Chad Orzel mentions the Interactive Schroedinger’s Cat experiment. Ha! Collapse the waveform for yourself!
Chad Orzel mentions the Interactive Schroedinger’s Cat experiment. Ha! Collapse the waveform for yourself!
Posted by sil at 12:00 pm on July 23rd, 2003. 40 comments... »
Categories: Uncategorized.
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Wondering if anyone could tell me the progression of death symptoms in cats–Our cat is dying–but we want to “Put her Down” at the time when we see that she may be not comfortable.. She sleeps a lot now and still eats and goes to the litterbox –But she doesn’t seem to be in any pain -or suffering–she purrs when we talk to her or pet her-she has cancer in her eyes and has lost her balance–again -not a joke but would like to know if there is something -we should be aware of -to know she is uncomfortable –or may need to see the vet –before we continue to prolong her life
Posted by hennster on January 28th, 2004.
KILL HIM KILL THAT SMELLY RUNT!!!! Id kill him if it wernt for dem meddl,in kids
Posted by DEATH MAN on October 20th, 2004.
ME AGAIN MWA HA HA HA HA HA HA THAT FUCKING RAT
Posted by DEATH MAN on October 20th, 2004.
GUESS WHO…….
WILL U MARRY ME PUDDY CAT?
Posted by DEATH MAN on October 20th, 2004.
Me!!!!!
Posted by DEATH MAN on October 22nd, 2004.
You are a sick person Deathman.
I just put my cat down today. She had stopped eating, lost her sense of balance, stopped purring, and had loss several pounds.
I know from experience with another cat that when they atart sleeping in a wierd place (bathroom, closet) that they are looking for someplace to die. It happened with two of my other cats. Good luck.
Posted by Jennifer on February 25th, 2005.
My cat will be thirteen in just a few months now. she is an indoor cat but i think she might die soon. i have noticed some changes in her, but i would like for someone to tell me if they are anything i should be worried about. She sleeps very soundly now. before, i could pet her and she would wake up instantly. now, i have to shake her and almost pick her up before she opens her eyes. she has also lost about a half a pound. if anyone has any advice for me, please let me know!
Posted by Anna on March 8th, 2005.
My cat passed away today. She was 17 & significantly decreased in activity over the passed few years. She stopped eating/drinking 3 days ago. I felt she was letting herself go at this point;she had lived a long life. I too thought I would “put her down“. But she never appeared uncomfortable or distress, she seemed to go quietly in her sleep(which is about all she did these pass few days).
Posted by PS on March 16th, 2005.
i have a cat and i dont know to think if she is dying or if she is just very sick… the vet says it’s a cat upper resperatory… but she’s almost 17… she seems like she is giving up… but i cant tell… she has cloudy looking eyes…. wont use the litter box… has no appetite i even have to manually feed her… she wont let me tell if she is suffering… she still purrs when you pet her and looks up when you call her…. please help… i need advice!!!
Posted by Sheila on April 19th, 2005.
Wow- “Death Man” is an idot, huh? Anyway—I am going through the same thing as “hennster” right now. No odd sleeping places, but using the bathroom in odd places. Very unusual for this cat.
Advice?
Posted by Natalie on July 27th, 2005.
There is some stuff that you can buy which you can spray in areas that cats are using as a toilet which repels them. We’ve used it and it seems to work.
Posted by sil on July 27th, 2005.
My cat is 19 and she is a house cat. Over the past 2 months she has taken to sleeping under the nest of tables…she hardly is awake during the day
I am wondering if this is the begining of the end for her?
Sometimes when she wakes up and walks she seems unbalanced. She is still eating, but I have noticed she isnt taking care of herself regarding washing etc.
I have had my cat since 1986 and she was 4 weeks old when I got her. .
Posted by Alexandra on September 24th, 2005.
