My best friend is gone :-(

[andrea]

On Tues I lost my best friend- my 14 year old baby boy kitty ..

2 weeks ago I noticed the cat sounded kind of wheezy and he was breathing through his mouth while asleep, still eating, drinking and this was for about 5 min and then he was normal the rest of the night, sleeping on my bed.

We had decided that because of the cat's age, we would leave him at home with my best friend coming in every 2 days, and she is very knowledgeable about animals and would do anything if the cat was sick, as opposed to boarding him at the kennel with our dog.

I came home Monday to find the cat wouldnt get up to walk over to me when we got home. When I picked him up, petting him he was purring and everything, but he had lost a bit of weight and I could put my hand arond his spine almost, and he's usually a 20 lb cat.

He wouldnt meow like normal or anything, and he was weak on his back legs like he was almost bow legged,

I spoke to my friend who was opet sitting and she said she had been there sat, he was perfect, and that he has been drinking and eating the whole time we were gone.

I checked the cat over, and his gums were alright, but the cat was def sick. He drank a tiny bit on his own, and he wouldnt eat, even shrimp which was his all time fave.

The cat didnt seem to be suffering, and was walking better over night and the next morn, but still wouldnt eat.
The wierdest part was the cat never went into the bathtub but he must have speant the whole night there, and didnt want to be on the bed, yet still purred when pet and walked around as if he wasnt in pain

The next morn, he was walking better, I took him to the vet first thing at 9 am, and they said he was a very sick cat, They did xrays and saw that there was sooo much fluid around his lungs that he couldnt fully expand his lungs (pleural effusion). Also there was calcifications in his kidneys, which would require blood work to show if he was in kidney failure as well.

The xrays showed sooo much fluid around his lungs that you couldnt see his heart, and therefore she couldnt tell if the underlying condition was either a tumor, or else congestive heart failure.

I did have a treatment option. They could have started him on iv antibiotics and fluids immediatly, and done a chest tap to remove the fluid. Because of his age (14) and state he couldnt be put under anaestetics (he wouldnt pull through) and they would have to stick the needle in the sac around his lungs while awak eto remove the fluids. Also, with the intensive care he would need and monitoring of the iv, so that the iv fluids didnt go right towards his lungs and make them worse. he would be transfered back and forth every night between the vet clinic and the emerge clinic for monitoring.

I was told the expenses for keeping him going over the next 2 days alone would be between 1500-2000 dollars and I wasnt even given a 50 percent chance. The vet, who was wonderful explained it's an all or nothing process.. he needs all the treatments or needs to be put to sleep...

If there was even a 50 / 50 chance I told her I would spend the money, and she told me the prognossis was not good, and if he did make it through the first 2 days of treatment, they would still need to find the underlying cause of it being heart failures (which would ebe severe because of the symptoms) or a tumor which would be all throughout his body.

She said if it was her cat, she would euthanize..

Now my dilemma was that I wanted my cat alive, but really I cant keep the cat alive forever, and the biggest thing was I didnt want him to go through the torturs of A chest tap while awake and spent possibly the last 3 days of his life in a strange environment with strangers...

I still can't believe he's gone, and that I only had 1 day since i got home to spend with him, but walking out the door, I knew what was going to happen, even though my parents and boyfriend were like "you dont know that for sure, he prob needs meds or something"

I knew.. I think the owner always knows..

I was in the room for the euth alone, it was better that way i think. and he was sooo weak he didnt even need a sedative, just the euthanol and he was gone in literally 2 seconds, usually it take longer, I've satt through many that werent my own pets since I worked in a vet clinic.. But nothing is harder than having it be your best friend for 13 years..


its thursday ... and i still cry :-(

[Arena Rodent]

oh andrea i'm so sorry it really is horrible when these things happen.

[Barney]

sounds like you did the best thing....
sorry for your loss.

[BabyDawn]

That's such a sad story Andrea. I hope you're feeling better soon.

[SShadow]

4 years ago my wife and I went through the same thing. We had to put her 20 year old cat down. She had the cat since she was like 8 or 9 years old. It royally sucked. My current cat is 14 years old, and luckily she's still in pretty good shape. And we have another one that is in the area of 11 years old.
It's going to be rough times when these cats go too... Our sympathies.

[KatCameron]

Wow totaly teared up reading this, so sorry that you lost your buddy .

[JeepGurl]

Omg that's so sad Sorry for your loss.

[cindy1969]

Oh Andrea..I'm Sooo Sorry.

[Agility4mercy]

Andrea, you my deepest sympathies for your loss I know it can be a terrible time. Maybe this poem will help you as it has helped many pet owners:

Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.

When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.

All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor. Those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.

They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent. His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.


You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.


Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together....
Author unknown...