My cat is sick & it's killing me!

Hi.., my name is AJ & I am new here. I'm reaching out for support regarding
my precious cat. Her name is Sable. Sable is the oldest of my kids. She's 18
(almost 19) years old & she is very very sick.
During the past 3 days she hasn't been eating or drinking, she can hardly
walk & can't even make her way to her litter box. She also smell terrible.
The few times that she did try to eat & drink she ended up vomiting within
seconds after intake.

The Vet said that she was anorexic & constipated & that, based on the test
they did, they couldn't find anything wrong with her. We had already paid
$300.00 for a few tests & they recommended more test & a couple of nights in
the hospital but the cost would be well over a thousand dollars. Even then,
there would be no guarantee that her condition would improve.

We did the hospitalization thing in the past with two of our other babies
that were sick but all it did was prolong their suffering. All we cared about
was keeping them barely alive for a little bit longer just so we could delay
the inevitable. We brought them home & for two weeks I was sticking needles
in their necks to give them fluids, force feeding them a special non-protien
diet & having to lift them into their litter box or clean them off because
they couldn't control themselves. Finally the reality of my own selfishness
hit me. It was only after they were put to sleep that the Vet told us we made
the right decision.

Sable is showing all of the same symptoms plus other unusual behavior. The
saddest part is that she’s always been an affectionate & playful cat. Loves
to be held, stroked, & scratched. But now she refuses to be picked up & she
cowards away from our hands whenever we reach for her. As is with all our
babies, Sable was conditioned from day one to always feel safe & secure in
her daddies arms. But now, every time we reach for her she hisses & swats at
our hands. It breaks my heart.

The Vet prescribed some medicine for her but we have to literally force the
drops & pills down her throat which may explain her sudden fear of our hands.
Problem is that she's unable to keep her medicine in. She just pukes it right
back out. It feels like we’re doing more bad than good because she’s not
getting any better.

There’s also the handling & manipulation aspect to deal with. Sable has never
been sick in her entire life. Other than getting all her shots & being spayed
when she was a kitten, she’s never had to deal with other people handling her.
Unfortunately it does require some aggression to treat her. This has been a
very traumatizing ordeal for her. I'm afraid that, if her illness doesn't
kill her, she may die from the shock alone. She doesn't understand what's
going on & that it's all for her own good. She's very scared too. I know my
cats & there are things that I can just tell. Her instincts seem to be
communicating that she's ready to die & if this is the case then I would
rather her be put to sleep & die peacfully than be kept alive until her
sickness kills her.

When we take her age into consideration coupled with her symptoms & her
declining strength & energy it’s hard to determine the most humane approach.
Paying a thousand + dollars would make more sense if there was more certainty
in knowing that the additional treatments would help. When I say “help� I
mean making a full return to the same quality of life that she had before she
got sick but we honestly don’t see that happening. She’s miserable & it’s so
obvious.

My partner & I are back & forth in thinking that the time has come for us to
put her down.., end her suffering. The Vet refused to put her to sleep unless
he could run the additional tests but we can't see the point in having more
expensive tests done only to find out that her condition is terminal. We know
Sable well enough to know that this is the beginning of the end.

The only other option would be to surrender her to animal control & let them
put her to sleep. Problem is that they will do it but they have a policy
stating that the owners of the animal are not allowed to be present at the
time. Animal control is geared towards dealing with animals that are a menace.
They're not concerned with providing a safe & loving space for an animal to
die. They just pull them out of the cage, shoot them up, & throw them aside
until their dead. My Sable is not a menace. She is so LOVED & she needs to be
surrounded with that love when she takes her final breath.

I don’t know why I’m posting this. I guess I just need some extra support.
Sable may be old but she’s still my baby & she’s dying. I don’t know what to
do. I’m so scared. I LOVE her!

What would you do?

Sincerely:
AJ

--
d;-)

"gayajay" u32214@uwe wrote:
The only other option would be to surrender her to animal control & let
them
put her to sleep. Problem is that they will do it but they have a policy
stating that the owners of the animal are not allowed to be present at the
time.

