Made the Decision to put my cat down.

Feb 04, 2020 at 10:46 AM

This morning I had to rush my cat to the vet. Of course, he was fine. But he isn't fine now. The vet ripped his claw out and he is throwing up good out of his mouth. I cannot get him into the carrier again. He is already growling at me. The sedation they gave him seems to be wearing off slowly.

I made a potentially desperate call to the normal vet. I asked to make an appointment for euthanasia. I only hope they will answer my prayers and let me do it. They made an appointment for the 17th at 11. The vet is going to call me about it.

I had to call out of work sick today.

I am not making this decision rashly. I do not want to do this.

My cat is 14 years old. He has lived a good life.
- He cannot be examined by a vet without serious sedation.
- We have tried sedation pills at home they do not work.
- I have tried at home vet... they were unable to examine him.
- Every time I take him to the vet they rip out a nail. Oh they try to blame me / him for it but they are simply incapable of getting him sedated without a knock down fight where he hurts himself.
- In fear, he has bitten me before.
- Probably has damaged vets.
- He hurts himself every time.
- There is great likelihood that he will get sick in the future. There is no way that I could get him medical help. If they allow me to do this I will need to space two weeks out to get him to calm down.
- I am pretty sure his teeth will need help soon... that is just something that is impossible to get fixed.

My cat is mentally ill but as of yet, not physically. The only shot I have at getting him in the carrier and to the vet for it is when he is healthy. As when he isn't.. he lashes out at me.

I hope they say yes and don't give me trouble. It sounds like they will.

Yaowen · Feb 04, 2020 at 12:33 PM

I have been in a similar situation and more than once. I agonized over it and it seemed that any solution was going to be heartbreaking. I have had to put down several beloved pets. I wish you only the best, I can really feel for what you must be going through.

Feb 04, 2020 at 01:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yaowen

I have been in a similar situation and more than once. I agonized over it and it seemed that any solution was going to be heartbreaking. I have had to put down several beloved pets. I wish you only the best, I can really feel for what you must be going through.

Thank you. Now that the decision is made I feel better. I just hope the vet doesn't say something like, no I can't put down a physically healthy cat. If she does I will just keep calling around.

Feb 04, 2020 at 02:54 PM

Kind of a relief, vet number one said she agreed with my decision and says there is a fast acting sedative that could make it so he could do it at home. Right now my cat can't walk. I suspect it is due to the sedation but it is scary for him. It does not seem to be getting better and I am worried he might have hurt his leg but, the sedation they used sometimes makes muscles tight and that is what it looks like, like he can't move his leg.

possum220 · Feb 04, 2020 at 07:00 PM

splitimage · Feb 05, 2020 at 09:03 AM

I'm sorry, this must have been a really hard decision, but it does sound like the right thing to do.
splitimage

Skeezyks · Feb 05, 2020 at 04:37 PM

Best wishes...

happysobercrafter · Feb 05, 2020 at 07:52 PM

@Emily Fox Seaton

Omg, girl!! What an ordeal for you! I am so sorry you are having to go through this! I wish I could help out somehow. xoxoxoxox

Feb 06, 2020 at 06:18 AM

Thanks all. As the cat recovers from his events at the vet this week I have my doubts. But I realize one fact. I cannot have him seen at the vet without two things happening

1. He must be sedated (pretty heavy sedation - kettimine- which messes him up)

2. He has hurt himself each time and frankly, since he fights so hard and so wildly it is possible he has sustained damage each time that I don't know about. The sight of him drooling from the mouth and struggling to stay up on his feet on Tuesday was so sad - how can I keep doing that to him? It took over 48 hours for the medications to wear off and I am not even sure they have. He is crying this morning -- presumably from the tummy ache, but how can I bring him to get vet to really find the problem? The ER found nothing.

3. It is getting more and more difficult to give him medications... he refuses a lot of the time.

It is tough because I don't feel I can tell anyone in the real world because they will just judge me. But I know this has to be done. My appointment isn't until the 17th for work scheduling reasons. And yes, I resent that I have to live with it for that long because of work.

I see now this probably was my mistake in part. This is the first cat I got as a kitten who lived with me all alone from kitten time. I now think that made him unnaturally nerotic. But also he is a black and white tux and after my last cat I swore I wouldn't get another one, but I did. To be fair when he arrived he was all black. I have noticed a marked tendency for black and whites to be neurotic and have issues with touch / the vet.

