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vent-NWR- cat sick

my cat is unwell. she's always had problems with reoccurring tumours on her left eyelid. we've had them surgically removed 5 times now. but it's always a horrible trauma for her... the surgery and the recovery process. she's an old lady now and i cannot put her through all that again. I'm doing my best to make her comfortable with meds but it's so hard knowing that she's only getting worse every day. she's not in pure misery, her days are mostly good but I know it's only a matter of time for the bad to outweigh the good. and then I shall have to have her put to sleep. trying to figure out when exactly that moment is just turns my stomach into knots.

I used to work in animal welfare so I have been through it a million times, I've always been the one to arrange for my family's pets to be put down. but my cat is the first pet I went and found on my own and has been solely cared for by me. I tease that she's my "firstborn".

the wedding is coming up soon and she will have to go stay at the vet's while we are out of town and I know that will be hard on her. she is used to being my spoilt little girl at home. I worry that she will get really sick while I'm gone. cats can get depressed and make themselves even sicker. there's really nothing I can do to fix this situation. it just breaks my heart. I know she's not a person and many folks out there have much worse to deal with. some people think I'm crazy for being so emotionally invested in my cats but I don't have kids and I don't think we ever will.

I wish their lifespans weren't do much shorter than ours. sigh.

Re: vent-NWR- cat sick

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    So sorry!  Sending love and hugs your way!
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    I'm so sorry. (((Hugs)))
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    I can really identify with the last bit of your post.  I love my cats like my children and it makes me sad that I'll have to say goodbye to them someday, no matter how well we take care of them.
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    "I'm not a rude bitch.  I'm ten rude bitches in a large coat."

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    thanks, ladies. I really wish she could tell me how much pain she's in. that's the hardest part, not knowing if the meds are enough. animals process pain in different ways than we do. FI keeps saying "she'll come and let you know if she needs a higher dose of meds"... I keep trying to explain cats don't work that way... they suffer silently... I think it's an evolutionary thing... not good for animals to "show weakness", you know?
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    Oh my heart goes out to you!! *hugs* I know what you mean about cats suffering silently. I had to put down my "firstborn" last September. It was hard, but it was definitely the right thing to do at the time. You're not crazy for feeling the way you do. Hopefully your vet will be able to guide you as to when he/she feels it's time. It's a hard conversation to have, but you have to do what's right for your baby.
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    Last summer we had to put down my cat. I got him when I was three. I was so sad. He slept at my feet every night until I moved way to college. It was the saddest thing I've been through. I lost one of the few constants in my life. I know how you feel. I'm sorry. My FI is in vet school and he is not looking forward to that part of the job. 

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    I am so sorry! *hugs* 

    I mentioned in a previous post about my cat, Harry, who died from cancer. He stopped eating and wouldn't drink water on his own. I had to force him to drink and he looked absolutely miserable all the time....and that's when I knew it was not a good quality of life for him. It still never makes it easy to lose a furbaby. Sending you lots of hugs for this difficult time.
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    I'm so sorry to hear this. I have 2 kitties myself and they are my babies. I'm sending you so many hugs.
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    lc07lc07 member
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    Sending you lots of love, too. My cat is 18.5 years old (I've had her since I was 14!) and I thank my lucky stars for every day I get with her. I know she's very old for a cat.

    You're absolutely right that cats do not show pain in a way that we can always understand. But I trust that you will know when the time is right. Hang in there. And give lots of snuggles.
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    ACK!  it doesn't end.

    so a couple of weeks ago i hear a mewling outside my back door - well, what do you know but a little grey tabby kitten is standing there saying, "please let me in."  well what was i supposed to do?  i mean, we have two cats and how much difference can one extra cat make?  it's not the BEST timing in the world but, of course, i took her in.  she is the sweetest little thing.  i had a spay appointment for her set up for a few weeks from now but a couple of nights ago i looked at her and suddenly there was a real TUMMY there... oh dear.  her nipples were distended... pregnant cat.  and the poor little thing can't be barely 6 months.  so i move up the spay and i took her in this morning.
    went to pick her up this afternoon and i'm waiting and waiting, everybody else is getting out of there with their spayed/neutered pets quickly.... i start to worry.  then i'm told the vet wants to see me. yikes. i know what that means.  well the poor little baby was 7 WEEKS ALONG, about to drop 7 kittens.  she came out of surgery anemic with pale gums.  at first they thought she might need a transfusion but they rechecked and she doesn't.  they did tell me that i needed to take her straight from the clinic to a 24 hour vet because she needed to be observed overnight.  so she is there at the hospital being watched, getting LOTS of pain meds and fluids and antibiotics.  fingers crossed, i will be able to bring her home tomorrow morning at 8am.
    i feel so bad for this poor little kitten, she's just a baby herself, and now she's gone through this traumatic surgery and is spending the night in the hospital.  i'm just grateful i got my hands on her in time and we got her spayed - i just spread around 7 foster kittens amongst family and friends a couple of years ago and i have nobody left right now that would take any. 
    i need less cat drama in my life.  i hope she's ok.  i have fallen SO head over heels in love with this little girl in the short time i've had her. 
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