Getting cat PTS, hold my hand please...

[Officershitty]

My cat is 14ish (rescue cat at 10-ish). Lovely fella, great temperament. Diagnosed with possible cancer, gradual kidney failure, arthritis, soiling the hall and around litter tray as cannot sit in there properly. Fluid on lungs (?) that was drained off but may come back.
I'm doing the right thing aren't I? Vet said he probably wouldn't last long anyway.
Just want to enjoy the last few days with him

it sounds like you are, he doesn't appear to have a great quality of life and it's better a day too soon than a day too late. We were in this position early last year with our 20+ year old cat, in hindsight I think we left it too late. Fuss him and spoil him for his last few days (ours was so spoilt during his final days, he used to be fed his tea on the sofa so he didn't have to move!)

I think if you get to the point of booking the appt then it's time.

We've done it three times, it's a horrible decision to make and you have all my sympathy.

Oh, sorry to hear about your poor old mog, officer. You are doing the right thing, you know. Take some nice photos, have some lovely cuddles and remember it's better than leaving him in awful pain.

you are doing the right thing x

Yes, you are doing the right thing. It's rarely a case of too early with these things.
Stay strong until it's done.

It sounds as though you're doing exactly the right thing for your lovely fella. So sorry. Here to hold hands

Thank you for all your replies. I want to enjoy the last few days with him. I appreciate hearing about other peoples' experiences. It is bloody hard. We are also moving house and I would have liked to have taken him with us. Guess you can't have everything.

I had the same dilemma with my 21 year old mog, years ago, in the end she was in a coma so I took her home from the vets, put her on a towel covered hot water bottle next to me on the bed. I had planned to havde her PTS the next morning at home but she just fell asleep with me next to her.

Possibly I should have done it 24 hrs earlier but I needed that last night to say goodbye .She was my last link with my bachelor girl days, she predated the DC's, DH, & all of my life at that point, the first kitty of my own as an adult.

We buried her in the garden with a Pussy-Willow tree on top of her.

Bloody tough, you will know when the time is right

MissMarple, and others, thank you for sharing your stories. I agree, it is better than leaving him to suffer further, it is just so sad that he will not be going in the garden or yowling at us.
I once read a 'true' story about a couple who took their poorly cat to be pts. After they had done it, they put the empty cat basket in the back seat of the car and both saw their (deceased) cat curled up in it. I would like to think that the cat's spirit simply gets back in the cat basket to go home with you. I think it's a lovely story.

That is lovely Officershitty, to think of the cat spirit coming home in the basket, I'd like to think it's true.

I feel very much for you as my own sweet boy is very close to the end of the road too. It could be days or perhaps even weeks but he's terribly thin and frail, although he still enjoys his treats and lying outside in the sunshine. And still wakes me up sometimes. He's 19 and has kidney disease so will likely need to be PTS to avoid suffering at the end. One of my two cats has done a nasty looking wee; I'm not sure which so have had to separate them for a few hours to try to identify which has the problem. If it's old boy I'm afraid it could spell very bad news.

However long they live, it's never long enough. Everyone I've spoken to says it's better to have them PTS too early rather than too late in this situation but it's such a hard decision to take.