Our oldest boy is ill :(

Hi everyone,

I'm glad I found this site.  I guess I'm just looking for some insight.  We have a vet appointment in 2 hours, but until then I'm driving myself crazy looking for possible answers.  Our oldest cat, Bailey, will be 12 years old in September.  We have had him since he was an 8-week-old kitten.  He has always been a very healthy and active, playful cat.  For the past few weeks, his right eye has been kind of runny and crusty.  My husband and I just assumed it was seasonal allergies as our allergies were bothering us as well with the change in seasons.  We just kept cleaning his eye and he was acting completely normally.  However, this week, he looks a LOT skinnier (too skinny) and has been vomiting quite a bit, mostly a white colored foam.  He would vomit shortly after eating.  Yesterday, we thought he was feeling much better as he ate some wet food, didn't vomit after, and was acting completely fine and like his usual self and was jumping up in our laps and snuggling like he always does.  We were very relieved that he seemed to be feeling better.  However, this morning I woke up to find him lying on the kitchen floor in his own vomit.  He's EXTREMELY lethargic, won't eat or drink anything, and is just lying there very listless.  My husband came home from work early and we are taking him to the vet in a couple of hours.  We lost a cat almost 3 years ago to renal failure and he had very similar signs and symptoms, almost identical to what Bailey has.  I just don't know what I'll do if we lose him.  I love all of our cats (we have 5), but we have had Bailey since 2003 when he was a little kitten and I have always have a VERY close bond with him.  I work from home full-time and this cat is always by my side nearly 24/7.  He always sleeps in my lap while I'm working, always sleeps right next to me every single night (if I move, he moves to get as close as possible to me), and he always lies right next to me on the couch every single night while I'm watching TV.  He is the only cat I've ever had that actually loves to give kisses.  He's always licking my face and arms.  I guess I'm just rambling now.  Does anyone have any insight as to what may be going on?  My husband and I are expecting the worst, but we are hoping and praying for the best.  We love this little guy so much.  He has been with us for so long.  I always told me husband that he'l have to pick me up off of the floor with a spatula when something eventually happens to him.  

I forgot to add, yesterday I noticed him making kind of a blowing sound when he was in my lap...almost like he was congested.  I have no idea if his eye issue is related to what is going on now or what.  I am praying this is not kidney failure, cancer, or anything of that nature and is something that can be treated.  I really want to have at least a few more years with him.  

I am so glad you are taking him to the vet today.  I know it's hard but try not to jump to the conclusion that it is something terminal,  Good luck and I hope you get some answers soon, if not today when the blood work results come back,  I know in this area most blood work results come back the next morning,

Our vet always gets the blood work back right in the office while we're there.  I'm really trying to stay positive and praying that this is something that can be treated and not something life-threatening.  He has been hiding behind our couch for the past couple of hours.    Our appointment is in less than an hour.

Just got back from the vet.  When the vet first saw him, she felt a large lump in his stomach and she immediately thought it was a tumor, so we got an x-ray and it turns out to be kidney stones.  They were only able to see one kidney on the x-ray and it had several stones and they're not sure what kind of condition his other kidney is in.  They are hospitalizing him for a day or two to give him IV fluids, medications, and a special renal diet.  This is a chronic condition, but we are trying to get him stronger so that he can come home and he will have to be on a special food.  We are still praying for our boy.....

It may sound strange, but what a relief! I'm glad that the vet uncovered the problem and that it's easily treatable. Best wishes to you and your little boy!

Best regards.

We just got a phone call from the vet, amazingly at almost 9 p.m.  She said that they have him on pain medication and antibiotics and he's still pretty much the same, but more comfortable with the pain meds.  He hasn't urinated yet and his bladder is pretty full, so there's probably an obstruction.  They are going to keep an eye on him overnight and take another x-ray in the morning.  His blood tests today were NOT good.  His kidney function levels were so high that their machine couldn't even read the values, which is a very bad sign and means that this is most likely affecting both kidneys.  She said that if he doesn't make any improvement by tomorrow, we're going to have to make a pretty tough decision.  I'm a mess right now.  This boy means SO much to me and has been with us for nearly 12 years.  I have a bond with him unlike any bond I've ever had with any other pet.  

I am so sorry to hear the results. Having recently been there myself, I absolutely understand what you're going through. Please keep in mind that, if Bailey is in a lot of pain and can't be returned to good health, you're doing him the biggest favor possible by making the greatest sacrifice you can make. Out thoughts and prayers are with you, Bailey and your family int his very difficult time.

Best regards,

I'm just a complete mess tonight, especially not having him here with me.  This cat is always by my side and follows me all over the house, so I'm having a really rough time dealing with him not being here.  If after tomorrow there are no signs of improvement, my husband and I will ultimately have to make the decision to end his suffering.  It will hurt us more than words can describe, but we won't selfishly keep him alive if he is suffering or if there absolutely no hope of him getting any better.  As of right now, I am praying so hard for a miracle, even just a little progress.  Bailey is one tough cat.  This is the cat that dogs are afraid of and know not to mess with.  All he has to do is look at them and they know to look the other way.  I have the scars on my right arm from Christmas of 2008 when my brother-in-law was visiting with his 100-pound German Shepherd and I had to rescue her from a less than welcoming Bailey.  Our own dogs (who are all 70 plus pound retrievers) won't even walk past him because the know better.  I'm just hoping he can be tough enough to overcome this battle and come home to us.  He is my world.

i'm so sorry. i hope he pulls through. your description makes me think of this:

Thank you so much.  That really does remind me of Bailey, except he's all white  .  If I'm this much of a mess right now, I can only imagine how bad off I'll be if we do lose him.    I'm really, really trying to stay positive and pray for him to make a miraculous recovery, but I'm also trying to be realistic as he is almost 12 years old and keeping in mind everything the vet told me tonight.  This house feels SO empty without him, even though we have 4 other cats and 3 big dogs.  I guess it's because Bailey is the one who is always around me, in my lap when I'm working and rubbing against my legs until I pick him up or let him up in my lap and follows me all over the place.  It will be really hard going to bed without him tonight.  I know I probably won't sleep very much, if at all.  There is just a huge void in my life and in my heart right now and it's killing me.  

Thinking positive thoughts for Bailey this morning, that he'll be able to get through this.

The vet's office called about an hour ago and said that Bailey is a little bit perkier this morning, but they said that is only because of the IV fluids.  This is getting very expensive and our bill is already over $700.    However, what I want to know is if he truly has chronic renal failure, or if his blood work is only showing that strictly as a result of the stones.  We don't want to give up on our baby if there is even a slight chance, but we have a tough financial battle ahead.  We swallowed our pride and created a Go Fund Me account this morning to try and get some help with his growing vet bills.  This is so hard.