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Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

Original poster

Neighbour talking about having her cat PTS

28 replies

ValerieCupcake · 19/01/2022 15:26

The cat is 9 and she was a rescue and very jumpy and nervous. She went off food a week ago and went to the vet. They did scans and told owner she had fluid and this was drained. Tested bloods for heart disease but told her it was thyroid, prescribed thyroid treatment plus a diuretic tablet. Owner couldn't get cat to take it so asked me to do it which I have. Cat depressed and won't eat, and sulks. Now gone very skinny, taken back to vet who kept her in and gave her meds yesterday and today. Cat very miserable.

Owner says she is going to have cat PTS as it's not fair to put her through this.

Any advice please?

OP posts:
CatherinedeBourgh · 19/01/2022 15:28

Doesn’t sound unreasonable if the cat is clearly very unwell and suffering.

RalphLaurenG · 19/01/2022 15:30

Advice for what? It isn't your cat.

PurpleDaisies · 19/01/2022 15:34

Unless you want to take the cat in, I don’t know what you can do. It isn’t yours.

Original poster
ValerieCupcake · 19/01/2022 15:38

@RalphLaurenG

Advice for what? It isn't your cat.
The neighbour is asking me for support. She's an old lady (the neighbour I mean)

The cat is nibbling and picking at food at home, but is quiet. I looked up the medication side effects and these are depression, lethargy and not wanting to eat.

I was looking for advice from seasoned cat owners who'd experienced this, if possible.

I wouldn't want her to put the cat down if it is not necessary.

OP posts:
Wolfiefan · 19/01/2022 15:39

It’s between her and the vet. If the cat is miserable and it won’t get any better then of course she could PTS.

Theunamedcat · 19/01/2022 15:40

Are they giving the cat thyroxine? Sounds like it's too high a dose

purpleme12 · 19/01/2022 15:40

You've said it's thyroid but said she's got worse and gone back to the vets
So what's wrong with her now?

Original poster
ValerieCupcake · 19/01/2022 15:42

@Theunamedcat

Are they giving the cat thyroxine? Sounds like it's too high a dose
I'm not sure what the thyroid medicine is, but it is a liquid. The other is a tablet, furosemide, that is a diuretic.
OP posts:
Original poster
ValerieCupcake · 19/01/2022 15:42

@purpleme12

You've said it's thyroid but said she's got worse and gone back to the vets So what's wrong with her now?
Not eating and sulking.
OP posts:
purpleme12 · 19/01/2022 15:44

Oh right it's just you said that the person took her to the vets again recently and the vet have her more medicine from the sounds of it?
I just thought it would be helpful to know that the more recent medicine was for

Soubriquet · 19/01/2022 15:44

Doesn’t sound like sulking to me. It sounds like the cat is genuinely ill and being pts might be the best thing for it

purpleme12 · 19/01/2022 15:47

All that we know from OP is that it's thyroid
Which is treatable
Not something I'd put to sleep for

Original poster
ValerieCupcake · 19/01/2022 15:47

@Soubriquet

Doesn’t sound like sulking to me. It sounds like the cat is genuinely ill and being pts might be the best thing for it
It's a hard one as I had a friend who had a cat with thyroidism and he had some small orange tablets, and lived for about 5-6 years with it, and he was older than this cat when diagnosed - he lived to 18+.
OP posts:
Original poster
ValerieCupcake · 19/01/2022 15:48

@purpleme12

All that we know from OP is that it's thyroid Which is treatable Not something I'd put to sleep for
That's the thing. I might offer to go to the vet with the owner and see what they say, perhaps? She may be confused.
OP posts:
Thefirsttime · 19/01/2022 15:49

It’s more likely an over active thyroid rather than under active as hyperthyroidism is common in older cats. I suspect the thyroid medication is carbimazole rather than thyroxine and that she has developed a heart condition as a complication of untreated hyperthyroidism. It’s very treatable so not sure I would give up yet although getting the cat to actually take the treatment is a different matter.

I am not a vet though.

icatcare.org/advice/hyperthyroidism/

fortifiedwithtea · 19/01/2022 15:52

My parents took in a senior aged cat from a relative who was supposed to have loved it until it got fleas Hmm . The fleas were easy to treat but the cat drove them mad. Very vocal , would not rest settle, constantly hungry.

