Hypertension? Overactive Thyroid? My beloved 38lb cat just went blind!

I am so sorry the news wasn't positive, and send chin skritches to Cooper.

May your remaining time with Cooper be filled with peace and love.

I am so sorry. I know you'll take great care of Cooper during his last days.

Thank-you everyone for your kind words and condolences. It really helps. I'm not so good at dealing with loss honestly, so left to my own devices I'll consume myself with sadness and dread and end up having a harder time then I should. The only real loss I've dealt with in my life was of course my 1st love. After 3.5yrs of knowing somebody and then having them be gone it's really hard too. It broke my heart. This will too. I recovered though from her not being around, so I'll get over Cooper passing away, but from now until then and some after I'll be inconsolable.

I think now the main goals are keeping close tabs on him so he doesn't get lost in the house or scared and then basically waiting for his body to give out. The vet said it's seizures next, so I'm worried about that. Basically I'll stick by his side 24/7 as best I can and comfort him until God decides he needs him. Then it's time for his journey and me to grieve. Life will go on though like it always does haha. I'll let everyone know how he's doing every so often. Hopefully he can make it through the summer because he sure does love the sun. Take care everyone and thanks again from the bottom of my heart.

Seizures look very scary, but the one having the seizure feels nothing. After the seizure is over, it is common to be a bit confused and very tired. Think of a seizure as a power surge, only in the brain.
Just keep Cooper in a protected location. Being there for him is the only thing you can do.

It's brought tears to my eyes to read this. Be strong...
enjoy your time with Cooper as well you can.

Another long response, but warranted!

Anyway, I wish I could say he rallied, but the opposite is true. About 4:00 this afternoon he took a turn for the worse. He has officially stopped eating, has a weird fishy odor to him, slept in his litter box for a bit, had a minor seizure, is almost completely unresponsive, has raspy breathing, and worst of all; stopped purring.

Cooper is known for his super loud purr and because he purrs no matter what all the time. He even purred at the vet's when he was scared. He isn't purring anymore and his balance is off and he's started to wander aimlessly when he can get up. I think he's looking for a place to die. I groomed him for the last time so I can present him to the other side looking his best. I'm trying to say goodbye, but nothing is good enough. I just want him to know how special he was and how much I adored him. I thought comforting him was best, but he seems almost annoyed by it. This is so hard.

I have to go to sleep soon, and I'm terrified something is going to happen. Since he sleeps in his room I'm not close enough. I may just sleep close by tonight. I want to make sure he feels secluded and secure though as I know that's how cats prefer to die. Tonight is going to be a very big night for him as it's probably going to be the conclusion of his life. I know that I did my best and showed him all my love, but no matter how I try and slice it I just always end up terribly sad.

Even as I write this he's trying to get up and failing. His head is starting to shake around. I think it's the onset of something more formidable. I have to decide if I'm going to have him put down or just let him ride it out. I think as long as there's no pain I'll let nature take its course as I don't want to tempt the powers that be unless I really have to.

I just want everyone to know that the world is losing one of the best cats in history. He is absolutely drop dead gorgeous and very interactive, curious, and loving. He made me proud as can be and I always was talking about him and showing him off. He never ceased to shock anyone seeing him for the 1st time, but then won their heart almost immediatly with his personality. Everyone who had the pleasure of meeting him always remembered him and asked about him. He will be terribly missed by many. This is a huge loss for me and I'm going to be inconsolable for a long long time.

This is just so weird and miserable. He looks just fine sitting there staring off into space, but he's in bad shape; on his deathbed in fact. I just am simply not ready for this. It happened so fast. He was totally fine 2 weeks ago. Then I noticed he was blind, then he was diagnosed with cryptococcus today, and within a few hours he's ailing really bad. I can just watch his brain being affected by this disease. It's just so swift and relentless. I wouldn't wish it upon anyone. They want to take a tissue sample after he dies, but I said absolutely not. Nobody is hacking up my beautiful boy no matter what the reason.

I'm happy I found this site for the good people and also the good information. It's made this slightly easier which is really appreciated. This thread has kind of been my log and diary to keep track of what's going on and just write things out. I truly appreciate having the medium to share Cooper with everyone. Thanks again for everything. Take care everyone.

So sorry about your Cat. It made me Cry too.

Cats are so good at hiding their pain and illness that it often happens that they are near death before we realize anything is wrong. Our first cat, Snoopy, was that way. His kidneys started failing, and he went from looking just fine to being put to sleep in less than a week.

And no matter what, Cooper will leave a hole just exactly his size and shape in your heart, and nothing you can do will ever perfectly fill it in. But that way, he will always be with you, and not as he is now, but as he was in his best days.

All I can say is I'm sorry. When it happens quickly it is easier on them, but harder on us. Now you give your self time to grieve, but please come back for support. You are not alone in this. No two people feel the pain of loss the same, but we have all felt loss in our own ways. Please lean on us for help!

