Lung cancer

filomali

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Hi all.

My cat is 16. She was diagnosed with lung cancer yesterday. It has spread to both lungs.

There's an antibiotic that we can give her to help ease her pain, and prednosone pills to help with her breathing.

My husband and I differ on this. I think we should put her to sleep before she's in pain. He thinks otherwise.

Sorry for a short explanation, I've been very upset.
 

donutte

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Hello, I'm so sorry for the difficult time you are going through. What is your kitty's name?

It's so hard to say what is best, because it's different for each kitty. I had a vastly different experience with two of my kitties - the one told me in no uncertain terms he was done. The other one, also in no uncertain terms, told me she didn't want to be put to sleep (although she was three days later - I still wonder if I did the right thing to be honest).

With that said, they say it's better to be a week too soon than a minute too late. Have you been able to gauge how your kitty feels about it? I know it sounds silly, but it's something I always take into account.
 

mrsgreenjeens

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I'm so sorry for what you are now about to go through.  I've been in your shoes, where with our chronically ill old girl, I felt it was time, and my husband could not let go.  it's a difficult call, for certain.  Surely, though, your husband does not want this old girl to suffer.  that cannot be why he is hesitant?  What are his reasons for not wanting her put to sleep?  Does he feel she still has a good quality of life?  If that's so, do YOU not feel that way?  And, as Donutte above said, what do you think your cat wants?  Do you have any inkling?  Each cat IS different.  With my last two chronically ill cats, they were much like Donutte's (even had the same illnesses) and one still had a jest for life until something else took it, and the other hung on for ME until he just couldn't do it any longer
.  Now with our two remaining cats, I feel in my heart if they got ill, one would have a jest for life until the bitter end, and the other would want to go as soon as he got ill.  That's  just the way it is. 

So....have you completed a Quality of Life scale for your girl?  Here's one you could do: http://www.veterinarypracticenews.com/November-2009/Quality-Of-Life-Scale/
 

jmarkitell

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Each cat and each case is different. I have lost cats to cancer and I feel that I sometimes hang on to them too long, or at least I try to delay the inevitable. I've worked it out in my heart and conscience to base it on my kitty's level of pain and apparent suffering. If my cat is still active and eats/drinks...and doesn't seem to be in pain, then I'd wait as long as possible. When a cat's time is near, they tend to stop eating and often hide. When this happens, I know that the end is approaching and I force myself to make the last trip to the vet's.

   I hate myself whenever I have to put one of my kitty's down, but I'd hate myself more if I thought that they were suffering because of my reluctance to say goodbye. Let your heart, and your kitty, tell you when it's time. There is no sure fire way to tell for sure, but they say you will know when it's time...and I hate to admit it, but it seems to be true.

Jim
 

ralphscats

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I'm so sorry. My dear Kitty had mammary cancer that eventually came back to her lungs. I know the anguish you are going through.
We didn't have the option for any meds. We were given the option of a lung tap. I agreed, but in hindsight I wish I wouldn't have done it. She slept for three days after that and then we had to put her to sleep several days later.
How is her breathing? Don't let it get to a point where she is labored or struggling. My vet told me that if she started to open mouth breath that that was very bad and that meant she was struggling. Making the decision was one of the hardest things I've ever done. She was only seven. I knew that I couldn't let her suffer.
I'll keep you in my thoughts and prayers.
 
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filomali

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Hi. I have better control of my emotions now. I was a basketcase for a few days.

Her name is Pretty Kitty, and she is 16. I got her with her brother Thomas the Cat, both tuxedo long hair, almost identical except that Thomas is a bit bigger. 

She still looks ok, she eats, drinks, go potty. She sleeps a lot, but she has been mostly hang out on the bed for the past few years, so it's not a sudden decrease in activity. 

She got time-released antibiotic shot Convenia, to help with the high white blood cell count in her lungs, and she gets 1 prednasone pill a day (steroid pill) to help her breathe easier. The shot is good for two weeks, and we have enough pills for 2 weeks. We will reassess the situation then.

Thomas has been sleeping near her these past few days. They slept together when they were kittens, but I haven't seen them that close since they grew up. But these days they are pretty close together (about 1 foot apart but not touching). I think he knows. It breaks my heart.

I will not let her struggle. Right now she looks ok, I have also been told about the open mouth breathing and cats stop eating towards the end. Right now she's not there yet. 

Pretty Kitty snuggles up with my husband to sleep. Thomas sleeps on my side. 

We spent Sunday together in bed, and we took them for a photoshoot. 

I'm crying on and off, going to work was a bit of a challenge. These two are the first pets of my adult life. And my husband's too. So we have no experience with putting pets to sleep or even have one died on our watch.

Thomas has been diagnosed with an early kidney disease but otherwise he's healthy. 
 

ralphscats

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Hi. I have better control of my emotions now. I was a basketcase for a few days.
Her name is Pretty Kitty, and she is 16. I got her with her brother Thomas the Cat, both tuxedo long hair, almost identical except that Thomas is a bit bigger. 

She still looks ok, she eats, drinks, go potty. She sleeps a lot, but she has been mostly hang out on the bed for the past few years, so it's not a sudden decrease in activity. 
She got time-released antibiotic shot Convenia, to help with the high white blood cell count in her lungs, and she gets 1 prednasone pill a day (steroid pill) to help her breathe easier. The shot is good for two weeks, and we have enough pills for 2 weeks. We will reassess the situation then.

