sudden death - does "stroke" diagnosis sound right to you?

Hi folks -

I am just heartbroken. My beloved cat died very suddenly, quickly and
unexpectedly about 48 hours ago. I'm doing some web surfing to try to
make sense of what happened.

She would have been 15 years old next month, and she was perfectly
healthy, no history of any health problems, regular vet check-ups,
vaccinations and dental care, excellent quality food, kept indoors her
entire life. She was fine in the morning, nothing unusual in the
litter box, ate her breakfast fine. The first sign of any trouble was
me hearing a strange noise that got my attention --- a kinda weird
quiet howl cross with a little moan is the best I can describe it ---
then I heard it again just seconds later and realized it was coming
from my cat. She was laying on a favored chair, on her side, with her
mouth hanging open. She was drooling, and she moved her head just a
tiny bit. I saw that she wasn't breathing. I realized something
horrible was happening and had the good sense not to start screaming
and running around right then, I just stroked her and told her I loved
her and everything would be ok. I saw the life go out of her right
before my very eyes, in the course of about 10 seconds, it seems.

When I took her into the vet, the vet examined her and said, "She
looks absolutely perfect, I can't see anything wrong. This makes me
think she probably threw a clot from her heart and suffered a stroke."

Does this sound familiar to anyone? My cat was PERFECTLY healthy, she
has been running around and acting like a funny nut her entire life.
Is it really possible that she could have had a heart condition that
allowed a clot to form and then break free, killing her so fast and
suddenly with a stroke, with no other symptoms?

I did not want to do an autopsy, so I won't ever no positively for
sure what happened, but I just wondered if anyone else can say, "Yup,
this happens, even though it seems like the most bizarre and unlikely
thing in the world, it does happen to cats."

Thanks for any input you can give to help me make sense of the
shocking death of my wonderful, perfect cat.

on Wed, 14 Feb 2007 19:33:07 GMT, "Big Al" wrote:

Thanks for any input you can give to help me make sense of the
shocking death of my wonderful, perfect cat.

I can't say one way or another what may have caused your cat's death, but I
do want to offer my condolences. I'm so sorry you have lost your beloved
companion.

--
Lynne

Yes what you describe could have been a stroke or a blood clot. Just like
humans sometimes there is never a reason or a warning before.

I am very sorry for your loss

"Big Al" wrote in message
oups.com...
Hi folks -

I am just heartbroken. My beloved cat died very suddenly, quickly and
unexpectedly about 48 hours ago. I'm doing some web surfing to try to
make sense of what happened.

She would have been 15 years old next month, and she was perfectly
healthy, no history of any health problems, regular vet check-ups,
vaccinations and dental care, excellent quality food, kept indoors her
entire life. She was fine in the morning, nothing unusual in the
litter box, ate her breakfast fine. The first sign of any trouble was
me hearing a strange noise that got my attention --- a kinda weird
quiet howl cross with a little moan is the best I can describe it ---
then I heard it again just seconds later and realized it was coming
from my cat. She was laying on a favored chair, on her side, with her
mouth hanging open. She was drooling, and she moved her head just a
tiny bit. I saw that she wasn't breathing. I realized something
horrible was happening and had the good sense not to start screaming
and running around right then, I just stroked her and told her I loved
her and everything would be ok. I saw the life go out of her right
before my very eyes, in the course of about 10 seconds, it seems.

When I took her into the vet, the vet examined her and said, "She
looks absolutely perfect, I can't see anything wrong. This makes me
think she probably threw a clot from her heart and suffered a stroke."

Does this sound familiar to anyone? My cat was PERFECTLY healthy, she
has been running around and acting like a funny nut her entire life.
Is it really possible that she could have had a heart condition that
allowed a clot to form and then break free, killing her so fast and
suddenly with a stroke, with no other symptoms?

I did not want to do an autopsy, so I won't ever no positively for
sure what happened, but I just wondered if anyone else can say, "Yup,
this happens, even though it seems like the most bizarre and unlikely
thing in the world, it does happen to cats."

Thanks for any input you can give to help me make sense of the
shocking death of my wonderful, perfect cat.

On 14 Feb, 21:07, "Matthew" wrote:
Yes what you describe could have been a stroke or a blood clot. Just like
humans sometimes there is never a reason or a warning before.

I am very sorry for your loss

"Big Al" wrote in message

oups.com...



