Thread: Very Poorly Cat - Advice Please on His Final Days
View Single Post
  #5 (permalink)  
Old 30-06-2009, 01:52 PM
Izzie999's Avatar
Izzie999 Izzie999 is offline
Pet Forums VIP Member
  
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: On top of Mount Crumpet with the Grinch
Posts: 2,309
Izzie999 is a name known to allIzzie999 is a name known to allIzzie999 is a name known to allIzzie999 is a name known to allIzzie999 is a name known to allIzzie999 is a name known to allIzzie999 is a name known to allIzzie999 is a name known to allIzzie999 is a name known to all
Re: Very Poorly Cat - Advice Please on His Final Days
Quote:
Originally Posted by betawolf View Post
hi, i'll get straight to; my cat is very nearly at his end. he started treatment 12 months ago for a large tumour in his stomach that could not be removed by surgery. he was put on a fortnightly course of chemo and steroids. he immediately improved but several months later he started to show signs of slipping. the vet changed his medication around but it didn't help. he kept retching and occasionally bringing up small amounts of blood. the vet did blood tests and found nothing wrong. he believes that the cat has developed an ulcer, either by the chemo or steroid treatment.

recently he has just been receiving steroid injections which should last 14 days but now only give him enough energy to eat for a few days before he retires into himself and refuses to eat, just lying in a quiet corner, hidden away. the vet now feel it would be futile to continue treatment as it is becoming less and less effective. the vet gave me some medication for the ulcer but it has proven to be impossible to administer it orally and he refuses to eat or drink anything that contains the medicine. i've tried everything

my cat is a house cat and more importantly is a very nervous and scared cat. every trip to the vet is a very stressful event which clearly upsets him. i'm disabled and have to have a friend take my cat to the vet, so i wouldn't even be able to comfort him when he was there. bearing that in mind; do i subject my cat to one final visit to the vet for a lethal injection? he is now in his quiet hiding place and refusing to come out for food or water. i can see he's still alive but he just does not want to move. i desperately want to avoid a stressful and frightening trip to the vets for him

the question i've been trying to ask after all this is, can i let him die naturally where he has chosen to? he doesn't appear to be in pain, but how would i know? i just want to give him the peace and quiet he needs. i really am at my wits end. i'ver been crying on and off ever since the vet told me he no longer wanted to continue treatment.

am i being selfish or cruel? i can't think straight.
Hello,

I am so sorry to hear this, how upsetting for you and the poor cat. I feel he is obviously near the end and obviously the stress of the vet visits could actually be making him more unwell. I wonder, could you perhaps ask your Vet to come to you and put him to sleep at home? It would be far less stressful and he would be in his own home environment. I think it would a final kindness and not cruel of you at all, your vet has advised you that treatment is no longer working so you really need your poor cat at rest.

I think you know in your heart he is ready but it is so hard for you to let him go.

Best wishes

Izzie
__________________
Reply With Quote