If you remember my last thread about Lorenzo, he was diagnosed with the beginnings of kidney failure, as well as cancer in his ear. We've been keeping him as comfortable as possible given the circumstances.
This past weekend he took a turn for the worse.
I fed the cats Saturday, and he came running to the food bowls the same as always. He ate, and then went off and did whatever he usually does.
Sunday I noticed that he wasn't sleeping in the living room like usual. I checked all his usual spots, and we wasn't in any of them. Finally, I checked under the bed, and found him lying there. He looked at me, then looked away. I figured he was just wanting a little quiet, so I left him alone.
Monday morning I still hadn't seen him out and about, so I checked under the bed, and he looked at me, so I left him alone and went to work. That evening, before my bike ride, I checked him again, and he again just looked at me. While on the ride, my wife texted me that she was worried about him, that his ear really smelled bad.
When I got home, I went and checked on him. He had moved up next to the wall under the headboard of the bed. I was able to reach down and grab him and pick him up. He didn't protest at all. He was extremely warm, like he was running a very high fever, and the nasty part of his ear which was usually very small was huge and disgusting. I brought him out to the living room to show my wife, and she agreed that he didn't look good. I set him down in front of the water bowl, and he just looked at it and walked away. A little later, I filled their food bowls, and he came out, looked at Lance eating, and walked away. I then saw him walking down the hall towards the bathroom and front door. I quietly followed to see whether he was going to the bathroom where the litter box is, or to the entry hall, where he likes to sleep in the darkness. He headed to the bathroom, so I followed him and watched quietly while he defecated. When he was done, he didn't even look at it or try to cover it like he usually does, he just walked away. I then looked at it and saw there was quite a bit of blood mixed in. He then went back to the food bowl, looked at it, and walked away. He then went and slept in the entry hall.
We took him to the vet late Tuesday morning to have him put down. It was time. He was no longer happy. He was suffering, and I swore I'd never prolong any animal's suffering for my own sake. It was hard, but it had to be done. He handled it very well, the only difficult part being trying to corral him into the carrier, and the fact that he cried the whole way to the vet. Once there, he calmed down. After they put the catheter in his front leg and brought him back to the euthanasia room, he seemed to realized what was going on, and seemed to understand it was for the best. I petted him the entire time, and he even let my wife pet him, which he never did before. It was quick and painless, just as I'd hoped.
He was almost exactly 16 years old. I found him as a small kitten at the end of August, 1992. At that time, he looked to have just been weaned. That would put his birthday around mid-July.
I'll miss him.
Lorenzo in better times:
I am not looking forward to when Lance (17 yrs old) and Arianna (13 years old) have to be put down.
This past weekend he took a turn for the worse.
I fed the cats Saturday, and he came running to the food bowls the same as always. He ate, and then went off and did whatever he usually does.
Sunday I noticed that he wasn't sleeping in the living room like usual. I checked all his usual spots, and we wasn't in any of them. Finally, I checked under the bed, and found him lying there. He looked at me, then looked away. I figured he was just wanting a little quiet, so I left him alone.
Monday morning I still hadn't seen him out and about, so I checked under the bed, and he looked at me, so I left him alone and went to work. That evening, before my bike ride, I checked him again, and he again just looked at me. While on the ride, my wife texted me that she was worried about him, that his ear really smelled bad.
When I got home, I went and checked on him. He had moved up next to the wall under the headboard of the bed. I was able to reach down and grab him and pick him up. He didn't protest at all. He was extremely warm, like he was running a very high fever, and the nasty part of his ear which was usually very small was huge and disgusting. I brought him out to the living room to show my wife, and she agreed that he didn't look good. I set him down in front of the water bowl, and he just looked at it and walked away. A little later, I filled their food bowls, and he came out, looked at Lance eating, and walked away. I then saw him walking down the hall towards the bathroom and front door. I quietly followed to see whether he was going to the bathroom where the litter box is, or to the entry hall, where he likes to sleep in the darkness. He headed to the bathroom, so I followed him and watched quietly while he defecated. When he was done, he didn't even look at it or try to cover it like he usually does, he just walked away. I then looked at it and saw there was quite a bit of blood mixed in. He then went back to the food bowl, looked at it, and walked away. He then went and slept in the entry hall.
We took him to the vet late Tuesday morning to have him put down. It was time. He was no longer happy. He was suffering, and I swore I'd never prolong any animal's suffering for my own sake. It was hard, but it had to be done. He handled it very well, the only difficult part being trying to corral him into the carrier, and the fact that he cried the whole way to the vet. Once there, he calmed down. After they put the catheter in his front leg and brought him back to the euthanasia room, he seemed to realized what was going on, and seemed to understand it was for the best. I petted him the entire time, and he even let my wife pet him, which he never did before. It was quick and painless, just as I'd hoped.
He was almost exactly 16 years old. I found him as a small kitten at the end of August, 1992. At that time, he looked to have just been weaned. That would put his birthday around mid-July.
I'll miss him.
Lorenzo in better times:
I am not looking forward to when Lance (17 yrs old) and Arianna (13 years old) have to be put down.