Hi folks -

I am just heartbroken. My beloved cat died very suddenly, quickly and
unexpectedly about 48 hours ago. I'm doing some web surfing to try to
make sense of what happened.

She would have been 15 years old next month, and she was perfectly
healthy, no history of any health problems, regular vet check-ups,
vaccinations and dental care, excellent quality food, kept indoors her
entire life. She was fine in the morning, nothing unusual in the
litter box, ate her breakfast fine. The first sign of any trouble was
me hearing a strange noise that got my attention --- a kinda weird
quiet howl cross with a little moan is the best I can describe it ---
then I heard it again just seconds later and realized it was coming
from my cat. She was laying on a favored chair, on her side, with her
mouth hanging open. She was drooling, and she moved her head just a
tiny bit. I saw that she wasn't breathing. I realized something
horrible was happening and had the good sense not to start screaming
and running around right then, I just stroked her and told her I loved
her and everything would be OK. I saw the life go out of her right
before my very eyes, in the course of about 10 seconds, it seems.

When I took her into the vet, the vet examined her and said, "She
looks absolutely perfect, I can't see anything wrong. This makes me
think she probably threw a clot from her heart and suffered a stroke."

Does this sound familiar to anyone? My cat was PERFECTLY healthy, she
has been running around and acting like a funny nut her entire life.
Is it really possible that she could have had a heart condition that
allowed a clot to form and then break free, killing her so fast and
suddenly with a stroke, with no other symptoms?

I did not want to do an autopsy, so I won't ever no positively for
sure what happened, but I just wondered if anyone else can say, "Yup,
this happens, even though it seems like the most bizarre and unlikely
thing in the world, it does happen to cats."

Thanks for any input you can give to help me make sense of the
shocking death of my wonderful, perfect cat.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

I concur with Matthew, It does sound very much like a stroke. You
hardly ever get any warning, it appears from no where, as it does in
Humans.
I can only offer you our sincere condolences. I know that won't mean
very much right now, but I can assure you that she knew that you were
with her in her final moments & as she crossed the Rainbow Bridge, she
left with your love knowingly.

I don't think you will ever find a conclusive answer that you search
for, so perhaps It might be easier to dwell less on why, don't blame
yourself, & thank the powers that be that you got the chance to be
with her as she departed shrouded in your love & affection. She cried
out for you, & you were there for her. Try to look upon it as a gift
that not all of us get.
Grief like this is just as valid as loosing a human that you love. She
was with you for so many years that I must be like loosing a feline
daughter...

Allow yourself the freedom to grieve, she was very important & central
to love & life when she was here. I know that you will miss her, but I
also think that there was nothing you could have done that would have
changed it.
Now that she has crossed the Rainbow Bridge, know that she is at peace
looking back at you with the love and affection that you shared with
her for so long. She has not suffered a terribly debilitating illness
& her end was quick. She will always watch over you & she took a space
in your heart with her that no one and nothing will ever replace....It
was a mutual love & the only cure for this is time. You will never
forget her, but as each day passes, you learn to cope with it
better....

She would never want you you to grieve forever, as you would not wish
her to either. If you care to do something to commemorate her life,
then do it..be it plant a rose, have a commemoration day or simply
take time out now and again to think of her...But also know that you
will never be alone, because she a part of the fabric that we call
life; your life...
( I hate to call her, Her...May we share your baby's name please Al?)
"Always feel welcome here" & the world is always awake if you need to
talk, someone will always be here for you.
We share your grief,
soothing Purrs,
Sheelagh

On Feb 14, 3:00 pm, "sheelagh" wrote:
On 14 Feb, 21:07, "Matthew" wrote:



Yes what you describe could have been a stroke or a blood clot. Just like
humans sometimes there is never a reason or a warning before.

I am very sorry for your loss

"Big Al" wrote in message

roups.com...

Hi folks -

I am just heartbroken. My beloved cat died very suddenly, quickly and
unexpectedly about 48 hours ago. I'm doing some web surfing to try to
make sense of what happened.

