Kitty, our kittycat

[chuck72]

Hi folks, (this a long post)
I am brand new here on the forums. Thx for being here and letting us join. Our kitty "Kitty" came to us 3 months ago. She is an angel: she slept in our bed; was always ready to play; ate like a horse; could jump up at least 6 feet; she was crazy athletic; she would like me to scratch her ears until I had to switch arms; she would fall asleep in my or my wife's lap with her head in our hands; she would wait patiently until we got up on the weekends; she slept on my wife's chest in bed with her whiskers touching my wife's face; she would give us love bites. She is a big beautiful Norwegian forest cat. You get it - she is our perfect little friend.

3 weeks ago we had her vaccinated. Coincidence or what we will never know, but since then she has deteriorated rapidly. She stopped eating about a week ago and her stomach has swollen to a very horrible, uncomfortable size. She has retreated to her safe spot in the house. We just got her test results and she has malignant cancer - lympho-sarcoma.

We have choices from the vet. They can do an ultrasound and a needle-aspiration of the tumor and if it is blocking her intestines they will operate and take it out. Then she will be on steroids. Her best prognosis is 3 months. With chemo she has a possibility of living 2-3 years. They do chemo once a week in hazmat suits. Her trip to the vet. was terrifying. She is tough, but hearing her cry out in fear at the vet. is horrible for us, but she is what matters. We are thinking that more vet visits or chemo might be the right choice for others, but we have decided for our Kitty it would be cruel. I don't want to put anyone down for going w/treatment. With different circumstances we would, too.

She is in her nice warm house surrounded by her toys and her favorite music. She is on pain meds and they have made her more comfortable. She is so emaciated now.

While Kitty still has some dignity and the pain meds are still working we will probably go through with euthanasia tomorrow. I would rather burn than make that decision. She can still drink on her own and get to the litter box. She can still walk by and ignore me - like the queen of the house has a right to do. I will bawl like a baby after she moves on - tomorrow we will play and laugh just like old times and make her last moments as pleasant as possible.

Nobody here knows me, but I thank you for reading this in our Kitty's honor. I will be making a website for her and I will come back and post a link to it. I don't know if we will have any more pets. I had doggies and kitties growing up, but this was my wife's first and honest - those 2 bonded like mother and daughter. We only had her 3 months, but she added so much happiness to our lives... Take care folks...

[cooncatbob]

Last May my beloved Maine Coon Cat Samantha was stricken with cancer 5 days after her 16th birthday, ultrasound scans reveled tumors around her spleen and in her intestines.
Surgery would be extensive and would have provided only a little more time at best.
I couldn't put my beloved friend through this ordeal at her advanced age so I made the choice and she died in her Papa's arms.
We'd been inseparable for for 15 1/2 year and I was and am devastated.
My remaining cat Little Chiquita has been a blessing, if I hadn't had her I would have gotten another cat.
I know as do many people here how much it hurt to loose that special friend, they give us so much love and joy.
I believe we honor their memory when we open our hearts and our homes to another little one who needs someone like us.
They can't take the place of those that have departed but if given the chance can make their own place in our hearts and in our homes.

[Lenkolas]

Hi Chuck,

I am very, very sorry...hang in there, a warm hug for you and your wife, you are doing the best for your little one. She was luckier than many other cats; she knew the love of a family.

Love

[shan841]

Chuck,
I am so sorry to hear. I hope you saw my post in your other thread, i can really relate to what you are going through here. Feel free to send me a pm if you need someone to talk to. Stay strong.

-shannon

[JulieC]

I am so sorry.

[jodi]

I am so sorry. I think you're doing the right thing. The first time I had to go through euthanasia I swore I would never have another pet. It took a long time for me to accept another pet but I've had cats & dogs since. One day, about 18 years ago, another stray cat came to my house & adopted me. She's still here but I know the end is near. It never gets easier to lose our babies. You will be in our thoughts.

[yingying]

Many hugs to you
Though it is a tough decision but you did the right thing. Kitty will be at a better place where there is no pain.

[$hAzZa]

Sorry to hear that ((hugs)) xx

[LilRed]

I am so so sorry. So unfair. I'm thankful though that Kitty was able to find her way to you & your wife and the obviously deep love you have for her. I wish for you strength and peace. And I hope some time in the future there is another kitty who is lucky enough to be yours.

[October]

I'm so sorry. What a cruel blow, that you've had her for such a short time and are already having to make these types of decisions. I had a similar thing happen -- a cat we had for 2 years, my first cat ever, who died at the age of 3 due to epilepsy.

We all know that you get hugely attached to them within 5 minutes of them being in your house, so please know we understand completely how much you love her in these 3 months you've had.

It's such an awful blow. I'm not sure how we all take it on the chin and keep coming back for more, but somehow we do. I look forward to seeing the web site.