I have a cat, Spooky, who is 19 years old. He has been generally very healthy all his life. Up until the past few weeks, he has done little except lay on his blanket, but he used his litter box, ate his meals (complaining if they were late!), and seemed, to me at least, to have a fairly good quality of life. Spooky has had a cyst on his back for several years, which sometimes breaks open and I clean it with peroxide and put an ointment on it to prevent infection. My vet said it wasn't hurting him and to just treat it. Lately he has popped up with another one on his side which I have been treating the same way. These cysts now seem to be getting worse and worse and they are a mess, with small amounts of blood and quite a bit of oozing. Spooky's coat condition is getting really bad. I brush him, but he mats immediately after so I just can't keep up with it. Now he is getting mats all around these cysts and to comb them out I know is painful for him. He still makes it to the litter box (or at least in the vicinity LOL) and he still eats, but occasionally throws up right after. I just feel that life is getting harder and harder for him and that he isn't experiencing a lot of joy in it. Last night, I found him lying on the bare floor beside his water dish and I feel that he may have collapsed. Sorry for this long post. I am thinking it may be time to say goodbye. I know no one else can make this decision. But I am wanting some cat people's thoughts on the information I've given about my boy's condition. Thanks.
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Wanting Thoughts About My Old Kitty
- Thread starter bridget
- Start Date
I'm so sorry Spooky isn't doing well. That is one of the most difficult decisions to have to make for a beloved pet. I had to make that decision for a 19 year old kitty when he could no longer stand by himself. But as you said, it's such a subjective call. Here's a quality of life scale that may help you gauge his level of comfort: http://pawspice.com/clients/17611/documents/QualityofLifeScale.pdf
Wishing all the best for you and Spooky.
Wishing all the best for you and Spooky.
Seconding betsygee's best wishes for Spooky. I am familiar with the quality of life scale she has shared and hope you find it helpful.
I previously had two mature kitties, one that I said goodbye to shortly before she turned 18, and her litter sister shortly before her 22nd birthday. The first cat was fit and active and behaving like a kitten until just days before our goodbyes, but her sister had arthritis for many years and later developed high bloodpressure which caused some kidney damage and sight loss. She also had a nasty sebaceous cyst at the root of her tail which would get infected from time to time and would cause the fur around it to be greasy. The cyst never seemed to bother her, even when it was infected though I am sure it was painful when infection was present - she patiently let the vet clean it out and let me apply lotions while it healed.
For me, looking at that quality of life scale and spending time observing your feline friend is likely to be the most useful thing you can do, along with any vet check up you think Spooky might benefit from to make sure his overall health is good. Often our cats communicate very clearly to us when they are no longer happy and are finding their daily lives harder, but this can be after a long time spent with us living a quiet and comfortable life making the most of all the pampering we are willing and able to shower them with. Give Spooky time and space, and watch out for those messages he gives you, as sometimes just like people our cats can have 'off' days and then things pick up again.
I previously had two mature kitties, one that I said goodbye to shortly before she turned 18, and her litter sister shortly before her 22nd birthday. The first cat was fit and active and behaving like a kitten until just days before our goodbyes, but her sister had arthritis for many years and later developed high bloodpressure which caused some kidney damage and sight loss. She also had a nasty sebaceous cyst at the root of her tail which would get infected from time to time and would cause the fur around it to be greasy. The cyst never seemed to bother her, even when it was infected though I am sure it was painful when infection was present - she patiently let the vet clean it out and let me apply lotions while it healed.
For me, looking at that quality of life scale and spending time observing your feline friend is likely to be the most useful thing you can do, along with any vet check up you think Spooky might benefit from to make sure his overall health is good. Often our cats communicate very clearly to us when they are no longer happy and are finding their daily lives harder, but this can be after a long time spent with us living a quiet and comfortable life making the most of all the pampering we are willing and able to shower them with. Give Spooky time and space, and watch out for those messages he gives you, as sometimes just like people our cats can have 'off' days and then things pick up again.
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #4
Thank you. I am at work, but plan to read the quality of life scale when I take my break. It helps to hear other people's stories. It is such a hard call to make. You don't want to do it a moment too early or a moment too late either.
I lost my 20 year old Piper in January. She had been having a hard time getting around her last year because of arthritis. She made our bed her "area"....more than fine with us. She woke me up one morning with her cries. I am assuming she was trying to make it to the litter box and couldn't. Her back legs were paralyzed and she couldn't get up. I immediately took her to the emergency vet who said they thought she had a blood clot that went to her back. I had her euthanized because he said with her age and with the arthritis, she probably would not get any better for any length of time. She had a wonderful life when she was with us and it was one of the hardest decisions I ever had to make. But I believe I did the right thing. I miss her every day. I hope everything goes well with your baby.
I'm sorry. How difficult. Sending you good thoughts