I don't think I will get another pet for a while. It is cruel since I am gone 12 hours per day and sleep 8. Work ruins everything.

I really do feel like I have tried everything.

happysobercrafter · Feb 06, 2020 at 08:17 AM

((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((( @Emily Fox Seaton)))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))

LilyMop · Feb 06, 2020 at 04:53 PM

I’m so very very sorry for your loss.

Feb 08, 2020 at 09:54 AM

Thanks for the support. {{}}

As I wait in pure hell with a sick cat to kill him. I am forced to stew in it. One thing that has occurred to me though, since September, you have probably seen it here.. my cat has had various and sundry things wrong with him. First he seemed to be rubbing his eye so that he would hurt it. I think I fixed it via getting rid of the sharp things around the house he could hurt himself with. Then he mysteriously had a large chunk of fur go missing off his back and now, this mysterious diarrhea that just isn't going away with the old stand bye's -- such as probiotic. He lost some hair on his back side... I am assuming due to licking back there. The vet said all came back well on the blood tests but unsure what she tested? Maybe she just tested for the acute problem, concern about a blockage?

I am wondering if maybe he does have something wrong that I just don't know about yet. He definitely doesn't look happy.

Feb 11, 2020 at 06:15 AM

Still struggling with this. After 3 days my cat hadn't gone poop and appeared to be on the mend. I had a thought last night that I wouldn't put him down. After all, I just went to the vet. The cat had almost everything checked that could be checked and he was fine. I got the records on Saturday and was stunned at just how healthy he was for a 14 year old cat.

I wouldn't have to go to the vet again at all if I didn't want to again. I could go 3 or more years without a vet visit. (based on the time I stalled from the last vet visit) That would make him 17 year old if he survived. I felt so much relief at that thought, I figured my decision was made for me.

But then he spent the majority of the night crying and went poop. The good news.. The first poop was fully formed so he seems to be improving. The bad news.. He later did a messy poop so he still has an issue. But he is eating, he is drinking.

The thing that is getting to me is that it seems a lot of people have a terrible time with the cat at the vet. So it seems like putting him down for that is not HIS fault. It is the vet. My last trip to the vet was totally useless. They gave me an antibiotic but he can't take it. They seem to refuse to do anything to assist me at all on getting him to take it. (I know you can get pills compounded with flavor the cat likes -- but they say this isn't available).

It is the vet that makes me and HIM miserable. And, they really don't seem to help. It is them that made me feel that this was somehow out of the ordinary. It was them that damaged my cat sedating him.

I still have the appointment just in case but I feel like I am going back the other way. I feel like I have to just stop taking the cat to the vet. That is the source of all my problems.

Nutty bar · Feb 11, 2020 at 07:40 AM

Check out edible cat chews. My kitty wouldn't take pills for his thyroid. We tried everything. He would always spit out the pill. The chewable pills saved his life

He was 17 when he passed.

One note though.

The vet told me a patient of his went back home to die with his family.

Worst decision ever. The pain the animal was in was so hard to watch! The family now had that tragedy to remember along with the guilt and regret.

If it ever becomes time, please think of this.
Your kitty will be able to end his life peaceably.

It will still hurt immensely. There is healing.

Best to you and your beloved kitty!

Nutty bar · Feb 11, 2020 at 01:34 PM

Sorry about mentioning chews! My guy was lucky that his was available. It might be worthwhile to check further online.

I forgot the name of the company (aaaah!) they make custom blends. Flavors. Medications.

If I remember the name, I'll pass it along🐈

Give kitty a hug. He deserves it, so do you!

Nutty bar · Feb 11, 2020 at 01:52 PM

Try mdcustomrx.com

You can get transdermal (skin absorption) applications, too. Looks like they can do this with a wide range of meds.

You do need a prescription though

I have some makers in my small-ish town, too. My vet says if one doesn't have it, most likely the other guy does.

She mentioned Walgreens as a supplier too.

I don't know about that option as I was unaware.

Good luck!

lizardlady · Feb 11, 2020 at 05:39 PM

Emily, it is possible to get compounded vet meds in liquid form. They can be flavored too. I've used chicken flavored with success with cats.

