Making decisions for elderly pets

[adela76]

I have two "senior" cats that are 15-16 years old - Alexei and Dimitri.  In general, they've been pretty healthy and, other than one expensive surgery for Dimitri 8 years ago, have not had any major issues.

At the same time, I know that they are getting old for cats.  My childhood cats went through a lot of treatments (IV fluids for years, surgery to remove a growth, additional surgery after complications from the first surgery).  When I got cats, I knew I didn't want to put them through all that.  It's not really about the money as much as I don't want to put a cat through all of that pain and stress.  I care about quality of life - both mine and theirs.  But I also knew that it would not necessarily be obvious where that line was.

On Thursday, Dimitri went from his normal self (poking me awake at 7am so I would feed him), to being completely uninterested in food and curled in a ball in obvious pain at 7pm.  The sudden change had me worried.  Three days, 3 vet visits, and $2500 later, he's feeling much better.  I don't regret it.  

It's still not clear what the problem was.  He had a high fever on Friday, so the vet gave him an antibiotic shot and some fluids.  He seemed a bit better the next day, even ate a little food, before I took him in for some imaging and a sample of a fluid-filled cyst the vet had found in his abdomen.  After spending ALL DAY at the vet on Saturday, and having about half the fluid in the cyst drained, he was alert and ravenous when I got home.  Since then he's been eating and sleeping (he's an old guy!) and mostly acting like his normal self. 

Today, the vet talked to me about all these things:
-abdominal surgery to remove the cyst
-GI biopsy for thickening of the walls of the small intestine - could be IBD or lymphoma
-starting a course of steroids to reduce inflammation

And I'm just like . . . he's an old guy!  Am I a bad pet owner if I don't want to do any of this?  They say that the cyst will fill up again, but they can't say how fast.  The vet literally said, "it could be 2 weeks or two years".  I believe my vet cares about animals, and sees this as something where she has all these possible tools that can help him live longer and better.  But I'm like, I don't want him to live 3 more years in a cycle of pills and procedures and more pills.  I don't want to spend my next 3 years like that either. 

I kind of expected my vet to be better at this conversation and talking about all the options, including wait-and-see, palliative-only care, end-of-life decision-making.  Or maybe I am jumping the gun, and surgery to remove a cyst is no big deal, it's not like it's metastatic cancer.  (Metastatic cancer is the one obvious thing I'm clear on that I wouldn't treat, everything else is a grey area.)

How do I decide what to do?     

[mollyanna58]

I'm sorry to hear that your cat has medical issues. 

I'd start with doing some internet research on the different possibilities the vet mentioned.  The suggestion of lymphoma jumped out at me because my parents' dog, who came to live with me when they became unable to take care of her, was diagnosed with it.  We opted not to treat her because of poor experience with treating a prior dog for it, and another dog for a different kind of cancer.  We gave her steroids to make her more comfortable. 

Of the three things the vet mentioned, I'd go for the steroids, and possibly the biopsy to get a firm diagnosis.  I'd be concerned about major surgery for removing the cyst.   I'd also consider how well your cat takes pills.  I think it's generally easier to get a dog to swallow a pill.

[TheOtherMe]

After putting my first cat through way more pain and treatments than any human or cat should have to endure (it took the vet saying he would not treat him further because there was no hope and pain meds no longer the pain before I could let him go), I decided I would never go that route again.

I don't think I would treat any type of cancer.  Too much pain for the cat.'

Lucy's vet wanted to do surgery on her but said it might extend her life for a year or two.  She would have needed to be pilled twice a day and she refused to be pilled.  I could not do that to her since the vet said it "might" extend her life, not that it would.

I also have a dollar limit on what I will spend but I don't know what the amount is.

[raeoflyte]

Ask the vet what she would do if it were her pet, and let her know youre most concerned with quality of life.

I hope he continues to feel better.

[gs11rmb]

I would do palliative care.  Our cat was about 15 when she went downhill very fast.  On Thursday she couldn't jump on to the couch properly.  On Friday she wasn't cleaning herself and my DH took her to the vet.  On Saturday night I took her in to be put to sleep.  The vet mentioned all sorts of additional tests but I said no.  She was old, she was sick, and she was suffering.  He didn't push back and I don't regret the decision although I was a sobbing mess at the time.

My neighbour had her 20 year old cat put to sleep earlier this year.  He had been barely continent for a couple of years.  She adored him and said he wasn't suffering so couldn't bare to let him go until he was in pain.  To be frank, I wasn't sure he wasn't suffering but I didn't say anything.  I also don't think I could live longterm with an incontinent animal.