Took cat to the vet and discovered over active thyroid. Put on medication and the cat was transformed. She become content and my parents loved her for the rest of her live. Which sadly was only another 2 years but she was really old.

Sounds like the medication isn’t right and your neighbour’s cat isn’t presenting the same way. Could her problem be an under active thyroid?

AllThingsServeTheBeam · 19/01/2022 15:56

I had to have one of my cats put down at 9 due to his heart. He was in heart failure and suffering though. Sometimes it is the best thing. Did the cat roam? Will it now have to be kept in because of needing meds? That in itself is cruel. On top of the fact it doesn't want the meds. Miserable for the cat. It doesn't understand that the meds will help.

Original poster
ValerieCupcake · 19/01/2022 15:57

Thank you for your comments, really helpful. Given me food for thought. I hope the vets don't pressure her to put Kitty to sleep though.

OP posts:
purpleme12 · 19/01/2022 16:01

Is it the vet or the owner saying he should be put to sleep?
Cos the OP just says the owner
Really I don't think the information in this thread is enough to say put to sleep at all
Unless there's something else going on that we don't know about
Eg the not eating might be something that be resolved
You can also get appetite stimulants from the vets
Hard to advise without an the information

citronella · 19/01/2022 16:02

@ValerieCupcake

I agree that it would be a good idea for you to suggest to the owner that you accompany her to the vet in case she is getting confused (elderly) or not able to communicate the symptoms very well. I am sure the vet would also be happy to revise any medication.

dingit · 19/01/2022 16:07

My cat is hypothyroid. The oral medication made her sick. She is now much better on aural medication ( gel I rub on her ears)

Original poster
ValerieCupcake · 19/01/2022 16:09

@purpleme12

Is it the vet or the owner saying he should be put to sleep? Cos the OP just says the owner Really I don't think the information in this thread is enough to say put to sleep at all Unless there's something else going on that we don't know about Eg the not eating might be something that be resolved You can also get appetite stimulants from the vets Hard to advise without an the information
No, it is the owner who suggested she might have her PTS. She messaged me that the cat was so miserable in the vet overnight she never moved (she did this in the cattery on holiday too pre-covid so it is her nature when unsettled). She said she will have to think about what she is putting the cat through now and call a halt. The vet had not advised that at that stage and I personally don't think - and hope - they will.

I told her to take very clear advice from the vet. @purpleme12 yes, I don't have enough info to say PTS either.

Went off food, had bloods and scans as they thought she had heart disease owing to fluid buildup, turned out to be thyroid problems (I can't recall if hyper- or hypo-) and given two medications, one for thyroid (don't know name), one diuretic. Owner couldnt administer them and called me crying as she said the cat hadn't eaten. I have given her medicine Sunday, Monday and yesterday morning, then she's kept in vet.

That's as much as I know.

OP posts:
Original poster
ValerieCupcake · 19/01/2022 16:11

@AllThingsServeTheBeam

I had to have one of my cats put down at 9 due to his heart. He was in heart failure and suffering though. Sometimes it is the best thing. Did the cat roam? Will it now have to be kept in because of needing meds? That in itself is cruel. On top of the fact it doesn't want the meds. Miserable for the cat. It doesn't understand that the meds will help.
She's an indoor cat so that's not an issue really. They don't know it is for their benefit, they just think we are horrible mean cat owners!
OP posts:
Labracadabra · 19/01/2022 16:14

So you've advised your neighbour to take advice from the vet. Unless the vet recommends PTS in which case you've decided you actually know better than the vet? Perhaps leave the vet (who does actually know what is wrong with the cat and which medication it's on, unlike all the posters here who are just guessing) to do their job. They won't recommend PTS unless it's the best option for the cat's welfare. Offer your neighbour comfort and support whatever the outcome, not judgement and possibly ill-informed advice.

Original poster
ValerieCupcake · 19/01/2022 16:14

Neighbour just messaged me, vet called, she has been PTS as they found growths in her lungs and the fluid was not allowing to see them. I will go and see my neighbour tonight.

OP posts: