Just love him and try not to lose your temper with him. It easily happens.
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Tumor / SCC: Defying the Odds with Hospice Care - Living with a Terminally Ill Loved One, I share w
- Thread starter 2Cats4everLoved
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- #82
I could never lose my temper with him or any other creature on this planet, I'm a very patient person. One of my problems is I'm loving him too much, LOL I can't help but smother him and he gets annoyed with me. LOL
It's not you we doubt, it's the situation. You're under a huge amount of stress, and it's normal to be angry. Heck, you should be angry -- the situation is horrid. The problem is, there's no good target for your anger. God? The vet? Yourself? (And we've heard a little of that, BTW.) Simon? The only one on that list who conceivably deserves your anger is God, but we don't want to get into theology here. And anger, no matter how justified, that has no proper target tends to move to an improper target. It would be incredibly wrong for you to be angry at yourself, and equally wrong for you to be angry at Simon, but you and Simon are the most obvious targets for anger.
My father was in construction, long before construction workers knew to protect their ears from noise, so he was rather deaf, and the hearing aids available at the time were pretty bad. He hated wearing his hearing aid, because it made annoying sounds whenever he was around fluorescent lights, so he kept "losing" the batteries. We all tried to make allowances. But then he came down with terminal liver cancer, and his hearing problem became a major issue. One day I told him and my mother that an author I knew we all liked was going to be doing a reading at a local bookstore and asked if they wanted to come. My mother declined. My dad didn't say anything, but appeared uninterested. When I came back from the reading he was offended that I hadn't invited him, because he liked that author too. Except, of course, I had invited him; I just didn't realize he hadn't heard me. So we started yelling a lot, to make sure he heard what we said. But there's a curious thing about yelling. At some point your body says to itself "I'm yelling. I must be angry." and begins to produce the biochemicals associated with anger. And the obvious target for that anger is the person you're yelling at. My dad didn't deserve that anger, and when we thought about it we weren't actually angry at him. We loved him, we were frustrated by the situation and our inability to do anything about it, but we weren't angry at him. Except that we felt like we were.
So, no one is accusing you of anything. We're just warning you that under stress the human mind tends to react with more primitive instincts than you might expect, and you should be aware of the danger. The problem is, things that were survival traits when our species was evolving have become major problems in civilized society. But forewarned is forearmed. The only way to control that part of your brain is consciously.
Beyond that -- well, you've asked for advice. Never having had a cat with this particular illness, the only advice I can give is minimal, but for what it's worth: Your job right now is to spend as much quality time with Simon as possible before he goes. To make his life as pleasant as possible for as long as possible, and to store up as many good memories as you can, to comfort you once he's gone. Beyond that, at some point you'll probably have to make the agonizing decision that his quality of life is just too low, and it's time to let him go. This is the great sorrow that we all face eventually. And when that time comes, please remember that we're here for you.
Margret
I, for one feel that you are doing an incredible job. You are so inspiring with the love and devotion you are providing Simon with.
I never once heard an unkind word or thought from you. Amazing.
We have all fallen in love with Simon because of your heartfelt stories of his journey.
As a person who took care of both my parents, I am applauding you. It is a ton of work but so rewarding.
Please do not be offended by some of these posts. The people mean well.
Kind of hi jacking this thread, because it was created to be about SIMON 's journey and the loving care you are giving him.
((((Hugs))))
I never once heard an unkind word or thought from you. Amazing.
We have all fallen in love with Simon because of your heartfelt stories of his journey.
As a person who took care of both my parents, I am applauding you. It is a ton of work but so rewarding.
Please do not be offended by some of these posts. The people mean well.
Kind of hi jacking this thread, because it was created to be about SIMON 's journey and the loving care you are giving him.
((((Hugs))))
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #85
@Artiemom - Thank you - Without getting too far off topic, I will say, that I have extremely thick skin and was just being clear about the anger "thing" mentioned by @Stewball- I wasn't sure if I came across angry so I read back and didn't think I did.
