Hello everyone. I first want to preface this story with the fact that I am mortified, embarrassed, angry, and a whirlwind of emotions about my abilities as a cat owner during the time I ask for this. I say this because it is a huge part of why I have turned to you all for guidance and support (or honest ridicule if that is what I need). I am fighting a really hard battle in my head and it is sincerely breaking my heart because making this choice is admitting my complete failure as a cat father, and I am not sure I can come to terms with it.
I have a 9 year old Maine Coon named Chloe. He (yes it is a male) has been with me since he was 2 weeks old. Long story short, my wife found him abandoned in some brush along side a road - thinking it was a baby crying - and immediately brought him home to adopt. At 2 weeks the Vet told us he was a female - turns out testicles don't drop until 8 weeks I guess - and thus the name. Chloe and I instantly became inseparable. I have never really been a cat person, but he changed every perception I ever had about owning a cat.
To keep this as short as possible, Chloe has chronic constipation - he backs up at least once or twice a year and needs Vet intervention to clear it. This particular time we did not catch it fast enough for reasons of travel and in true honesty not paying as close attention as we should have. He wasn't showing the same signs as he usual does, but knowing where I am now with him, I have no one to blame but myself for not catching it. Because of the severity, It appears he has not been eating either - for quite some time - at least over a week or two. Again, no one to blame, but we have a second cat who has been eating from his dish as well as her own - so we did not pick up on it. He had no real behavioral differences until they attempted to unclog him. That was Friday. Since we brought him home he has faded very quickly. He can no longer hold his head up, stand up, will not eat, will not go #2 (does urinate) and just from an owner perspective seems like he is dying. The Vet is not confirming this. In fact today at the vet appt I asked point blank if he was fighting for his life and she said she does not believe so yet. I am really struggling with her statement. It is extremely apparent that he as Fatty Liver. The Vet also did not officially confirm or test for it, but there is no doubt. He has every symptom - and severely.
Now for the second part of my poor ownership. Over the last two days I have said yes to everything that the Vet has wanted to do to help him. We have been to the vet 3 times in two days, and within those two days I have drained every resource of savings and expendable cash I have few a couple hundred dollars. I did not even hesitate to approve any test or treatment they suggested. I am completely in the camp of if you don't have appropriate funding to care for a pet you shouldn't be responsible for one, but here I am embarrassingly finding myself in that position.
To the question or debate I am having. I am not sure what his chance of recovery is, but there are two major factors at play. One being the Fatty Liver, and the other being his constipation. I am force feeding with a syringe right now, but giving him food is going to make the constipation worse. They can't seem to get the feces out, and I think we may be looking at surgery to do so. But financially I am not going to be in a position to afford a feeding tube/IV for a few weeks now. My Vet does not offer payment options, and I have maxed out my PetCare card through all of this as well.
At this point I look at him and lose it emotionally because I can see him deteriorating in front of me with no way to help him. I know my Vet is going to advise against putting him to sleep but it is killing me watching him like this, knowing I can't do anything about it. The owner in me says sell your furniture, sell your TV, take out a bank loan, do whatever you can - but the other side of my brain says I have to be responsible for my family too (wife and son). I am really struggling right now if I should even consider putting Chloe to sleep. Really struggling. I am so fearful that I will and it will be premature and I later figure out I could have saved him. I am also so fearful that I basically try to hospice him until I can financially afford to give him what he needs - and he has a very difficult life during that process. I don't know what to ask really, but I am pleading for this post to give me something that helps. I really thank you all for your consideration and support in advance.
I have a 9 year old Maine Coon named Chloe. He (yes it is a male) has been with me since he was 2 weeks old. Long story short, my wife found him abandoned in some brush along side a road - thinking it was a baby crying - and immediately brought him home to adopt. At 2 weeks the Vet told us he was a female - turns out testicles don't drop until 8 weeks I guess - and thus the name. Chloe and I instantly became inseparable. I have never really been a cat person, but he changed every perception I ever had about owning a cat.
To keep this as short as possible, Chloe has chronic constipation - he backs up at least once or twice a year and needs Vet intervention to clear it. This particular time we did not catch it fast enough for reasons of travel and in true honesty not paying as close attention as we should have. He wasn't showing the same signs as he usual does, but knowing where I am now with him, I have no one to blame but myself for not catching it. Because of the severity, It appears he has not been eating either - for quite some time - at least over a week or two. Again, no one to blame, but we have a second cat who has been eating from his dish as well as her own - so we did not pick up on it. He had no real behavioral differences until they attempted to unclog him. That was Friday. Since we brought him home he has faded very quickly. He can no longer hold his head up, stand up, will not eat, will not go #2 (does urinate) and just from an owner perspective seems like he is dying. The Vet is not confirming this. In fact today at the vet appt I asked point blank if he was fighting for his life and she said she does not believe so yet. I am really struggling with her statement. It is extremely apparent that he as Fatty Liver. The Vet also did not officially confirm or test for it, but there is no doubt. He has every symptom - and severely.
Now for the second part of my poor ownership. Over the last two days I have said yes to everything that the Vet has wanted to do to help him. We have been to the vet 3 times in two days, and within those two days I have drained every resource of savings and expendable cash I have few a couple hundred dollars. I did not even hesitate to approve any test or treatment they suggested. I am completely in the camp of if you don't have appropriate funding to care for a pet you shouldn't be responsible for one, but here I am embarrassingly finding myself in that position.
To the question or debate I am having. I am not sure what his chance of recovery is, but there are two major factors at play. One being the Fatty Liver, and the other being his constipation. I am force feeding with a syringe right now, but giving him food is going to make the constipation worse. They can't seem to get the feces out, and I think we may be looking at surgery to do so. But financially I am not going to be in a position to afford a feeding tube/IV for a few weeks now. My Vet does not offer payment options, and I have maxed out my PetCare card through all of this as well.
At this point I look at him and lose it emotionally because I can see him deteriorating in front of me with no way to help him. I know my Vet is going to advise against putting him to sleep but it is killing me watching him like this, knowing I can't do anything about it. The owner in me says sell your furniture, sell your TV, take out a bank loan, do whatever you can - but the other side of my brain says I have to be responsible for my family too (wife and son). I am really struggling right now if I should even consider putting Chloe to sleep. Really struggling. I am so fearful that I will and it will be premature and I later figure out I could have saved him. I am also so fearful that I basically try to hospice him until I can financially afford to give him what he needs - and he has a very difficult life during that process. I don't know what to ask really, but I am pleading for this post to give me something that helps. I really thank you all for your consideration and support in advance.
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