My cat is 17 1/2 years old and he has been through it all. He had a tumor removed about a year ago from his ear and has had hyperthyroid for about 4 years now. He’s been taking medicine twice a day for 4 years when he was diagnosed. A year ago when the vet did blood work on him they said that his kidneys were starting to fail. They also said that it looked like he had a mass on his heart. Well, he got better and now for the last few days my fiance and I have noticed that he is very restless, meows like hes in pain everytime he stands up to walk somewhere and isn’t eating as much as he used to. I’m a little nervous that this is his time to go. I’ve had him since he was 7 months old and I was 6 years old. It’s definitely sad to see your cat slowly die like this. I hope that he’s not in pain, it’s just the worst thing that could happen. Anyone else have any similar situations
Posted by Brandi on September 25th, 2005.
My cat was 18 in May; we’ve had him since my eldest son was 4 + a half. About 9 weeks ago, we took him to the vet with ‘flu; he received antibiotics +seemed to get over it! Then we took him with sore mouth – she said he had bad teeth + removed a couple but the smell + pain continued. When I took him again, she said that she was sure it wasn’t a tumour + gave him stronger antibiotics but the swelling continued + he was off his food so my son took him again. The vet then decided she was ‘almost certain’ it was a tumour + advised euthaenasia which my son decided, a week before he was to leave home to start Uni, he would do. However, after much anguish from myself + his younger brother, + seeing the cat seem content, changed his mind. The cat is holding on, 2 weeks later, but not barely eating (a little every two days) or drinking. I clean him as best I can but it’s difficult to clean his snotty nose, watery eye + bad mouth because he gets distressed. Have we done the right thing? Is he in pain? Well, it seems only when I try ‘helping’ him. He’s holding on, he’s not ready to give up yet. It’s a decision that everyone has to take on merit, but I would still appreciate any advice from others who’ve been in a similar situation.
Posted by Ruth on September 25th, 2005.
Hi,
My persian cat is 17 and has kidney problems and constant snotty nose and bad breath. My vet said it was just a matter of time. She seemed fine but past two days has just been sleeping constantly and when she tries to go anywhere she loses her balance and staggers. I take her to water and she drinks lots but then just wants to get back to her favourite sleeping place where she stays for hours snoring contentedly. I don’t know what to do i.e whether to take her to the vets because she doesn’t seem in any pain and I am terrified of having to accept she needs to be put to sleep.
Posted by JuJu on September 28th, 2005.
My cat is 14 and is also suffering from cat flu as diagnosed by the vet. I have taken her to the vet and was issued with some antibiotics which havn’t seemed to make a change in her in fact she has become much worse over the last 24 hours. It’s really difficult not knowing what to do, as she is not eating or drinking anything and is acting very out of character ie. sleeping all the time, having no balance, not fixing a gaze. I have decided to take her to the vet in the morning and see if there is anything that can be done to save her. Unfortunately I am not feeling very positve about this and hope that she “goes” in her sleep tonight. It’s very difficult saying goodbye to a little creature that arrived on my doorstep unexpectedly 14 years ago as a little kitten. I don’t know if this helps anyone but I was reading a theory on the WWW about cats and dying. It said that cats do not have a fear of death like we humans do and that they try to find somewhere to die maybe because of a couple of reasons. One being that they want to find a quiet place to return to the wild and the other reason is that they find a place that is dark and like the place that they were born into. Another thing I had read was that euthanasia is incredibly quick and virtually pain free. Having said all this I’m am still unsure of what to do as well.
Posted by Kim on September 28th, 2005.
My cat is only three years old. Last Sunday I discovered her outside in back of my house lied on her side, disoriented and unable to stand. I took her to the Emergency Vet and he was stumped. Thought it was either some kind of inner ear infection, or something worse. I prescribed antibiotics and I have been caring for her the last 5 days.
She does seem to be making some improvement but it is slow. She does stand and move around some, eats, drinks, and uses the box. But she still has a severe equilibrium problem in that she leans and falls to the left.
Does anyone have any experience with this or suggestions? I don’t have allot of money for Vet visits.
Posted by Mark on October 6th, 2005.
correction to above: the vet prescribed the antibiotics, not me.
Posted by Mark on October 6th, 2005.
