i took my cat casey to the vet, she is female and 8 yrs old. they did bloodwork on her and i will know the results tomorrow. I took her in as over the last month, she got real skinny where you can now say she is empaciated. she use to throw up a lot, over the last month she stopped. she eats a little here and there, she meowns for her food which the vet says is a good sign. she is deyhdrated so they put fluids in her...they felt a mass under her belly(that i am worried about) but they do not know if it is cancer without xrays. the vet visit already cost me 160. 00 so i would rather wait to see what the bloodwork says tomorrow before i go ahead with xrays. When i told my sister what happened, she said don't get x-rays, her lab simba has a bunch of masses all over. my kitty is home with me now. This kitty used to be my mother's cat and my mom died suddenly at 64 in jan so i would be distraught, me and my 8 yr old daughter if i lost the cat2. what would u do?
2006-09-11 05:15:00 · 13 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pets ➔ Cats
I really feel for you. This is a horrible situation to be in, and I hope it works out for you. There might be something the vets can do if it is serious, but try to think of the cat. If they have bad news for you and nothing can be done, take her best interests into account. Too many people will make an animal suffer during its last days because they can't handle letting the animal go. Don't make her suffer. Allow her to be euthanized if this is the best solution. It will be hard, but you can be assured that she will be happier after her suffering is over. But, if there is treatment, do what you can. Sadly, her fate is in the hands of just that... fate. Good luck.
2006-09-11 05:21:43 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
I am so sorry for the loss of your mother. I own four cats and a Pom which I "adopted" after my Dad passed away; so I know how you feel that extra connection to the pet that was your Moms. I would wait until I got the results of the bloodwork back, before deciding what to do next. I do not know what you are willing to spend on the cat for other tests; but that is a personal decision and you will have to search your heart for that answer. It does sound as if she may be depressed, which would be a reasonable thought with the loss of your Mom being so recent. Animals will mourn, and will grieve in their own way. My Shelbie (the Pom) spent a lot of time going from room to room looking for my Dad, and would even run to the door if she heard a car going by that she thought was his. If the cat is not feeling well, it is more prudent to take the tests slowly, as that is pretty upsetting for an animal as well, just think how much we agonize about necessary doctors appointments ourselves? The mass under her stomach could be just a fatty tumor; I had a Lab who lived to be 17 and she had fatty tumors for about 10 years, which never caused her any harm. If the vet thinks that it is a cancerous tumor, that is a different story. If the cat has been in good health up until this time, chances are she is grieving and will be fine. If she was not eating at all, it would be more worrisome. Best of luck with the bloodwork results. I will say a prayer for you and your daughter also.
2006-09-11 05:37:42 · answer #2 · answered by Sue F 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'm so sorry about your mom and your cat. It's very nice that you took over caring for this kitty. I bet she was very special to your mom. Believe it or not, this cat may miss your mother very much. Pets mourn and feel depression too. And sometimes, when our mental health is poor, our physical health is put at risk as well. To honor your mother's memory you should do what she would have done in the same situation. You can wait for the blood work, but an x-ray may still be an important part of the diagnostic process. And maybe you would find out that it's something that can be easily treated with a full recovery. 8 years old is not that old for a cat. A cat can easily live 18-20 years. Yes, it can be expensive but I'm sure your vet would work out a payment plan for you. Animal lovers are generally very compassionate people. You may also want to consider having some kind of a "benefit" for the cat. It sounds silly, but you'd be surprised at how many friends, family and neighbors might be willing to help. Consider having a bake sale or a yard sale. Have your friends join in. If they cannot donate cash, have them bake something for your bake sale. Do you have a special cookie recipe? People would easily pay $2 for a scrumptious cookie that cost you less than $1 to bake. Talk to your daughter's school about allowing her to sell some baked goods at a school event or gathering.
I hope it's nothing too serious. My prayers are with you.
2006-09-11 07:35:42 · answer #3 · answered by Alleycat 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I would wait and see what the bloodwork brings back. You may find that it's something different, treatable or (unfortunately) terminal. Casey is still pretty young (cats usually live from 12-15 years), so this may be something she can overcome.
Is Casey spayed? The mass they felt could be a mammary tumor, although the risk for those are reduced if you have had her spayed.