[steph08]

I would do steroids and just give lots of love until the inevitable happens. 15 is a remarkable age, and you did just spend $2,500 on him. I can see spending more on a young cat who has the chance at another decade of life, but not on one that is 15 already. 

Our old boxer developed lymphoma at 6. We could have spent $5k on chemo, which I considered because I loved that damn dog, but chemo is not a cure for dogs. It just postpones the inevitable and the vet said it might give him a year. Instead, we did a chemo pill and steroid combo, which cost me like $50/month, and prolonged his life for another great 7 months. He was so happy and healthy during that time, and when he went downhill, it was a quick two days before I took him for his final trip. 

Our last boxer just died last month - he was 12. His legs had been failing for about 1.5 years, though steroids had given him some strength back. But over the last several weeks, the steroids stopped working and he fell over multiple times going to the bathroom. I was carrying him up and down the stairs multiple times a day. There was nothing that could be done to help. That one was hard.

[busymom]

I've had the misfortune of having to put down 2 dogs.  What made the decision a tiny bit easier, was determining 2 things:  how much pain is you pet in?  And, if I pay for highly invasive procedures, will it give them a better quality of life, and/or reduce their pain?  As horrible as it was for me to make the decision for them, I'm convinced both times I made the correct choice.  You have my sympathy, as the decision is not an easy one.  

[pulmonarymd]

I will give m opinion, bothas a healthcare professional and a pet owner. 

1 we need to consider what your pets natural lifespan is
2 how much longer will he live with and without treatment
3 what do the treatments entail, i.e. pain and suffering. Pets cannot understand the reason you are doing what you are to them, so the big question becomes, Who are you treating?
4 The expense involved. Without insurance, costs add up quickly, because many interventions we do on humans have made there way to veterinary medicine, and can be quite expensive

I tend to be conservative with my pets. Since i speak the same language as a Vet, I have a very good understanding of the problem. You have to decide what you want to know, and how doing those interventions will help. For example, removing the cyst: is it benign or is it possibly malignant. Is it pressing on his stomach or intestines, so that taking it out solves the problem. Intestinal thickening can be followed conservatively with a repeat scan instead of a biopsy, or, it can be treated with steroids empirically and if things improve, follow the course.

Most people do too much for both their elderly relatives and pets. Most of these problems are chronic and incurable, and need to be manages. Given a pets accelerated aging, these processes become problematic much more quickly.

Just my $0.02

[Deleted]

I won't spend $2500 on a cat, so you are already a better pet parent than many of us. Most people can't afford that. 

I take good care of my pets and ensure they have clean water, good food, lots of fun, and a good quality of life.

However, if they develop serious medical issues causing them excessive pain or that require insanely expensive treatments or medications I will put them down.

And, if the vet is pushy when it comes to outrageously expensive options, I find another one. There seems to be two types of vets today, those who believe pets are people and should have all treatments despite cost and the more "old school" vets that realize we aren't all millionaires and there's a "reasonable" level of care. Rural and ranching areas tend to have more of the latter.

I once had a vet guilt me about having cancer surgery that included a back leg amputation on a >10 year old large-breed dog. When pushed, she said it would likely give him 6 months of additional life but with much of that recovering. To me, that's simply a money grab and not something one is doing for the dog itself. 

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

I really do not think that there is a straightforward answer to anything, especially when you do not have a concrete diagnosis.

My cat Gomez started losing weight.  He was eating well, and had lost nearly 2 lbs by the time I noticed (11-9 lbs).  Vet did bloodwork, came back normal.  She just said to try to get calories into him, so I started a campaign to get calories into him.  He got chopped up chicken thighs (skin and fat included) as much as he wanted.  He still ate his normal cat chow.  He got a couple syringes of kitten milk each day.  He continued to lose weight, despite everything.  He didn't act sick at all, he was perfectly fine other than losing weight.  Vet referred me to another doctor, who did an ultrasound of his gut.  Vet saw inflammation, possible dessimated lymphoma of the gut but they could not tell unless he was biopsied.