I just lost a cat to kidney failure which the vet didnt diagnose. He was taken to the vets with bad breath and drinking all the time so the vet decided to pull most of his teeth out and charge hundreds… if your cat has got bad breath, drinks a lot, maybe lost a bit of weight then insist on a blood test, if it is her kidneys a special diet and maybe a dose of Novartis Fortekor, I have a cat who is 22 and for the last 10 years an indoor cat and fed only on tin tuna in brine (30p a tin in Tesco/Sainsbury) sliced chicken/turkey which cats seem to love and a dried food – I use senior IAMS. Shes a bit shakey but still gets up and down the stairs in slow motion so maybe tinned cat food isnt the answer – have a look to see just what % is real meat in it!
Posted by GJ on October 9th, 2005.
I’m up here tonight because I can’t sleep. our 17 year old tabby Midgie is dying tonight. I found her under my car at a gas station, couldn’t have been a week old. She has been the sweetest, loving cat ,and has outlived 2 of our other cats. You know when they’re going, reading over the symptoms, they all seem the same, wont eat or drink, lifeless, no balance. You don’t want to let it go until they’re howling and yelping all night long, I’ve been thru that once, it’s unnerving. If she is still alive tomorrow, we’ll take her down instead of letting her suffer several more days and nights…
Posted by David on October 26th, 2005.
hello all, i stumbled on this site while looking for clues as to whether my cat is in pain. He is 9 and was diagnosed with a stomach tumor yesterday. We don’t know what kind of cancer it is yet or if it is treatable. I’ve had him since he was 10 weeks old, i’ve spent more time with him that with any other person or creature because i work from home and we are together all day. It is very hard, i sympathize with everyone on this board. For those that have had their cats 13, 17, etc years be happy for that though, i would give anything to know i am going to have sam another 5 or 6 years.
For Mark wondering about his 3 year old cat’s loss of leg use, check into a heart murmer. one of the things i discovered with Sam in trying to diagnose what was wrong with him is that heart conditions in cats often cause paralysis of the legs, particularly back legs.
Posted by mary on October 28th, 2005.
could someone please tell me any symptoms of a dying cat???? i think my cat is dying…but im not sure. i want to know if its just a slow process of dying….or could he just be sick?
Posted by ellen on November 1st, 2005.
My cat is now 13yrs old and only ever had to take him to vet for the ’snip’ for the past 2 days he has hardly eaten (which is very unusual because as soon as he hears the tin opening he appears from nowhere) he tried to jump up yesterday and lost his balance and fell and this morning i find him sleeping in the bath? I have 2 other cats (both 14) and one of them seems to be keeping a vigil on him. I am so worried that he could be dying, he doesnt seem to be in any pain and the unusual thing is he lets me pick him up (he was a ferile kitten when i found him at 8wks old and has never liked to be picked up) i can only pray that he maybe is just sick but only time will tell. Worst thing is i am away for a few days from today til Sunday for birthday/anniversary and its gonna spoil the whole wkend. My sister in law will take him to vet if no improvment is made. I feel i might have to say my goodbyes to him today before i leave. I am gutted
Posted by Tanya on November 3rd, 2005.
hello all Like Mary I too stumbled on this site while looking for clues as to how to know when a cat is dying. Mary my cat is the same age as yours, & was diagnosed with cancer last April, I hope your cat’s cancer will be treatable Mary, 9 years old is still young for a cat. We have had an awful time the last few weeks, each time she really goes down hill we think this is it, but as soon as we get to the vets she perks up as if she knows she is going to be put to sleep and is detemined to live. Like you Mary I’ve spent more time with my cat then with any other person because I work from home so we are together all day. I sympathize with everyone on this board who is going through the same sadness.
Posted by Halyenna on November 3rd, 2005.
I’m another Mary, and I am so glad I kept looking long enough to find this site. My cat, Nikki, is only 12 years old, but has chronic kidney disease. Her weight is now only about 5 pounds, down from her normal 7. She is being maintained on daily subcutaneous fluid supplements. Occasionally she seems unsteady and a bit shaky, and sometimes has trouble jumping up to the bathroom sink for a drink, but is eating and drinking better than before she got sick and does not appear to be in any discomfort.