Being that The Cat Site has people reading from around the globe, I wanted to be absolutely CLEAR, I didn't express anger and Simon was in danger because of my emotions. People interpret things very differently.
I did have a strange day with him yesterday, it seems like the more he acts normal, I read into it as if he's trying to do "things" for the "last" time. I was feeling a little overwhelmed.
@Margret - My older sister was terminally ill. I'm the lone survivor of my family, I've taken care of aunts and uncles who were also in their last stages, our stories sound a bit similar.
I don't get angry with God. The only thing that I go back and forth with is, "if I only caught this sooner" But still, there would have been nothing I could do. With Simon's fragile heart, treatment was never an option. So I guess "Gods" plan for Simon is moving accordingly and I happen to be part of that plan.
I very much appreciate all the support and I've never taken offense to anything anyone has posted to me. Everyone has been kind, and for that I'm very grateful.
I'm sorry. You misinterpreted what I said. Nowhere have you show one iota of anger. I was just trying to say something that could happen the more tired, sad and depressed. Perhaps I was projecting how I'd react in your situation. I hope I didn't upset you, thick skinned or not. Big hugs and kisses to you and Simon. You can share them out as you wish.
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #87
Simon's Diary: "Our Bittersweet Journey...the long goodbye"
April 2nd,
I didn't realize how many pictures and videos I've taken, but as soon as I sort through, I'll bring Simon's journey up to date.
Today was a joyful experience with my baby boy, Simon. He actually drank cereal milk from a tablespoon, and not just one or two, but all my milk. LOL then I held up a rectangle chunk of cheese to him and he proceeded to lick it like he used to.
LOL, thanks for the hugs and kisses... as always, I appreciate your support. You've been very kind.
April 2nd,
Not at all @Stewball, It's all good.-Not upset at all. I wasn't sure if I wrote something that seemed off to people and wanted to clear things up. And yes, this is tiring on the mind and of course sad. But I can't get depressed or angry over something I have no control over, that's just the way I roll... I've posted before, I have a lot of patience.
I didn't realize how many pictures and videos I've taken, but as soon as I sort through, I'll bring Simon's journey up to date.
Today was a joyful experience with my baby boy, Simon. He actually drank cereal milk from a tablespoon, and not just one or two, but all my milk. LOL then I held up a rectangle chunk of cheese to him and he proceeded to lick it like he used to.
LOL, thanks for the hugs and kisses... as always, I appreciate your support. You've been very kind.
He likes sweet milk. My gentle did too. We shared the bowl. Did Simon eat any of the cheese or just lick it?Simon's Diary: "Our Bittersweet Journey...the long goodbye"
April 2nd,
Not at all @Stewball, It's all good.-Not upset at all. I wasn't sure if I wrote something that seemed off to people and wanted to clear things up. And yes, this is tiring on the mind and of course sad. But I can't get depressed or angry over something I have no control over, that's just the way I roll... I've posted before, I have a lot of patience.
I didn't realize how many pictures and videos I've taken, but as soon as I sort through, I'll bring Simon's journey up to date.
Today was a joyful experience with my baby boy, Simon. He actually drank cereal milk from a tablespoon, and not just one or two, but all my milk. LOL then I held up a rectangle chunk of cheese to him and he proceeded to lick it like he used to.
LOL, thanks for the hugs and kisses... as always, I appreciate your support. You've been very kind.
Is he a lap cat?
It's 00.30am here so I wish you a good night.
I'm glad to hear Simon had a good day today. These little victories help us keep going. Please give that sweet boy kisses from me!
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #90
Simon's Diary: "Our Bittersweet Journey...the long goodbye"
Buprenorphine: Most of what I've read about his pain med is that it acts on opioid receptors, which are sites on nerves in the brain and spinal cord, and while it doesn't treat the pain source directly, it will mask it, and it will keep the cat comfortable-mostly after "surgery" and the cat won't appear "out of it".
The above was taken from several personal blogs I came across on the web. I have yet to find actual published information on this drug.
