Hi,

I always say that there is nothing harder than a loss or knowing that you are facing one. A couple of weeks ago I had to make this difficult decision for one of my own babies so I know what you are going through.

Usually, a terminal kitty will stop eating when the time comes. With Timothy, he was still eating but his appetite was poor. Sometimes I had to bring his food to him near the end. He continued to drink water normally, even on his last day. He was fairly active, too active in a way. He did a lot of pacing his last day and my impression was that he had become very uncomfortable.

Timothy had several health problems: intestinal lymphoma, kidney disease, chronic anemia, and some swelling (or a tumor) in his brain. I watched him very carefully every day for signs that he was ready to leave me. Over his last couple of weeks he seemed very tired and his eyes became dull. Even though he seemed fairly content, there was something different about him.

This is how I knew Timothy's time had come. I was reading some poems to him and I found one about letting go of frail, old, sick cats. Timothy reached out to me and touched my arm a couple of times. Then he kneaded my arm twice, and soon after was licking me. He looked deep into my eyes and asked me to help him. I called the vet and the next day was his last.

I believe it is time when an animal no longer has any quality of life, when they no longer are enjoying anything. Loss of appetite is a red flag. Most of my cats have totally stopped eating at the end. They were very tired, weak, and ready to make their journey. I gave them the gift of euthanasia so that they would pass peacefully.

I'm so sorry you are going through all this. I will keep you and your baby in my thoughts and prayers.

Regards,
PHKitkat

[ Reply To This Message ] [ Subscribe to this Thread ] [ Show Entire Thread ]