Support Mowgli’s Final Goodbye

Mowgli the baby bengal came home to my husband and I August 2017 when he was 8’weeks old. He is a rare breed that is closely related to the Asian leopard. When we first laid our eyes on him we knew he was special but his personality is what really stole our hearts.

Since he was a kitten, he has loved to go on hikes with us, ride in the car behind our heads, meet new humans and animals, run outside in the grass, smell flowers, bake with his dad, and just all around enjoy life. We joke that he was meant to be a butterfly but got trapped in a cat’s body. He is just so gentle, loving, and adventurous.

Mowgli has always exhibited signs of happiness and health. Until recently, when we noticed a strange cough. He started throwing up some food as well so we took him to the vet for what we thought was asthma. The vet told us his heart was much more of a concern and to schedule a cardiology appointment as soon as possible.

We took him to the cardiologist at 11 am yesterday and were terrified to find out he was undergoing heart failure just 3 months shy of his 3rd bday. The cough was a result of fluid building up in his lungs. Our hearts broke. We thought we would never see our adventurous boy again. We cried for hours because Mowgli is our first baby boy. He has been born into a home full of love and he has returned the love 100x over.

The vets asked us if we would okay CPR in the case that he stopped breathing and immediately placed him in an oxygen cage. They gave him heavy medication to clear the fluid from his lungs and to stabilize his heart rate. We are blessed he didn’t have a stroke as a result of his failing heart. Doctors have let us know he was most likely born with HCM, a disease of the heart where the walls thicken and prevent blood from flowing effectively through his heart to the rest of his body.  

The good news is he responded well within 27 hours of being incubated. We got a few updates that he could potentially be released but would forever live with this disease and a strict medication regimen. We are okay with that. He has since made it home and his first request was to go for a walk outside on his leash. Talk about having the will to live and enjoy life. We will continue to treasure him for as long as his heart can keep beating with the help of medicine. There is no cure, only management. 

The bad news is that keeping his heart from completely shutting down came at a cost. We are asking for any donations from the heart. His hospital stay, multiple X-rays, catheters, ventilator cage, etc. add up to around $3,200. The thing is, he is our family member and we know every cent is worth it. Thank you for all of those who prayed for our baby boy to survive, he is truly our miracle.

Update: We lost our baby boy this morning. His heart and kidneys just weren’t strong enough. We have decided we will pick up his ashes and scatter them somewhere he loved to go, the outdoors. We are really having a hard time wrapping our heads and hearts around this. He was our first born. He cuddled with us all night and all morning and let us know he loved us very much up until his final moment. We cried hysterically as we tried to get him to the hospital but we knew he was gone. He passed in my husband’s arms. He has a little brother opi who is very much missing him already. And we just can’t understand any of this right now. We are now dealing with more costs, please share this with your friends and family if you wish. Thank you for showing us so much support during this time. Our boy is now at peace but it will take us, his family, a while to get there. He can finally be the butterfly he was meant to be. We love you Mogi Bear.

Love, Karen and Kyle.