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Emily is so lucky that you are her Mommy. She is in my prayers.
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Not again!
- Thread starter momofmany
- Start Date
Am so sorry it wasn't better news, and I really have everything crossed that she can get over this. I do know how you feel about everything happening - I have lost 3 cats between last Oct and this, and my cats go to the vets so often, and get fed well, yet my neighbours cats never go, and despite two looking ill, they seem to carry on plodding on. Emily is very lucky to have a mum like you who notices and cares enough to do this for her.
I am so sorry about Emily! Prayers for her full recovery, for your comfort, and for wisdom for the vet!Originally Posted by Momofmany
I am beating myself up real bad right now. None of the illnesses for any of these cats are related in any way, but there is a deep down nag that perhaps there is an underlying stress in the household from having so many that is putting stress on these cats and bringing on illness that they wouldn't have if they lived in a lesser cat household. For the first time in my life, I'm seriously considering adopting some of my babies out so that they can live a better life with fewer cats.
I think having more numbers increases the odds we will lose a baby to illness. Also, the depth of your love means every loss is heartfelt, rather than, "oh, one died young". Because you paid close attention to Emily, she has the best chance to live. She had early intervention.
If you still feel like adopting out some of your beloved babies after Emily's crisis has passed, that is certainly an option. No one ever said we have to keep all the love ourselves. We can share with others. But consider that if Emily had been in another home, perhaps they would not have noticed her drinking too much water. Perhaps she would have already crossed the bridge!!
When I lost my Mattie last year to FIP, I wondered if I had not gotten involved in fostering, if she would not have been exposed to coronavirus, and not have gotten FIP. And why was the one kitten we chose to adopt the one that died!?! Then, after thinking about it, I realized it would not have hurt less if I heard that one of my babies died in their new home. And someone else would have hurt, too!
If I were not fostering, I never would have met Garfield. My least favorite cat colors were orange cats (Gar) and darned barn cat colored brown tabbies (Fest). Now instead of beautiful jet black Mattie, I have what I thought were plain jane colors. I cannot tell you how I love them. How I enjoy looking at the vivid orange of Gar's back, and that soft orange belly he shows. How they totally match, brown and orange, almost stripe for stripe!
I think there are lessons in life, and gifts we carry. Your gift is loving and tenderly caring for kitties. If you adopt some out, that won't lessen your gift or your love. It would be a very fine thing to do, to allow another family to love some of your precious ones. But if you choose to remain greedy for all that love, and keep each one firmly at home, in your heart and in your kitchen, that is just fine too.
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- #24
Right now they are speculating a genetic defect with her kidneys. Not good news.Originally Posted by katachtig
I did find one site that gave a number of possible causes. http://www.gopetsamerica.com/cat-health/kidney-failure.aspx There are a number of things environmental and genetic.
Hugs to the both of you.
Aw I'm thinking about Emily, Amy!
I am so sorry to hear about Emily - sending good vibes!
I do hope that something can be done for her, and am keeping you in my thoughts
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- #28
Monday update: I didn't get to see her yesterday but went up this afternoon to get her to eat. She only licks the juice from her canned food even with appetite stimulants. She looks worse today. They are rerunning the bloodwork to see if what they are doing to help her is improving her numbers. I asked the vet to be frank with me on her prognosis and he doesn't think that she will pull thru. It is clearly acute renal failure and since we've ruled out environmental and bacterial triggers (her blood work doesn't support that), then it is some other physical problem that caused this - heart disease, cancer, genetic defect with her kidneys. Things that cannot be fixed. We talked about a kidney biopsy but will make that call once the bloodwork comes back.
I'm really sorry Amy. I will keep you both in my thoughts and prayers.
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I just lost "Baby" last Friday.....I came home from work to find her lying on the bathroom floor unable to move and barely breathing. I rushed to the vet and was told there was probably nothing they could do to save her so I made the decision to let her go. I was still in shock the greater part of the weekend. She was only 1 year old and I just adopted her 8 weeks ago. My 7 year old cat is as healthy as a horse and shows no signs of illness but I'm keeping an eagle's eye on him. I keep asking myself what I could have done but I'm not even sure what caused her to decline to fast. She looked ok Friday morning. She was eating good but still stayed really thin. It's a mystery to me.Originally Posted by Momofmany
Now Emily is at the vet's, waiting on her blood work to return. They suspect either kidney or liver failure. They are keeping her to monitor her food and water intake and output, as it is so difficult to do for a single cat in a household of many. The best way to describe Emily is by understanding the "Pengy" story. She bonds with me and some of the cats in the house, but is a terribly shy girl.