She has always used her kitty litter until last week, when I found her asleep on my bed, in a wet spot, having peed in her sleep. I was sure she was going to die that night, but she is still going strong, usually using the litter but sometimes peeing in whatever she has chosen as a bed that day, usually a basket of laundry.
Today, I didn’t see her all day, and was convinced she must have hidden herself to die. As I was reading these messages, she sauntered out from under the bed, stretched herself, and went to check out her food dish.
From what I have read, I can see that she likely has quite a way to go before she is ready to die, so thank you all for the reassurance.
Has anyone had a cat die at home? Did your cat die with you or did (s)he go somewhere in the house or apartment to die? Was it difficult to find your cat’s hiding place? My sister sat up all night with her Sheltie when he died, but I don’t think Nikki will come to me when she knows it’s time. I have already gone through some agonizing hours when I couldn’t find her, right here in my small apartment.
I will call myself Mary Patricia.
Posted by Mary Patricia on November 3rd, 2005.
I still have terrible guilt about my nearly 15-year-old grey male “Pharaoh” that I had to put to sleep 18 months ago. In September 1999 I moved from a no-pet apartment to a townhouse, and gladly took in an allergic boss’s 10-year-old declawed cat, “Buff”, that I renamed. I felt sorry he had to leave his loving family of 10 years for my lonely and chaotic just-moved mess, but perhaps his family’s next resort could have been the pound. Also, I work long hours, live alone, have poor health, and spend most of my free time researching human rights violations. I was told this was a low maintenance loner cat who would enjoy the peaceful solitude. Moreover, I have a fenced back yard–perfect for a declawed indoor/outdoor “Mike Tyson” ear-biting cat. The few neighborhood cats that climbed into my yard scrambled up backwards to get away from my fierce furry fighter. I kept putting off taking him to the vet, partly because he seemed OK and also because I didn’t have time to check on my own chronic health issues. I still haven’t seen doctors. A couple weeks before Easter last year, I noticed he wasn’t scarfing food down, was slightly thinner, hoarse-sounding, seemingly distressed, and hiding in other rooms. Moreover, there seemed to be a small lump on his belly. I looked through the Yellow Pages and picked out an animal hospital that would see him right away. Pharaoh made the saddest sounds when I forced him into the cat carrier and frantically kept driving past the vets. The vet diagnosed a blocked urinary tract by feeling him, recommended catheterization, and a non-seafood diet. Though I’m not psychic, when I got home and reread the Yellow Page ads I got a stabbing feeling of dread that I took him to the wrong place. It seemed rude to call back and say, “Stop!–I’m taking Pharaoh elsewhere!” so I dismissed my premonition with the lame promise to check on the vet if anything went wrong. When I picked Pharaoh up 3 days later, a different vet was on duty. He told me the cat would have died in 12 hours if I hadn’t brought him in when I did. He also examined the lump I forgot to mention to the first vet. A biopsy was recommended for a check-up visit. As I was signing stuff, Pharaoh made a spooky human sound like he was warning me. When I got him home, he clearly wasn’t OK–he continued hiding, avoiding his new diet, and I couldn’t get the syringe medicine down his throat. The next day, I took him to a weekend emergency hospital that recommended $600 worth of tests and a stayover. This seemed expensive and repetitive since I thought the first hospital did lab tests. I went halfway with an x-ray, a fluid injection and another prescription. The x-ray showed no urinary blockages and that the small surface stomach lump didn’t involve any organs. It also showed a slightly enlarged heart. I hoped the first hospital would have more answers when it opened up Easter Monday morning. By Monday morning, I decided instead to take the cat to a friend’s vet (where I should have gone in the first place). This third clinic complained about previous non-cooperation with the first clinic. The first clinic had no lab tests to fax over! The fourth vet at the third hospital thought the x-ray looked grimmer than the third vet’s opinion. She said I could spend a fortune on tests and critical care and the cat would possibly still die. She thought just from his age and appearance that he had multiple age-related organ problems and possibly cancer. She said if I took him home for a day to think everything over, he might have a terrible death at home. My work schedule didn’t leave me the time to shuttle him everyday indefinitely for recommended fluid injections and he seemed already too permanently damaged for recovery. His weekend suffering of hiding, vomiting, staggering, and resigned despair made me see euthanasia as