Elderly kitty very sick

[LisaMos]

Hello,

My very old cat took a turn for the worse this week. His name is Smokey, but everyone calls him "Paddles," due to his large paws. I took him to the vet because he was unable to do his business. He didn't care much for the unclogging process. The yowls were echoing all the way down the halls of the surgery.

His blood work showed his kidneys are failing. As part of his care now, I have to jab a large needle into his scruff and give him fluids. It doesn't seem to bother him at all, but it freaks me right out.

He's been off his food since the bowel episode, and will only take tiny sips of broth. If he doesn't eat soon, these are probably his last days. I'm not ready for that, even though I know there is no such thing as "ready."



Thanks for listening.

[Babz]

We are never ready to lose our pets, Dribz was 22years old when we had to have her put to
sleep and it still hurts, but I have the knowledge of knowing that we gave her all the love
and more than she needed when she was with us.

You are braver than me as I couldn't give myself an injection if needed never mind a pet !

Near the end of Dribz's life we used to feed her pate and paste off of our fingers...had to
be chicken(her favourite food).

If and when the time comes...remember the good times !!

This is part of a post I made when we lost Dribz and I do go and read it occasionally.


Well the day finally arrived that I said bye to Dribz.....we had her put to sleep
yesterday afternoon.

Over the last week she was getting worse and I made the decision that we
couldn't let her go on this way so with a heavy heart but one full of very
good memories.

I made the appointment to release her from suffering !!

Heartbreaking it was but in a way I knew I was doing the right thing for her !!

Shes had over 20 years of pampering and I suppose it was that, that has let her
be with us so long !!

The memories will always be with me and I will in time be getting another cat !!

I am looking at it this way....she came, gave joy and also worries but thats
okay, I
am wondering now who I can tell my secrets to as she was such a
good listener !!


There is nothing anyone can or will say that can make it easy for you to go through the
loss you are expecting.
It is hard for me to say much more as I am still feeling the loss of Callie and the way she
left this world.

Fill your final days/weeks with him full of lovely memories and photo's that will see you through
the low times

[LisaMos]

Thank you for your kindness and words of comfort. I very much appreciate it. Please accept my condolences for the loss of your kitties. I read your posts about them, and found them genuinely moving. I've been through this before, and each carries a unique brand of grief as each cat is unique to him or herself.

I have many wonderful memories of Paddles to keep. Over the last two years, he developed this odd habit of sleeping on my hair. He'd never done that before. I've become accustomed to waking up with my head immobile, like it's bolted to the bed. (Paddles is quite large. Even old and skinny, he weighs 13 lbs.)

Unless he woke first and a had a need like breakfast or attention. then he would rap me on the nose with his big paw and loose a siren-like meow directly into my ear canal.

If I objected to this, I got That Look. You know the one, where kitty has announced what is required and you are utterly gormless.

He's resting comfortably right now. I am working myself up to doing the needle thing. ::shudder:: The fluids do help, though, which is the only thing that gives me the nerve to do it.

Thank you again for sharing your stories.

[Magenta]

If your cat is dying and needs to be kept comfortable, I think you need to ask yourself why you are keeping him alive. It certainly can't be for the cat's benefit. The kindest thing to do would be to take it to the vet and have it euthanized rather than waiting for it to die. When I had my dog put to sleep recently and the vet could see I was battling with the decision, he said: "Rather do it a day too early, than a day too late." Tough decision, but do what's best for the cat.

[LisaMos]

Thank you, Magenta. Your post was very insightful. I'm so sorry for the loss of your dog.

[LisaMos]

Paddles passed quietly this morning at the vet's office. I thank you for the kindness and comfort you've given me during this difficult time.

[scotty6405]

Sorry for your loss. We have suffered the loss 4 wonderful cats(Tessio, Apolonia, Roger and Motley) over the last 3 years. They are not cats but extensions of their owners. Our hearts go out to you.