Should I get my cat a feeding tube?

[phoebephan]

Oh, one more thing.  Now I have a bunch of cat food that will go to waste, including the Rx ones..............Is there a place to donate the cans?  I think the bags I have are all opened, so they probably won't take those.  (Oh wait - I do have at least 2 bags unopened from the November phase of this ordeal)

 

[korvia]

 
Oh, one more thing.  Now I have a bunch of cat food that will go to waste, including the Rx ones..............Is there a place to donate the cans?  I think the bags I have are all opened, so they probably won't take those.  (Oh wait - I do have at least 2 bags unopened from the November phase of this ordeal)

sorry about momma.

you could try local shelters or local food bank

 

[denice]

Any rescue or shelter will gladly take the cans.  Unless you know someone with cats you will probably have to throw out the opened bags of kibble.  Unfortunately there are too many sick people out there, rescues won't take the opened bags of kibble.

 

[blackcat416]

Hi P,
It's over, Phoebe is now out of pain running and jumping around on the other side. I fell your pain. We all do. It will be hard but keep your heart open for a future companion that needs to be loved and will love unconditionally. There will never be another Phoebe and no other cat could ever take her place in your heart. But we all know that there are plenty cats out there looking to be the fur ball for you to cry on. It doesn't mean you loved Phoebe any less when you get another cat. As a matter of fact my second cat Casper who was all black but so sweet and kind that I had to give him a name that fit him. After his passing I waited 3 years before getting another, 3 long lonely years, and when I finally went to the shelter I knew I wanted another male black cat, I never even saw how big he was as he was in the back of his cage, curled in a tight ball, his name given at the shelter was Spooky because he was scared of everything. He wasn't violent just scared. So I took him, they guessed at his age between 1 to 3 yo. But I didn't care, I just wanted to try and replace Casper, silly me, with a male black cat. When I brought him home to his forever home, he spent the first 3 weeks under the guest bed. We knew he was alive because the liter box was being used and the food I was sliding under the bed was being eaten. Now all this time I still never really got to hold him or look him over. So finally my Jim decided enough of this, he wanted to meet our new boy. So the food was removed, the liter box taken out of the room then Jim moved the bed and he picked up our new boy and Archibald was born that day, my blackcat416, and along with it was the beginning of a wonderful 16 year love affair. He never spent another day or night under the bed again. My Jim was a thoroughbred horse trainer, now retired, with lots of animal sense so I just followed his lead and so did Archie. After that day Archie became a permanent fixture on our pillows at night. P grieve as you need, tell people about Phoebe, most animal owners understand non animal owners are clueless and usually too self-centered in their world and stay but it was only a cat, stay away from those people as they couldn't possibly understand what your going through or went through during her illness. And hopefully one day a new kitty will enter your home and steal your heart again.

 

[cprcheetah]

 
Oh, one more thing.  Now I have a bunch of cat food that will go to waste, including the Rx ones..............Is there a place to donate the cans?  I think the bags I have are all opened, so they probably won't take those.  (Oh wait - I do have at least 2 bags unopened from the November phase of this ordeal)

If it is Hill's Prescription diet take it back to the vet (even if opened)  for a full refund.  Hill's guarantees their products 100%. 

 

[phoebephan]

