Going to lose another one...

[LastingLight]

Less than a week after we said goodbye to our young boycat the vet told me today that the time has come for my old boy as well. Creatinine is high, potassium is low and he is anaemic. I'm gutted. He was diagnosed with chronic kidney disease 3 years ago so he has been living on borrowed time but I really hoped it won't be so soon after the youngster... Old boy has been with me through so much. The vet said just come drop him off in the morning but I could never do that, he deserves for me to be there. I will ask DH to come too, I can't face it alone. Now it's a case of making the call of when his quality of life is no longer acceptable. It is so, so hard...

[cozietoesie]

Darling Twoago had CKD so I feel for you, Lasting. How old is he?

[chockbic]

That is heartbreaking, sorry x

[LastingLight]

He is 15. May I be soppy and tell you all about him?

11 Years ago I had just come through a bout of depression and I decided that I'm finally grown up enough to have a cat of my own. (Previous ones have always belonged to my parents. I was 31 at the time... what can I say, I'm a late bloomer!) I didn't want a kitten as I worked the whole day and felt that a kitten would need more company. The local vets' receptionist told me about someone who was trying to rehome an adult cat because he just turned up on their doorstep one day and didn't get on with their other cats. And that is how I came to be owned by Mozart. He was approximately 4 years old. He was a big cat, 5kg or so. He was scared of children and of some men... excellent judge of character though as he was quite happy with my dad and brother, but couldn't stand my psycho neighbour.

3 Years later I expected him to integrate into a household with a man (who he luckily liked), a 3 year old and 2 other cats. It was hard for him, but he did it for me. Now he sleeps on my daughter's bed and the other day, for the first time in 8.6 years, we saw him curled up with grey girl.

And now I'm going to post pics, possibly lots, whether you want to see them or not.

[Rainicorn]

What a handsome boy Mozart is.

Sorry you've got to make this heartbreaking decision op.

[cozietoesie]

He's wonderful.

[fackinell]

Oh thank you for sharing your story. I will have to try and remember my PW to go on PC and look at the pics though (although it will make me so sad to see him knowing what he's going through )

Is there really no hope? I'm so sorry you lost your younger one too. I know how utterly heartbreaking it is having been through it a few times. I still get upset over my Bobo boy.

[LastingLight]

Here he is supervising a game of Risk and studying one of my psychology textbooks.

Fackinell, no, nothing more they can do for him. He's been on medication for 3 years now... every night I give him 3 pills and potassium gel and he patiently lets me. All the vets can do is put him on a drip for a day, sort of like dialysis, but it will only make him feel better for a short while and I'm not putting him through that trauma.

[cozietoesie]

Yes. It's so so hard.

[Oakmaiden]

He reminds me of my Pol. I miss my Pol. I am so sorry.

[Fluffycloudland77]

He's quite gorgeous. I'm so sorry, your cats are having the worst luck.

[MedusaIsHavingaBadHairday]

I'm sorry, he is such a beautiful boy. But he has had a loving life with you, and you are right to let him go if the vet says it is time...

I was kissing my boy's nose at the moment he was pts and it was very peaceful.

[isitsnowingyet]

He's gorgeous. So sorry

[PinkSparklyElephant]

He's a gorgeous boy. I'm so sorry

[fackinell]

I agree with you totally, LastingLight. My beautiful boy had pleural effusion and and enlarged heart. He had some kind of neurological issue the night before he was PTS and he couldn't focus or hold himself steady. I hand fed him his favourite meal of sardines in tomato sauce before we left.

I ran from the room and couldn't be there at the end, I so regret this. DP was with him but I was too distraught. I can't look at your beautiful boys pics on my phone, I get very emotional over kitties so I maybe best not go on PC, but treasure your last night with him.

I'm so sorry (unmumsnetty hug and )

[LastingLight]

Thank you everybody, and for the hug fackinell. (What is mn's problem with hugs anyway?) We won't take him in tomorrow, we will give it a few days and maybe do it over the weekend. DD is very upset... it's now an hour past bedtime and she is still tearful and complaining of stomach ache and headache.

[timtam23]

I'm so sorry LastingLight, he is gorgeous

He is so similar to my old boycat who had to be put to sleep a few months ago, I have a real soft spot for ginger cats

for you and some gentle strokes for Mozart

[LuisSuarezTeeth]

Oh fuck I'm sorry Lasting

Been where you are too many times - I've been blessed with feline friends who will NOT give up. Your old boy has a look that mine did.

I'm so sorry, it hurts like hell.

x

[Drania]

& OP. It's lovely that he has gotten to share his life with you, I'm sure he couldn't have been happier.

[crazynanna]

So sorry

[MrsMinton]

Lasting I'm so sorry it's happening and so soon after losing your other little cat. Mozart is beautiful and he's been lucky to have an owner who loves him as much as you do. Thank you for sharing his story and photos.

[fackinell]

Oh is Mozart a ginger? I definitely can't bring myself look at his pic then. My boy was ginger too and I have another ginger rascal now. They're fabulous cats.

Your poor DD, it must be so difficult for her to understand. Your post has really got to me. And I have no idea what is wrong with hugs either. We can be huggy if we like!!

[cozietoesie]

Your Pol was lovely, Oakmaiden. Reminds me of The Lodger except that he is more square faced. Was Pol a girl?

[Oakmaiden]

Pol was a boy. Short for Apollo. Except he didn't have the dignity to carry that off. He was the best cat ever. Present company excepted, of course...

[cozietoesie]

A gorgeous lad then. I'd guess he's playing on the other side.

[LastingLight]

Oakmaiden, Pol was beautiful.

I was just remembering this morning... When Mozart was younger he was an enthusiastic cleaner of humans. He would wash our hands, our arms, our faces if we let him... and DH's head after he had a haircut!

DD woke up from nightmares in the middle of the night and is very pale this morning. But she is already campaigning for a kitten. I don't know, won't that be very tough on our two girl cats who are now 10 and 11? Or will a kitten be easier to integrate than Minus was as he was already a year old and had a very strong personality.