Time to put the cat to sleep?
Discussion
Our sixteen year old cat has recently (last two months) taken a downwards turn. Basically she randomly started pooing upstairs on the carpet which we tried to counter by giving her a litter tray. She's an outdoorsy type of cat and didnt quite get the hang of the tray, she'd sit in it and scratch at it but would poo over the edge - which was fine because we never had to change the litter, only the newspaper underneath!
Couple of weeks later and we found her one morning writhing around looking uncomfortable with runny poo all over the floor. We have a friend who's a vet and she has diagnosed her with having a couple of tumours in her stomach and a heart murmur. She gave her some steroids and these helped massively - she had an unrelenting appetite and was jumping up on the kitchen work tops (bad cat!). She said surgery isn't really a worthwhile option on a cat of her age and I'm inclined to agree if only for the fact that the car journey will finish her off!
Anyway, the steroids course finished and she is now very frail (she really struggles getting down the stairs), VERY skinny and pooing everywhere. She won't eat cat food either; the only things we can get her to eat are haddock, tuna and turkey. The poo is the consistency of melted ice cream and wherever she sits for an hour afterwards she leaves tea towel holder shaped brown stars. Lovely. As a result of this we keep her on the hard surfaces which we can easily clean and disinfect but as I lie in bed typing this I can hear her purring away at the bottom of the stairs! Mentally she seems all there and seems happy to be stroked and loves the attention - she's the same as she always has been and doesn't seem to be in pain, but she's evidently not very well and not going to get better.
So, what do I do? My friend has offerd to come round to the house with all her gear to put her to sleep without her getting stressed and upset with a car journey. Is it time? How do you know it's time? Or do I give her another couple of weeks on the steroids knowing it's not really doing anyone any favours? I'll probably still have a load of poo to clean up every morning even if we do!
Thoughts?
Couple of weeks later and we found her one morning writhing around looking uncomfortable with runny poo all over the floor. We have a friend who's a vet and she has diagnosed her with having a couple of tumours in her stomach and a heart murmur. She gave her some steroids and these helped massively - she had an unrelenting appetite and was jumping up on the kitchen work tops (bad cat!). She said surgery isn't really a worthwhile option on a cat of her age and I'm inclined to agree if only for the fact that the car journey will finish her off!
Anyway, the steroids course finished and she is now very frail (she really struggles getting down the stairs), VERY skinny and pooing everywhere. She won't eat cat food either; the only things we can get her to eat are haddock, tuna and turkey. The poo is the consistency of melted ice cream and wherever she sits for an hour afterwards she leaves tea towel holder shaped brown stars. Lovely. As a result of this we keep her on the hard surfaces which we can easily clean and disinfect but as I lie in bed typing this I can hear her purring away at the bottom of the stairs! Mentally she seems all there and seems happy to be stroked and loves the attention - she's the same as she always has been and doesn't seem to be in pain, but she's evidently not very well and not going to get better.
So, what do I do? My friend has offerd to come round to the house with all her gear to put her to sleep without her getting stressed and upset with a car journey. Is it time? How do you know it's time? Or do I give her another couple of weeks on the steroids knowing it's not really doing anyone any favours? I'll probably still have a load of poo to clean up every morning even if we do!
Thoughts?
Went through exactly the same with our old girl couple months ago. So many similarities.(She also had an abdominal mass)
We put her to sleep poss a bit earlier than was essential to but she was slowly worsening and I couldn't let her do that, so we did it whilst she was still relatively bright mentally but very poor physically. Very hard but I still believe now it was right. (see my thread ren has hyperthyroidism)
Is your cat under the care of your friend? If not you should let your own vets know what your plans are.
So sorry you're going through this but I can say absolutely hand on heart esp with what you have written that you would not be wrong if you made that final decision soon.
We put her to sleep poss a bit earlier than was essential to but she was slowly worsening and I couldn't let her do that, so we did it whilst she was still relatively bright mentally but very poor physically. Very hard but I still believe now it was right. (see my thread ren has hyperthyroidism)
Is your cat under the care of your friend? If not you should let your own vets know what your plans are.
So sorry you're going through this but I can say absolutely hand on heart esp with what you have written that you would not be wrong if you made that final decision soon.