the only option. The drenching rain matched my tears. Part of me felt chintzy for not spending thousands that I couldn’t easily spare to possibly extend his life. If I had taken him to this fourth vet weeks or months ago for routine checks, perhaps this crisis could have been inexpensively avoided or postponed. Without definitive lab tests I am haunted by not knowing what was really wrong with him. If there was a reasonable chance for recovery, I would gladly spend more money on tests, procedures, and medicine. Internet searching at work has given me more clues and questions–anesthesia can worsen weak hearts; common trees, bushes and flowers are poisonous; and nose and throat polyps can cause hoarseness and appetite loss. A couple weeks later, I visited the first vet to pick up his records (mostly from his first family) and to relate the cat’s death. The vet told me years ago his father had been begging for 2 weeks for a home visit from his son who was too busy to visit. When the vet had time, he learned his father had already unexpectedly died. Just as his father begged for a (final) visit, my cat had been begging me for affection and attention during his invisibly declining health. Earlier this year on Coast to Coast with Art Bell, guest writer Whitley Streiber cancelled his appearance minutes before air time because his wife Ann collapsed. She miraculouly survived a brain aneurysm and a near death encounter with her passed-over cat. Later she heard from hundreds of cat lovers whose dead cats contacted them in subtle ways like prying open cabinet doors. When I got home from the fourth vet that terrible Monday, I noticed pried open doors that were closed when I left. Also, my declawed cat liked to fray carpet edges and leave scattered carpet fibers. I noticed new V-shaped carpet fibers in previously cleaned areas. Perhaps it’s my imagination but I hope Pharaoh lives on and gets reincarnated–I’m looking for a new grey cat.
Posted by Yet Another Mary on November 7th, 2005.
My sympathy for everyone who is going or has recently gone through loosing a pet. Like many on this board ~ I have an incredibly close relationship with my cat. She has been my only roomate for the last 15 years when I got her at 6 weeks old. We are inseperable almost every minute I’m home ~ she’s what makes my house a home. Meia has all the signs of beginning to die ~ no longer eating or drinking, sleeping in odd places, etc. I took tonight off from work so I could be home with her. I can’t bear the thought of her dying alone. It seems everyone says that your pet will communicate to you when they are ready to go if you are considering putting them down but I keep praying she will go naturally in her sleep. I have left a message for Lydia Hiby the animal communicater ~ hoping for a last minute phone consultation tomorrow if Meia is still alive. Please wish us luck. Her website is http://www.lydiahiby.com if anyone is interested. My friend had a phone consultation for her dog before she died and this woman does have a gift. My heart is breaking ~ I wish all of you healing for your sorrows.
Posted by Jolon on November 8th, 2005.
I am looking for information regarding my 17 year old cat. He is an indoor cat and recently got outside and was missing for two days. I was beside myself with worry. When I finally found him he was shaken but seemed okay. I gave him a bath and noticed a small gash on his shoulder. Recently I noticed that he has a foul odor coming from his mouth and he drools at times. He nose is extremely dry. I can not afford to take him to the vet. Can anyone suggest a free or low cost way to provide my pet with medical care? I love my pet and want to give him the best care but a costly vet visit in not in the budget.
Posted by Taboo's Mother on November 9th, 2005.
Is there a Humane Society in your area? I think they will help your cat for a reducedfee.
I found some information on this page of the Humane Society of the United States:
http://www.hsus.org/pets/pet_care/what_you_can_do_if_you_are_having_trouble_affording_veterinary_care.html
I hope you find the right help soon.
Mary Patricia
Posted by Mary Patricia on November 11th, 2005.
My cat is dieing i believe… Exspecially after reading these posts.
Starting today, he has had trouble walking and hardly moves, does not eat much, lyes down in weird places (hallway, bathroom, closet), and barely talks. I also can tell he is having a hard time breathing, because of the scratchness of his voice.Over the past 2 months, he has started to lose teeth, lose weight, and drool alot. The past 2 weeks or so, he has been drooling + bleeding from his mouth. Today he is not drooling or bleeding, his nose is dry and i do not know if hes hydrated right now. He is over 16 years old, older than me by a few months. I cannot stand to see him like this, i love him very much and it hurts me inside to see him like this. I am writing this at 10pm and i am hoping when i wake up in the morning, that he is not dead.
