my 12 yo cat is' terminal'......

changeling

TCS Member
Thread starter
Young Cat
Joined
May 12, 2012
Messages
22
Purraise
1
he was rescued from the side of I95 as a kitten...with a cracked pelvis and a shotgun pellet in him. Over the years all of his 'buddies' have crossed over,including his best bud 'tubby' Tucker whom he used to knead and groom(Tucker being too overweight to lick his hindquarters.)Diagnosed this AM with invasive cancer of the left maxilla (upper jaw) Schroeder was sent home with antibiotics and morphine. He WILL die. All my other cats were euthanised (usually at home) immediately after diagnosis with no time. Now my husband and I must walk that fine line and decide when in the next month(or 2) he no longer has any quality of life. He is home and sleeping in the sun on the deck. He chowed down on food immediately on his return home even tho his mouth had been painfully probed and the gaping hole in the bone (inside his mouth) cleaned. He HAS lost weight but was diagnosed two months ago with hyperthyroidism(for which he is receiving medicineI spoke with a human psychologist/pet grief counselor who advised "DO it NOW".When is it NOW and how do I decide??? I don't KNOW.Please help
 

jcat

Mo(w)gli's can opener
Veteran
Joined
Feb 13, 2003
Messages
73,213
Purraise
9,851
Location
Mo(w)gli Monster's Lair
I'm so sorry the diagnosis is devastating. Your question is one that nobody can really answer, because we're not there to look into your cat's eyes, trying to judge whether the will to live is still there. I'd like to think I'll always be able to stick to a general guideline: It's time when things have reached the point where I feel I'm keeping my pet alive more for my sake than his/her own, and my pet is having far more bad days than good ones. Is there any enjoyment left, in the form of eating, playing, cuddling? If not, then it's time to let go.
 

callista

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Apr 6, 2006
Messages
3,152
Purraise
86
Life with illness, even pain, can still be worth it. You know your cat best--if he still has things to do before he goes, you'll know. Your vet can help you manage his pain and other symptoms related to his illness. It's usually possible for a cat with a terminal illness to stay pretty comfortable. Once he's ready to go, he'll probably tell you. Most cats seem to know. They'll find themselves a quiet place to hide and just wait; or sometimes they go to their humans, if they're the sort of cat that seeks you out when they're distressed. It's a good thing that your vet will do euthanasia at home--it's so much easier on the cat. But I guess you know that, since you've been there before.

I feel for you. It makes me sad that good things have to end, and that we have to lose people we care about. But we can't help caring... in the end, it's worth it. Just hang in there, okay? Tell your kitty you love him--he knows, but tell him anyway. Take it a day at a time. A minute at a time, if you have to. You've spent such a long time with him. You've overcome all sorts of problems together--look at what he survived as a kitten. This, at the end of his life, is going to be difficult too, but he's a tough kitty, and you've been behind him all the way. The two of you can face this together.

Your boy sounds like a truly wonderful cat. Such sad news. It makes me so sad that their lives are so much shorter than ours... but maybe that's the way it was meant to be, so that they don't have to grieve for us.

Sorry. I keep trying to say something useful and just kind of flailing around. I just wish I could make it better somehow.
 

blueyedgirl5946

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Sep 10, 2005
Messages
14,593
Purraise
1,695
Hugs. I am so sorry you and your cat are facing this. You will know when the time is right. For myself, it was a feeling that my cats had lived dignified and I wanted them to die that way. I didn't want to see them reduced to suffering and life being useless to them. I wish I could fix it. The thing is nobody can help you make the decision. Give your self time to love him, hold him, cuddle with him and get your mind and emotions ready. I'm sorry.
 
Top