Nugget
Still in disbelief but on the first of this month, my fiv cat nugget was euthanized. I found her abandoned on the side of the road back in June 2025. Severe URI and conjunctivitis in both eyes. Was pouring out green discharge from the eyes and nose. Took her to the vet, found out she was 10 weeks and got her treated. I gave her steam showers, cuddled her to sleep, hand fed her. She was my child. Things were good save for the reoccurring mild uri I found to be chronic. Besides the dmg done to her left eye from the conjunctivitis and how long it took her to get treated she had mild scarring but was otherwise perfect. Then my roommate rescued another kitten, 10 weeks, on the side of the road scared in Sept 2025. At the time we hadn't known she was FIV positive. Financial strain had us hold back on certain testing at the time.
The roommate's kitten had an uri of his own and I didn't think anything of it but as we were unaware of the potential danger till Dec 24, 2025 when my nugget was found barely responsive, struggling to breathe. Lethargic. High respiratory rate. We took her to the vet where they diagnosed her with early pneomnia. With Sriracha roommate kitten having a uri and nugget, at first it was a ping pong event as we struggled to get both properly medicated and treated while separated to prevent reinfection. Took a few months but then everyone was stabilized and Uri cleared up and nuggets pneomnia had been dealt with. She was 2 weeks symptom free without meds mid April 26. Thinks were looking up. Then she gave birth roommate's unspayed male got loose
Long story short she gave birth to 3 kittens. The chronic congestion and sniffles had returned but again we thought nothing of it because she has been the best she ever was. Till . July 1st. I woke up early to get the ogp order of her favorite wet food but upon opening the can I was met by her kittens but no Nugget. After searching I found her under the bed, looking worse for wear.. idk if it was the heat in my state, exhaustion from feeding, that led to the pneomnia grabbing hold once more but. She was the worse I ever saw. Completely out of it. Even with her resting in the cool room, gently giving her syringed water and letting her relax, she struggled to breathe. Managed to get her into the car and to the vet but. The congestion was so audible and horrible it sounded like fluid had built up in her lungs on top of the bright green booger going in and out of her nose with each inhale/exhale.
After the initial ignorance and skill issue on my part during her first round of treatment for pneomnia I had hoped they would just need to give her convenia and rest but. They gently coaxed me to euthanize. She was barely aware of where she even was with all her energy focused on just trying to breathe. It wasn't an easy decision and even know I am mentally broken at the loss. Barely had her over a year. Was hoping for a good 5 years at least. Idk if her pneomnia came back or if the mild sniffle chronic uri + the heat done + the exhaustion from feedings just laid the groundwork for what happened but I lost my baby. I've never lost a pet before and I pray I made the right call. I just didn't want her to struggle anymore. If in the end it was revealed she was easily treatable I will never forgive myself for ending her life so soon. My family, best friend, and the vet team said I made the kindest choice for her .. but idk 😭😭😭😭
https://photos.app.goo.gl/HY6KpZCY53yiDNae9
Album I put together detailing her growth up till recently. Missing some recent photos since my old phone became damaged. I am filled with regret for not having recordings of her quirky behavior, silent meows we presumed from the damage done to her sinuses as a kitten plus the chronic uri and congestion from the initial untreated uri, that the inflammation was why she could rarely meow, if coming out as a gasp. I miss her so much.