Does anyone know what he might have? So i can know and maybe try to accomodate him the best way i can…
Thank you
Posted by Tyrell on November 14th, 2005.
He died this morning, he was taken to the humaine society and buried, RIP Bud
Posted by Tyrell on November 15th, 2005.
My sympthies to all of you who are facing the possible or actual death of your cat.
My cat Nikki’s condition worsened daily, primarily she seemed confused about her food, sat and stared at it for a long time before trying to eat a little of it, and she was sleeping in really unusual places, such as a mixing bowl in my storage area. She was frequently urinating in the same places she slept. In her throat, she made a sound every few minutes that sounded as if she were about to vomit or was choking on something.
She never staggered when she walked, but looked shaky. And her pupils were the size of dinner plates, which made me think she was very uncomfortable or in pain.
I made an appointment with the vet for Sunday, Nov 13, to have her examined and euthenized if necessary.
My daughter and her husband and my little grand-daughter, Flora, came on Saturday afternoon to say goodbye and we took pictures. Flora was delighted to be able to hold Nikki, wrapped in a baby blanket, because ordinarily Nikki is very much a one-woman cat and feisty with anyone else who tries to touch her. That afternoon, she was like a sleepy newborn.
On Sunday, the vet nurse, Lori, had the same experience when she picked Nikki up in her blanket and said, “I’ve always wanted to hold you like this.” Nikki had never been a happy camper at the vet.
The vet agreed Nikki had fought her kidney disease long enough and was ready to go. With the doctor’s help, NIkki died very peacefully in my arms. She will be cremated and I will bring her home in a little urn. She may be the only pet I will ever have. She taught me, who had never desired a pet, to be a loving, and loved, cat mother. She never was a noisy cat, but the apartment seems so still without her. I miss her very much.
Mary Patricia
Posted by Mary Patricia on November 18th, 2005.
I have noticed today that my cat is sleeping in weird places. Tonight when I came home I thought nothing of it that she went on the carpet. As I went to see maybe she ate something wrong she sat and stared at the wall where she normally eats. I am scared that I will not see her tomorrow. Is her time near? I have had her since 1988 and I can’t think of losing her. Especially that she has been so kind to my 1 yr old niece. My sweet Bella she was abandoned as a kitten and I fed her through now. Now its killing me she can’t talk instead she cries loud like she is in pain.
Posted by Maria on November 19th, 2005.
Everyone,
I know any cat will die anytime like us, human. It is part of life. I strongly advise you to seek a Vet and ask for advices. If your car is over 14, i suggest you to make sure that your cat stays healthy as much as you can. If you know your cat is going to die soon. I understand how you feel when you can’t think of losing your cat. Your cat is in pain and maybe your cat needs you to do something about it. My old cat, she was 16 and I had to put her in sleep a year ago because she slept alot and had a lot of pain. It killed me alot to see her in pain. It was time for her to go, I hate it so much but I had to. I dont like to wait until I find my cat died in the house. Of course I cried alot. I think I made a good decision to put her in sleep. She was a very sick cat and was not able to heal her pain.
Anyways.. I finally adopted a new 1.5 years old a few months ago. I will always remember my old cat (s) and I still miss them. I am still happy to have my new cat.
Try to get a new kitten, it may bring you joy afterward.
Posted by Bluaggie on November 21st, 2005.
my cat came home with messed up legs, i cant afford to bring her to the vet and see seems in a lot of pain. she wont eat or drink and is meowing for no reason i think she may have been hit by a car theres no blood i cant tell shes white, but her back legs seems so messed up does anyone know what to do in this case?
Posted by Crimson on November 23rd, 2005.
Crimson:
You should take your cat to a local animal shelter or Humane Society. If she is crying, there must be a reason. I assume by “messed up” you mean her legs might be broken. Your cat seems to be in a lot of pain and needs help. Even if they have to put her to sleep, at least you will have helped ease her pain.
