I spent most of the night of Monday, November 14th, a supposedly special night because of the super moon, crying along with my cat Randa. Her pain was acute, and so was mine. My emotions paralyzed my actions, all I could do was hold her, do Reiki on her and tell her I loved her. That was the last night we spent together.
She was 14 years old, and we had been to the vet just 4 weeks earlier because I thought she was losing too much weight, even though she was still eating. The doctor ran all the tests and found a mild liver function decrease “normal in old cats she said”. We changed her diet to add supplementation because she was anemic. There was no sign that she could be dying. Not in the doctor’s eyes, at least! However, following that visit, I received a very distinct message in meditation: that her time in this world was ending. I told myself: No way! stop being negative…I prayed and asked that this thought be removed from my mind. It wasn’t. It only took 48 hours for my baby girl to go from a slightly fragile older cat to skin and bones…this thing eat her up completely. I hate to be so graphic, but if you stay with me, you’ll see why I’m sharing so much detail. I want to save your pet’s life… I want to give you more years of love, the years I always thought I would have with my “Randita,” my first and only pet. My “Guardian of Being”
On Tuesday morning, I rushed her to the vet. We’d slept only a few hours, she spent the night laying on my chest. I knew it was ending…she could not stand on her legs…I was completely hysterical. I had no idea this would happen like this. The doctor told me she was down to 3.5 lbs. and her red blood cells were at 6 when the normal range was 26. All of this in 4 weeks…all of this without a diagnosis. She didn’t know what it was. But this was her educated guess: Bone marrow cancer. Cancer is that scary word. She added, “It isn’t uncommon in older cats”. Why?!!!!! How can cancer be common? When did we come to accept this? I know my vet is a wonderful person and professional, but obviously, something is not being said. So I’m going to say it.
If you ask around, you’ll find that most of our beloved pets are dying of some type of cancer. The most common ones are tumors in the stomach. This is not a coincidence! Our parent’s and grandparents’ pets die of old age, not of cancer. Something is going on…something is wrong! Having had Randa since I was in college, I didn’t know what I now knew, and I fed her whatever I could afford then. Later, I “upgraded” her food to the “better” name brands…little did I know. It was just about two years ago that I switched to clean-grain-free food. But as it turns out, it was too late. Could I have saved her and given her a few more years? Well, I’m not God to know that. I trust Divine timing, and I accept that her job as my teacher and angel on this earth was complete. But I have no doubt that she would have me share this lesson with all of my friends who love their furry angels.
I urge you to look at the ingredient list for your pet’s food. You’ll find GMO corn, GMO soy, GMO wheat, animal “by-products”, gluten and a list of chemicals that will disgust you. Don’t trust the claims on the front of the package. Read labels! These beautiful beings are being poisoned, we are giving them garbage, we have been betrayed by those name brands that claim to care about them. Feel free to do your own research. I’m by no means an expert, but I feel compelled to tell you what I know. Cats and dogs do best on a grain-free diet. That is the first switch you should make. And if you have a cat, know that dry food shortens their life span because they are physiologically prone to dehydration and kidney or liver failure. They thrive on wet food, so get the good stuff, or as I did (not easy for a vegetarian, but I loved her that much), buy raw protein like fish (towards the end, I got her sashimi each week as a treat – just so I didn’t have to handle the fish myself). If you think this is elitist or a luxury, consider my expenses. In less than two months, the Veterinary bill is over $1,000, and my baby is gone anyway. I know you love your pet as much as I love my “Gordita.” I know you want them to live a happy life and that you do not want them to develop Cancer if you can help it.
No one has paid me to tell you this, but in hopes of helping you, here is the clean food I was giving her: blue buffalo dry (I used it as treats) and wet, primal frozen raw food. I heard that Honest Kitchen base mixes are great (you add the protein of choice – maybe your own food scraps like my parents always did with their dogs!)
I know Randa Guadalupe (Yes, that was her full name, and her stage name was “Randa G” 🙂 lived a life full of love. I’m not filled with remorse due to this. I’m forever grateful for having in my life a companion who made the life of an immigrant 20-year-old girl, scared and overwhelmed, a much more peaceful and comforting one. We laughed, cried, danced, and even sang karaoke together! I’ve been praying to her and telling her, “Thank you,” for loving me just as I am. As A Course in Miracles says, “Only the love remains.” She never asked for a thing. Well, maybe brush her more often, give her a treat, and let her play with the bathtub water (crazy habit, I know). I see her now as she really is: A bright star, a shining light in my heart, an angel of God, a guide, and the most unconditional love I’ve ever known. I love you, “mi Gordis,” wherever you are, know I still say to you, “Bongiorno Principessa!” every morning.
May your love guide you to better choices.
Xo,
Coach Maria Maria Marcano