She would have been 15 years old next month, and she was perfectly
healthy, no history of any health problems, regular vet check-ups,
vaccinations and dental care, excellent quality food, kept indoors her
entire life. She was fine in the morning, nothing unusual in the
litter box, ate her breakfast fine. The first sign of any trouble was
me hearing a strange noise that got my attention --- a kinda weird
quiet howl cross with a little moan is the best I can describe it ---
then I heard it again just seconds later and realized it was coming
from my cat. She was laying on a favored chair, on her side, with her
mouth hanging open. She was drooling, and she moved her head just a
tiny bit. I saw that she wasn't breathing. I realized something
horrible was happening and had the good sense not to start screaming
and running around right then, I just stroked her and told her I loved
her and everything would be OK. I saw the life go out of her right
before my very eyes, in the course of about 10 seconds, it seems.

When I took her into the vet, the vet examined her and said, "She
looks absolutely perfect, I can't see anything wrong. This makes me
think she probably threw a clot from her heart and suffered a stroke."

Does this sound familiar to anyone? My cat was PERFECTLY healthy, she
has been running around and acting like a funny nut her entire life.
Is it really possible that she could have had a heart condition that
allowed a clot to form and then break free, killing her so fast and
suddenly with a stroke, with no other symptoms?

I did not want to do an autopsy, so I won't ever no positively for
sure what happened, but I just wondered if anyone else can say, "Yup,
this happens, even though it seems like the most bizarre and unlikely
thing in the world, it does happen to cats."

Thanks for any input you can give to help me make sense of the
shocking death of my wonderful, perfect cat.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

I concur with Matthew, It does sound very much like a stroke. You
hardly ever get any warning, it appears from no where, as it does in
Humans.
I can only offer you our sincere condolences. I know that won't mean
very much right now, but I can assure you that she knew that you were
with her in her final moments & as she crossed the Rainbow Bridge, she
left with your love knowingly.

I don't think you will ever find a conclusive answer that you search
for, so perhaps It might be easier to dwell less on why, don't blame
yourself, & thank the powers that be that you got the chance to be
with her as she departed shrouded in your love & affection. She cried
out for you, & you were there for her. Try to look upon it as a gift
that not all of us get.
Grief like this is just as valid as loosing a human that you love. She
was with you for so many years that I must be like loosing a feline
daughter...

Allow yourself the freedom to grieve, she was very important & central
to love & life when she was here. I know that you will miss her, but I
also think that there was nothing you could have done that would have
changed it.
Now that she has crossed the Rainbow Bridge, know that she is at peace
looking back at you with the love and affection that you shared with
her for so long. She has not suffered a terribly debilitating illness
& her end was quick. She will always watch over you & she took a space
in your heart with her that no one and nothing will ever replace....It
was a mutual love & the only cure for this is time. You will never
forget her, but as each day passes, you learn to cope with it
better....

She would never want you you to grieve forever, as you would not wish
her to either. If you care to do something to commemorate her life,
then do it..be it plant a rose, have a commemoration day or simply
take time out now and again to think of her...But also know that you
will never be alone, because she a part of the fabric that we call
life; your life...
( I hate to call her, Her...May we share your baby's name please Al?)
"Always feel welcome here" & the world is always awake if you need to
talk, someone will always be here for you.
We share your grief,
soothing Purrs,
Sheelagh


Sheelagh - Thank you so much for these lovely, kind words. You don't
even know me, but you spoke directly to my heart. My beautiful girl
was "Nyasha", pronounced knee-AH-shah. You're right, the bottom line
is that she is dead, and it almost doesn't matter how that came
about. I guess if it was really, REALLY important to me to have
"stroke" confirmed, I would have had an autopsy done. But, I wasn't
thinking very clearly at the vet, so didn't ask for that and now I'm
reviewing in my mind what the vet and trying to make sense ---- of
something that makes NO sense. )-;

I couldn't possibly add anything more to Sheelagh's beautiful words. Please
accept my condolences as well.
Best regards,
---Cindy S.


"Big Al" wrote in message
oups.com...
Hi folks -

I am just heartbroken. My beloved cat died very suddenly, quickly and
unexpectedly about 48 hours ago. I'm doing some web surfing to try to
make sense of what happened.