Mary Paulin
Posted by Mary Patricia on November 24th, 2005.
About a month ago in late October we experienced a terrible rain and wind storm and when I came home I let my 16 year old cat, Tiger, upstairs and she was acting disoriented. I thought the storm made her upset because she kept crying and would often go into the bathroom and stare at the window and just cry. However, she wanted water from the toilet and wasn’t eating. The storm threw our judgment off because we weren’t sure if Tiger was upset over the storm or if she was sick. She was diabetic and was in her third year of the disease so her wanting more water concerned me. We always gave her fresh bottled water and canned food so it was highly unusual for her to go to toilet water. She even wanted to go into the tub for water. A couple of days later I decided to puree her food in a blender. She licked it up and seemed to bounce back, but for the past few weeks she would only eat very lightly and drank water more often. She would sleep under the kitchen table which she often did during the past year anyway and toward the end she also slept either on my bed or in the living room on a big, soft chair but I also found her laying down in the bathroom a lot. It was hard to tell how sick she was because she looked very comfortable despite her apparent weight loss. The vet told us to only give her canned food of only beef because of her diabetes but no matter what we gave her she still didn’t eat much. What also bothered me is that she started to urinate often in different areas upstairs. She would urinate all over the place downstairs where we often kept her during the past year and a half because of her bathroom problems. She had her own loveseat downstairs which she slept on during the night as we slept or when we were out of the house for awhile. Although she wanted to be with her family at night we just couldn’t let her upstairs without keeping an eye on her at all times because of her bathroom problems (this still bothers me because I never liked her to stay alone downstairs. She always liked to sleep on my bed or somewhere close to her family at night).
Overall, Tiger seemed to have been okay since the storm last month but I know with cats that even though they are purring and seem to look fully alert that that doesn’t mean anything. Just last week she started to cry (more like howling) constantly again and wasn’t eating much. I found myself throwing food away. She still had some strength in her and could jump on my bed often although she was unable to run and climb stairs the way she used to (During the past couple of years she could only walk very slowly up and down the cellar stairs). On Monday and Tuesday she was urinating often. She still had some fight in her and was upbeat and still wanted attention from us but she didn’t look herself. On Wednesday morning she was very uncomfortable and kept crying non-stop. She would urinate wherever she went and was going from one room to another trying to get comfortable but she couldn’t stay in one spot. She very briefly cried at a wall at one point. A few times she tried to go outside something she would never do before because she feared the outdoors. I walked her outside a couple of times to see what she would do and she walked all around the sundeck and once let out a cry. She walked on the deck stairs and looked under the deck as if she was looking for something or for a place to die. I put her back into the house and she immediately wanted to go back outside. At one point she cried at me on the other side of the door. This deeply broke my heart. As she was staring I noticed she had a terrible time trying to adjust her eyes to the sunlight. This day was very hard because I tried to care for her and gave her food that was pureed but she didn’t even attempt to lick it up. She wanted water but had a very hard time trying to lick at it. She struggled with her water and would put her paw on the water bowl and try to move it and then she would stop and let out a cry. She followed me all around crying that day. Her muscles would twitch, even her paw and upper leg. She even cried at my grandmother. She definitely was very sick and her symptoms were very sudden and increasing. I was still in denial because I didn’t want to believe that Tiger, our always strong, feisty, lovable cat, was sick and perhaps dying.