Everything I've read on this drug has to do with animals who have under gone "surgery" and are waiting to heal and get back to "normal life". No where have I read, this being used to treat a "long term" terminally ill animal.
One thing I've observed with Simon and his reaction to this is drug which became clear to me today, is it totally dopes him up to the point of being extremely lethargic.
Today April 16th, he was playing normal, actually drank from bowl, and licked/gnawed on a cheese stick "his fave". which he hasn't done in a month. So far today, he hasn't received a dose. And yesterday April 15th, he only received one dose, and was much more active and playful.
I'm curious how long this stays in the cats system for.
Does anyone out there in The Cat Site land have access to published info on this drug. OR personal experience using it with a terminally ill kitty.
My vet is closed now until Monday, so I'd appreciate any feed back.
Buprenorphine: Most of what I've read about his pain med is that it acts on opioid receptors, which are sites on nerves in the brain and spinal cord, and while it doesn't treat the pain source directly, it will mask it, and it will keep the cat comfortable-mostly after "surgery" and the cat won't appear "out of it".
The above was taken from several personal blogs I came across on the web. I have yet to find actual published information on this drug.
Everything I've read on this drug has to do with animals who have under gone "surgery" and are waiting to heal and get back to "normal life". No where have I read, this being used to treat a "long term" terminally ill animal.
One thing I've observed with Simon and his reaction to this is drug which became clear to me today, is it totally dopes him up to the point of being extremely lethargic.
Today April 16th, he was playing normal, actually drank from bowl, and licked/gnawed on a cheese stick "his fave". which he hasn't done in a month. So far today, he hasn't received a dose. And yesterday April 15th, he only received one dose, and was much more active and playful.
I'm curious how long this stays in the cats system for.
Does anyone out there in The Cat Site land have access to published info on this drug. OR personal experience using it with a terminally ill kitty.
My vet is closed now until Monday, so I'd appreciate any feed back.
I tried to find this information for you - here's a TCS thread that discusses long term use of buprenorphine with people giving different opinions: http://www.thecatsite.com/t/219967/questions-about-buprenorphine-buprenex One post mentions it has a long half life.
Here's an abstract for a paper studying the half lives of three meds in cats, including buprenorphine in cats: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11903869 I'm not quite sure how to interpret the data given but you might be able to figure it out. Also there is a link to the full paper, which might give more info.
There is more information for humans: here's an article in which the half life is said to be 24 to 42 hours: http://www.rxlist.com/suboxone-drug/clinical-pharmacology.htm
As for my own experience with buprenorphine with a terminally ill cat - Milo was given this after the tumor on his upper gum was removed. It worked so well, he would actually come ask for it when it began to wear off. He only lived a little over a week after the biopsy so I don't know how things would have gone if he'd stayed with me longer.
Here's an abstract for a paper studying the half lives of three meds in cats, including buprenorphine in cats: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11903869 I'm not quite sure how to interpret the data given but you might be able to figure it out. Also there is a link to the full paper, which might give more info.
There is more information for humans: here's an article in which the half life is said to be 24 to 42 hours: http://www.rxlist.com/suboxone-drug/clinical-pharmacology.htm
As for my own experience with buprenorphine with a terminally ill cat - Milo was given this after the tumor on his upper gum was removed. It worked so well, he would actually come ask for it when it began to wear off. He only lived a little over a week after the biopsy so I don't know how things would have gone if he'd stayed with me longer.
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #92
This was very helpful information. I found The Cat Site thread most helpful along with your experience with this drug.
I was looking for information mostly on how long it takes to go into effect and how long it lasts. But watching Simon carefully, it starts working about 30 minutes after administered and lasts well over 24 hours with him. One bit of info I learned from the Thread, I noticed this drug was costing $4.00 and change back in 2010, so I don't feel as if my doctor is overcharging me now - at $4.00 per 1ml dose. Although if this continues, I'll check with the pet pharmacy's and look into cheaper options.
I'll keep reading the research as Simon moves along. Thanks again @Margd. I really appreciate the info.