Hi P,
It's over, Phoebe is now out of pain running and jumping around on the other side. I fell your pain. We all do. It will be hard but keep your heart open for a future companion that needs to be loved and will love unconditionally. There will never be another Phoebe and no other cat could ever take her place in your heart. But we all know that there are plenty cats out there looking to be the fur ball for you to cry on. It doesn't mean you loved Phoebe any less when you get another cat. As a matter of fact my second cat Casper who was all black but so sweet and kind that I had to give him a name that fit him. After his passing I waited 3 years before getting another, 3 long lonely years, and when I finally went to the shelter I knew I wanted another male black cat, I never even saw how big he was as he was in the back of his cage, curled in a tight ball, his name given at the shelter was Spooky because he was scared of everything. He wasn't violent just scared. So I took him, they guessed at his age between 1 to 3 yo. But I didn't care, I just wanted to try and replace Casper, silly me, with a male black cat. When I brought him home to his forever home, he spent the first 3 weeks under the guest bed. We knew he was alive because the liter box was being used and the food I was sliding under the bed was being eaten. Now all this time I still never really got to hold him or look him over. So finally my Jim decided enough of this, he wanted to meet our new boy. So the food was removed, the liter box taken out of the room then Jim moved the bed and he picked up our new boy and Archibald was born that day, my blackcat416, and along with it was the beginning of a wonderful 16 year love affair. He never spent another day or night under the bed again. My Jim was a thoroughbred horse trainer, now retired, with lots of animal sense so I just followed his lead and so did Archie. After that day Archie became a permanent fixture on our pillows at night. P grieve as you need, tell people about Phoebe, most animal owners understand non animal owners are clueless and usually too self-centered in their world and stay but it was only a cat, stay away from those people as they couldn't possibly understand what your going through or went through during her illness. And hopefully one day a new kitty will enter your home and steal your heart again.

That story is amazing!!  I figured a cat's personality would be known from day one - Phoebe was like shot of a cannon and so friendly that I said I had to name after somebody on Friends. 

 

[phoebephan]

 
If it is Hill's Prescription diet take it back to the vet (even if opened)  for a full refund.  Hill's guarantees their products 100%. 

I have to pick up her ashes next week.  Will the vet automatically do a refund because Hill's does it?

 

[phoebephan]

I just had a fear come into me later today.  I was talking to my friend about his wife being allergic to cats................I always had this theory that people who hate cats just say they are allergic to them.  But, I'm definitely allergic to something I've figured out the last few years.  My nose runs all the time, and I sneeze a lot...........Now I'm afraid that I'm allergic to cats and I'll find out now when I don't have one.............That would be a horrible decision I'd have to make, since I figured I'd always have cats for the rest of my life. 

 

[cprcheetah]

 
I have to pick up her ashes next week.  Will the vet automatically do a refund because Hill's does it?

Yep all you should have to do is to take it back to the vet and they should refund your money, if they don't call Hill's directly as they guarantee their products.

 

[goholistic]

 
I just had a fear come into me later today.  I was talking to my friend about his wife being allergic to cats................I always had this theory that people who hate cats just say they are allergic to them.  But, I'm definitely allergic to something I've figured out the last few years.  My nose runs all the time, and I sneeze a lot...........Now I'm afraid that I'm allergic to cats and I'll find out now when I don't have one.............That would be a horrible decision I'd have to make, since I figured I'd always have cats for the rest of my life. 

Aw, I hope that's not the case. Perhaps you could adopt one of those Sphynx cats without the hair? I still think they are cute, but they do require quite a bit of care.

I hope you're doing okay. 

 

[blackcat416]

I am convinced my cats cured me of my allergies. I used to suffer like a ... But once I got married at age 20 we always had 2 cats, I remember when I would kiss Casper on his nose I would get this giant hive on my lip. I would sneeze and wheeze and I knew I was allergic to my cats but I needed fur. I used to have to use my inhaler 3 to 4 times a day and then one day it just stopped, no more hay fever, no more running nose, no more wheezing and sneezing, now I use my inhaler maybe once a month, usually if I laugh too hard. So since I seem to not be allergic anymore to cats, I went out and got 6 more. So now we are a family if 10. 8 feline n 2 Homo sapiens. One big happy family.

 

[natalie_ca]

 
my cat's name is Phoebe.  She's 17 3/4 years old.

I'm sorry that your baby isn't feeling well. It's very difficult to watch someone we love be sick.

I'm going to give you some advice that you may not like, but please don't get mad at me, it's coming from my heart.

Your baby is almost 18 years old. It sounds like she's had a pretty good and happy life with you.  And I know it isn't easy to let someone go when you love them so much, but over the years, and through both my personal and professional (nurse) experience, I've learned that we tend to try and hang onto the ones we love for our own selfish reasons, not usually because of what is best for them.

