When should I let my cat be put to sleep (kidney failure)

[karyncake]

My lovely 16 year old half maine coon is in the last stages of kidney failure.
He has been losing weight over the past year but apart from persistently weeing in our office he has not shown any signs of being ill. He was a bit quiet for a couple of days and I only realised something was wrong when he he stopped grooming himself and bits of food, poo etc were getting caught in his fur.
After a trip to the vest we found out he is in the last stages of kidney failure. He is on some medication now and we changed his diet which has brought him out from his hiding place under the bed but he doesn't do much more than sit hunched up in various places around the house. He will eat and drink if I hold a bowl up to him and still purrs occasionally when stroked but I just don't know if we are doing the right thing keeping him alive.
This morning he jumped up to sit on my daughters lap and then wee'd all down her legs. He then spent the next 5 hours hunched up in the middle of the carpet.
He still goes to the toilet, still mews at us in the morning for food and still wants to sit on our laps and be stroked.
What signs should I look for to know he is in pain? The vet offered to put him down the day we took him in but the medication he was given seems to have helped him a lot. How quickly does this disease progress?

[DrCoconut]

We had to have our cat PTS a couple of weeks ago. He had been ill and we just knew that day that it was time. What is your deep gut instinct saying?

[VulcanWoman]

I agree with Dr, go with your gut, my Cat looked uncomfortable and miserable, she'd just had enough. Best wishes.

[cozietoesie]

My own Darling Twoago had what your lad has although he was a couple of years younger at the time. In the end, the decision was taken out of my hands but I still wish I'd let him go earlier - the disease is pretty inexorable when it gets to that stage.

I think I'd try to be very clear-minded about it. Overall, is he still enjoying his life do you think? (Because it's all about him now.)

Best wishes.

[TenForward82]

3 times I've made the choice to end it rather than let them suffer. It's always hard but better for them.

Good luck

[PiperIsTerrysChoclateOrange]

I would spoil your dear cat and then while he is still well within himself have him PTS.

I'm sorry you are having to go through this.

[ShipwreckedAndComatose]

I would agree with others. We had my old girl pts earlier this year as she was declining as your is now. It's only in hindsight, looking at old photos do I realise how much she had declined by the end.

I felt that it absolutely was the right time for her. Her quality of life was not great and prolonging it did not make it better for her. As someone posted on my thread at the time, better to make the decision to do this a little too early than a little too late, when the suffering becomes too awful. It was the last and best gift we could give her.

It's a tough time and an awful stressful thing to decide

[karyncake]

Thanks everyone for the responses. Well, he seems to have perked up enough on his medication to want to eat, he has stopped hiding under the bed and loves being held all the time.
I am taking him back to the vets tomorrow as he has now completely stopped using his litter tray and prefers the carpet. He even did a poo in my bed when I was in it. I have cleaned all the spots with an enzyme cleaner, kept him out of rooms that he keeps weeing in, bought 2 new litter trays and taken up the rug but he still wont go near his boxes. Our place is starting to smell.
I feel really bad that although he seems to be happier in himself the toilet issue is so stressful. On top of that having spent out a few hundred on blood tests etc, £60 a month on medication to keep him alive and another trip to the vet tomorrow Im wondering if its really worth delaying the inevitable.
Yesterday he curled up on my chest and tucked his head under my chin, it was such a lovely moment but did feel like it was the start of our saying goodbye.

[goawayalready]

i dont mean to upset you but my nan died of kidney failure she was in pain cats are good at hiding pain is she on pain medication?

[karyncake]

Well we took him in to be checked for a UTI and came to the decision that we should let him go. It was so sad but he went instantly.
We Brought him home and buried him decorated with flowers. My 7 year old daughter was distraught but wanted to stroke him and helped cover his grave.
It feels so strange not seeing him flopped all over someone's lap and not being woken by him sitting in my chest. Thanks again everyone for your advice.

[cozietoesie]

I'm so sorry, karyn - but it was the right and loving thing to do for him.

As I said above, I wish I'd had similar strength with my own Darling Twoago.

[RedNailPolish101]

Such a sad post - I hope you and your family are all ok - so sad poor little fella x