NO, that is not your only option. Have your vet do it. Mine came to my home
and did not even charge anything extra for it. I held my cat in my arms, and
when
it was over, they gave me the option of having her buried myself, or letting
them
take her.

"gayajay" u32214@uwe wrote in message news:6ea196062eae8@uwe...
Hi.., my name is AJ & I am new here. I'm reaching out for support
regarding
my precious cat. Her name is Sable. Sable is the oldest of my kids. She's
18
(almost 19) years old & she is very very sick.

The animal control thing upset me so much I forgot to say: your cat's life
is
winding down and she is ready to go. This happened to my cat at about the
same age. She just stopped eating. There was nothing wrong with her. I had
them give her fluids, I hand-fed her baby food with a turkey baster. She
stopped
drinking too. Finally, after I let her go way to long because I was in
denial, I
realized she was trying to say goodbye--she was ready to go. I really wish
I had made the decision sooner, for her sake. I will not let my current cats
go so long. Give your Sable the gift of mercy that it is not legal for
anyone to
give us, at least in most places. I know it will be one of the hardest
things
you have ever done, but it is the last act of love you will do for her. I am
sorry.

"gayajay" u32214@uwe wrote in message news:6ea196062eae8@uwe...
Hi.., my name is AJ & I am new here. I'm reaching out for support
regarding
my precious cat. Her name is Sable. Sable is the oldest of my kids.
She's 18
(almost 19) years old & she is very very sick.
During the past 3 days she hasn't been eating or drinking, she can
hardly
walk & can't even make her way to her litter box. She also smell
terrible.
The few times that she did try to eat & drink she ended up vomiting
within
seconds after intake.

The Vet said that she was anorexic & constipated & that, based on
the test
they did, they couldn't find anything wrong with her. We had already
paid
$300.00 for a few tests & they recommended more test & a couple of
nights in
the hospital but the cost would be well over a thousand dollars.
Even then,
there would be no guarantee that her condition would improve.

We did the hospitalization thing in the past with two of our other
babies
that were sick but all it did was prolong their suffering. All we
cared about
was keeping them barely alive for a little bit longer just so we
could delay
the inevitable. We brought them home & for two weeks I was sticking
needles
in their necks to give them fluids, force feeding them a special
non-protien
diet & having to lift them into their litter box or clean them off
because
they couldn't control themselves. Finally the reality of my own
selfishness
hit me. It was only after they were put to sleep that the Vet told
us we made
the right decision.

Sable is showing all of the same symptoms plus other unusual
behavior. The
saddest part is that she’s always been an affectionate & playful
cat. Loves
to be held, stroked, & scratched. But now she refuses to be picked
up & she
cowards away from our hands whenever we reach for her. As is with
all our
babies, Sable was conditioned from day one to always feel safe &
secure in
her daddies arms. But now, every time we reach for her she hisses &
swats at
our hands. It breaks my heart.

The Vet prescribed some medicine for her but we have to literally
force the
drops & pills down her throat which may explain her sudden fear of
our hands.
Problem is that she's unable to keep her medicine in. She just pukes
it right
back out. It feels like we’re doing more bad than good because
she’s not
getting any better.

There’s also the handling & manipulation aspect to deal with.
Sable has never
been sick in her entire life. Other than getting all her shots &
being spayed
when she was a kitten, she’s never had to deal with other people
handling her.
Unfortunately it does require some aggression to treat her. This has
been a
very traumatizing ordeal for her. I'm afraid that, if her illness
doesn't
kill her, she may die from the shock alone. She doesn't understand
what's
going on & that it's all for her own good. She's very scared too. I
know my
cats & there are things that I can just tell. Her instincts seem to
be
communicating that she's ready to die & if this is the case then I
would
rather her be put to sleep & die peacfully than be kept alive until
her
sickness kills her.