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #93
Simon's Diary: "Our Bittersweet Journey...the long goodbye"
April 2016
Recap: As expressed in an earlier post, April 1st was a turning point for Simon (and us). He was weak and not showing interest in eating that morning, yet he was still engaged, playful and drinking on his own. Again, I teetered on the thought... am I doing the right thing, is this for me or him?
I suppose I'll truly never know that answer and is one question I'll keep asking since he can't speak to me. But Simon would always seek me out for help when he's been ill in the past, after he was neutered he laid by my side for the comfort of my hand, when he developed his crystals, he looked me straight in the eyes with a "help me" gaze, when constipated he comes to me and sticks his butt in my direction, LOL and waits for the lubricated Q-Tip to assist the stuck stool (oh what we do for our loved ones) lol. Thinking back now to his actions last fall when he developed the early symptoms of this cancer, he would jump on me to wake me up or snap open the latches on my guitar cases until one of them would open and I'd awake to the sound of a crashing guitar, then show me where he threw up. Even last February when he showed definite signs of illness, he slept at my head and laid on my chest and gave me that "help me NOW" look and I did. So in the end all I can do is follow my gut and go by instinct, and if I know my Simon like I think I do, for the time being, he's still enjoying our company and life at home.
Thank goodness the vanilla Ensure he drank on the 1st peaked is interest in eating again, plus the sugar gave him a jolt that got him moving around.
At 3am Saturday morning April 2nd, Simon woke me up by sitting on my hip. At first I pushed him off being half asleep and forgot he's sick, it seemed like old times when he'd wake us up to play, etc. Then I woke up after a few attempts, Simon was in a good mood and walked me to the bathroom, lol, I had forgot to leave the water dripping in the tub for him to drink. poor baby...
Later that morning I was able to get a better look at the inside of his mouth, it shifted again. Simon resisted his med's and at 4 dollars per dose of Burprenorphine I wasn't going to waste it. He was drinking on his own from the tub faucet but I didn't want to force food on him, plus he scooted away every time he saw me by the fridge, so I waited for him to come to me. Before 11am, he ate 1/4 cup of IAMS Max Calorie, 6 tbls of Ensure and 6 ml mashed avocado.
You can see in the above GIF is tongue made an appearance from the shift in jaw, and continues to stick out. With this shift, I notice he can swallow food a bit easier.
(many thanks to @jcat @Kat0121 and @Handsome Kitty for making this GIF possible) LOL
Simon seemed to have an extra burst of energy and was acting totally normal after feeding: He checked out every inch of the apartment and even followed his "daddy" out into the hallway, something he hasn't done in a long time. This was sweet to see, he's one of those cats who walks you out in the morning and greets you at the door at night. It was nice for my husband, since he hadn't been escorted to the door in a while. No matter where Simon is, if I say "bye pa pa", he runs to the door to see my husband off. LOL so cute.
He slept on and off throughout the day, the weather was grey, rainy and windy, and his mood fit accordingly.
At 5:00 pm with some encouragement, he ate another 1/2 cup of the IAMS Max Cal, blended smooth. I didn't force the med's on him, he seemed content going back to his little blanket fort on the bed by the window.
When we turned into bed around midnight, Simon came out of his fort and proceeded to take his old spot in between my husbands feet. I can't remember the last time he slept there.
Not a bad day for eating, by days end he ate 3/4 cup of the high cal food. And I noticed he filled out a little bit and seemed slightly heavier when held.
I was hopeful with his behavior but after reading many articles about how a cat may eat lot's of food and act completely normal before taking his last breath, made me a little crazy, I found myself checking him every few minutes. I tried to get into my normal activities so I didn't smother him, but my mind was over active. LOL
April 3rd, It was strange waking up and seeing Simon between hubby's feet. I took a deep breath and looked at him closely to see if he was breathing, lol he smacked me in the face with his tail and looked at me with a disturbed look, "leave me alone, I'm sleeping".
He got up with me and drank: Then went back to bed with Hubby and Chestnut.