Thomas has been sleeping near her these past few days. They slept together when they were kittens, but I haven't seen them that close since they grew up. But these days they are pretty close together (about 1 foot apart but not touching). I think he knows. It breaks my heart.

I will not let her struggle. Right now she looks ok, I have also been told about the open mouth breathing and cats stop eating towards the end. Right now she's not there yet. 

Pretty Kitty snuggles up with my husband to sleep. Thomas sleeps on my side. 
We spent Sunday together in bed, and we took them for a photoshoot. 

I'm crying on and off, going to work was a bit of a challenge. These two are the first pets of my adult life. And my husband's too. So we have no experience with putting pets to sleep or even have one died on our watch.

Thomas has been diagnosed with an early kidney disease but otherwise he's healthy. 
My heart aches for you. :( I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers. It's never easy losing a furbaby. It sounds like you are giving her good care and love. She's very fortunate to have such a caring mom to love and take care of her. I wish there was something that I could say or do to make it better. Spoil and love on her and enjoy your time with her.
 

tiptopper

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So sad to hear about Pretty Kitty. It is very hard to see their health decline. Spend time with her and cherish every minute. She will be comforted by your presence. 
 

posiepurrs

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Over the years I have had to face this awful moment making the decision. It is never easy, nor does it get easier when you have had numerous pets. Most of the time, I feel the pet tells me when they are ready. I will not let them suffer, but as long as they have quality of life and show interest in living, then we wait. I lost my girl, Loki a little over a year ago to lung cancer, so I feel for you. We did the pred for a month but when the vet wanted to see her again before continuing it, she stressed so much that she could not breath. We decided then it was time. I still miss that cranky old girl, but I truly feel we did what was right for her. My heart goes out to you.
 

jmarkitell

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I have lost several cats to cancers and it is never an easy process and it defiantly doesn't get any easier as time goes on. Try to spend as much time as you can with Pretty Kitty...you will both enjoy and benefit from your time together. I wish you both a wonderful time together.

Jim
 

fodder

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I agree with what the others have said here. It's surprising how your pet will let you know when they have had enough. You will know when it's the right time. Until then try to cherish every moment. It's never easy to let your babies go but try to remember that she has had a long life, At 16 she is about the equivalent of an 80 year old human. And thanks to you it has been a happy life. I wish you all the best for the future.
 
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filomali

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It has been one week and she is still with us. 

She still looks and feels the same. 

We spend time with her, more than usual. I took pictures and videos. We went for a photo shoot, but I think I will cherish our home photos better. 

My kids spend some time with her too, we pet her and talk about her. My kids don't really like Pretty Kitty, she's mostly our (Mom and Dad) cat, they have their younger cat to play with, but I told them to be nice to Kitty and Thomas. We pet both cats and took pictures. 

Kitty still eats, and she also goes to the bathroom to drink from the faucet, that's her favorite. So she can still climb up and down the bathtub. 

Thomas spends a lot of time sleeping near Kitty, I think he knows. And the other day I found all 3 cats together on the bed. 

She has been breathing easier, I think the medications help. We observe her trying to catch her breath when she gets from the bedroom to the kitchen, or from the bedroom to the bathroom. 

THANK YOU so much for replying. For being there for me. It helps so much to be able to write about the cat. Most of my friends I think feel a bit uneasy when I talk about a dying cat. At least you guys understand.
 
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filomali

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Hi all, just want to update you guys. Pretty Kitty passed 10 days ago. At the end I had a lot of shouting matches with my husband because he didn't want to take her in, and I couldn't stand seeing her suffering so badly. 

In the end, we went to pick a spot at a local pet cemetery, spent another hour with Pretty Kitty, and then we drove her to the vet where she peacefully died. 

Today I went to visit her grave and I still sobbed when I was there. I'm sure she wouldn't like seeing me so sad, but I couldn't help it. She gave us 5 weeks since being diagnosed, and I've been crying on and off since then. My left eye looks funny now, I hope it will go back to how it was (right now it looks permanently swollen). 

I'm not crying everyday, I still function normally and I even took my kids to see the gravesite, but sometimes it just hits me so hard and I cry. 

The cemetery is beautiful and very peaceful. I'm glad my husband insisted on it. He's against cremation and I'm against burying in the backyard. Now we go there often, about 15 minutes away from our house. I think he goes more than I do. We each leave a little something when we visit. I left flower petals, he left a coin, today I left a pretty rock........ 

I crocheted a purple blanket for her, that's what I wrapped her in when she died. Without knowing this fact, the cemetery guy gave us purple plastic lilacs for her grave marker, my husband's favorite flower. And now when we see a purple item that's out of the ordinary, like a stray purple feather, we think of it as a sign from her that she's finally at peace. Sorry. That sounds crazy. But anyway.

Thank you so much for all your support. I will visit this site and be more active. 
 

fodder

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 So sorry to hear about your loss. It's never an easy thing to go through. When things get hard remember that you gave her the best life she could have had. It sounds like you loved her very much and i'm sure she was aware of that.
Im sure she is bounding through fields of purple lilacs in kitty heaven right now.

Sending happy vibes your way 
 

mrsgreenjeens

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I'm so sorry for your loss.  It's obvious how much you loved her, and in the end you showed her the greatest love of all, by letting her go.  She is at peace


It's true what they say...time DOES make the pain easier to bear.  I lost my soul cat four years ago this month, and although I still think of him, now I  think of him with happy thoughts, remembering the good times, rather than the fact that he's no longer with me. 

Run free at the bridge,
Pretty Kitty
 
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filomali

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Thank you. <3

I just finished writing thank you notes for her vets.
 
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