She would have been 15 years old next month, and she was perfectly
healthy, no history of any health problems, regular vet check-ups,
vaccinations and dental care, excellent quality food, kept indoors her
entire life. She was fine in the morning, nothing unusual in the
litter box, ate her breakfast fine. The first sign of any trouble was
me hearing a strange noise that got my attention --- a kinda weird
quiet howl cross with a little moan is the best I can describe it ---
then I heard it again just seconds later and realized it was coming
from my cat. She was laying on a favored chair, on her side, with her
mouth hanging open. She was drooling, and she moved her head just a
tiny bit. I saw that she wasn't breathing. I realized something
horrible was happening and had the good sense not to start screaming
and running around right then, I just stroked her and told her I loved
her and everything would be ok. I saw the life go out of her right
before my very eyes, in the course of about 10 seconds, it seems.

When I took her into the vet, the vet examined her and said, "She
looks absolutely perfect, I can't see anything wrong. This makes me
think she probably threw a clot from her heart and suffered a stroke."

Does this sound familiar to anyone? My cat was PERFECTLY healthy, she
has been running around and acting like a funny nut her entire life.
Is it really possible that she could have had a heart condition that
allowed a clot to form and then break free, killing her so fast and
suddenly with a stroke, with no other symptoms?

I did not want to do an autopsy, so I won't ever no positively for
sure what happened, but I just wondered if anyone else can say, "Yup,
this happens, even though it seems like the most bizarre and unlikely
thing in the world, it does happen to cats."

Thanks for any input you can give to help me make sense of the
shocking death of my wonderful, perfect cat.

On 14 Feb, 22:30, "Big Al" wrote:
On Feb 14, 3:00 pm, "sheelagh" wrote:





On 14 Feb, 21:07, "Matthew" wrote:

Yes what you describe could have been a stroke or a blood clot. Just like
humans sometimes there is never a reason or a warning before.

I am very sorry for your loss

"Big Al" wrote in message

roups.com...

Hi folks -

I am just heartbroken. My beloved cat died very suddenly, quickly and
unexpectedly about 48 hours ago. I'm doing some web surfing to try to
make sense of what happened.

She would have been 15 years old next month, and she was perfectly
healthy, no history of any health problems, regular vet check-ups,
vaccinations and dental care, excellent quality food, kept indoors her
entire life. She was fine in the morning, nothing unusual in the
litter box, ate her breakfast fine. The first sign of any trouble was
me hearing a strange noise that got my attention --- a kinda weird
quiet howl cross with a little moan is the best I can describe it ---
then I heard it again just seconds later and realized it was coming
from my cat. She was laying on a favored chair, on her side, with her
mouth hanging open. She was drooling, and she moved her head just a
tiny bit. I saw that she wasn't breathing. I realized something
horrible was happening and had the good sense not to start screaming
and running around right then, I just stroked her and told her I loved
her and everything would be OK. I saw the life go out of her right
before my very eyes, in the course of about 10 seconds, it seems.

When I took her into the vet, the vet examined her and said, "She
looks absolutely perfect, I can't see anything wrong. This makes me
think she probably threw a clot from her heart and suffered a stroke."

Does this sound familiar to anyone? My cat was PERFECTLY healthy, she
has been running around and acting like a funny nut her entire life.
Is it really possible that she could have had a heart condition that
allowed a clot to form and then break free, killing her so fast and
suddenly with a stroke, with no other symptoms?

I did not want to do an autopsy, so I won't ever no positively for
sure what happened, but I just wondered if anyone else can say, "Yup,
this happens, even though it seems like the most bizarre and unlikely
thing in the world, it does happen to cats."

Thanks for any input you can give to help me make sense of the
shocking death of my wonderful, perfect cat.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

I concur with Matthew, It does sound very much like a stroke. You
hardly ever get any warning, it appears from no where, as it does in
Humans.
I can only offer you our sincere condolences. I know that won't mean
very much right now, but I can assure you that she knew that you were
with her in her final moments & as she crossed the Rainbow Bridge, she
left with your love knowingly.

I don't think you will ever find a conclusive answer that you search
for, so perhaps It might be easier to dwell less on why, don't blame
yourself, & thank the powers that be that you got the chance to be
with her as she departed shrouded in your love & affection. She cried
out for you, & you were there for her. Try to look upon it as a gift
that not all of us get.
Grief like this is just as valid as loosing a human that you love. She
was with you for so many years that I must be like loosing a feline
daughter...