Came back to add there are feline friendly vet offices. My cet is a certified feline friendly practice. If you go to the website catvet.com
You can search for feline friendly vets in your area. Maybe this would help with your problem. If your cat is eating and drinking it sounds like he could be on the mend.

Feb 11, 2020 at 07:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lizardlady

Emily, it is possible to get compounded vet meds in liquid form. They can be flavored too. I've used chicken flavored with success with cats.

My cat really went backwards today. He pooped pretty much all day long runny. The good news is that it was in his box. He is still eating and he drank today on his own. I doubled his probiotic dose and I am giving him hard food mostly. I am determined to see some progress this week.

He did seem to puke a bit I came home to a spot on the rug. But someone told me that when cats strain they sometimes puke.

I happen to be in an area without good cat certified vets. Most are 20 miles + away and when you go to yelp you find negative reviews. Also I feel like I am done with them. They will never talk with you without you bringing in the cat so it is insanely hard to change vets when you have a cat adverse to the vet.

I know it is possible to get flavored cat pills the problem, the ER that saw him either won't or can't do it. They are just so ridiculous abut it. They keep offering me things other than what I know will work and I have to pay for them.

I am not too sure about giving him the antibiotic anyway. Last time he had an issue with his stomach (that went on for months btw) we gave him the anti biotic but if anything it made things worse. They only thing that worked was the probiotic..

partyofone · Feb 12, 2020 at 10:23 AM

Emily, I'm so sorry for what you're going through. I had a cat with very serious behavioral problems once too, long ago. He wasn't bad at the vet's, but I still have a nice scar under one eye. . . . Still, I went through hell trying to find options to him, much like it sound like you're doing too. I'll be thinking about you and sending you hugs.

Feb 13, 2020 at 07:44 PM

Ok final answer... my cat is not going down anytime soon. He produced a fully formed stool today and I think he is on the mend. He is eating much better and happier.

I think at the moment I am done with vets. Sure I might have to take my cat one more time for the final put down but right now he is very healthy and mostly happy if he doesn't have to go to vets.

I think truly this two week torture has taught me a lot and maybe moved me into a place I wasn't before.

I will call the vet tomorrow and tell them.

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Yaowen Grand Magnate Member Since Jan 2020 Location: USA Posts: 3,618 (SuperPoster!) 4 6,475 hugs given	Feb 04, 2020 at 12:33 PM #2 I have been in a similar situation and more than once. I agonized over it and it seemed that any solution was going to be heartbreaking. I have had to put down several beloved pets. I wish you only the best, I can really feel for what you must be going through.
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possum220 Legendary Member Since Jan 2009 Location: Uppa Gumtree West Posts: 19,397 (SuperPoster!) 15 7,983 hugs given	Feb 04, 2020 at 07:00 PM #5
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splitimage Moderator Community Support Team Member Since Mar 2006 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 11,269 18 75 hugs given	Feb 05, 2020 at 09:03 AM #6 I'm sorry, this must have been a really hard decision, but it does sound like the right thing to do. splitimage __________________ "I danced in the morning when the world was begun. I danced in the moon and the stars and the sun". From my favourite hymn. "If you see the wonder in a fairy tale, you can take the future even if you fail." Abba
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Skeezyks Disreputable Old Troll Member Since Oct 2015 Location: The Star of the North Posts: 32,762 (SuperPoster!) 8 17.4k hugs given	Feb 05, 2020 at 04:37 PM #7 Best wishes... __________________ "I may be older but I am not wise / I'm still a child's grown-up disguise / and I never can tell you what you want to know / You will find out as you go." (from: "A Nightengale's Lullaby" - Julie Last)
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LilyMop Veteran Member Member Since Sep 2019 Location: U.S. Posts: 709 4 81 hugs given	Feb 06, 2020 at 04:53 PM #11 I’m so very very sorry for your loss.
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Nutty bar New Member Member Since Feb 2020 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 5 4	Feb 11, 2020 at 01:34 PM #15 Sorry about mentioning chews! My guy was lucky that his was available. It might be worthwhile to check further online. I forgot the name of the company (aaaah!) they make custom blends. Flavors. Medications. If I remember the name, I'll pass it along🐈 Give kitty a hug. He deserves it, so do you!
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