If the bloodwork doesn't give any sort of conclusive results, you may have to shell out the money for x-rays. Talk to your vet and see if you can be put on a payment plan. For now, I would just try to keep Casey warm and comfortable. I know that the decision to let her go is a hard one, but I have read that cats have a long-term memory of about two/three weeks... if Casey is suffering, don't let her last memories be of pain, okay?
Take care of yourself, too.
2006-09-11 05:24:44 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
If you'll have the bloodwork tomorrow, wait for those results. Unfortunately if the vet found a mass, you'll probably need xrays. I had a dog that had bone cancer & after a bazillion tests (it seemed), the vet noticed a swelling. He was immediately xrayed & when those were done, my vet called a veterinary sugeon & neurologist and he went for a biopsy.
It was expensive, but your cat is not only your pet, but has additional sentimental value because of your mother. Most vets will allow you to pay in installments if you ask.
Hopefully, she is just depressed. Give her lots of cuddles and attention. You might try feeding her a little baby food to coax her to eat. Buy several different varieties of food & if she likes one, that could help too.
Good luck!
2006-09-11 05:25:40 · answer #5 · answered by Ragdoll Kitty 4 · 4⤊ 0⤋
The mass could be a hairball that is stuck and blocking her intestinal tract. Or it could be cancer. Or maybe her kidneys are acting up. When my cat (died at the ripe old age of 18) developed similar symptoms it was his thyroid gland acting up. His brother did something similar but died of kidney failure. Don't give up on your baby.
Yes Vets are expensive, but they don't all charge the same amount. And don't ever trust a Vet who says Kitty has this or that without any tests. They are just guessing and would rather not waste the time on a cat. Yes some Vets prefer dogs or horses and some love cats. For some Vets euthanasia is the only solution they have to problems. Steer clear of those kinds.
2006-09-11 05:33:14 · answer #6 · answered by Lola 6 · 2⤊ 1⤋
If it is cancer, will you be able to afford surgery and aftercare? You have to decide beforehand how much you can realistically afford to stick into the cat. I love all my animals and have spent a lot of money on them, for sure, but I also have kids and other financial responsibilities. One of my neighbors spent $18,000 on her dog that got hit by a car.
So wait for the bloodwork. Then ask, how much will the xrays cost? If I get the xrays and it is cancer, will I want the surgery done? What are the chances of survival even with surgery?
I had a kitty who had kidney problems. Because of her age, the cost for treatment, and the amount of pain for the kitty, I had her put down. It was a tough decision and I cried for days. There's no easy cut and dried solution.
I feel for you and your daughter and your kitty. You have to decide to do what is in the best interest of your whole family, and that may be different for you than for another family.
PS If you decide to have the kitty put down, try not to feel guilty about it. I did, but looking back it was the best decision for us.
2006-09-11 05:31:04 · answer #7 · answered by Doe 3 · 2⤊ 1⤋
I would think more of how your cat feels than how you do. I had to put my first cat to sleep the day before Christmas, you can imagine how my holiday went. I couldn't let her lay there, sick and miserble just to suit my feelings. She was fifteen, had severe diabetes and a kidney disorder. The vet said that there was a good chance the insulin wouldn't work. Death is a part of life and your children will find that out evidently.
I know that you don't want your children to have more loss, but if they learn later on that the cat suffered, would it make them feel better? Would it make you feel better? Good luck and I'm very sorry.
2006-09-11 05:34:06 · answer #8 · answered by Elizabeth S 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I am sorry about your Mom & also about your cat. Wait to hear what the vet says about the tests. Have they checked her thyroid? That can be a problem with older cats. If there is a serious underlying problem then the kindest thing would be to have the cat put to sleep, but let's hope it won't come to that. Good Luck
2006-09-11 05:24:46 · answer #9 · answered by Caro 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Wait for the blood test, and if it is cancer, ask the doctor if she is in pain, if she is I would just put her to sleep, if the doctor says that she will have to be on medicine for the rest of her life, think about it, it is sometimes best to just let them go, than to be putting them in so much distress like vet visits all the time and medication too. She might also just miss your mom, cats are like that, they get sick after their owners die. Whatever it is do not let her suffer.
2006-09-11 05:24:36 · answer #10 · answered by Lilly 5 · 2⤊ 1⤋