It's not been a good day for me. My darling 10 year old Russian Blue Tash lost her battle.
Two years ago she got acute pancreatitis and nearly died. After two days on a drip she was back to her normal self and with a special diet and steroid tablets for suspected IBD I had hoped that with lots of love and care from me we'd have plenty more years together. Lymphoma was mentioned but I put it to the back of ny mind.
All was well for about a year but then she began to vomit more regularly. Her steroid dosed was raised and once again she was on the mend. She had an abdominal ultrasound but nothing of significance was found.
About four weeks ago she began to vomit again and lose weight. I was given the option to have a biopsy done on her so I could know for sure if she had IBD or lymphoma. This was major surgery with a number of major organs being biopsied. At the end of the day the treatment for severe IBD and lymphoma was basically the same so I decided not to put her through it. Next step was to try her on leukaran, a chemotherapy drug given in tablet form three times a week. I was apprehensive at first but my I ternet research showed that cats could do well on this drug and have a good quality of life.
Sadly, after a couple of weeks she developed a nasty case of pancreatitis and the vet decided the leukaran was not suitable for her. Tash gad been refusing food while she was sick butI had holed o Ce she was feeling better her appetite would pick up. It didn't. I tried an appetite stimulant with her and freshly cooked chicken breast for her. She scoffed it down. There was hope!
The eating only lasted a couple of days. She would sit by her bowls and ask for food. Even bang on my bedroom door at 6am to be fed. Then she would eat nothing, except perhaps to kick the juice from some tuna or sardines. It broke my heart.
After despairing over her not eating last night I decided to take her back to the vet this morning. On top of the not eating she was in significant pain in her abdominal area. The options were't good. I could put her in hospital for pain killers, IV fluids and tube feeding. Or I could have her put to sleep. The vet and I both agreed that even if she recovered with the aggressive treatment it would only be a sop gap measure. This only left one option.
My parents came to the vet surgery for support which was wonderful. They are both animal lover too, especially my mum. After deciding that I couldn't face being there for her last my moments I said my final goodbyes. I haven't stopped crying since.
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The litter tray
Devastated, had to put cat to sleep today
bluetongue · 18/06/2016 11:02
I'm so sorry for your loss, I'm glad your mum was there to support you 
Sorry, I know the post was a bit of an essay but it was actually therapeutic to write.
It wasn't my usual vet but she was lovely and gentle with Tash and very caring. It's just shit because I did everything I could to be the best pet owner I could be and she still died too young 
I'm at a bit of a loose end now. I live by myself and Tash was my only pet do now I'm back from my parents' place the house seems very lonely. I will try and get outside tomorrow and maybe go with a coffee with my sister.
Right now I'm not sure I can take on another cat as I would just compare it to her. In the meantime I've decided to look into fostering an ex racing greyhound. It will be a project and get me out of the house. The only problem is, the Greyhound Adoption Progam where I live is having their big foster a greyhound day next weekend where you get to pick a greyhound to foster and take home on the day. Not sure if it's too soon.
So sorry to hear your sad news. It hurts so much doesn't it.
I too lost a cat to pancreatitus. He had it for about a year and, like you, we tried to support him with various medications and frequent trips to the vets. The sickness and diarrhoea was just awful for him. One day his tummy just blew up like a balloon and he went into a corner and didn't want anything to do with us. It was utterly heartbreaking but we knew we had to stop the pain for him. I literally howled at the vets.
We were lucky in that we still had his sister so we didn't have a completely empty house and I know at the moment you may feel that you will never want to get another cat but don't be surprised, after you have had time to heal, that there is just something missing and you need another furry baby. I went on to get two more!
In the meantime just know that everyone here knows exactly how you are feeling and we are here to help you get through it.
Thanks for the thoughts everyone. I'm lucky my family and friends are mostly pet lovers. My mum was crying too
The only thing I regret is that I was at work yesterday and just wanted to be home with Tash and be with her as I knew she was getting sicker. I had to go in as everyone else was off sick. What can you do.
Bluetongue
I am very sorry for your loss. Your beloved cat was special and irreplaceable and you must be so very sad.
for you and your lovely Tash. It's a week since I had to have my lovely friend Mac put to sleep after being diagnosed with very aggressive lymphoma. We still have his friend Billy, but bless, he's 12 now. I miss his cuddles and his silly ways. Perhaps if you talk to someone at the Greyhound trust and say you'd like to foster but it's too early they might let you at a later date. Or even become a regular visitor who can help out with walks?
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