A week of death and sorrow

Life is not always just sunshine and happiness, even when living in a tropical island.

I've had a horrible, HORRIBLE, week.

Marli just a while ago, before he got sick

First there was my Marli, who was a scared little kitten when I saw him the first time at Coral Beach 2. He soon decided it really pays off not to run away, but to purr and look cute, as it gives you loads of food! Marli became my cat, not by my choice, but by his. The friendliest cat, still a young and handsome boy. The boys at the Coral Beach 2 bar gave him the name, Bob Marley, as Marli was a kitten of a reggae bar. Good Marli! And he was fine just last week, then got sick on wednesday, got better when the vet cvisited on thursday, was looking good on friday, but on saturday morning had trouble breathing. I rushed to Lombok to see the vet with Marli, and as we got to the vet, before the vet was even able to look at him, Marli stopped breathing and died. We buried him at the vet's garden. I was crying like a waterfall, and some local people were trying to comfort me.

Eini on my bed, the first day she came to live with me, just about 2 weeks ago

Eini yesterday morning. She was already a bit tired and "slow" but I had no idea it was anything so serious

And now there was Eini, the littele female kitten who I found by the dirt road with his orange brother just 2 weeks ago. She started to act a bit weird a couple of days ago, not like a kitten at all. Not playing, just sleeping all day, but still eating well and all, there were no signs of flu or anything, so I didn't think too much of it. Yesterday she stopped eating, started vomiting. I gave water with a syringe, which she quite happily drank, even went to the water bowl by herself a couple of times. I gave vitamins and antibiotics. But she was not looking well, so in the afternoon I took her inside, to keep her safe and comfortable. In the evening she fell asleep in my bed. This morning I woke up really early, sun was not even up yet.  I think I sensed something was wrong, as she was not sleeping right next to me like she has been doing since she moved to my house. I found her in a laundry basket that I keep in my room for cats to sleep in. She was not able to stand up, had vomited, was obviously very dehydrated and she was just like a ragdoll when I picked her up, not able to hold her head up. I gave her fluids through the skin in the neck (a drop bottle of fluids I have just for cases like these) and antibiotics as well. She was way too weak to even consider taking her to Lombok to a vet, and since I already had antibiotics and fluids to give, there was nothing else that could be done. I just made her comfortable, keeping an eye on her and hoping for a miracle.


But it did not look good. I have seen dying cats way too many times now, and I can pretty much see when the cat has  given up. Eini was there already. I just sat beside her, petted her gently, told her to let go if it feels too bad to hang on, thanked her for the brief visit she had in my life. I just knew this was time for goodbyes. There was nothing more I could do, but just wait. And cry.

At 10am this morning Eini took her last breath, quietly and peacefully, and died. After holding her for a while and crying my eyes out, I put her in a bag and buried her behind my house.

I have buried two of my cats within the last 6 days.

Right now I feel like I cannot take this anymore. I want to crawl into my closet and nail the doors shut and stay there, safely away from the universe that keeps on killing my cats.

A local man built a grave for Marli

End of a kitten's life

Eini rests here, under a tree, next to a fence, behind my house