| Title: | Meower Power is Valuing Differences |
| Notice: | FELINE_V1 is moving 1/11/94 5pm PST to MISERY |
| Moderator: | MISERY::VANZUYLEN_RO |
| Created: | Sun Feb 09 1986 |
| Last Modified: | Tue Jan 11 1994 |
| Last Successful Update: | Fri Jun 06 1997 |
| Number of topics: | 5089 |
| Total number of notes: | 60366 |
I am heartbroken and feel so guilty. I made the decision and signed
the papers last night to have Buddy euthanized. I have written many
other topics in here in the last couple of years about Buddy's problem
with UTI infections. Well we went on vacation 2 weeks ago and because
of Buddy's problems we boarded him and Shadow(whos always been healthy)
with the vet who was familiar with his problems. We were not gone a
week and we got a call from the vet, Buddy was stressed out, he quit
eating was vomiting really bad and was dehydrated. The vomiting was
due to hairballs. He hardly ever vomited when he was home so I don't
have any ideas as to why he would start vomiting hairballs while being
boarded. So they started him on fluids and some laxatone which would
help the hairballs. When I picked him up last weekend from the vets he
really looked bad, but the vet said that he was a lot better off than
he was earlier in the week. Well, I took him home and he really looked
bad, and he started to look worse. Then to top it off, he started
urinating in my kitchen again right next to his food bowls. Well, I
called the vet up and told them about Buddy urinating out of the
box.....again. Well she said to bring him back in and they would take a
urine sample to see if it was a UTI infection again. We did and he
didn't have UTI he had DIABETES........ His sugar levels were
extremely high. The vet said that the stress of boarding him was
probably the cause of his onset of diabetes. Well, I immediately did a
search of all the notes in the feline topics and read all about the
care of a diabetic cat. A diabetic cat is a high maintenance cat, and
if he was my only responsibility in life, I would have had no problem
with trying to take care of him, but...... I have a 4 year old
daughter, a house to maintain, and another cat to think of also, not to
mention having to work. Besides that Buddy is an extremely sensitive
cat to any changes and I truly feel that the stress of daily insulin
shots along with periodic isolation to be able to get urine for urine
test and periodically going back to the vets office for overnight stays
for urine tests would have been too much for him. I truly feel that
this was the best thing for him. I kept looking to see if I could
find a best case scenario on giving him the insulin shots and him
getting better with time, but all I could see was that every time we
had to lock Buddy in a room with a litter box so we could check his
urine, he would think he was abandoned and become stressed out. What
would happen if he were to have an insulin reaction and went into a
coma while I was at work, I couldn't live with that either.
Goodbye Buddy, I love you and I'm sorry......
| T.R | Title | User | Personal Name | Date | Lines |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4783.1 | JUPITR::KAGNO | To cats, all things belong to cats | Thu Jul 11 1991 13:57 | 17 | |
Please don't feel guilty about your decision for Buddy. Only you know
what is best for your pet and can make the proper decisions for it. I
think what you were trying to tell us is that it's the quality of life
that's important, not necessarily the quantity. My Nikki is getting on
in years and he is also a very sensitive cat who reacts adversely to
stress. He literally panics. If a life-threatening or
life-maintaining illness ever struck him someday I know I would have to
make a similar decision. It's a hard thing to do but I spent so many
years socializing Nikki and bringing him out of his shell it would hurt
to see him revert back into it. He'd lose his dignity and that would
upset me.
Your note brought tears to my eyes. My Buddy rest in peace and his
memories will always be with you.
--Roberta
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| 4783.2 | Don't Feel Guilty | ICS::DOWD | Thu Jul 11 1991 15:18 | 21 | |
Please don't feel guilty about your decision. I was in a similar
situation several years ago. My cat a Leukemia. I did my best to take
care of him for as long as I could, but I reached a point where when I
had to separate him from my other cat, watch his diet and change his
whole routine, it became to much. Just the thought that I might be
causing him more pain upset me tremendously. The hardest thing I ever
had to do was to decide whether to euthanize him or to try and continue
treatments and hope for the best.
I made the decision to euthanize him. I cried every night for 5 weeks
and slept with his picture under my pillow. The guilt was aweful. But
as time passed, I realized the he (Trouble) was at peace and that I had
done the right thing. I now look back and remember the good times and
and the joy he brought me.
I believe your doing the right thing, you don't want him to suffer.
Many hugs...
Karen
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| 4783.3 | "Quality is what counts" | ODIXIE::BANTEKAS | Thu Jul 11 1991 15:36 | 31 | |
Reading your note brought me back to making the same decision. I had a
stray we adopted and tamed. Named her "Chiggar" cause she got under
your skin (like a chiggar bite). Loved me to extremes..stayed by my
side, in my lap, under my feet, etc. washed my face, slept on my
pillow with a paw on my cheek...beautiful grey fluff with pale green
eyes. Started using my living room carpet as her litter box..Trip to
vet and he said to try changing litter every day, putting an extra
litter box in living room,..all the things we could think of to correct
what I thought was just an "I don't like litter box" problem...then
noticed when I picked her up she felt a little lighter..then I noticed
the water dish needed refilling more often (hard to tell with two cats)..
Back to the vet who was horrified at what the tests told him...a blood
sugar high enough to probably cause brain damage...he went through all
the possibilities of insulin, the daily testing, always having cat with
you or someone to observe because of insulin reaction, on..and on...
I read all the notes I could find here and although I saw that some
people managed it, I felt that it was an indignity this wonderful friend
should not have to bear. (I already have two labs with problems, one
old blind female (not a candidate for surgery) and her puppy (age 8)
with epilepsy)...I discussed this with my husband and he agreed it was
my decision as Chiggar had become "my" cat.. he elected to go
to vets and hold Chiggar and make sure Chiggar felt loved in her last
moments..(I guess I should have gone but by this time I was almost a
basket case)..I feel now, after 8 or more months it was the right
decision. We now have another adopted stray named "Figaro" who seems
to be developing all the habits I loved in Chiggar..still not trusting
enough to sleep on the bed but will curl up on the bureau to watch to
see when I stir..then its up on the bed for a good headrub and "is it
time to get up?" I've had cats all my life and probably always will.
And I hope I can always put them and their quality of life first...I
feel you have done just that...
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| 4783.4 | we are sorry too | PARITY::DENISE | And may the traffic be with you | Thu Jul 11 1991 22:32 | 4 |
Many of us in this file have had to make similar decisions. As
long as you feel in your heart it was for the best, don't feel guilty.
condolences Denise and the gang of 10
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| 4783.5 | CRUISE::NDC | Putiput Scottish Folds DTN:297-2313 | Tue Jul 23 1991 09:22 | 11 | |
It is obvious that you've made this painful decision out of LOVE for
Buddy and not because its what you found convenient. One of the
hardest things we ever do is to let go of someone or something we
love because its the best thing for them.
I have added Buddy's name to the Silver Lining Memorial List. A
request has been made to send the donations this quarter to the
Robert Winn Foundation. Perhaps they are sponsoring some research
into diabetes.
With deepest sympathy
Nancy DC
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