Allow yourself the freedom to grieve, she was very important & central
to love & life when she was here. I know that you will miss her, but I
also think that there was nothing you could have done that would have
changed it.
Now that she has crossed the Rainbow Bridge, know that she is at peace
looking back at you with the love and affection that you shared with
her for so long. She has not suffered a terribly debilitating illness
& her end was quick. She will always watch over you & she took a space
in your heart with her that no one and nothing will ever replace....It
was a mutual love & the only cure for this is time. You will never
forget her, but as each day passes, you learn to cope with it
better....

She would never want you you to grieve forever, as you would not wish
her to either. If you care to do something to commemorate her life,
then do it..be it plant a rose, have a commemoration day or simply
take time out now and again to think of her...But also know that you
will never be alone, because she a part of the fabric that we call
life; your life...
( I hate to call her, Her...May we share your baby's name please Al?)
"Always feel welcome here" & the world is always awake if you need to
talk, someone will always be here for you.
We share your grief,
soothing Purrs,
Sheelagh

Sheelagh - Thank you so much for these lovely, kind words. You don't
even know me, but you spoke directly to my heart. My beautiful girl
was "Nyasha", pronounced knee-AH-shah. You're right, the bottom line
is that she is dead, and it almost doesn't matter how that came
about. I guess if it was really, REALLY important to me to have
"stroke" confirmed, I would have had an autopsy done. But, I wasn't
thinking very clearly at the vet, so didn't ask for that and now I'm
reviewing in my mind what the vet and trying to make sense ---- of
something that makes NO sense. )-;- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Thank you so much for sharing her name with us Al..It is so much nicer
to know whom you are talking about..her seemed totally inadequate
somehow.
What a beautiful name too! Her name in itself speaks volumes. It is
unusual & so pretty. I don't need to know you to feel that you must
have loved her so dearly to name her so. I could tell that the words
that you wrote came directly from your heart;a grieving heart for a
companion that you loved dearly too.

Nyasha was privileged to own you. I have learnt that there are so many
cats out there that have no one at all to love, so you see I don't
need to know you to see that you were a wonderful slave to her. I say
slave simply because I believe that you, like all of us here would do
near anything that you could to make her happy, & took pleasure in her
happiness as well....

I think most of us here have also lost loved ones, so we feel your
grief too. It is such a miserable feeling that you would do anything
to try & forget for a while, but the best cure is actually to think of
her all of the time. You will find that sometime soon, other thoughts
start to come to you, & then you will know in your own heart that you
have to carry on without her presence, yet Nyasha will always be here,
in your heart, mind and memories. Memories are wonderful things that
neither money can buy or take from you...
There is of course the other reflection. Imagine you were Nyasha... &
that what happened to her today, god forbid, were to happen to you...
Nyasha's life would have been turned inside out, & her future may have
been uncertain...Nyasha would Always have carried your memory too, but
her life would have been so different & difficult to cope with...

I think that she was one of the luckiest cats on earth. One of the
selected few who was adored by her human & who was there for her from
the moment she claimed you until the moment she crossed the Rainbow
Bridge that all of our precious friends cross once they depart from
this world. She was so lucky to have you, believe me?

I understand your grief as we all do. It is an unspeakable hole in the
heart that takes time to mend. You may not believe me right now, but
perhaps one day, when Nyasha is watching over you, she will whisper to
you in your soul; your very fiber of being, that she wants you to
become a slave once more to the cat or kitten that selects you. It
will be OK to do this, in respect to her memory.Not now at all... you
will know the day down the windey road of life...

But for now, if you ever want to talk, there will always be someone
here who will be happy & more than glad to share the stories about her
wonderful life, & the things that you shared together. We all feel
your pain, & send you soothing purrs to help you sleep at night & get
through your days ahead too.

You will *Never* be alone~ you are a cat slave like all of us here)
Maybe when you have the time to, you would share a photo of her with
us? It makes it so much easier to visualise her when we we talk about
her,please?

Be at ease, you have been a wonderful slave & Nyasha loved you for
it.. every single moment.

( I happen to live in the UK, but there will be people here all night
if you would like to talk about her. If I miss anything else tonight,
I will read it in the morning.)
One more thing, Welcome to the Cat Slave society,
Purrs of Peace be with you,
Sheelagh x

Yo Al,
Sorry 'bout your loss. I reckon it happens. We lost our Kirby this time last
year quite unexpectedly under similar circumstances. The vet said heart
attack(?!?). Kirb was pushing 13, a little arthritic but was doing fine
otherwise. Pretty amazing how a small furry critter can leave such a big
empty space in your heart.
Again, my condolences.
Alan
"Big Al" wrote in message
oups.com...
Hi folks -

I am just heartbroken. My beloved cat died very suddenly, quickly and
unexpectedly about 48 hours ago. I'm doing some web surfing to try to
make sense of what happened.

