever.

close up of tabby cat nose