A couple years ago I had to make a decision about my girl Chynna.  She was over 18 years old, and still playful at times, but she had been losing weight from her hyperthyroidism as well as high blood pressure.  She was such a huge cuddle bug and wanted me to carry her around 24 hour per day.

When she came to live with me, I made her a promise that I wouldn't hand onto her for selfish reasons, and that I would let her go when she still had her kitty dignity.  As much as I loved her, I didn't want my last memories of her being of her being sick and with tubes and being stuck with needles and wasting away.

I wanted my last memories of her to be of her still relatively well, at least well enough that she wasn't suffering.  I made the decision to let her go at the beginning of July 2010.  I held her and talked to her though the whole process and I thanked her for choosing me as her person.

As much as I miss her, I don't regret for a single moment the decision I made. I made a promise to her and I kept it.

I think you need to sit down and have a hard talk with yourself and think about your kitty and how she might be feeling. Maybe it's time to let her go to the RB where she will be at peace and happy, and well again.

 

[peaches08]

So sorry about the loss of your dear kitty. They take a piece of our heart, don't they?

A friend of mine got reunited with her cat after a few years, her allergies went crazy at first but within just a few weeks she was back to normal. I'm allergic to cats yet have 3 indoor only cats. Taking Zyrtec and Singulair make a big difference.

 

[phoebephan]

 
Yep all you should have to do is to take it back to the vet and they should refund your money, if they don't call Hill's directly as they guarantee their products.

Thanks!

 

[phoebephan]

So sorry about the loss of your dear kitty. They take a piece of our heart, don't they?

A friend of mine got reunited with her cat after a few years, her allergies went crazy at first but within just a few weeks she was back to normal. I'm allergic to cats yet have 3 indoor only cats. Taking Zyrtec and Singulair make a big difference.

Sure does take a piece of our heart.  In the back of my mind, I'm thinking I'm going to go pet her when I'm done with this work, and then when I'm done with the work, I realize there's nobody to pet. 

Yeah, I've been taking Zyrtec this year.  I really never thought I had allergies until the doc told me to get that when I had the flu and then I wasn't doing my usual sneezing after that.

I sneezed a couple of times tonight and was glad I did - haha.  Maybe it's not cats that I'm allergic to!

 

[phoebephan]

Strange how so many people - vets, people online, etc. encourage you to put your pet down ASAP.  And, yet we don't really know what the pet is thinking.............Yet, with humans, where the person can actually say they don't want to suffer (that would be me), we don't have euthanasia..........For all I know, my cat could have been like my mother - who wanted every measure taken to prolong her life.  For whatever reason, she was willing to suffer just to live another day.  

 

[phoebephan]

 
Aw, I hope that's not the case. Perhaps you could adopt one of those Sphynx cats without the hair? I still think they are cute, but they do require quite a bit of care.

I hope you're doing okay. 

Thanks.  I'm doing OK......................I would normally think the Sphynx cats are ugly and that I'd hate to pet them but because Phoebe was shaved down to her skin because of the ultrasound, her skin actually felt pretty cool. 

 

[denice]

The Sphynx cats have kind of grown on me.  At first I thought they were just strange looking but now I think their kind of cute.  They do need weekly baths.  Of course like any kind of grooming if they have had it done since they were kittens they probably don't fight it.

 

[GemsGem]

Hi I would just like to point out that while sphynx cats lack much of the fur of other cat breeds they are not necessarily hypoallergenic. Allergies to cats are mostly triggered by a protein called Fel d1, not cat hair itself. Fel d1 is a tiny and sticky protein found in cat saliva and the glands on the cats skin. Those with cat allergies may actually react worse to direct contact with sphynx cats than other breeds. Due to them having no fur to create a barrier between the allergen-secreting skin glands and you.
In fact Siberian cats that have long thick coats are one of the cat breeds reputed to cause the fewest allergic reactions.

 

[phoebephan]

Good info, GG!