When Simon got up to take care of "business" his sister Chestnut jumped into his spot and he was forced to take the side view. LOL Not happy...
By days end he ate another 1/2 cup, finishing the entire can, and 6 ml of Ensure. His mood throughout the day was delightfully engaging.
April 4th, Since my hubby was on his early shift we were all a bit discombobulated and off to a slow start being up at 4am, YUK!!! Simon was up to his usual habits, we woke to the alarm with Simon in between hubby's feet, he got up drank, urinated and pooped, YAY!!! All systems go! Since the day was rainy, cold and extremely windy, I wasn't going to read too much into his sleepy mood. It was the perfect day to hibernate. I gave his 1 dose of pain med's at 12 noon and let him sleep. He was only interested in the Ensure and I didn't force the food since he ate a healthy amount (for him) over the weekend. I let him be...
He's been so tight and curled up, It was nice to see him sleep in his old positions.
When Simon sleeps you can see his big heart, LOL I love this, one of my favorite positions.
He didn't eat any food and showed no interest, he did accept one dose of pain med's and one dose of the Clindamycin. He was content and satisfied so I tried not to worry about "no food". I had to trust in him to let me know when he'd be ready. This has been the hardest part of caring for him, letting him make decisions.
April 5th , it was still cold and windy but the sun was out, I got into a few projects and the cats were sitting on everything I pulled out. LOL
Below, Simon was following a crystal prism I was teasing him with.
By days end he received one dose of pain med's and one dose of Clindamycin, and eager to eat a little more than a 1/2 can, 3 tbls avocado and 2 ml of vanilla Ensure.
His mood and habits were normal, but at times he seemed annoyed at me and I think it had to do with my freshly polished nails, the smell got to him and he didn't appreciate the odor. I had forgot that about him, "it's good to stay away with fresh nails". LOL
April 6th I had to change my thought process once again. I realize there can be no schedule. So I set day goals for feeding, instead of morning, afternoon and evening goals. Our goal now is an entire can by days end. I still log all times he eats so I can track patters and routines.
Simon still loves his water and drinks a lot of it, and by the end of the day he managed to eat 1 whole can of the Purina Pro Vet CN plus another 1/4 cup of food, he loves this brand the best so far. I think the IAMS Max Cal, gets too dry and gritty even though it's blended with a little water added, making it hard to swallow.
In any case, this is good news.
Simon's mood today was sweet & loving.
Below Pic: One new habit I'm loving...
When I lay my head to rest and kiss his extended paw and sing, You are my Sunshine, he spreads his toes(?) and pats my lips and nose with his paws, then he'll press hard on my lips. I'm thinking he's trying to shut me up. LOL He's been doing it ever since. I really need to get a video of it, it's so cute.
What I learned so far: Take his lead... Don't force him to eat but encourage him to eat... Don't hover... Don't smother... Don't read too much into EVERYTHING he does... Not everything is a sign... Some actions are, just because... I have only so much control over this matter...
I need to keep my activities as normal as possible, this is something I keep forgetting, my changes in activities and personality changes his habits and personality. Being so connected we both get thrown out of whack...
Also, old tee-shirts, blankets, sheets, and towels are key to nursing a sick kitty.
Now that I have videos and pictures in order I'll finally be able to bring his Diary up to date.
Simon & I thank you all for your support.
April 2016
Recap: As expressed in an earlier post, April 1st was a turning point for Simon (and us). He was weak and not showing interest in eating that morning, yet he was still engaged, playful and drinking on his own. Again, I teetered on the thought... am I doing the right thing, is this for me or him?
I suppose I'll truly never know that answer and is one question I'll keep asking since he can't speak to me. But Simon would always seek me out for help when he's been ill in the past, after he was neutered he laid by my side for the comfort of my hand, when he developed his crystals, he looked me straight in the eyes with a "help me" gaze, when constipated he comes to me and sticks his butt in my direction, LOL and waits for the lubricated Q-Tip to assist the stuck stool (oh what we do for our loved ones) lol. Thinking back now to his actions last fall when he developed the early symptoms of this cancer, he would jump on me to wake me up or snap open the latches on my guitar cases until one of them would open and I'd awake to the sound of a crashing guitar, then show me where he threw up. Even last February when he showed definite signs of illness, he slept at my head and laid on my chest and gave me that "help me NOW" look and I did. So in the end all I can do is follow my gut and go by instinct, and if I know my Simon like I think I do, for the time being, he's still enjoying our company and life at home.