This was the problem.  I had Gomez 11 years and got him as an adult cat.  The vet assumed he was about a year old as his teeth were so clean.  Only thing is, Gomez's teeth never accumulated plaque or tartar in the 11 years I had him.  So it was entirely possible that he was as many as 5-6 years old when he came to me.  If that was the case, this meant I had a 16 year old cat and while a biopsy could be doable, his loss of weight was a deficit for recovering from this as well.  If it was positive, would I be willing to pay for chemo to keep it at bay?  It really wasn't money, as TD offered to pay for anything I wanted to do.  But I wanted to do what was best for Gomez.  I did not have him biopsied, the vet gave me meds to keep symptoms at bay.  Gomez continued to enjoy life, to eat like a pig and I gave him whatever he wanted to eat.  He continued to lose weight and was down to 4 lbs.  He was skin and bones, had no muscle mass and couldn't even jump down from my lap, I had to raise and lower him down.  But he was still Gomez, he still tussled with Gizzy, got his treats, purred when cuddled and continued to boss Gizzy around.

One day, he refused to eat.  He was done.  I made an appointment at the vet and had him euthanized that day.  It broke my heart, and not only was I bawling at the appointment, the vet and her staff were bawling too.  

However, with Harpo we spent $5000 to save his eye.  The first months after that surgery were rough and he had already lost one eye.  However, once he had the surgery he had a good 2-3 years afterwards and a downhill slide of about 6 months.  That surgery was rough, in that we had to keep the dog sedated for 23 hours of the day in order to get his eye to heal without him damaging the surgeon's work.  It meant that each time he roused from the meds, he ate, drank, went out to do his business then was dosed again.  For him, having that eye surgery was a QOL decision.  

[weltschmerz]

I befriended an elderly woman who had a cat.....that was a constant companion and the love of her life. Well, Raffi got pancreatic cancer.  She did everything possible to save his life....IVs, subcutaneous hydration, forced feeding,etc. The vet gave him a 15-20% chance.
How that poor cat suffered! He screamed constantly, wide-eyed with pain and confusion. Of course, he died. I was horrified, and she still feels guilty for the measures she took to save her baby.
When my cat's quality of life goes down, I'm taking him to the vet to be released from his mortal coil. I would never put him through that.

[Malarky]

I recently put down our 20 year old cat.  She was one of 2 from the same litter that we had since she was 6 months old.  

Her sister died 6 years ago.  She had been diagnosed with thyroid problems and the medication made her throw up every single day. It was making her miserable.  We tried it for a while but eventually decided that we would stop the medication and if she seemed distressed, we would make the decision and put her out of her misery. She perked up once the medicine stopped. She died quietly in her sleep a few months later.  

The 20 year old lost a lot of weight suddenly last spring. She had always been traumatized by vet visits.  Enough so that we stopped taking her at 17.  We babied her, and spoiled her and loved her until it was clear that she was weak and in distress.  There is no way to explain surgery and medication to an elderly animal.  She just wanted to be cuddled and that's what we did for her.

I had a vet come to the house.  One she didn't know.  It still breaks my heart that I did that, but I know it was for the best.  I still cry when I think about it and I miss her like crazy but I did the right thing.

[Opti]

Nov 17, 2020 13:18:19 GMT -5 The Walk of the Penguin Mich said:

I really do not think that there is a straightforward answer to anything, especially when you do not have a concrete diagnosis.

My cat Gomez started losing weight.  He was eating well, and had lost nearly 2 lbs by the time I noticed (11-9 lbs).  Vet did bloodwork, came back normal.  She just said to try to get calories into him, so I started a campaign to get calories into him.  He got chopped up chicken thighs (skin and fat included) as much as he wanted.  He still ate his normal cat chow.  He got a couple syringes of kitten milk each day.  He continued to lose weight, despite everything.  He didn't act sick at all, he was perfectly fine other than losing weight.  Vet referred me to another doctor, who did an ultrasound of his gut.  Vet saw inflammation, possible dessimated lymphoma of the gut but they could not tell unless he was biopsied.

This was the problem.  I had Gomez 11 years and got him as an adult cat.  The vet assumed he was about a year old as his teeth were so clean.  Only thing is, Gomez's teeth never accumulated plaque or tartar in the 11 years I had him.  So it was entirely possible that he was as many as 5-6 years old when he came to me.  If that was the case, this meant I had a 16 year old cat and while a biopsy could be doable, his loss of weight was a deficit for recovering from this as well.  If it was positive, would I be willing to pay for chemo to keep it at bay?  It really wasn't money, as TD offered to pay for anything I wanted to do.  But I wanted to do what was best for Gomez.  I did not have him biopsied, the vet gave me meds to keep symptoms at bay.  Gomez continued to enjoy life, to eat like a pig and I gave him whatever he wanted to eat.  He continued to lose weight and was down to 4 lbs.  He was skin and bones, had no muscle mass and couldn't even jump down from my lap, I had to raise and lower him down.  But he was still Gomez, he still tussled with Gizzy, got his treats, purred when cuddled and continued to boss Gizzy around.