She would have been 15 years old next month, and she was perfectly
healthy, no history of any health problems, regular vet check-ups,
vaccinations and dental care, excellent quality food, kept indoors her
entire life. She was fine in the morning, nothing unusual in the
litter box, ate her breakfast fine. The first sign of any trouble was
me hearing a strange noise that got my attention --- a kinda weird
quiet howl cross with a little moan is the best I can describe it ---
then I heard it again just seconds later and realized it was coming
from my cat. She was laying on a favored chair, on her side, with her
mouth hanging open. She was drooling, and she moved her head just a
tiny bit. I saw that she wasn't breathing. I realized something
horrible was happening and had the good sense not to start screaming
and running around right then, I just stroked her and told her I loved
her and everything would be ok. I saw the life go out of her right
before my very eyes, in the course of about 10 seconds, it seems.

When I took her into the vet, the vet examined her and said, "She
looks absolutely perfect, I can't see anything wrong. This makes me
think she probably threw a clot from her heart and suffered a stroke."

Does this sound familiar to anyone? My cat was PERFECTLY healthy, she
has been running around and acting like a funny nut her entire life.
Is it really possible that she could have had a heart condition that
allowed a clot to form and then break free, killing her so fast and
suddenly with a stroke, with no other symptoms?

I did not want to do an autopsy, so I won't ever no positively for
sure what happened, but I just wondered if anyone else can say, "Yup,
this happens, even though it seems like the most bizarre and unlikely
thing in the world, it does happen to cats."

Thanks for any input you can give to help me make sense of the
shocking death of my wonderful, perfect cat.

On 15 Feb, 09:34, "Alan" wrote:
Yo Al,
Sorry 'bout your loss. I reckon it happens. We lost our Kirby this time last
year quite unexpectedly under similar circumstances. The vet said heart
attack(?!?). Kirb was pushing 13, a little arthritic but was doing fine
otherwise. Pretty amazing how a small furry critter can leave such a big
empty space in your heart.
Again, my condolences.
Alan"Big Al" wrote in message

oups.com...



Minds who think alike here Alan!!
I was thinking similar thoughts too.
Our 18 year old puss cat went into CRF, & on the 11th of November last
year he went to eternal peace, with relief from the dreadful pain he
was in.
We didn't find out until it was far too late, but we were lucky enough
to all gather around him so that when he went to follow the Rainbow
Bridge, that he knew that all of his slaves were surrounding him as he
departed.
I have 5 kids, so as you can imagine, it was a horrendous loss, not
just to myself and Paul, but to our kids too, almost of all of our
children, Barr one, were all younger than him..so he had always been
there.
It was one of the hardest thinks that we have ever had to go
through...

Our vet allowed us all a cuddle with him, then I held him in my arms
as he entered the painless Rainbow Bridge. At the time, I felt as
though I was betraying him, but on reflection now that I have had time
to digest what happened, I know that we did the right thing.

The pain was becoming intolerable & as his best friends, we had to
make the decision for him. It was never our wish that he suffered, so
when our vet told us to take him home and bring him back in the very
near future, that is exactly what we did. He came home for 2 days,
which gave us time to gather the children together from College &
University so that they could share his departing. In the end, we felt
privileged that we had the chance to love him, got to say goodbye
individually then send him on his final journey....

Your right Allen, they do take a tight hold on your heart, but it was
a hold that we gave willingly & he accepted mutually.

He came with the house that we moved in to. his previous owners tried
several times to take him to his new home, but he was having none of
that. He was king of his territory & intended to stay that way, & I
would like to think that we were his pride and cubs. No one will ever
take his place, but we have found joy in remaining slaves to 5 other
cats.
I am sure that your 1st night was terrible to get through, but as each
day passes, you get through them & it gets different, if not
easier.......
I am also certain that he watches over us even now & guides us through
decisions that we find difficult to make. Nysha loved you as she would
her daddy & that will never change.
Keep all of those percious memeories, value them & she will always be
your gaurdian in her eternal watch over you...
I thought of you last night & hope that you got through it ok?
Best Wishes,
S;o)

"sheelagh" wrote in message
ups.com...