Thank goodness the vanilla Ensure he drank on the 1st peaked is interest in eating again, plus the sugar gave him a jolt that got him moving around.
At 3am Saturday morning April 2nd, Simon woke me up by sitting on my hip. At first I pushed him off being half asleep and forgot he's sick, it seemed like old times when he'd wake us up to play, etc. Then I woke up after a few attempts, Simon was in a good mood and walked me to the bathroom, lol, I had forgot to leave the water dripping in the tub for him to drink. poor baby...
You can see in the above GIF is tongue made an appearance from the shift in jaw, and continues to stick out. With this shift, I notice he can swallow food a bit easier.
(many thanks to @jcat @Kat0121 and @Handsome Kitty for making this GIF possible) LOL
He slept on and off throughout the day, the weather was grey, rainy and windy, and his mood fit accordingly.
At 5:00 pm with some encouragement, he ate another 1/2 cup of the IAMS Max Cal, blended smooth. I didn't force the med's on him, he seemed content going back to his little blanket fort on the bed by the window.
When we turned into bed around midnight, Simon came out of his fort and proceeded to take his old spot in between my husbands feet. I can't remember the last time he slept there.
Not a bad day for eating, by days end he ate 3/4 cup of the high cal food. And I noticed he filled out a little bit and seemed slightly heavier when held.
I was hopeful with his behavior but after reading many articles about how a cat may eat lot's of food and act completely normal before taking his last breath, made me a little crazy, I found myself checking him every few minutes. I tried to get into my normal activities so I didn't smother him, but my mind was over active. LOL
April 3rd, It was strange waking up and seeing Simon between hubby's feet. I took a deep breath and looked at him closely to see if he was breathing, lol he smacked me in the face with his tail and looked at me with a disturbed look, "leave me alone, I'm sleeping".
He got up with me and drank: Then went back to bed with Hubby and Chestnut.
When Simon got up to take care of "business" his sister Chestnut jumped into his spot and he was forced to take the side view. LOL Not happy...
By days end he ate another 1/2 cup, finishing the entire can, and 6 ml of Ensure. His mood throughout the day was delightfully engaging.
April 4th, Since my hubby was on his early shift we were all a bit discombobulated and off to a slow start being up at 4am, YUK!!! Simon was up to his usual habits, we woke to the alarm with Simon in between hubby's feet, he got up drank, urinated and pooped, YAY!!! All systems go! Since the day was rainy, cold and extremely windy, I wasn't going to read too much into his sleepy mood. It was the perfect day to hibernate. I gave his 1 dose of pain med's at 12 noon and let him sleep. He was only interested in the Ensure and I didn't force the food since he ate a healthy amount (for him) over the weekend. I let him be...
He's been so tight and curled up, It was nice to see him sleep in his old positions.
When Simon sleeps you can see his big heart, LOL I love this, one of my favorite positions.
He didn't eat any food and showed no interest, he did accept one dose of pain med's and one dose of the Clindamycin. He was content and satisfied so I tried not to worry about "no food". I had to trust in him to let me know when he'd be ready. This has been the hardest part of caring for him, letting him make decisions.
April 5th , it was still cold and windy but the sun was out, I got into a few projects and the cats were sitting on everything I pulled out. LOL
Below, Simon was following a crystal prism I was teasing him with.
By days end he received one dose of pain med's and one dose of Clindamycin, and eager to eat a little more than a 1/2 can, 3 tbls avocado and 2 ml of vanilla Ensure.