One day, he refused to eat.  He was done.  I made an appointment at the vet and had him euthanized that day.  It broke my heart, and not only was I bawling at the appointment, the vet and her staff were bawling too.  

However, with Harpo we spent $5000 to save his eye.  The first months after that surgery were rough and he had already lost one eye.  However, once he had the surgery he had a good 2-3 years afterwards and a downhill slide of about 6 months.  That surgery was rough, in that we had to keep the dog sedated for 23 hours of the day in order to get his eye to heal without him damaging the surgeon's work.  It meant that each time he roused from the meds, he ate, drank, went out to do his business then was dosed again.  For him, having that eye surgery was a QOL decision.  

TY for your story. The bolded is typical for lizards who are dying or want to go. I bawled when my bearded dragon, AJ, decided it was time. I cried and apologized for not having money to let him go right then. He was an old man lizard around 19 yrs old. I always thought I'd know when he died as I had him from when he was 6 to 9 mos. old. I didn't. I know he didn't want me to cry, and he was ready to go. He did not decompose or show outward signs he was dead either. I had a female beard dragon that died from the stress of being egg bound and in too low temps. Organ failure was obvious within a couple hours. AJ. Nothing. I was terrified to bury him too, because I didn't want to bury him unless he was definitely dead.

[Opti]

Nov 17, 2020 14:26:06 GMT -5 weltschmerz said:

I befriended an elderly woman who had a cat.....that was a constant companion and the love of her life. Well, Raffi got pancreatic cancer.  She did everything possible to save his life....IVs, subcutaneous hydration, forced feeding,etc. The vet gave him a 15-20% chance.
How that poor cat suffered! He screamed constantly, wide-eyed with pain and confusion. Of course, he died. I was horrified, and she still feels guilty for the measures she took to save her baby.
When my cat's quality of life goes down, I'm taking him to the vet to be released from his mortal coil. I would never put him through that.

Its so hard to know what to do though and sometimes its emotional. The death of my water dragon and the process of it still gives me nightmares. I have no idea what happened, but I think it was a brain tumor. I could tell it wouldn't get better, but then again, no funds for the vet. I am not as tough as you, and just could not put him under the car tire and do it that way. The last night I gave up controlling the process and brought him into my bedroom. (His cage was in the LR) I had him on a towel and laid him nearby so I could untwist him after spasms that twisted him into a pretzel. I often wonder if whatever it was, is what Lewis Clark the explorer toad died of? (Young toad, stopped eating, found dead in a twisted pretzel position).

He finally passed sometime that night after a couple days of torture that I could not stop or lessen. Make me cry just remembering it.

[countrygirl2]

Black had been going down for awhile. She would still set on me and purr. But she ate and ate, I tried every food I could think of and she just kept losing weight. And she drank water by the quarts and peed until she must have hurt. She wasn't very big anyway. She had thyroid issues and I think other. But she was 21 years old. Hubs and I said one day, this is enough, he said you don't want her to keep suffering do you? The vet had said it was coming even if I took measures, she was just so old. So I had her euthanized, she had trouble finding a vein, it was agonizing. At first she sat there very nicely and serene, I felt so bad, but after several times finding it, she was getting upset. I stayed it bothered me but I had to get it done. I loved that little thing. 

Ended up with these kittens I missed her so. I hope I don't outlive them, don't want anyone to mistreat them.  Maybe son and wife will take them if I'm gone.

 

[CCL]

I feel for you. I'm going thru similar issues with my dog. It's so hard to figure out what to do for them.

[adela76]

Thanks everyone for the stories.  It definitely made me feel less alone.  I'm still not sure what I'm going to do.  But I don't have to make any decisions today.

I did do some research on in-home euthanasia services in my area.  One of them offered a consultation service, just to talk through scenarios/options, which I might try if I'm not able to get the info/support I want from my vet.  She's very nice, but she's probably 30 years old at most (from her voice, I haven't met her face-to-face because of COVID), and maybe she doesn't have the work/life experience yet.      

[thyme4change]

I genrrally let my cats go with minor intervention. If it is something that can be "fixed" - I do that, but if it is just a lot of money to extend their life by weeks or months, I let nature happen.

