How do I know when it's 'time'?

Attitude's having trouble breathing again. She sounds like crap. She obviously has another URI. She hasn't even finished her antibiotics from the last one(July 26.) It seemed to have cleared up but she was back on my chest this morning sounding like crap and sounding like she was all congested again. She's currently inside the carrier asleep and Nuts is asleep on top of it(they like the carrier so I just leave it open in the living room with a towel inside and another one top of it so they can sleep in it or on it comfortably.) She seemed fine last night, run around chasing a moth, being naughty, now it's back to this.

If this was something bad I could see it but it's an eye infection that has led to a unilateral bloody nose, which I'm assuming is causing the URIs.

I'm not even sure why I'm asking this I am so financially tapped and so is Paul that I can't even afford to take her to the vet for another shot at treating it or for her to receive 'the final shot.' I have $27 to my name. She seemed to be saying she was done the visit before the last one. She now cries when I take her to the car and then cries when I carry her into the vet. She's sick of me pouring antibiotics down her throat, she now runs and cries whenever she sees me with the dosage syringe. 3 months of vet bills and Nuts' neuter has killed me and Paul financially.

I just don't know what to do, keep trying or let her go. Like I said this is almost trivial, I mean yes she's sick but not so sick that I think she needs to cross the bridge but I don't know if she's suffering. If I could just fix the eye that would fix the nose which would fix the URIs.

Bobby had summer school all last week so I had no time to get to the poor people's office to apply for anything.

I guess I need to ask if I'm being selfish for keeping her here or if I'm being selfish for even considering if it's time to let her go.

I just need to figure out how to get her to the vets and see what they say, but they want payment up front, if I can't afford it I'm just SOL and so is Attitude(I've asked in the past.) This isn't about me, it's about her, I don't want her to suffer and I'm sure having difficulty breathing isn't comfortable. I'm not ready for this and I don't think it's fair to give up on her, but if she's suffering then it's not to not let her go, and I don't know if she's suffering.

When Paul wakes up we're going to have to figure something out. I'm not sure what at this point.

Anyways, how do you know when it's time? I feel horrible for even asking this, it's a freaking URI due to a unilateral bloody nose(2 months now) brought on by an eye infection(3 months now), but I think I'm going to need this info sooner rather than later.

I'm honestly about ready to give up on me and I have no one to talk to other than y'all who really 'get it', she isn't 'just a cat.' So I'm sorry I'm using this as my dumping ground for everything going wrong with Attitude's health. I just need someone to talk to and I don't have anyone. I just don't know if I can do this anymore.

She needs a bath but I'm afraid to give her one while she's sick like this but if I do have to give her the shot I don't want her to die while dirty, if it's time I want her to be clean. I know it sounds really stupid(and it truly is) and I don't know why it matters but for some reason it does.

Can I also please have some vibes?

FeLV sucks. Stop the ride, I want off.

Taryn

You are really in a tough spot. I understand how they are more than just a cat. I wouldn't worry about the bath right now. I think you just have to go with your heart. You know better than anyone your financial situation. As hard as it is sometimes there has to be a line drawn. You know if you are there. One thing I always reminded myself is I have other cats to take care of financially and other financial responsibilites. From the way it sounds, it is going to be an ongoing thing financially, even if you get this eye infection cleared this time. I hope you will be able to work it out somehow for yourself, and above all for Attitude. We are here for you.

IMO, it's clear that the antibiotics you are givng are not the correct ones, and it doesn't matter for how long you keep giving them, it is just not going to work, ans it is not killing the right bacteria group. IMO the only way you can change this situation is to get her a complete uri panel, and find out what you are dealing with, to give her the correct medication- only then she will have a shot to get over this URI...

I think her nose was just congested and I thought it was her lungs. Once I woke up(I had been up all night so I was extra upset, even with my meds) I asked Paul if Attitude's breathing sounded bad. He looked at me like I was crazy and said she was fine. I listened her lungs were completely clear, it was her nose that sounded bad but not too bad, it had cleared during the day. I could hear noises coming from her nose so I know it's congested but it isn't 1/4 as bad as it was this morning.

I badly misinterpreted what was wrong with her, she had a congested nose not a URI. I finished her antibiotic today and will see if it comes back or not. It sounds like we had the right antibiotic for the URI but not the eye. I have no idea what on earth is up with her freaking nose.

Paul looked up her left nostril with his pen light and told me it was blocked and I'm like of course it is and he said no that it had grown together. I start getting scared about her having a tumor. I look in one and then look at the other and they are exactly identical. I told him her nose was fine so unless she had an issue with her other nostril she was fine. I could see the nostrils and that they weren't blocked at all.

I have no clue what is wrong with her nose, there was no blood coming from inside, and it looked totally clear. The only issue with her nose was the blood and I have no clue where it's coming from, her nostril as far as I can see it was totally clear.

She is up and active and eating, she isn't eating as much as she usually does when i give her canned food(they share one can a day) but I have seen her eating from the bowls and she does attack the canned food with Nuts she just doesn't eat as much as usual and it seems like the food bowls don't get empty as fast as usual. I know she is eating enough because she is still active. She is stalking moths running around with Nuts playing chase. She is back to normal.

I just don't get it she acted like she was dying this morning and is now back to normal.

I mean I honestly thought she had another URI and was literally dying.

Like I said she got the last of her antibiotics today, her eye is still messed up and her nose is still bloody but the URI is gone. We'll see how she does without the antibiotic.

So it appears she had the right antibiotic for the URI, but who knows about the eye. I can deal with the eye for eternity as long as it isn't causing other issues.

Any ideas on the freaking nose, like I said it really doesn't appear to be coming from inside her nose, just the very end.

FeLV sucks and the roller coaster of good then bad then back to good then back to bad and then awesome then seemingly on deaths door then great again is killing me. I'm sure anyone with a cat with issues, be it kidneys, liver, heart, etc knows the roller coaster and that it is never fun. You wish for a totally healthy cat, but wouldn't change your cat for all the money in the world. When I found out of Attitude's FeLV status I was crushed and Paul offered to take me to shelter to get a healthy kitten and another person on a parenting board said the same thing. I was mad both times, it wasn't about A cat it was about THIS cat. The one I had known since she was tiny fluffball of black and white fur with no teeth. You know what I mean, it isn't a cat it's about that specific one.

I love her and I am happy she seems healthy again, but it is so damn frustrating.

She was on her 3rd or 4th antibiotic so I know the first antibiotic might not be the one.

Taryn