Z-Man's Blog

Tom, we went through the same thing last year when our 17 year old kitty finally died. She started getting sick about 5 years before and I made the decision that as long as I could I would do whatever was reasonable to keep her alive and comfortable. She was 11 or so when she got sick and she lived more than 5 years with diabetes thanks to alot of work on my part and her own tenacity.

Since your cat is already pretty long in the tooth it seems like your decision will be harder than mine. I'm sure you'll make the right call.

I know what you are going through right now. These decisions are never easy.

In November I made the decision to let my "baby" Maria, a chihuaha, be relieved of her suffering. It was a decision made jointly with my vet. I knew her quality of life was very poor, and knew she was only hanging on for me. I held her in my arms and told her how much I loved her as she passed on. Yes, I did have second thoughts, wondering if I did the right thing...but I only have to look back at pictures, and then remember the last night I had with her to know I truly did the right thing by her. Maria would have been fifteen in March. I was blessed to have her for as long as I did.

Hopefully your cat will cross over the Rainbow Bridge on his own, but if not, you will know in your heart when that decision has to be made. If you google Rainbow bridge you will find some sites that may bring you some comfort.

That weekend, the second of our scuba certification, the vet operated on Bee. She removed the tumor, was carrying it to the tray to send to A&M..and the tumor ruptured. Not two minutes had passed after they took the tumor from Bee!! If it had ruptured in Bee, it would have killed her.
Bee survived the surgery. In fact, almost three years later, she runs around like the youngest dog they have... Beighmer and DeeDee the akita, who at 15, is the other "granny" dog, get in more trouble than the other 7, because they are the bosses...and don't get punished for it.

My point is, if you have the money to help them, I think you should. What they give you in devotion and adoration...you can repay by trying to fix whats wrong with them. Don't get me wrong..if there's no feasible way to save them, then ease them into Rainbow Valley..but if there's even the slightest chance you can fix it? I think you owe it to them to try.

We had to make this tough decision, too. Our cat Alex was 18 when he became too ill to have a meaningful life. We each spent time with him, then my husband took him to the vet. He died before the IV was even hooked up. It seemed more like he was waiting for us to be ready to let him go. By the way, Alex lost one of his back legs due to an accident when he was only about 4 years old. We paid for surgery to repair the leg and we nursed him for almost a week trying to save it. Ultimately, it had to be amputated. We nicknamed him the million dollar cat after that. He wasn't just a pet to us - he was a true family friend. I'm sure you will make the right decision for your friend and family.

Z-I've never had to make that decision but my heart goes out to you. Our older cat "Misty" passed away at the age of 19 y/o. She had been going "downhill" for a few years. We were just about to the point of having to make a decision--she could barely walk--had only a few teeth and could not hold her urine. She was like a child to me-and I didn't want to make the decision. I seriously believed that God spared me and made the decision himself.

You don't want the pet to suffer, but you have to decide when enough is enough. Is this vet your family vet? Do you trust them? Some vets will prolong the life of a pet--just to make money-so be very careful. Lots of prayers for you and your family as you make this decision-my heart goes out to yawl!!