Mom's cat is not acting right

Hi

Any update on the kitty, Here is a list of vets in your area. http://www.vetratingz.com/searchResults.jsp?thingname=&city=vancouver&state=WA&zip=&radius=10 

Since you mom has paid for all the tests she should ask for and get all the records and test results. This would be also be required by the new vet as to not to have to potentially run duplicate tests. If they don't give you the test results I would be suspicious as to even if the test were done.

That poor cat is not well, and is loved by your mom, we need to try to help her get better. 

Thank you for the list. 
I will ask mom to call the vets at ER to get a list of what tests were done. 

David

The cat only has back teeth and the canines, all front teeth are missing.

Davey said:

 
Thank you for the list. 
I will ask mom to call the vets at ER to get a list of what tests were done. 

David

Click to expand...

More than a list of test done, get the actual test results from them 

Zed Xyzed said:

 
Hi

Any update on the kitty, Here is a list of vets in your area. http://www.vetratingz.com/searchResults.jsp?thingname=&city=vancouver&state=WA&zip=&radius=10 

Since you mom has paid for all the tests she should ask for and get all the records and test results. This would be also be required by the new vet as to not to have to potentially run duplicate tests. If they don't give you the test results I would be suspicious as to even if the test were done.

That poor cat is not well, and is loved by your mom, we need to try to help her get better. 

Click to expand...

Yes, we only got papers it seems from Banfield and not the ER. 
As another poster said, she paid for it, she has a right to the paperwork lab results. 

Thanks for the listing of vet ratings here! I will try to get mom to consider having the caregiver drive her to one of the better ones after we get the ER to give us the tests they ran. 

As far as "pain" that some people are concerned about, she is not crying, does not walk like in pain, and thus from her body language I do not think if she is in pain it is that bad.

My grandma died of cancer, and had bone on bone with her hip, she was in pain but wanted to just lay around...and live. Thus we will not be putting it to sleep. 

David

I just want to state again that waiting even a day to take this cat to the vet is a problem. You really have no more days to lose. Please bring her to a competent vet and request these tests. If you can't do that putting her down would truly be the kinder choice.

Zed Xyzed said:

 
More than a list of test done, get the actual test results from them 

Click to expand...

I know how to do this, thanks. 

talkingpeanut said:

I just want to state again that waiting even a day to take this cat to the vet is a problem. You really have no more days to lose. Please bring her to a competent vet and request these tests. If you can't do that putting her down would truly be the kinder choice.

Click to expand...

I would appreciate if nobody else told me to euthanize the cat. 
We will take the cat to another vet IF mom wants to, and WHEN she can. The situation is not made better by that. 
When you say "You have to" it becomes like paternalism or controlling. Nobody likes that. Try instead saying "If my cat...then I usually try..." because then it is not demanding.

All I want to know is:
what the symptoms sound like, (sounds like kidneys perhaps)
where else is better to go for tests, (a list of places was given)
and what others have done.

Thanks for your help. 
David

 

I'm sorry that you're frustrated. I am telling you that I would put my cat to sleep if she looked like that and I couldn't find a reason. She sounds like she's in pain, and I would never want my cat to be in pain that couldn't be helped.

I don't think anyone here is telling you anything they wouldn't do themselves.

talkingpeanut said:

I'm sorry that you're frustrated. I am telling you that I would put my cat to sleep if she looked like that and I couldn't find a reason. She sounds like she's in pain, and I would never want my cat to be in pain that couldn't be helped.

I don't think anyone here is telling you anything they wouldn't do themselves.

Click to expand...

I thank you for rewording it. Much better.

The reason my family is not fast on euthanasia is that we as humans have endured a lot of pain and wanted to live, so why would we choose to end their life assuming they did not?
For now, the cat seems to not be acting as if in pain. That is, no meowing, not limping, just lying around a lot. A person may lie around meaning they can be very tired, dizzy, nauseous, or in pain, or a mix of these, but still not mean they are not wanting to fight to live. 

My grandma had cancer, mom has kidney failure, and I almost lost my legs in an accident, and all of us in level 10 pain wanted to live. So that is why I prefer not to discuss that until and unless a vet said that the pet was about to die any moment anyways. 

That said, I mentioned to mom that the cat could die, and she does not want to euthanize it. Since it is hers, she ultimately makes the end decisions. All I can do is pass on good advice. 

I can surely understand why you don't wish to euthanize your kitty, especially when you are not sure what is wrong with her. I am sure you and your mom are doing your best. Just continue doing all you can for her and take her to another vet as soon as is possible for you both. Love your kitty and make sure she is as comfortable as possible. You know your kitty and I am sure will do the best you can for her.
Would love to know her name (don't recall seeing the cat's name).
I and everyone here would love to see your cat get well!!

How is the cat doing today? is she eating, drinking, using the litter box?

Davey said:

 
I thank you for rewording it. Much better.

The reason my family is not fast on euthanasia is that we as humans have endured a lot of pain and wanted to live, so why would we choose to end their life assuming they did not?
For now, the cat seems to not be acting as if in pain. That is, no meowing, not limping, just lying around a lot. A person may lie around meaning they can be very tired, dizzy, nauseous, or in pain, or a mix of these, but still not mean they are not wanting to fight to live. 

My grandma had cancer, mom has kidney failure, and I almost lost my legs in an accident, and all of us in level 10 pain wanted to live. So that is why I prefer not to discuss that until and unless a vet said that the pet was about to die any moment anyways. 