I'm just stunned. I don't know if I'm jinxed or a bad mom. We lost Tigger last month (cardiomyopathy), Shep earlier this year (stroke) and Bogart last year (CRF). My d*mn intuition is telling me that we will soon loose Emily. My intuition is unfortunately usually right.
I am beating myself up real bad right now. None of the illnesses for any of these cats are related in any way, but there is a deep down nag that perhaps there is an underlying stress in the household from having so many that is putting stress on these cats and bringing on illness that they wouldn't have if they lived in a lesser cat household. For the first time in my life, I'm seriously considering adopting some of my babies out so that they can live a better life with fewer cats.
I know - deep breath and wait for the blood work to return.
I'm so sorry.
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I am so sorry you are going through this with your beloved Emily. I understand too well what it is like. That is how I lost Max, the love of my life, in July. He had never been sick a day of his life. He was sick on Thursday, at the vet on Friday, and we made the decision to let him go on Monday. The vet thought on Friday it was CRF, but as the weekend progressed, he said Max had symptoms of both ARF and CRF. After fluids and antibiotics, the vet rechecked his numbers on Monday and they were worse.
We did not do any tests to determine what really caused it. The vet told us there were some things healthwise that would trigger it, but if Max had any health problems, they were well hidden. I have quizzed myself a thousand times wondering if he got something toxic or just what happened. I think if I had answers, I could have dealt with loosing him better than I did and still do.
I was so hoping and I prayed so hard for him. It just didn't happen.
You have had more than your share of pain. But you have provided a loving caring home to your animals and you should not blame yourself in any way for what has happened. I pray for Emily that she can overcome this problem and her kidneys not be damaged in any way. God bless her and heal her from head to feet in the name of Jesus, that is what I pray for her. Prayers and hugs to you too.
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- #34
Emily's blood work came back on Tuesday and while the numbers improved a little bit, they were still off the chart on where she should have been after the treatment they were giving her. Even with appetite stimulants, she stopped eating and to add insult, came down with a respiratory infection.
In the 13 years that I've worked with my vet, he has never once told me it was time to say goodbye to any of our babies. He asks me challenging questions, lays out the facts, and lets me be comfortable with the decision. He greeted me at the door Wednesday morning when I went to try to get her to eat with his recommendation that it was time to let go. There wasn't anything we could do to bring her around and each day was only worse for her. He was right - I was hanging on for me rather than for her.
So I rested her head in my head and scratched her neck as I talked to her for a while. I told her how much I loved her and it was time to relieve her pain. She actually started purring at that - thank you Emily for telling me it was OK.
I'm emotionally exhausted beyond where I usually am this time. Perhaps its because we were only together about 18 months. Weird, but with Tigger who shared 9 years with me, it was almost easier saying goodbye - we had a enough time together that I knew he had a good life with me. I wish I had more time with Emily - she had a pretty rough life before coming to live with me.
I'm off to recoup for a few days. Don't have a lot of energy for much of anything right now.
In the 13 years that I've worked with my vet, he has never once told me it was time to say goodbye to any of our babies. He asks me challenging questions, lays out the facts, and lets me be comfortable with the decision. He greeted me at the door Wednesday morning when I went to try to get her to eat with his recommendation that it was time to let go. There wasn't anything we could do to bring her around and each day was only worse for her. He was right - I was hanging on for me rather than for her.
So I rested her head in my head and scratched her neck as I talked to her for a while. I told her how much I loved her and it was time to relieve her pain. She actually started purring at that - thank you Emily for telling me it was OK.
I'm emotionally exhausted beyond where I usually am this time. Perhaps its because we were only together about 18 months. Weird, but with Tigger who shared 9 years with me, it was almost easier saying goodbye - we had a enough time together that I knew he had a good life with me. I wish I had more time with Emily - she had a pretty rough life before coming to live with me.
I'm off to recoup for a few days. Don't have a lot of energy for much of anything right now.
I am so sorry. I can only think how I would feel if it were one of my own. It is hard to take when the cat is young or has not been with you long. We lost our 7 month old earlier this year -- just disappeared. I am still grieving, and feel cheated that I did not have more time with him. I know everyone here is praying for you at this terrible time. You sound like a terrific Mommy. Just think that Emily knew she was loved so much.
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I am so sorry for your loss.
Sweet Emily...RIP little darling.
Sweet Emily...RIP little darling.
I am very sorry for your loss. RIP Emily...man, this has been an awful day.
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So sorry for your loss... sending a