Originally Posted by mrblanche

And no matter what, Cooper will leave a hole just exactly his size and shape in your heart, and nothing you can do will ever perfectly fill it in. But that way, he will always be with you, and not as he is now, but as he was in his best days.

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i agree wholeheartedly with the above.

i lost my cat last oct. it was just under 3 weeks from the first vet visit (little weight loss, nothing major) to janet being pts, another victim of FIP.

i'm so truly sorry that this awful thing is happening to your beautiful, big boy. you are in my thoughts, both of you.

i dont know how i missed this post but i just sat and read through it all and i have a lump in my throat
I am so sorry , i know no words can make you feel better so im sending big

I'm so sorry to hear about Cooper. We are all here for you.

Well I stayed with him throughout the night. About 3:00am he urinated all over himself and the floor so I cleaned him up and brought him into my bed. He then had a little seizure at 5:00am and I thought he was gone, but he stayed with me. He tried to walk about 8:00am and just went in a circle which I know is a sure sign of severe brain damage. Now at 1:00pm he tried and can't even walk. Not even in circles. He's too weak and his cordination is gone.

I did get him to eat last night about midnight. He ate a lot. Almost as if he knew it was the last time he'd eat. He adored food when he was well, and now he's not even looking at it. He's not happy anymore either. Everything has just come to a head so quickly. I think if he hasn't passed by tomorrow then I'll have him put to sleep here. It's really a hard call, but his quality of life it totally gone. He's miserable, I'm miserable; I think it may be time just to let him go. It's such a hard decision to make though because he's not in pain from what I see, but he isn't happy at all.

My vet is in surgery right now, but he's supposed to call me back and then I'll see what we can do as far as having him put down here. All I know for sure right now is that this is the absolute hardest time in my life. I unconditionally love Cooper more than anything I ever have on earth. I never met my real family and he's the closest thing I've ever had. I miss him terribly already. My life is going to be really hard for the next while.

I'll keep everyone updated. At this point he's a goner though. He can't recover and is going downhill fast. I'm going to miss his beautiful soft coat and his huge nipples that he wasn't afraid to let hang out haha. Thanks again everyone.

As difficult as it is, holding Cooper and whispering to him as your vet administers the final medication, is very rewarding.
It takes courage to do this but know that the last thing Cooper will hear is his daddy's loving voice.
Your precious boy will always be with you in your heart.

This may sound silly, but have you told him it's OK to let go? Sometimes I think they hold on to keep us happy. Hold him talk to him and tell him it is OK.

Originally Posted by xocats

As difficult as it is, holding Cooper and whispering to him as your vet administers the final medication, is very rewarding.
It takes courage to do this but know that the last thing Cooper will hear is his daddy's loving voice.
Your precious boy will always be with you in your heart.

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I agree with this. I've been in this situation before, and as difficult as it is, I think not only will you feel better for being there to comfort and say good-bye to Cooper, it will also be of great comfort to Cooper to have you there during his final moments.

I'm so sorry to hear such heartbreaking news. I also apologize for not responding sooner than now, but I haven't logged on to TCS for a few days, and am now just reading this. I know how it feels to lose a beloved pet, but if Cooper no longer has a good quality of life left, you will be doing the right thing by ending his suffering. I'm so sorry..

~KK~

As of 5:00PM PST on March 12, 2008 Cooper S. Hruby has gone home. I made the decision this afternoon to have him put down. He was just so gone and wasn't eating and couldn't even walk anymore. He was circling and couldn't sleep. I was starting to suspect he may have been feeling pain. It was apparent that the only thing his future held was more suffering and I didn't want that.

The vet was very good and came over to my house so Cooper could take his journey in the comfort of his own home. He administered a sedative and then let me say goodbye. I balled like a baby. Then after he was totally unresponsive he injected him with the final solution. My damn phone was ringing while this went on, so I ran out turned it off, and came back to his side. I laid my head on him while he died. He didn't release any fluids or waste and seriously just stopped breathing within 30 seconds. Right now I'm just in major shock that he's gone. I mean all of this happened within a handful of days.

I have arranged for a private cremation as my mind will not be nice to me if I just bury him in the backyard. I'll picture him decomposing and all that terrible nonsense. This way I get back his, and only his, ashes. I'm then going to spread a little bit everywhere that was of importance in his life. I will now grieve for my big beautiful boy until my tears run dry. The pain I feel today will not ever go away. It may be tolerable later down the line, but I owe it to him not to hide any of my feelings. His brother is wondering what happened and I'm sure will shortly be affected by his Coo-Bear's passing. I can say without hesitation that I loved this cat more than anything I have ever loved and probably will ever love. He was so special to me that words can't begin to explain. I feel like I want to roll over and die from grief and heartbreak.

R.I.P. Cooper. You Will Be Forever Missed.

So sorry about Cooper. When Stormy and Yoshi were Pts in Dec and Jan I got a nice card with the Rainbow Bridge Poem in it. The Ashes came back in a Velvet Bag with a card too.