That said, I mentioned to mom that the cat could die, and she does not want to euthanize it. Since it is hers, she ultimately makes the end decisions. All I can do is pass on good advice. 

Click to expand...

Speaking to your question, and its a good one, and having talked to many people who are facing euthanasia for their animal here are some differences.  With humans (your grandma as an example) she made a choice which you were able to respect.  Some people wouldn't have made her choice, or had her desire to continue and even have living wills that discuss ending treatments, increasing pain meds, even allowing death to come sooner by withholding nutrients etc.  Our animals can't make any of these choices, so we have to make all the choices for them.  And so there often comes a point in an animal's life where we the humans make the choice for them and give them that final gift.

Another difference is that people think about and hope for the future.  Even in a terminal case they still can think of tomorrow.  Cats and dogs do not and cannot. They live for today, and if today is bad, then life is bad as today is everything.

When it comes to timely euthanasia (and i'm not suggesting your mom's cat needs to be) there are generally 3 possibilities that we who work in animal medicine discuss:

1- doing it a little too early

2- doing it right on time

3- doing it too late

I and many of us who work with dying animals prefer #'s 1 and 2 every time over #3.  Many owners, in seeking to find #2, end up with number 3 instead.  Finding #2 is very hard, sometimes impossible and when it happens may be pure luck.  So the real choice becomes for many people, #'s 1 or 3, a little to early, or too late.  It is very hard to live with the knowledge that one waited too long, as you have to live with that forever.

And on this philosophical morning i leave you with this quote:

"Was I sleeping, while the others suffered? Am I sleeping now? Tomorrow, when I wake, or think I do, what shall I say of today?" ~~Vladimir from Waiting for Godot

Loving Mickey said:

I can surely understand why you don't wish to euthanize your kitty, especially when you are not sure what is wrong with her. I am sure you and your mom are doing your best. Just continue doing all you can for her and take her to another vet as soon as is possible for you both. Love your kitty and make sure she is as comfortable as possible. You know your kitty and I am sure will do the best you can for her.
Would love to know her name (don't recall seeing the cat's name).
I and everyone here would love to see your cat get well!!

Click to expand...

The cat is named....KAT! 
Easy to remember huh? 
Her previous owner said she was called Peaches, but something tells me that is not her name. His ex-wife had it under a different name. She responds to CAT so may as well be named Kat, right?

 

Zed Xyzed said:

 
How is the cat doing today? is she eating, drinking, using the litter box?

Click to expand...

I pulled her out again this afternoon. One other issue, besides all this, and her constant licking, is she was not pooping or urinating in the litterbox, unless I put her in there and pushed her butt down.
I read on another thread of using a laxative or olive oil..so...I put some oil in her wet cat food and today when I pushed her down in the litterbox, she had a lot of poop come out. 
It usually was almost black and hard as a rock. This was a lot less hard, more the color of the beigey-pink food itself. 
After passing it, she ran under the sofa again. BUT...she then ran into my bedroom and under a dresser. I luckily got her out. Then she began running and jumping on the TV, and meowing to be let into my room. So more active than past week. 
However, that does not make her well or normal.
I wrote about her licking and posted a photo of her tail near her anus where she licked it red under the forum for Behavior.

David

How do we KNOW animals do not think of the past or future only today? That is a guess, or hypothesis. We simply do not know how individual animals think. We have seen in the wild some animals behavior which tends to indicate they have memory and mourn, and thus if they know of the past, why would we assume only humans recognize a future? I often question assumptions humanity comes up with as fact which later on may be found out to be false. 

That said, since we cannot know if they want to live or die, then as you said we as the masters make the decision for them. 
For me, and mom, that means best to assume they want life and let them live as long as they can.
This cat is nowhere near the point where anybody should say Euthanasia, and if they did, we would simply walk away from them.

David

I understand that you are not interested in euthanasia, but I don't hear you doing anything to make her better.  She has been to incompetent vets, she is hiding almost all the time except when you pull her out, and she is barely able to use the litter box.  I don't understand how this could possibly be a comfortable life, and I hope you can do something to improve it.

Agreed.

Davey said:

The reason my family is not fast on euthanasia is that we as humans have endured a lot of pain and wanted to live, so why would we choose to end their life assuming they did not?

For now, the cat seems to not be acting as if in pain. That is, no meowing, not limping, just lying around a lot. A person may lie around meaning they can be very tired, dizzy, nauseous, or in pain, or a mix of these, but still not mean they are not wanting to fight to live. 


My grandma had cancer, mom has kidney failure, and I almost lost my legs in an accident, and all of us in level 10 pain wanted to live. So that is why I prefer not to discuss that until and unless a vet said that the pet was about to die any moment anyways. 


That said, I mentioned to mom that the cat could die, and she does not want to euthanize it. Since it is hers, she ultimately makes the end decisions. All I can do is pass on good advice. 

Click to expand...

There's one BIG difference between your family's illnesses and Kat's condition - you all had and have appropriate medical treatment for these issues. Kat is not getting any veterinary treatment to help manage her symptoms.

Please, please, please get her diagnosed and treated. I know money is an issue, but it simply isn't fair to her to do nothing.[article="32915"][/article][article="29706"][/article]

It's been a few days. It doesn't sound like you guys got the test results yet, so you're really better off getting a new set at this point. A lot could have changed in this amount of time. I realize it's not been that long, but still, a lot can happen in a very short amount of time. She doesn't sound like she's getting better, but rather getting worse.