Brian Downing Kaat, 2001-2019
The Miami Stars lost their manager today after a battle with kidney disease.
The last few days have been difficult. Brian has lost a good deal of weight over the last few years, and especially so in the last 2 months. He has had more difficulty moving around and less appetite. On Thursday, Brian suffered a seizure while sitting in my lap. After a bit of a rest, he recovered enough to show that he was still mobile, but walked with noticeable pain and seemed to be confused, wandering around the house and yowling sadly.
He would also yowl at his water bowl before trying to drink from it. Our doctor explained that was probably related to the kidney disease. Brian wanted to drink but his body was not working well and made it difficult. He also yowled whenever the heat in the house went off, as it denied him the chance to get warm air by resting over the vent.
Last night I heard Brian yowling and thinking he was cold, picked him up with his blanket and brought him to sleep on top of me. He was content there for a while, though this was very unlike Brian. For most of his life he prized his independence. He might snuggle on top of a human, but would not like to be covered by a blanket, he wanted to be able to leave whenever he wanted to. Last night there was little fight left in him.
We took him to his doctor this morning and discussed our options. We could try to fight the kidney disease by getting IV fluids into him, but at his age the odds were that it would not last long, and I did not like the idea of Brian kept in a kitty hospital for days or even a week, without his human companions. Sadly, we made the choice to spare Brian any more pain, and said goodbye.
Brian's entire immediate family was on hand to wish him farewell, to sing the song of Brian one more time, and reminisce about our life with him. The world is a better place for having had Brian in it for the last 18 1/2 years.
posted by Chone Smith @ 11:49 AM
2 comments
2 Comments:
Brian was my teammate in 2003. He was a rookie kitten, I was in my last season as an active player. I was a backup outfielder that year and Brian was taking over my old position, center field. He was such a good natured cat. I taught him everything I knew about playing the outfield but he had one thing that nobody could teach: tremendous speed. Brian played 15 season with the Stars, had over 2800 hits, and helped the team reach 5 world series, including the 2011 championship.
His greatest moment came in game 5 of the 2016 series. Facing elimination, the Stars went into extra innings and Brian sent it to game 6 with a homerun. After Brian’s playing career ended he remained with the team, helping to instruct our young players, and in his final season took over as team manager. Brian took quickly to the job and won 102 games. Sadly, he won’t be around to manage another.
I will miss Brian greatly. Over the years he has been a teammate, a partner in team management, and a friend. He was a cat, but to me Brian will also be remembered as an honorary jawa.
Not just one of the finest players in the history of the game, one of the finest kitties ever to walk the earth. God Bless Brian Kaat. You will be missed.
Post a Comment
<< Home