Hi everyone, I'm looking for some advice on one of our cats. Apologies in advance for the long post. We have two 10yo cats that we've had since they were a year old. One of them has always had lots of health problems: she nearly died of pneumonia in her first year with us, and is very susceptible to colds. Four years ago she was diagnosed with kidney cancer and we were told she only had weeks to live; last year she was diagnosed with bowel cancer, yet she is still with us. She has also been dragging one of her hind legs for years (the vet doesn't have an explanation for this).
Over the summer she has been vomiting a lot but she seems to have recovered from that. Recently she has started to lose weight again and her tummy feels very firm, so I wonder if the tumour is growing.
Since she had kidney cancer she has had issues with peeing around the house; the last year or so she mainly pees on the doormat or near the doors. This means that at the moment we don't have a doormat and always have dirty floors. We also keep a litter tray near the door to help with the peeing but this means she makes a mess with the cat litter there as well. We have a 4yo daughter and the mess really gets me down, and I’m not sure we’ll ever be rid of the smell.
We will be spending next year abroad due to my husband's work and have found a lovely couple with a toddler to house sit for us during this time. However, I feel it wouldn't be fair on them to ask to look after a cat who is likely to pee all over the house and whose health is declining. I am going to make another vet appointment; would it be unreasonable for me to suggest we put her to sleep? I feel conflicted because she's such a lovely cat, I just feel like taking care of her is not a burden we can put on anyone else.