[Cookies Galore]

I am currently struggling with the decision to put down my 20-year-old cat. She was my high school graduation present and I'm now 39, so she has been my constant for literally my entire adult life. I know the time is near and she lived a great life, but damn is it a struggle. She is currently on gabapentin and amlodipine. Both are compounded into chicken flavored liquid, so expensive but worth it. These meds are the extent to what I will do to keep her comfortable.

A friend of mine who fosters (adopted my two tripod cats from her) also does a lot of hospice fostering and she sent me this video the other day to help me. It's long at 34 minutes, but there's a lot of helpful info in it.

[TheOtherMe]

I have always had my cats euthanized.  I will not let them suffer through a natural death.

[thyme4change]

Nov 18, 2020 10:15:02 GMT -5 Cookies Galore said:

I am currently struggling with the decision to put down my 20-year-old cat. She was my high school graduation present and I'm now 39, so she has been my constant for literally my entire adult life. I know the time is near and she lived a great life, but damn is it a struggle. She is currently on gabapentin and amlodipine. Both are compounded into chicken flavored liquid, so expensive but worth it. These meds are the extent to what I will do to keep her comfortable.

A friend of mine who fosters (adopted my two tripod cats from her) also does a lot of hospice fostering and she sent me this video the other day to help me. It's long at 34 minutes, but there's a lot of helpful info in it.

When my 20 year old died, I was a frigging mess. She also went down fighting. I took her in twice, and turned around and brought her home because she didn't seem ready. On the third time, even though the adrenalin of being out of the house gave her a boost of attitude, I powered through and let her go. She took the shot standing up - like a boss.

I feel you. 💔

[snapdragon]

When it was time for me to take my last cat I brought out her carrier and I opened the door. She looked at me and I told her it was her choice. If she got in the carrier I would take her to the vet's -- she looked at me cocked her head a bit and walked into the carrier and laid down. She was ready to go so I took her and she was put to sleep. Unbeknownst to me she had been having seizures and other issues so she was ready -- past ready possibly. I bawled my eyes out but I know it was for the best.  

I had to use a different vet because I had not taken her to the regular on for the last few years and they refused. I ended up taking her the the vet's inside of a pet store. What a horrible experience of having to walk back through the store with all the animals. That still gets to me.

[Deleted]

I’ve been lucky in a sense that the decision was clear cut and obvious and they seemingly have “let me know” with their looks and mannerisms. Always lived by the rule if the quality of life isn’t there I’m not keeping them around so I don’t feel sad at losing them.

[Tiny]

I, too, have elderly cats with some health issues. I, too, have had to make difficult decisions in the past with prior cats (I truly hope The Annoying Little Animal forgives me for trying so long to fix his suffering).  I will not put a cat thru days or weeks of discomfort/pain that will not end and disrupts their daily routines.   (my cats sleep - alot - but they move from sunny spot to sunny spot from cat bed to cat bed during the day.  They watch for the mailman.  They watch for the dogwalkers going by.  They eat on a schedule of sorts.  We all go to bed at the same time every night.  We have a morning routine.  They like to play/get pets in the afternoon and in the evening before they have 'dinner".  ) 

I know that my local vets will NOT talk about end of life decisions for your pet with out you first mentioning it/talking about it/asking about it.

My local vets will almost always suggest the "best possible" ways to solve the pets problems (no matter what the cost) or it will effect the pet (pain? good out come? quality of life/length of life). It's up to me to question the choices and ask the tough questions.

The OP's list sounds a bit like what my vet(s) would have suggested:

Today, the vet talked to me about all these things:
-abdominal surgery to remove the cyst
-GI biopsy for thickening of the walls of the small intestine - could be IBD or lymphoma
-starting a course of steroids to reduce inflammation

I have a predetermined "rule" that my elderly (12-13 or older) are not having any sort of major surgery. I would ask about other ways to keep the animal comfortable and what signs to look for to indicate it's time for the last trip to the vet.

I will not do sub q fluids again for a cat with CRF. I might do it for the first crisis - but I would mostly be preparing myself for the final goodbye when the fluids are discontinued and the second crisis comes.

So, with your list - I would be asking if there is some other way to deal with the cyst - I would take a pass on the GI biopsy. I am good with pilling cats so I would investigate seriously the course of steriods (and possibly changing my pets food).

I would start coming up with a plan for the next time your cat is obvious pain/discomfort. What will trigger the last trip to the vet.