His mood and habits were normal, but at times he seemed annoyed at me and I think it had to do with my freshly polished nails, the smell got to him and he didn't appreciate the odor. I had forgot that about him, "it's good to stay away with fresh nails". LOL
April 6th I had to change my thought process once again. I realize there can be no schedule. So I set day goals for feeding, instead of morning, afternoon and evening goals. Our goal now is an entire can by days end. I still log all times he eats so I can track patters and routines.
Simon still loves his water and drinks a lot of it, and by the end of the day he managed to eat 1 whole can of the Purina Pro Vet CN plus another 1/4 cup of food, he loves this brand the best so far. I think the IAMS Max Cal, gets too dry and gritty even though it's blended with a little water added, making it hard to swallow.
In any case, this is good news.
Simon's mood today was sweet & loving.
Below Pic: One new habit I'm loving...
When I lay my head to rest and kiss his extended paw and sing, You are my Sunshine, he spreads his toes(?) and pats my lips and nose with his paws, then he'll press hard on my lips. I'm thinking he's trying to shut me up. LOL He's been doing it ever since. I really need to get a video of it, it's so cute.
What I learned so far: Take his lead... Don't force him to eat but encourage him to eat... Don't hover... Don't smother... Don't read too much into EVERYTHING he does... Not everything is a sign... Some actions are, just because... I have only so much control over this matter...
I need to keep my activities as normal as possible, this is something I keep forgetting, my changes in activities and personality changes his habits and personality. Being so connected we both get thrown out of whack...
Also, old tee-shirts, blankets, sheets, and towels are key to nursing a sick kitty.
Now that I have videos and pictures in order I'll finally be able to bring his Diary up to date.
Simon & I thank you all for your support.
I loved this update - Simon is teaching us all!
Reading this is so bittersweet. I love learning about who Simon is and getting glimpses of the playful, loving cat he is despite what he's going through.
With Toothless, it's a little different. She can not run nor jump. Her movements are so limited. One of her favorite things use to be jumping up into the window sills to watch the birds. It breaks my heart to know she can't do this on her own. I've pushed an end table next to a window next to my bed so she can still watch.
She loves to hide in low places so we bought a dozen different cat friendly chubby holes for her. She seems to approve.
She ran for the sound of a fancy feast can being opened. The sight was so beautiful I could have cried. Her nickname use to be feet because of the way she twinkle toed around the house. Now the name feels mean to call her because she can't run anymore.
With Toothless, it's a little different. She can not run nor jump. Her movements are so limited. One of her favorite things use to be jumping up into the window sills to watch the birds. It breaks my heart to know she can't do this on her own. I've pushed an end table next to a window next to my bed so she can still watch.
She loves to hide in low places so we bought a dozen different cat friendly chubby holes for her. She seems to approve.
She ran for the sound of a fancy feast can being opened. The sight was so beautiful I could have cried. Her nickname use to be feet because of the way she twinkle toed around the house. Now the name feels mean to call her because she can't run anymore.
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Just started reading this thread and my heart goes out to you and Simon.
My cat, Lamont, has a bone tumor either on his rib or pelvic bone. It's grown from the size of a garbanzo bean one year ago to a large mass that's about 3" flat with a few bumps on it, each one about 1/2" to and inch.
I opted not to have it biopsied or to take xrays because the vet told me that even with an absolute diagnosis, the only option is surgery which, ultimately, wouldn't give him more time (it's not like a bone tumor on the leg where an amputation might buy a few years.) That said, normally, the prognosis for this type of thing is about 5 months. It's nearly 13 months at this point.
Lamont's still eating, drinking, alert, going to the bathroom and kinda sorta playing. He can still jump. Once in a while I have to feed him by hand. I just switched his food (again) and that he the trick. He gobbles it up.
Like you, am taking it one day at a time. But still worried about..."how will I know." Your journey with Simon is showing me that Lamont will show me and let me know when it's time.
Thank you for sharing it all.
My cat, Lamont, has a bone tumor either on his rib or pelvic bone. It's grown from the size of a garbanzo bean one year ago to a large mass that's about 3" flat with a few bumps on it, each one about 1/2" to and inch.