When we take her age into consideration coupled with her symptoms &
her
declining strength & energy it’s hard to determine the most humane
approach.
Paying a thousand + dollars would make more sense if there was more
certainty
in knowing that the additional treatments would help. When I say
“help� I
mean making a full return to the same quality of life that she had
before she
got sick but we honestly don’t see that happening. She’s
miserable & it’s so
obvious.

My partner & I are back & forth in thinking that the time has come
for us to
put her down.., end her suffering. The Vet refused to put her to
sleep unless
he could run the additional tests but we can't see the point in
having more
expensive tests done only to find out that her condition is
terminal. We know
Sable well enough to know that this is the beginning of the end.

The only other option would be to surrender her to animal control &
let them
put her to sleep. Problem is that they will do it but they have a
policy
stating that the owners of the animal are not allowed to be present
at the
time. Animal control is geared towards dealing with animals that
are a menace.
They're not concerned with providing a safe & loving space for an
animal to
die. They just pull them out of the cage, shoot them up, & throw
them aside
until their dead. My Sable is not a menace. She is so LOVED & she
needs to be
surrounded with that love when she takes her final breath.

I don’t know why I’m posting this. I guess I just need some
extra support.
Sable may be old but she’s still my baby & she’s dying. I
don’t know what to
do. I’m so scared. I LOVE her!

What would you do?

Sincerely:
AJ

--
d;-)

Find a different vet. Make sure you get a
copy of the "tests" your current vet has
already run. There might be something
that can be treated, or it might just be
Sable's time.

Even if you don't want more tests done,
a different vet might well be more
understanding and compassionate than your
current vet, and willing to put your cat to
sleep humanely. I know my vet would.

Your attitude toward your Sable sounds
exactly the way I felt toward my 19 year
old Alyx. At least I knew what she was
suffering from, and when the time came
the decision was easy - as easy as those
things can be. You have my sincere
condolences.

Gail F.

I don't even know who you people are but I can honestly say, from the bottom
of my heart, I love you. Right after I posted my first message I was so
emotional so I went to Sables little pillow box that I made for her & just
loved her. I had to catch her sleeping in order to get my hand on her head so
I could stroke her. Then I just let myself go with my emotions. I cried
uncontrollably as I stroked her head & back. I reminisced with her & shared
all my memories of her kitten days & how she was once the little misfit from
hell. She used to love to test how much her daddy loved her by hiding in
places that only a cat could find. She would sit there & watch daddy rip the
house apart looking for her under the sofa, under the bed, in the closet...,
every where. Then right when I'd reach my peak of frustration she would come
jumping out from her little hiding place. Then I'd pick her up & hold her as
she would purr loud enough to shake the earth.
While I sat there next to her by her little box we made eye contact in a way
that we had never done before. I must have told her a thousand times in that
moment how much I LOVE her. Her look said it all. She is ready to go & in my
heart I know that this is best. Sable's first sister was a little pekingese
named Kioki. They used to play & cuddle together all the time. Kioki was with
us for 16 years. We had to put her to sleep because she had cancer. Kioki
LOVED life. That little girl was just to happy for words & would've lived 20
more years but her poor little body just couldn't keep up with her. This is
the same deal with Sable.
My partner & I have decided to take Sable to the SPCA (San Francisco) & hope
that we can work with another Vet who will be willing to take our
understanding of our own daugter's wellbeing into consideration. It's time
for us to let her go in peace.

You are all total strangers to me but you have helped me tremendously. I
really needed support & you gave me that. God bless you!

I have three other babies who I would like to tell you all about someday.
They're the joys of my life & worth the attention.

Thank You So Much!

Sincerely:
AJ

--
d;-)

"cybercat" wrote in message
...

"gayajay" u32214@uwe wrote:
The only other option would be to surrender her to animal control & let
them
put her to sleep. Problem is that they will do it but they have a policy
stating that the owners of the animal are not allowed to be present at
the
time.

NO, that is not your only option. Have your vet do it. Mine came to my
home
and did not even charge anything extra for it. I held my cat in my arms,
and when
it was over, they gave me the option of having her buried myself, or
letting them
take her.


