Is PTS the best option? I don’t know what to do 😞

[Jellybelly888]

I have a cat, he’s 16 and has always been an outdoor cat/bit of a wanderer. We’ve moved house recently and tried to keep him in, which he hated and caused him so much distress. So we allowed him out and he’s back to wandering about and coming back and forth for food. I last took him to the vets for a health check about 6 months ago and the vet thinks he has early stage kidney failure and/or dementia.

He sometimes gets lost and can’t find his way back so the new neighbours message me and I collect him from their gardens. He’s so thin and cannot keep weight on no matter what I feed him because he just forgets to eat or where to come get food. He’s also feels so lumpy all over his abdomen and in his legs.

I have a vets appointment booked for him next week and they said to be prepared not to bring him home again. I feel like I’ve failed him. I don’t want him to starve to death and I’m so worried about him.

What would you do?

Better a month to early than a day to late…. If he can’t do what he loves anymore, I would PTS.
So sorry!

Honestly it’s always better to do it early rather than late.

One of my (indoor) cats had dementia but seemed perfectly happy, especially when sitting on my lap purring, all was right in his world.

Then suddenly he wasn’t ok anymore and we had him PTS right away. That sounds so callous, but he was clearly no longer happy and it was the right decision.

Listen to your vet if you’re unsure.

It sounds like it is time. :(

You haven’t failed him, you’ve given Him
a wonderful happy life and the best final gift you can give him is to let him go before it’s no longer a happy life for him .x
I know it’s such a tough decision to make and I totally understand. I have a 20 year old cat who is similiar and we are bracing ourselves for that moment .

I’m so sorry op, I agree it sounds like it’s time x

I've nursed two cats through kidney failure. I wouldn't do it again. Especially with one who wanders x.

why do you feel you've failed him? Lots of cats have kidney failure, I don't know how you could have prevented it (or dementure). The only thing I can think of is maybe moving hasn't helped with the dementure, but these things can't usually be helped 💕

Has he had some bloods checked? My mums cat was like this and it was his thyroid.

That said if his quality of life is rubbish then yy PTS.

You haven’t failed him. Up until recently for the last 16 years he has been cared for, loved, kept healthy, given strokes and affection, a warm place to sleep, food he enjoys eating, toys to play with etc etc.

He has repaid you with affection, silly moments and the joy of caring for him and spending a small fortune on his needs (🙂).

It is time now to consolidate all your love for him, put your own feelings to one side and given him a gentle and loving goodbye. Cats only understanding of time is breakfast/ dinner/now. He might linger on for a few weeks or even months, hiding his distress ( they do this well) but it won’t be the end of life that you would have chosen for him as he slowly deteriorates maybe in pain, maybe confused and anxious.

And personally, I wouldn’t wait until next week, he sounds very poorly. I would ask for an earlier appointment.

Sounds like it’s time. As a PP said, better a week to early than a day to late.

Yes in this situation I would PTS. 16 is a good age, you can't have a cat wandering outside with dementia, he will come to harm. A planned euthanasia with some sedation beforehand is a much nicer end for them. The weight loss is quite likely to be something more sinister than forgetting to eat, he will still have hunger cues but it's more likely he has kidney/thyroid issues or possibly cancer.

Why are you waiting until next week? Do the kindest thing and take him asap. He's obviously unwell. What medication did you put him on when vet told you 6 months ago his kidney's were failing?
It's time.

I had my 18 yo cat PTS last week. He began looking confused and not knowing what to do or where to go.

The following day he lost the use of his legs and was struggling to eat. Fortunately we got a vet appointment that morning. He slipped away peacefully.

It's been hard and we miss him so much but it was the right thing to do and I'd advise anyone else to do the same sooner rather than later.

Only because it’s 6 months after the last one and it’s pre-booked. I can always make it earlier if needed.

He has been on Pronefra that was prescribed but it’s hard to say how much of it he’s actually getting with sporadic eating.

He was as happy as larry this evening but just so so thin. I’ve tried high calorie foods, fish and other meats but he also has fairly bad teeth so he can’t eat anything too hard or chewy.

Unable to maintain weight is a sign of heart failure as well as many other thinks

Our old girl is 15, looks like a ratty strat. Her coat has always been awful (stray before we adopted her and malnourished as a young cat) she is painfully skinny but also doesn't really eat, if you put too much food in her bowl she runs away from it!

We were told she was on borrowed time last July and she is still going, but she is an indoor cat (unless over 28 degrees) and is very happy living in my dd's bedroom and howling like moaning mertle when she decides she has not had enough fuss made of her.

Once her quality of life goes she will be pts.

Only you know if your old boy still has a quality of life, but I will day dying of kidney failure is hideous for them. It is exceptionally painful and distressing for them and pretty bloody traumatic to watch. If they are thinking that then I would have him it's to be kind.

Our previous girl was 9 and went into total kidney failure overnight and I had an awful time with her in her last few hours. I knew what the problem was, everyone I tried to move her so I could take her to the emergency vet she screamed. I was on the phone to the vet trying to get her into my car and the poor vet was fighting back tears as she told me that I would be kinder to just wrap the cat in blantlkets, syringe fluid into her mouth where I could and just wait because the distress of trying to move the poor cat was clearly doing more harm.

I eventually got her there when she fell asleep/into light coma at about 730am. Drove her to the vet and she passed withing milliseconds of the injection starting. I dont actually think they got more than a drop into her.

Please dont let that be your story! Make the choice before it happens. I am still scarred by it!

This is so sad, I’m really sorry to hear this xx

My old 19 year old cat was put to sleep earlier this year. I really wish I had done it a week or two earlier. I was keeping him alive for me as I didn’t want to lose him. In the end I had to do it in a hurry on a Sunday night as he was very unhappy that day. It was very peaceful and I was relieved afterwards. So I too would say better too early than too late. It’s a gift we can give them xx

You haven’t failed him at all. You don’t have to pts. Just hear what the vet has to say about his condition and you can take your time to decide what’s right.

Thanks. We had zero warning. At 6pm when I fed her she was bouncing about like a kitten, at 2am I was woken up by the most godawful guttural noise from her.

I would not wish what I had to watch on my worst enemy.

You have time in your side. Consult with your vet, but be honest with yourself over whether or not you are keeping him alive for you. It is hard, I know, but sometimes the kindest thing is to pts before they get worse.

Giving him a good death is the opposite of failing him