I opted not to have it biopsied or to take xrays because the vet told me that even with an absolute diagnosis, the only option is surgery which, ultimately, wouldn't give him more time (it's not like a bone tumor on the leg where an amputation might buy a few years.) That said, normally, the prognosis for this type of thing is about 5 months. It's nearly 13 months at this point.
Lamont's still eating, drinking, alert, going to the bathroom and kinda sorta playing. He can still jump. Once in a while I have to feed him by hand. I just switched his food (again) and that he the trick. He gobbles it up.
Like you, am taking it one day at a time. But still worried about..."how will I know." Your journey with Simon is showing me that Lamont will show me and let me know when it's time.
Thank you for sharing it all.
How old is toothless?
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- #98
I think our furry ones teach us life's lessons daily. My dad was a big believer in trusting animal instincts and paid close attention to our dogs, cats, horses etc...
I loved this update - Simon is teaching us all!
Cat's teach us about unconditional love, friendship, patience, respect and the list goes on. I struggle with not getting weepy around him, it's hard, I won't lie, but I need to act as normal as possible.
He certainly has been teaching me a great deal, the biggest being we have no control over destiny. thank you again...
Simon's movements are somewhat limited but I think it's because he's been sleeping much more than usual, he's losing muscle mass. He was always an aggressive player, so some of his favorite games now frustrate him.
We too started to not call him certain nicknames, one being drool boy and dribbles, given to him by his daddy. I felt bad because that's all he does now due to the shift in mouth, but noticed we were getting formal with him and again, he caught on to us changing... We started calling him dribbles and drool boy again and it was as if he perked up a bit.
I would call Toothless Feet again, if she was used to hearing it daily. She already knows something is "wrong" "different" try not to change too much. It does make a difference. That's my experience anyway.
Sometimes, it's best to keep things as normal as possible, but then again, you know Toothless, I don't, I'm just making a suggestion. xo...thanks again for your support.
twinkle toed, LOL cute, my gal sounds like a Great Dane she's so chubby. LOL
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- #99
I'm so sorry to learn about Lamont. It's a tough road, I won't lie. The trick for me is eating since he can't do that on his own. Drinking is fantastic.
I started feeding him all the high calorie high protein foods, which have worked wonders. I don't know if Lamont can eat those foods, but the other concern is keeping weight on him.
I'm using Purina Pro Veterinary CN, IAMS Max Cal (we find this one grainy and dry so you have to use water) and Royal Canin Recovery rx. You may want to ask your vet about feeding him one of these. They really made a difference, I wish I used them at the beginning of this journey.
Best to you and Lamont. Please keep me informed of your journey as well.
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Thanks so much for the reply and tips! I can't feed Lamont any dry food. He was diagnosed with diabetes in December and I got him into remission just by switching to a wet diet. I'm currently feeding him a mixture of Wellness Core Chicken, Fancy Feast Classic Salmon Feast and Cats in the Kitchen Chicken Frick A Zee. He loves them all.
They all are very very low in carbs, high(ish) in protein and high in fat, which I read is good for slowing down metasizes (sp?) I found a site--http://ww.catinfo.org -- that's run by a vet, Lisa Pierson, and it's been INVALUABLE to me. I was able to get Lamont into diabetic remission in 4 days just following the suggestions on the site (my vet was amazed--Lamont's never had to take insulin) and the site has really handly charts that list every wet food there is with the calories, fat, carbs & protein.
Yes, let's keep each other informed.
Best to you and Simon!
They all are very very low in carbs, high(ish) in protein and high in fat, which I read is good for slowing down metasizes (sp?) I found a site--http://ww.catinfo.org -- that's run by a vet, Lisa Pierson, and it's been INVALUABLE to me. I was able to get Lamont into diabetic remission in 4 days just following the suggestions on the site (my vet was amazed--Lamont's never had to take insulin) and the site has really handly charts that list every wet food there is with the calories, fat, carbs & protein.
Yes, let's keep each other informed.
Best to you and Simon!
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