I wanted to let you know we lost our precious Macy yesterday. She had sugery last month to treat an advanced pyometra infection. She really tried to stay with us, but I think her little body had been through so much and was just ready to go home.
Macy seemed to be slowly recovering after surgery and even had a pretty good third post-op week (behaving more like her usual self than ever), but she started sleeping a lot more this past week and not coming out to visit much. I left treats for her each night and they were always gone the next morning, so I didn't get terribly concerned.
Night before last, we got Macy up to clean her cage. I noticed right away that she felt lighter. She had trouble keeping her eyes open and seemed to have lost some control of her hind legs. We made up her favorite spot and put her back in her cage. She proceeded to meticulously adjust her nest and spent quite a bit of time on this, keeping her eyes closed almost the entire time. I sat and watched her and stroked her fur after she finally settled in. The next morning, she was in the same spot and had not come out to take the bits of apple I had left her. She was breathing and did not appear to be in any distress, but she did not respond to my voice.
When my girls got home from school, they found Macy had died and called me in agony. My wonderful friend Jennifer rushed over to my house to comfort them since I was still at work. She also insisted we eat dinner with her and kept all three of my girls overnight last night. Her family lost their sweet hamster George (Macy's boyfriend) about a year ago.
Macy looked beautiful and peaceful--she died in the same place I had left her that morning in the fetal position. Jennifer wrapped her in a towel, and we each had our time to hold her and bid our little friend farewell. We will bury her today.