I need specific/detailed advice, please.

[Freedom]

My heart felt sympathies struggling with this. I smiled when you ended with "I wan a CLEAR answer!" I know I felt that way too, each time this situation arose. And deep down, we know that if there were a CLEAR answer, well, threads like this wouldn't get started!

Be sure to ask the vet lots of questions, get the medical side of the situation. What are the possibilities, probabilities. You need input from all angles to help make a decision to go on or not to go on.

Seeing Taz playing this morning, aw, now THAT brought tears to MY eyes!

[slick]

Each time I wondered "should I try just one more thing"? but the answer was usually in their eyes. PLEASE, let me go.

I have to totally agree with this. With Speckles, she was 18 1/2. Her body had shut down, she stopped eating and just laid there in the spare room on the floor all day and night. Finally, I looked into her eyes and they spoke volumes. "I'm ready to go Mom." The vet was scheduled to come to my house at about 6:30 that evening and I told her as she laid on my chest "If you want to go before Dr. Singh gets here, it's OK."

It's hard to put it into words, but you'll just know.

{{{hugs}}}

[Pinot's Mom]

WOW - this is a tough thread!!

I agree, Taz will tell you. Jamara was 18 when we had her PTS in 2002. She had Oral Squalmous Cell Carcinoma, although we didn't have a name for it at the time, we just knew there was a large cancerous growth in her jaw. She could not eat or drink; we spoon fed her blended food as long as we could, but in the end we couldn't even get that down her. She had lost two pounds and was so weak. The last morning (Martin Luther King Day) - we all knew. When she went, the vet said, "she was weaker than we thought, she went so quickly". It was time; she said good bye to us with her eyes.

You'll know. Watch the eyes - prayers for knowing the signs!

[GILL]

They know when it's time. Out Chocolate was sitting by their food on the cradenza and she called me from the TV room. I went and she just sat and purred with me petting. After about 10 minutes she swatted me to tell me to go. 15 minutes later I went to check her and she was gone. I believe that she just wanted to say goodby.

[Taz_Zoee]

They know when it's time. Out Chocolate was sitting by their food on the cradenza and she called me from the TV room. I went and she just sat and purred with me petting. After about 10 minutes she swatted me to tell me to go. 15 minutes later I went to check her and she was gone. I believe that she just wanted to say goodby.

Awwww, LES.


Thank you all again for your wonderful support.

[kitten645]

Cindy, I'm so sorry you are going thru this heartache. And I know it is exactly that. You feel like your heart is being ripped out of your chest. I believe that animals are wiser than people when it comes to many things. Life and death included. I think Taz will know when it's time and I think he'll tell you. Just release that decision to the Universe and it will play out as it should. I'll PM you too.
Love,
Claudia, Calvin & Hobbes

[Taz_Zoee]

Thank you so much Claudia.

This morning I was playing with Paizly with a string on a wand toy. Taz was about 3 feet away and I saw him watching the string. I flopped the string in front of him and he "ran" up and grabbed it. Then he just sat down with the string under his paw and wouldn't move. He didn't play with it, but he wouldn't let it go. It was so funny!! He finally let go and I continued playing with Paizly. I wiggled the string in front of Taz again and he patted at it a little more, then it was like he was just too tired to play. So he just laid down and watched Paizly play.
Oh, another thing is he doesn't growl and throw a fit at Paizly anymore. I think he's just too exhausted to mess with it.

He did some things he hasn't done in a long time this morning. He was right outside the bathroom door when I came out, and he stayed in the room with me while I did my daily stretches. I opened the sliding glass door a little for him to get some air (the screen door is broken). Good thing I was watching him because he slipped his head out!! So I had to only open it about 1 inch.

We go to the vet tonight to see what she thinks. I don't want to give him oral meds anymore. I can handle the fluids. Although, Bruce is getting tired of helping me, but he will.
I just feel like I'm prolonging his life when he'd be better off at the bridge. Then he does stuff like he did this morning and I feel differently. But what kind of life is being so weak and getting poked every other day? He is not really eating anything. He eats a teeny bit and usually only the tuna I give him after meds as a treat. I'll discuss my options tonight. Oh, I also don't want to schedule the appointment for his trip. I'd rather it be an unexpected last minute type thing.

[Pinot's Mom]

I'm sorry you're going through this....I do agree, though, don't schedule. Let it be when you know it's what has to be...

[Lizzie]

I am so sorry you are going through a heartwrenching time, and you will soon have to face that decision we all dread. But, the alternative can be worse since few cats do slip away quickly and easily.

You will need to plan a little in advance because you will want your vet to give you plenty of time. After the sedative, the cat becomes very, very relaxed and this is the time when you can hold them in your arms, knowing they feel no pain or anxiety, and talk to them all you want - and sob your socks off. Some cats knead you and purr, some simply lay in your arms and gaze at you sleepily, and some slip into sleep very quickly. I always ask for several minutes with them while they are sedated because it makes me more prepared for the next step.

I've found that when my cats have started sitting in the bathroom by the loo, their time is very short. I don't know if it's the cooler floor or what, but some cats will do that even in cold weather. Yes, it is hard to see them weak but still wanting to play. Cats are notorious for making you believe they are very much alive even when they have a very short time to live. They just don't give up, making it extremely hard for us to give up for them.

[wolflady]

Oh gosh, what a hard thread to read without getting LES. I'm so sorry that you're going through this with Taz. I think it's good that you're going to get an opinion from you vet about this, since if they feel Taz's quality of life just isn't there, it may be close to that time. It's certainly the hardest decision we need to make as a pet owner, but at least you can make sure to schedule in some lovin' time before he makes his final trip. **hugs**