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- Oct 3, 2016
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my cat Huxley has had a real hard time this week. He has IBD and is going through a bad flare up. He is very lethargic, sleeps all day or lays on his side when he is awake or just stays in the loaf position with his paws awkwardly under him. He refuses to play and generally looks miserable. He is pooping again (which is an improvement), but is now refusing to eat much. I can't pill him so this makes things difficult as he takes his medication crushed in his food. I am probably going to have to board him at the vet for a few days for them to get him back on his feet. This isn't the first bad flare up. I have had Huxley for 7 months now, and he has had 3 of those episodes already. The last few days have been extremely hard for me as I am starting to think about his future. I hate myself for starting to think about this. I do not want to give up on him, but I also do not want him to end up living a life in pain, having lost tons of weight because he can't eat, and having to constantly take him to the vet for more treatments like regular enemas or leaving him there to care for because I can't administer him the meds he needs. I know for a fact that I will not be making this horrible decision when it is too late. I will not let him suffer simply because I want to keep him with me a little longer, but I am afraid to make that decision too early. How do I know it's time when the time finally comes? How many bad days? How many flare ups? He has no concept of time so when he is feeling horrible, he does not know something better may come along. I am really struggling with guilt over even thinking about this now, but from what I have read on this site and other IBD supprt group, the end is almost always the same and poor kitties have to be put out of their misery by their owners.
I am so conflicted with all of this. Is it worth continuing fighting knowing that bad flare ups will come again, most likely more and more frequently? Or is it me simply giving up too early and not fighting enough for him? Today I just feel lost and defeated.
I am so conflicted with all of this. Is it worth continuing fighting knowing that bad flare ups will come again, most likely more and more frequently? Or is it me simply giving up too early and not fighting enough for him? Today I just feel lost and defeated.