Since her crying continued non-stop and her symptoms were increasing my mother took Tiger to the vet at 11:00am. The vet gave her a few shots and took blood work to see how her kidneys were functioning. A few hours later the vet called and said that her kidneys were not functioning well and that her glucose level and other levels were extremely abnormal and she said that Tiger would not live but only suffer greatly during the next day or two and possibly would go into convulsions and into a coma. The decision was made to put her to sleep. I didn’t want to force the vet to put Tiger through treatments because I had a young cat, Elvis, in 1989 who was diagnosed with leukemia and although the vets strongly suggested that he be put to sleep we had one vet give us all kinds of medicines and we kept our pet alive for a couple of more months but all it did was make him suffer a lot longer and not get any better. I didn’t want Tiger to go through that same ordeal. However, I have some guilt and regrets because I wonder if Tiger was forced to go through treatments if she would be alive today. But I am told that her condition was too extreme. But it seems you always look back and wonder if something could have been done or if a slight change such as changing her food or even taking her to the vet a week earlier would have made things different. I’d appreciate some responses to this since I am not dealing with this loss very well. You see, we bought Tiger in March of 1990 when she was only a few months old. We bought her to be a friend to our other cat Priscilla who we had adopted just over a year before to be a friend to our other cat, Elvis, the one who died of leukemia. For some reason, Tiger never wanted to be held. She was very active and cute but was standoffish with people. Priscilla was the baby and wanted special attention. When Priscilla became ill in late October of 1995 with “galloping” leukemia (she had a slight case of leukemia because she took care of Elvis and cleaned him when he was sick), Tiger took care of Priscilla and tried to push her down our upstairs hallway during her last moments when she was unable to walk!!! After Priscilla died, Tiger started to soften and became a big baby and so we babied her often. Then, my father died of cancer a few months later in March of 1996 after being diagnosed a few weeks before. After my dad died, Tiger, for some reason, began to show me constant attention since I was home all the time. I was close to my father and although hardly anyone bothered with me and my family after my dad died, Tiger was always there and wouldn’t let us out of her sight. My mother and I would have coffee in the living room and she would lay down between us just to be there and listen. She would follow me everywhere and would often lay down on my foot or put one of her back paws on one of my feet! When I worked on my computer after my dad died she would stay with me and jump on my lap and get excited over the objects floating around on the computer screen. She never did anything like that during her previous five years. It was as if God was encouraging her to help me and my family. So from March of 1996 till November of 1995, she just became the biggest baby and gave so much attention to us and really helped me to cope with the loss of my father so losing her recently has been extremely heartbreaking and terribly frustrating.
During the time I spent with Tiger on Wednesday I must have hugged her several times and each time I did she would become very calm and even purr a little. When we took her to the vet to put her to sleep late that afternoon I sat in the back of the car. She was in her carrier in the front and would let out some soft cries. I wanted to say my last goodbye and hope she would acknowledge me. When I held her during the day she didn’t really react except to purr a little and stay still. But I when put my hand to the cage she cried out a little and gave a big swipe of her little face against my hand! That is a moment I will never forget. But I just feel very sad and frustrated today because I lost my best friend. The crying has been constant for me. She helped me cope with my father’s death since March of 1996 and just hung around me all the time. It was very sad to see her get old and not run around like she used to. Her having diabetes made life very difficult for her but we loved her and she is now buried in our special memorial garden in the back yard with Priscilla and Elvis.
Posted by Kevin on November 26th, 2005.
I’m sorry that all of you have lost your pets. This, however, isn’t really the best forum for that; why not try one of the pet loss forums listed at the Open Directory Project’s section on pet loss. I hope you find catharsis there. Commenting here has now been closed.
Posted by sil on November 27th, 2005.
[...] A brief history: I closed off comments on the post some time back, after it got up to 250 comments. Someone emailed me and left a comment on another post asking me to open it back up so conversation there could continue, because it “was helping a lot of people”. I took, and still take, the view that this site is mine, and I run it for my benefit; it’s not here to provide people with a general discussion forum. There’s other examples of that here too; I’ve closed off commenting on a post I made being amused about Schroedinger’s Cat because it became a discussion forum for people whose cats had died, and on my how to be rich and famous post after it became a place for people to post their phone numbers looking for talent agents. So, I said that if the Carphone Warehouse employees set themselves up another place to talk about this, I would add a comment directing people to that new place, which seemed to me to be a reasonable compromise. They did so, and I did so. However, I just checked that forum, and it no longer exists. [...]
Posted by as days pass by » Redaction of comments on April 27th, 2006.
[...] that wouldn’t have convinced me for a few weeks yet – we humans clutch at straws – but for a website I just found. It’s a closed thread from “as days pass by” called [...]
Posted by Yesterday I thought, but today I’m certain. « To write on a grain of rice on October 17th, 2008.