Yes, this is very good advice. Vets in this area did not make home calls
like that at the times I had to have my furbabies euthanized (or I was not
aware of it), but that is exactly what I plan to do the next time I have to
face this terrible decision. Even if your vet will not come to your home,
please do as I did with mine -- I took them to the vet's office, and I sat
and *held* them while the injection was being given. It was extremely
difficult, but I considered that to be my last gift of love to them. I did
not want my babies to be frightened or in pain for their last moments on
earth.

Whatever you do, DO NOT take Sable to Animal Control. She has given you a
liftetime of love and trust, and that would be the very worst way to handle
this final decision. Finally, do you have complete trust in your vet's
competence? If so, then it may be time (based on consultation with your
vet) to make this decision. If not, you should seek a second opinion ASAP.

MaryL

On Sat, 03 Mar 2007 14:21:01 GMT, "gayajay" u32214@uwe wrote:

The Vet said that she was anorexic & constipated & that, based on the test
they did, they couldn't find anything wrong with her.

She is "anorexic & constipated & that" but the vet could not find
anything wrong with her?!?! HUH ?!?!?


My partner & I are back & forth in thinking that the time has come for us to
put her down.., end her suffering. The Vet refused to put her to sleep unless
he could run the additional tests but we can't see the point in having more
expensive tests done only to find out that her condition is terminal. We know
Sable well enough to know that this is the beginning of the end.


TAKE HER TO ANOTHER VER OR AN ANIMAL EMERGENCY ROOM AND HAVE HER PUT
DOWN!!!! It does not take a brain surgeon to figure that out!!!




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"gayajay" u32214@uwe wrote in message news:6ea2c018291eb@uwe...

My partner & I have decided to take Sable to the SPCA (San Francisco) &
hope
that we can work with another Vet who will be willing to take our
understanding of our own daugter's wellbeing into consideration. It's time
for us to let her go in peace.

You are all total strangers to me but you have helped me tremendously. I
really needed support & you gave me that. God bless you!

I have three other babies who I would like to tell you all about someday.
They're the joys of my life & worth the attention.

Thank You So Much!

Sincerely:
AJ

--
d;-)


AJ,

I just posted another message before I read through all of the messages,
then saw this one.

Please call your vet and see if he or she will come to your home to perform
the euthanasia. Many will (and many do not even charge extra, as Cybercat
said, especially for someone who has been a "regular"). Barring that, ask
if you can bring Sable to the vet's office and hold her while she is being
given the injection. That is what I did on previous occasions, and it is
far better than trying to deal with people (even well-meaning people) who do
not know you and who may refuse to let you be with Sable during those last
moments.

MaryL

The only other option would be to surrender her to animal control & let
them
put her to sleep. Problem is that they will do it but they have a policy
stating that the owners of the animal are not allowed to be present at
the
time.

NO, that is not your only option. Have your vet do it. Mine came to my
home
and did not even charge anything extra for it. I held my cat in my arms,
and when
it was over, they gave me the option of having her buried myself, or
letting them
take her.


Yes, this is very good advice. Vets in this area did not make home calls
like that at the times I had to have my furbabies euthanized (or I was not
aware of it), but that is exactly what I plan to do the next time I have to
face this terrible decision. Even if your vet will not come to your home,
please do as I did with mine -- I took them to the vet's office, and I sat
and *held* them while the injection was being given. It was extremely
difficult, but I considered that to be my last gift of love to them. I did
not want my babies to be frightened or in pain for their last moments on
earth.

You people seem to be forgetting or overlooking what she said about
her vet would not put it to sleep without more tests but you all keep
telling her to have the vet come to her home and do it or to go to the
vet and hold it while it is done. Go back and read the original post
again to see what was said before replying.




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AJ,

I am sorry Sable is so ill. I agree with the other posters--Sable needs to
be seen by another vet who will support your decision. It does sound to me
like she is not happy anymore and that it is time to let her go. As Cyber
said, it is the last gift of love that we can give. It's a rotten decision
to have to make but she will be at peace and not in pain.

Bonnie