Not looking forward to tomorrow

[Pixelated]

I am taking my last remaining cat to the vet tomorrow ... and I have a horrible feeling I won't be bringing him home.

[Ironclad Alibi]

My condolences to you if your cat did not make it back home.

[csquared]

Prayers for the kitty.

And for you.

[Kristev]

Is kitty going to be okay?

[Pixelated]

Thank you, guys. Fuzzy Pumpkin did come back home, but it's only temporary. They analyzed the fluid drawn out of his chest and he almost certainly has some kind of cancer, possibly in the lungs.

I took him back in today and his chest was filling up again; the vet drew out more liquid and when I saw the quantity I was horrified. Fuzzy was showing no symptoms so I can only imagine how much fluid must have been present the first time I took him in, when he could hardly breathe. So he is basically in palliative care now -- what he wants, he gets, in terms of food and walkies in the hallway and so on. I doubt he's got more than a week or two left -- maybe three if we're very very lucky, but I wouldn't bet the rent money on it, given how fast the fluid buildup appears to be recurring. Today's vet visit was unexpected; we had one scheduled for next week and yes, they want me to keep it.

I'm not even sure whether to bother continuing to give him his pills. He absolutely hates pills and fights like a madman (madcat?) when I try to give him one ... and it's not as if they're going to do much good. At best they MIGHT slow down the fluid buildup.

I've been trying to decide whether to look into adopting another cat now or waiting until Fuzzy is gone. On the one hand I have always had multi-cat households before ... this will be the first time in longer than I can remember that I will be cat-less once he's gone to where all good kitties go.

On the other hand, I'm thinking that perhaps the last thing he needs is the stress of another animal at this time, and that he should be allowed to go through his final days in peace.

Also, my apartment is desperately in need of a good scrub, and it will be easier if there's just me here. And there is no shortage of adoptable cats in my area (although I would prefer a senior kitty) -- so it's not as if, once my apartment is cleaned up and cleared out, there will be a sudden cat shortage.

[XCashier]

…I'm thinking that perhaps the last thing he needs is the stress of another animal at this time, and that he should be allowed to go through his final days in peace.

Also, my apartment is desperately in need of a good scrub, and it will be easier if there's just me here.

These are very good points. Getting a second cat also means that your attention will be divided. While the silence can be deafening once your kitty has passed, it'll be good to ready your place for a new cat.

Give Fuzzy all the love and attention you can. He deserves it.

[csquared]

I would speak with the doctor about the pills and decide which is the lesser of the evils.

Give Fuzzy some extra scritches for me.

[Pixelated]

Thank you, guys. Extra skritches will be given, for however many days he has left.

csquared: I did ask the vet about his meds and he said "Oh yes, keep giving them." I'm going to try dissolving them in water and using a hypo to give him the liquid; it may be slightly less traumatic for him than trying to shove pills down his throat.

Good point about my divided attention if there's a second cat here, XCashier. The silence will indeed be deafening, but I will remind myself it's only temporary.

[Ironclad Alibi]

You might try grinding or chopping the pills into very small pieces and mix them in with his food.

[Pixelated]

You might try grinding or chopping the pills into very small pieces and mix them in with his food.

I've done that before, with other cats (AND with him): grind the pill and put it into a tiny bit of wet food (tiny, so I can see him eat it all). But Fuzzy's appetite these days is very erratic; sometimes he'll eat pureed food or wet food, other times he only wants kibble-type food. I did dissolve one of the really tiny pills into some water from canned tuna and he devoured that ... but a day or so later he rejected the same thing.