8 weeks after my other cat was PTS, am having to PTS her sister too

[NoNotAgain2024]

I adopted two elderly cats a few years ago. One of them was found to have masses on the liver and I had her PTS mid October.

Her sister had always been a big, bright personality and seemed fine until this morning (when she had a check up scheduled anyway). She was v lethargic and hadn't eaten - unlike her.

Unfortunately, just had call from the vet after running tests and leaving her for a scan and her ckd has suddenly gone downhill and she is running a high temp. Her kidneys have been "obliterated". It could be lymphoma or acceleration of her kidney disease but regardless, prognosis is not good.

Am devastated. She was such a perky little thing until this morning. Her recent blood tests had been good. And I thought I would at least have her for a little while after her sister passed.

And it is Christmas! We celebrate a day early here and the bad news came while we were eating Christmas lunch. Am moping now but will have to perk up and continue hosting shortly.

I also worry that my friends' stores of cat-related sympathy may have been used up given my last cat died not long ago.

Being without one has been hard enough but the prospect of being without both...

Posting for a handheld from fellow cat lovers who may be on MN on Christmas Eve!

There’s never a good time to say goodbye to them, but at Christmas and hard on the heels of losing your other lovely girl is especially cruel.

I am so sorry. My sympathy would definitely not be used up.

Thank you for adopting two elderly cats. They are so often passed over. I hope it will be a comfort to you to know that you gave them a new family and happy lives when they could so easily have spent the rest of their days in rescue.

Be kind to yourself.

Very sorry to hear your news OP - my sympathy wouldn't be used up either, and as the PP said, well done for adopting a pair of elderly cats.
💐

Sorry to read this. Totally understand how you are feeling. A year ago our elderly cat (who we adopted a few years ago after my mother in law passed away) fell ill and we spent Christmas cuddling her and making her comfortable before taking her to the vets day after Boxing Day. She had given up eating and we didn't want her to suffer any longer and had to put her to sleep. We were absolutely devastated and our family home felt empty without her.
We follow a local cat charity and they always have lots of cats looking for a new home. Plus our daughters were absolutely devastated losing our cat. Only a few days after we lost her we adopted two lively brothers and they settled into our home immediately they were in the rescue centre for a long time we only expected to choose one cat but so glad the volunteers suggested us taking two. Plus they chose us when we went into their pen.

Thank you so much for all your kind words. I was guilty of thinking (after her sister died) "well, at least I still have Poppy, she should be with me for a while longer" (!!)

I would adopt elderly cats again in a heartbeat (I have only ever had elderly cats) but my goodness, the heartbreak.

Currently soldiering on but it is hard plastering a smile to my face and keeping up a conversation when I would much rather mope.

So sorry for your double loss OP. I lost my own beloved Poppy on Friday also from kidney disease. The most comforting thing was that she was herself and happy until very close to the end. Sounds as if that was the case for yours too.
Two losses so close together is devastating and I hope some of your friends and family understand that. X

@NoNotAgain2024 I'm so sorry for your loss. Cats are such characters. Sending hugs and wishing you a peaceful time x.

Thank you @shellyleppard and all.

So sorry to hear about your loss @sonicetocomehometo - they really do leave pawprints on our hearts, don't they.

So sorry for your loss, two so close together. As others have said, it is a blessing that she was so cheerful up until the end. I think you are a very special person to take on elderly cats, and to want to continue to do so 💐

I'm so sorry to hear about your loss @NoNotAgain2024 . Echoing the others in saying that you did a lovely thing in adopting elderly cats but losing them must be hard. Our Elton also has CKD and I dread the day we will need to make the same decision. Best wishes for a peaceful Christmas

So very sorry for the loss of your lovely Poppy (and her sister). She was happy up until the end, and was so lucky to have had her later years filled with love and comfort. Be kind and gentle with yourself 🕯️

Am holding your hand! I lost my last kitty in 2006, still miss her. Had our little toy dog put to sleep January 23, he was almost 18 and he was my cat substitute. We wanted to give him the best part Christmas. Gave him a lovely beach walk.

Thank you, all. The virtual handholds and kind messages really do help. Have also reached out in IRL and appreciate how lovely people are being.

Not the Christmas I was imagining! Wishing you all peaceful ones.

An update: Poppy has been up and down the last 10 days at the cat hospital. Recovered from the first thing, then got struck with something else, then seemed to rally, then declined.

Looking more likely she won't recover. I am heartbroken. Final decision will be taken tomorrow. She has such a big personality and I cannot imagine our house without her.

I am so sorry. It is very hard when the outlook is swinging between hope and despair, and back again.

Whatever the outcome, you will do the best for your lovely Poppy that you can. I will be thinking of you both.

Take care.

Thank you @CatChant. In fact, she just had to be PTS now as she got so much worse so quickly. I am devastated, but it was peaceful.

While she is in your heart and your memories she will never be entirely gone.

Good night little Poppy.

Take care @NoNotAgain2024 . Grief is the price we pay for love. It’s hard but they are worth every tear.

So so sorry @NoNotAgain2024 and sending love (a couple of years ago we had to have one of our dearly loved cats PTS after an early hours dash to the vets on Boxing Day morning).

So sorry to hear about your lovely Poppy. I also have two elderly sister cats, one also called Poppy, who is getting very slow now. Hopefully we will have them for a while to come yet but I'm thinking of you.

Thank you. I keep expecting to hear her little paws clattering down the stairs in the morning, or have her miaow to find me in the house. And a Christmas-time PTS is even more painful, I think @Igmum

Just reading this and i feel for you. I had to take DCat to the vet Christmas morning 2023 and she had to be PTS (I've just recently posted about this) and it was hard. I tried really hard to ensure this Christmas wasn't overshadowed as the last one obviously was. It was tough.