Those Who Have Lost Cats At A Young Age?

I posted this on another forum, but I've spoken with you all before;

So after many visits and tests, our little baby Cashew, only 4.5 years old, has been diagnosed with intestinal lymphoma. We don't have a good prognosis.

I've lost pets before, I know the pain, but this is particularity hard to comprehend. Besides he's so young, it's such a rare thing to have at his age. I'm watching him run around and play and I can't stop crying. He's so sweet and innocent. How could this happen???

I feel awful because it's almost as if I can't look at him. I feel like he doesn't even know he's sick, even though he's getting worse and worse.

I'm worried about his brother Walnut, they are littermates. I'm worried what he will do when Cashew is gone. Will he be okay again after time?

Cashew is gone. I can't believe this is happening. It's our worst nightmare. I love these cats so much, everyone I know loves them. This is so tragic and horrifying. I can't handle it.

I am so sorry that this is happening, I wish I could fix it for you. Years ago we lost our first cat Smoke, she was only about 5 and was a stray we took in and one night was doing flip flops in the foyer, I thought that she was after a bug but I saw her and she was flipping around, we rushed her to a vet but she was gone before we got there, heart attack, so very sad and tragic.

I wish I could wave a wand and make it go away for you, God Bless.....

Many of us have walked this road and can empathize with you. We lost a darling Persian cat who was only 3 years old to FIP. It left a hole in our hearts and although the feeling never goes away the memories eventually replace the sadness. I'm so sorry for Cashew, Walnut and you. Please know that we are here to listen and for support.

The youngest cat I lost was Leo, he was less than 3 months old, but he was sick from the birth.
There was absolutely nothing I could do to save him.

I always wondered why animals are allowed to suffer and die, they're innocent creatures, they have no sins to atone for.
And when they suffer and die at a young age, what did they do to deserve this?

Life is unfair, the world is unfair.
I'm sorry for your Cashew, I have no words, only tears

Yes, it is a tragedy when life ends way too young, it is unfair, and it happens way more often then imagined. Walnut will grieve, it is only natural for him to do so. He will miss his brother just as you will. But unlike you, nature will take over and his life will go on, because life is meant to be lived and each and every second savored. Please try to remember that Cashew loves life with every fiber of his being, he will live until he can live no more. And that is exactly how he wants you to go on after he leaves, just as you would want for both of them if you were the first to go. For now, just love him and spoil him.
My heart goes out to you, I'll kepp you all in my thoughts and prayers. Try to be strong for your beautiful Cashew, he deserves no less. He needs you now more then ever, just to be there and to love him, grieving can come later. Please know we are here fro you, please come and cry on our shoulders whenever you need, cry with both of those beautiful boys and tell them how much you love them. You will survive, it takes time to mend a broken heart, lots of time, one day at a time......

I know it sucks. I lost my sweet boy Figaro this past February to FIP. He was only 8 months old. It's so hard, I cried so much the last month of his life. I can tell you that if you can think about all the good days and what you give to each other, it gets easier. It will probably always hurt, but it does get better.

We lost our cat Jack a few years ago at age 8 to what we believe was a heart attack right in front of us in the kitchen, it came on the heels after putting our other 17 year old cat to sleep three weeks earlier, it was a long winter without our two cats. We now have a pair of back litter mates William and Elliott,nothing can replace but with time it will work out.

Thank you everyone.

The worst part is when you wake up in the middle of the night and forget for a second, then you remember...

He's eating now, just started prednisolone. We opted not to do the biopsy so there is this stupid part of me that won't give up hope and that this is all just a severe reaction to when he was on an NSAID for his sprained foot - metacam. That the colitis was just so severe that he is inflammed all over, even lymph nodes on the ultrasound, but deep down I know not true.

drelocks said:

The worst part is when you wake up in the middle of the night and forget for a second, then you remember...

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Wow, you reawakened something I didn't even remember.
That feeling when I would wake up at night or in the morning and I thought "My God, I had a really bad dream, I dreamed that my cat was going to die to a cancer!".
Then, a split second later I would realize it wasn't a dream!

It was something that would repeat every morning for months!

My Sassea Cat was only 4.5 yrs old. Sick a couple days then gone. It was the hardest thing I ever dealt with. I had told her that she needed to outlive me.
I think what makes losing a cat so hard is that they can be independent. If we see them at all or they interact with us its because they want to and the act of them showing this is quite an honor. We honor them by our care and then later by our memories of them. Bless all the cats and their people.

drelocks said:

Thank you everyone.

The worst part is when you wake up in the middle of the night and forget for a second, then you remember...

He's eating now, just started prednisolone. We opted not to do the biopsy so there is this stupid part of me that won't give up hope and that this is all just a severe reaction to when he was on an NSAID for his sprained foot - metacam. That the colitis was just so severe that he is inflammed all over, even lymph nodes on the ultrasound, but deep down I know not true.

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Years ago Serenity was diagnosed with a brain tumor, and we thought "that's it, she's done", but a holistic vet suggested Transfer Factor Plus to go along with the Prednisone, and it helped wonderfully, she lived another 1.5 years and was in good health up until the end. Transfer supports the immune system, maybe it would be worth a shot? We used to open the capsule and pour some into a little water and then give it to her in a syringe, and it worked for her, maybe worth looking into?

I have lost 5 cats early on from illnesses that were not preventable ranging from undiagnosed heart disease to cancer. The saddest, if you could say that, was a stray kitten who literally came to the door begging for help and was adopted by me and did not even last a year to enjoy his new life.

If you can, and this is a tall order, try to be brave for Cashew and help him to enjoy his life. He will pick up all your sadness and react to it. Walnut certainly may grieve and you will need to be there for him as well. That is a whole other aspect to animal loss and grief, the left behind friend.

I have never used Transfer Factor myself, but it is listed on the Memorial Sloan Kettering website under alternative medicine. Of course, they cannot say that it cures cancer as it has not been proven, but they do admit that more testing is necessary as there has been some promise with it. If you use it, get a BSE free one.

fionasmom said:

I have never used Transfer Factor myself, but it is listed on the Memorial Sloan Kettering website under alternative medicine. Of course, they cannot say that it cures cancer as it has not been proven, but they do admit that more testing is necessary as there has been some promise with it. If you use it, get a BSE free one.

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And make sure it is the "Plus" because it has mushrooms in it, the vet was adamant about that.

Mushrooms are great for the immune system...something else that they are researching as a cancer treatment.