(I currently have a cat with IBD that has been taking steroids for 2 years. I did change his food, and I have backed down the dosage - and he has been steady on the food and dosage for the last year. He only shows discomfort/distress if I change his food OR if I mess up the schedule for his pills (he gets 1 full pill, a day off, 1/2 a pill, a day off and repeat.) If he goes more than 48 hours between doses - he starts to not feel so good (restless, no naps, barfy, not eating but asking for food). I tried to cut him back to all 1/2 pills - but then he was uncomfortable all the time (restless but napping, maybe a barf, asking for food taking a bite and leaving it).
He's pretty happy with the pill routine. He cooperates fully.

then I have the feral house cat - she too would be better off if I could get an antacid into her on a daily basis and maybe some of the steriod (both prescribed by the vet - not sure what's wrong with her but she's uncomfortable for short periods of time). I can only get pills in her when she's really feeling bad - as that is the only time I can catch her. She recovers from the episode and is fine for a week or two. it's not her kidneys. I can't get close to her when she's feeling well. She's sort of feral. My "last trip to the vet" trigger for her is - she has an episode, I get pills in her - she isn't showing improvement in 24 hours - it's time for the last visit. If she showed improvement but is still not well 48 hours later - it's time for the last visit.

I've found that having made some sort of decision or having some benchmarks to be helpful - because I'm not sure I can make a rational clear decision in the actual moment when I have a suffering cat who I suddenly think there's hope for - because it feels hopeful because I've forgotten the history OR I'm trying to sort out the pros and cons at such a distressing emotional time.

You will make the right decision. Your cats love you (even when they don't show it) and they rely on you.

[Tiny]

And for cysts... on cats... I've survived 3 cysts (on different cats). If they drain they are icky, gooey, and stinking. You should be able to cope with this at home. Ask the vet what you can do when it happens.

My cats cysts always seemed to drain - at night, in bed. And usually on a Saturday night or the night before a Holiday (so a trip to the vet would have been an "emergency visit"). I managed to deal with the cyst (and the icky -ness) at home. The cyst drained and dried and healed on their own. No visit to the vet. And the cats were none the worse for wear. It was like nothing had happened. (well, one crybaby was upset that their perfect fur was gooey - and what was that smell! and omg- you are the human - FIX THIS NOW! lol)

(I did have some instruction/idea for what to do).

[Cookies Galore]

I have an appointment later this afternoon with a vet from Lap of Love. My precious baby will be put down at home with me, hubs, and her two cat brothers by her side. She's currently sleeping on my lap. I'm trying not to get sick. I know I've made the right choice but it's still so hard. Her little body is failing her.

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

Nov 25, 2020 13:04:27 GMT -5 Cookies Galore said:

I have an appointment later this afternoon with a vet from Lap of Love. My precious baby will be put down at home with me, hubs, and her two cat brothers by her side. She's currently sleeping on my lap. I'm trying not to get sick. I know I've made the right choice but it's still so hard. Her little body is failing her.

[thyme4change]

Nov 25, 2020 13:04:27 GMT -5 Cookies Galore said:

I have an appointment later this afternoon with a vet from Lap of Love. My precious baby will be put down at home with me, hubs, and her two cat brothers by her side. She's currently sleeping on my lap. I'm trying not to get sick. I know I've made the right choice but it's still so hard. Her little body is failing her.

😪 The last hours of my old cat, I carried her around everywhere, or she sat on my lap. I took her to work, I took her when I went to the bathroom, I just couldn't not be with her.

[TheOtherMe]

Nov 25, 2020 13:04:27 GMT -5 Cookies Galore said:

I have an appointment later this afternoon with a vet from Lap of Love. My precious baby will be put down at home with me, hubs, and her two cat brothers by her side. She's currently sleeping on my lap. I'm trying not to get sick. I know I've made the right choice but it's still so hard. Her little body is failing her.

It doesn't matter if you know it's the right thing to do, it IS so hard.  

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

Nov 25, 2020 13:47:30 GMT -5 TheOtherMe said:

Nov 25, 2020 13:04:27 GMT -5 Cookies Galore said:

I have an appointment later this afternoon with a vet from Lap of Love. My precious baby will be put down at home with me, hubs, and her two cat brothers by her side. She's currently sleeping on my lap. I'm trying not to get sick. I know I've made the right choice but it's still so hard. Her little body is failing her.

It doesn't matter if you know it's the right thing to do, it IS so hard.