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The litter tray

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Original poster

[gulp] It may soon be time to say goodbye to SoupKitten

207 replies

SoupDragon · 29/05/2013 14:21

She has a fair amount of fluid on her abdomen - according to the vet there are a few possible causes and pretty much all of them are bad.

She was found in a gutter as a tiny kitten with cat flu, eye infections and mites which left her with a few problems but has spent nearly 5 happy years here with us and FatCat.

Waiting for the results of £250 worth of blood tests but have primed toe children that she is unlikely to be with us much longer.

[wail]

OP posts:
Original poster
SoupDragon · 07/06/2013 14:07

I was thinking of buying her some expensive cat milk. I know SoupDoggyDogg likes milk so I'd have to keep it out of his reach!

If I get to speak to the vet when I pick her up, I will ask for fattening tips. There was nothing of her but fluid when I picked her up this morning and how he's drained a load off - she'll be like a twig!

OP posts:
BIWI · 07/06/2013 15:26

Does she like something like cream cheese? Or smoked salmon?

Original poster
SoupDragon · 07/06/2013 15:55

Probably!

Vet suggested things like scrambled egg and chicken that are high on nutritional content and low on waste. Also, "little and often". Luckily, her appetite is good. In January she was 3.2kg. She went in today at about 2.8 and is now 2.4 :( And she still looks as fat as she did when I first twigged something was wrong so there's a good amount of fluid left.

£150 FFS. When they had already scanned her heart earlier this week and not spotted anything. Ho hum.

She is hilariously woozy from the sedative though - I've never picked up a cat until they've recovered completely before :) Bless her, she looks drunk!

OP posts:
MissStrawberry · 07/06/2013 17:00

OH dear Sad.

What a shame but you know now and can do all you need for her as well as spoiling her.

I used to think it would be better for our cat we recently lost to go in her sleep but tbh that was because I didn't want to have to make the decision to have her PTS. As it was she was PTS and I think that was preferable to finding her gone in her sleep as we wouldn't have had the chance to say goodbye and wouldn't have known if it was peaceful.

Original poster
SoupDragon · 07/06/2013 17:13

That's my feeling - I don't want to have to make the decision and it will have definitely been her time to go. I'm not going to not make that decision if necessary though.

OP posts:
ClaraOswald · 07/06/2013 18:50

My beautiful old boy was only a matter of weeks after he was diagnosed 11 years ago- we kept hoping and hoping, the vets tried everything they could think of to keep him alive, but it was no help. The day I made the decision, was hard but before I could tell the vets to perform the injection they called to say he had gone in the night.

Original poster
SoupDragon · 09/06/2013 15:39

Small update:

Well, she's still Ok - no change. Must hold the world record for weeing. Sadly this is sometimes on the way to the litter tray rather than in the tray. And once on my kind sized feather duvet (FFS!).

Today I've found a food she likes and can eat - some expensive pate thing in a tiny tin (again FFS!). Will try to mash up some of the other choice food I've bought as clearly her appetite is good but she is having problems eating. Scrambled egg also a hit.

Tablets in cream cheese, offered on a spoon, is a revelation. If only someone had said this when I had about 6 weeks of antibiotics to give her as a kitten!

Cutting up small tablets designed for canines into the 1/4 size needed by a tiny cat is a challenge :)

OP posts:
BIWI · 09/06/2013 15:41

I know! Why don't they make teeny tablets? I think I must have destroyed a fair few of Tweety's trying to cut them up.

Sad about the duvet! One of our (no longer with us) cats used to do that - I think that the feel of the feathers under her paws must have reminded her somehow of the feel of the litter.

Original poster
SoupDragon · 09/06/2013 15:50

I am being charitable and assuming it was because she was woozy from the sedation. I kind of washed it and put it in the sun yesterday and will have it thoroughly laundered at a more convenient time.

With the tablets, it's 1/4 twice a day. They cut in half reasonably easily and I figure provided she gets the full half, it doesn't matter what the two separate doses are. To be fair, it's not licensed for felines and Scout is considerably smaller than the average dog.

OP posts:
Original poster
SoupDragon · 09/06/2013 15:51

I have to take her back on Wednesday evening to see how she's doing.

OP posts:
MissStrawberry · 09/06/2013 15:57

Hope she stays stable

Original poster
SoupDragon · 09/06/2013 16:17

Oh, there is nothing to say really. The fact is that she is dying. At least we know this now though.

OP posts:
CajaDeLaMemoria · 09/06/2013 16:21

I thought that would be the case.

Peeing everywhere isn't unusual, either. She should settle as she gets used to the diuretics.

Are you treating the heart failure with anything?

(it was heart failure that made me train to be a vet. I was desperate to cure it. Teenage dreams, eh.)

All the best. I hope she stabilises and well outlives her prognosis. She wouldn't be the first!

Original poster
SoupDragon · 09/06/2013 16:25

No. At the moment it's just Frusemide which I assume is the diuretic the vet said wasn't actually licensed for cats. I don't think there is anything to be done about the heart as such (probably Hypotropic cardiomyopathy which I may have misheard/spelt).

OP posts:
Original poster
SoupDragon · 09/06/2013 16:27

I'm not convinced she'll outlive her prognosis. She wasn't in peak fitness and is currently painfully thin. But what will be will be in my mind. She is here for as long as she is here :)

But if she pisses on my duvet again, she is out! :)

OP posts:
BIWI · 09/06/2013 21:41

Aw, Soupy - it's heartrending, isn't it? wees on duvets to one side

If I could wave a magic wand and make her better, I'd do so in a heartbeat Sad

Original poster
SoupDragon · 09/06/2013 22:44

I think she is not looking good. After I thought I could see a glimmer of light earlier, she's stopped eating, been a little sick, wont lick the drugged cream cheese from the spoon, has had two more accidents and is currently hiding under a chest of drawers in the hall. She has drunk some water but that's it. Ho hum.

OP posts:
cozietoesie · 09/06/2013 22:48

Aw Dear. Sad

ExitPursuedByABear · 09/06/2013 22:50

Is it time?

Original poster
SoupDragon · 09/06/2013 22:57

I can't believe she's deteriorated so quickly. I noticed she was bloated on bank holiday weekend but she was otherwise fine.

It wouldn't surprise me if she doesn't wake up tomorrow morning. Obviously will just wait and see. I had expected to make the decision at her check up on weds.

OP posts:
cozietoesie · 09/06/2013 23:05

Can you stay up quietly with her with a book or something? She might need a comforting presence.

ExitPursuedByABear · 09/06/2013 23:07

In my experience they refuse to just bloody die. They always leave the final decision to you. Bastards.

Original poster
SoupDragon · 09/06/2013 23:08

I don't think so as she hid herself away from me. I expected to find her outside my bedroom door.

OP posts:
cozietoesie · 09/06/2013 23:09

I don't mean cuddling, SoupDragon. More of a just being there.

greenhill · 09/06/2013 23:16

Hmmm, cats do tend to hide away when they aren't feeling well. Is she safe there, could you just put a bowl of water near her? So she doesn't have to move far for a drink.

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