Our vet allowed us all a cuddle with him, then I held him in my arms
as he entered the painless Rainbow Bridge. At the time, I felt as
though I was betraying him, but on reflection now that I have had time
to digest what happened, I know that we did the right thing.
------------
Last year, we had Molly euthanized because of advanced CRF, and I still have
not reached the place where I feel I did the right thing. She was my
beautiful Abyssinian of 17 years (we had found her as a stray -- the vet
estimated her age to be about 6 months old at the time- we tried to find her
owner/breeder, but no one claimed her - there was a pet shop down the street
that sold purebreed cats, so maybe she had managed to escape from there).

At any rate, she had been diagnosed with CRF at about the age of 15 when I
noticed that she had dropped a considerable amount of weight rather
suddenly. Despite our efforts to help her gain weight, for every couple
ounces she gained, she lost more. This went on for around two years. Then,
there was another noticeable weight drop, an episode of panic where she was
apparently unable to poop. We were going to bring her to the emergency vet,
but then she did poop shortly thereafter, so we cancelled the appointment
and took her to see our regular vet the next day (who couldn't really do
much about it other than to say to phone her if it happened again - it
didn't).

In her last year of life, Molly frequently had begun to use the corner of
the living room as her litter box, even though she did not have a UTI. The
vet said it was a behavioral thing. In the last months of life, Molly's
breath was horrendous and her teeth were in terrible condition. In the last
week of her life, she had become very wobbly on her feet, and was constantly
drooling thick, foul-smelling saliva (I subsequently found out this was due
to nausea). She had become dehydrated and was hardly eating at all unless I
gave her human food and hand-fed her. In the last year of her life, she had
existed almost exclusively on human tuna (supplemented by feline vitamins)
as that was the only thing she was willing to eat (other than food I had
cooked for her). In her last week of life, she was given subcu fluids at the
vet twice, and they had given me the bag of saline and the equipment to do
this at home daily. She fell a couple of times trying to jump up on the sofa
(which wasn't high). Other things that we did for her were to give her
cyproheptadine in the hopes of improving her appetite, but it made her howl
for hours. I still feel so guilty about that. We also had her on continuous
antibiotics. I also gave her a feline dose of Prevacid to help cut down on
her nausea. It didn't seem to help.

To make a long story short, I decided it was time to say goodbye. With our
dog, he had been in such bad shape that we were just watching the clock,
waiting for the vet office to open, so we could have him euthanized. With
the dog, there was no question. But with Molly, she was still walking around
(albeit wobbly). She was still eating a little (meat that I handfed her).
She was still able to walk up the stairs. She still managed to climb up on
my son's bed for a nap. And when we took her in to be euthanized, the vet
seemed a little surprised (even though she supported our decision - our vet
is not quick to euthanize animals) because two days before, the plan was to
do subcu fluids at home. The vet reassured me that I was making a good
decision. She showed me Molly's lab values which were grossly abnormal. She
explained that Molly probably did have a little time left (before she would
die on her own), but she was clearly suffering. How badly she was suffering
was hard to say. The vet said: "It's not like a human. She doesn't know that
she has three more days left or whatever..."

When they took her in the back to put in the catheter, she had put up a real
fight, and she seemed quite feisty when the vet brought her back to me (as
is the nature of Abyssinian cats), even though she was still drooling badly.
I still had an opportunity to call the whole thing off and bring her back
home for a few more days. But for what? To make her suffer more? It wasn't
as if there was any hope for an improvement. So, I went ahead and had her
euthanized. And I cuddled her and held her tight as she painlessly went to
the bridge, but it's been months, and I still feel terribly guilty.

My sister also had a cat with CRF. She let him go for an entire month where
he was basically lying in one spot in their bedroom, barely able to lift his
head or walk before she had him euthanized. I think her cat was suffering,
and she waited way too long.

Everyone always says that we will somehow *know* when it is the right time
to make that decision for our pets, but I'm not so sure. With Alvin (our
dog), I was sure because he couldn't stand up, no longer recognized us, and
was clearly suffering (this happened rather suddenly)...but I've had plenty
of time to reflect, and I don't know that I feel I did the right thing about
Molly. I still feel so guilty...
Best regards,
---Cindy S.