Thanks, Ben. Just seems a bit weird putting her down when she's so sharp and alert and purring so contentedly!
Regarding vets and our friend; truth be told she has never been to the vets in her 16 years, not once (other than her jabs when she was a kitten). She must have some good genes as she's been rock solid until now!
Regarding vets and our friend; truth be told she has never been to the vets in her 16 years, not once (other than her jabs when she was a kitten). She must have some good genes as she's been rock solid until now!
I put my cat down about 10 yrs ago, she was 18 and I'd had her from 8 weeks. Not easy, but a cat isn't like a human where they can enjoy a decent quality of life even though they are unwell and can't get about as much.
A cat's life is all about being out and about and running around and stuff. My cat was too doddery and unwell to go out, and not happy about staying in. So I did the deed.
Couldn't face getting another cat for about 5 yrs, eventually got 2 kittens and they absolutely hate me. 5 yrs old now, won't come near me unless they're hungry. Don't know quite what I've done to deserve such contempt. Still, they're mine so I'm stuck with them. Looking on the bright side, it'll be easy to put them down when the time comes.
A cat's life is all about being out and about and running around and stuff. My cat was too doddery and unwell to go out, and not happy about staying in. So I did the deed.
Couldn't face getting another cat for about 5 yrs, eventually got 2 kittens and they absolutely hate me. 5 yrs old now, won't come near me unless they're hungry. Don't know quite what I've done to deserve such contempt. Still, they're mine so I'm stuck with them. Looking on the bright side, it'll be easy to put them down when the time comes.
Rich1973 said:
Not so early as to deprive her of life if she is still happy, and not so long as to let her suffer.
Not an easy balance unfortunately.
Unfortunately that doesn't help. She's sat here purring away and looks perfectly content. On the other hand I've just picked her up and she must weigh half of what she used to and she almost falls over when you stroke her.Not an easy balance unfortunately.
Anyway, decision made. Our friend's coming round tomorrow to do it.
Job done. Pretty sure it was the right thing to do as yesterday one pupil was fully dilated and the other contracted - not good apparently. Having said that, this morning she was absolutely fine and wolfed down a tin of tuna followed by a bowl of cream (wasn't going to do any harm was it!).
Anyway, I couldn't watch so had to go out for a bit. The saddest bit was digging a hole under the pear tree first thing this morning, she came and sat by me watching me dig her grave.
I'm gutted, but our vet friend is now on the lookout for a couple of abandoned kittens.
Anyway, I couldn't watch so had to go out for a bit. The saddest bit was digging a hole under the pear tree first thing this morning, she came and sat by me watching me dig her grave.
I'm gutted, but our vet friend is now on the lookout for a couple of abandoned kittens.
We had to bury Rosie, our rabbit a couple of months ago. There is a bush that's grown through from next doors (under the fence), that we were going to rip out, but Rosie now resides below it, with space alongside for Micky when he decides to hop off this mortal coil.
Remember the good times, and spoil the new arrivals.
Remember the good times, and spoil the new arrivals.
I'm really sorry to hear the news.
When we had Pegerty put down although she had lost a ton of condition (she was a scraggy thin Persian by the end) and she slept quite a bit, she was still "her" but we knew deep down she was nearing the end and keeping her going was not going to be fair on her.
When we had Pegerty put down although she had lost a ton of condition (she was a scraggy thin Persian by the end) and she slept quite a bit, she was still "her" but we knew deep down she was nearing the end and keeping her going was not going to be fair on her.
I had to bury one of our dogs some twelve years ago. It was a horrible feeling, tipping the soil back in afterwards. I even put a tea towel over his poor little body so he wouldn't get dirty. 
Even now, all these years later, I still tear up thinking about that day.
He had canine distemper, something I had never even heard about, and was in so much pain he couldn't walk, or move, just stood still and yelped if we even touched him.
Our vet said we could keep him going for a while with vitamins and antibiotics, painkillers etc, but the end result would be the same.
Even now, all these years later, I still tear up thinking about that day. He had canine distemper, something I had never even heard about, and was in so much pain he couldn't walk, or move, just stood still and yelped if we even touched him.
Our vet said we could keep him going for a while with vitamins and antibiotics, painkillers etc, but the end result would be the same.
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