Off Topic Part Cinq

[Danu 19]

I'm so sorry to hear that Kathryn. I hope that he continues to remain painfree and that the end comes quietly at home.

[Colleens 40]

The good news is that the calico stray cat who showed up in our yard early November and who I have been keeping in the garage overnight because she was obviously an indoor cat and not used to being outdoors - and who was probably abandoned by her owners when they moved away - has a really nice new home and a name! Ginger was taken to join 2 small dogs as the only cat by a really nice guy referred by my vet - his own kitty had recently died and he was missing a kitty cat to snuggle. I am so pleased!

The sad news is that my 17 year old cat Tristan is dying. A little over 2 weeks ago he started to regurgitate food. I figured it was his kidneys getting worse and took him into the vets. It turns out his kidneys are doing fine - but he has a tumour in his throat . It is constricting his esophagus and his trachea and slowly making it impossible for him to eat. He also had pulmonary edema, fluid through out his chest and was having a hard time breathing. We put him on diuretics to deal with the fluid and I took him home. That Saturday he stopped being able to eat so I started to syringe feed him pureed food every three hours. By Wednesday - less than a week after his diagnosis he appeared to be going down hill very quickly. I honestly didn't expect him to last overnight.

On the same Wednesday, I received a new herbal medication I had ordered in - a palliative liquid that is supposed to help keep cats dealing with cancer comfortable and out of pain. It had good reviews but I wondered if I had started him on it too late. Remarkably, he definitely improved the next day. He is alert, and aware, still very weak and unable to eat but looks like he is feeling better and more comfortable. He isn't able to keep down meat or catfood, but he is able to keep down yogurt, so I have been spoonfeeding him Activia vanilla yogurt ever since. He was originally able to get enough daily calories from the yogurt (about 300) but he is eating less and less now and is down to about half of that . He is beginning to have problems even swallowing that . He is still bright eyed and relatively interested in what is going on around him, and purring when I pet him, though, and even though he spends a lot of time sleeping, he still rotates through the different cat beds at different times in the day, or sleeps on the couch, and joins us on the bed at night.

Still, it is only a matter of time. The vet thought it would be days but he has already outlasted her prognosis. I am letting him set the pace. As long as he isn't in distress and uncomfortable I will keep on with what we are doing. When he starts being in pain or distress, though, then yes, I will take him into the vet.

It's tough. He is my eldest cat, and I find that I don't have much patience for anything else these days although I have stopped crying every day. I don't know when it will happen but it really is just a matter of days. Poor Tristan .

I am sorry to hear this Kathryn. I hope that Tristan has a comfotable and pain free end to his journey. It was about this time last year that my cat squeaker went through something very similar. He had a tumor in his chest and his chest cavity was full of fluid as well. I made the choice to have him put down, and while that was difficult I was able to take comfort in the fact that he was no longer suffering, and that did help ease the pain. I still miss him....having him come running to meet me when I got home from somewhere, snuggling up to me in bed, and ever so gently tapping my nose with his paw in the morning to tell me to get up and feed him, but it is the memories of these things that always make me smile.

[CanadaLove 16]

So sorry to hear about your kitty, Marilyn.

[OBX 51]

Sorry about Tristan Kathryn. It is difficult to lose a pet at any time but after 17 years even more so.

[Krikit 1,164]

Sorry to hear about Tristan, Kathryn.

[Marilyn. 340]

every Christmas since I moved here to the US one of my aunts always sends us a little package. It isn't anything major, just a few little crafty things she made or some little things she has bought.. but this year we didn't get anything from her not even a card. :S I am wondering if maybe the postman left the package by the door and someone walked off with it. I would feel weird calling up my aunt and asking her if she sent us something because what if she didn't and then she would feel bad..

[Canadiandggal 49]

every Christmas since I moved here to the US one of my aunts always sends us a little package. It isn't anything major, just a few little crafty things she made or some little things she has bought.. but this year we didn't get anything from her not even a card. :S I am wondering if maybe the postman left the package by the door and someone walked off with it. I would feel weird calling up my aunt and asking her if she sent us something because what if she didn't and then she would feel bad..

I would call her up and see how she is doing. When the convo seems right ask her if she has received your christmas card yet.. when she says No tell her you think the mail has been acting up in your area and you are sorry she hasn't got it yet. wait and see if she says anything about sending you something?

[Krikit 1,164]

Last night we went to a Meet Your Neighbours social. They had fabulous appies and bevvies (<---- those are two v's... lol) and we got a lovely gift basket with all kinds of goodies! Plus we met some really nice people. It was all free and they have them quarterly so we're going again! lol. I've signed us up to join the wine club.

[Kathryn41 3,205]

Tristan returned to spirit shortly after 6 pm today, Monday, January 17, 2010 at 17 years old. He was diagnosed with cancer December 30 and after the first rough week, seemed to rally for a while, although spent most of his time comfortably sleeping. He has not been able to eat for a few days now and today started having trouble drinking. Over the last week especially, he had become very frail and weak. For the last day and a half he became very restless and seemed unable to find comfort or to sleep for very long. He kept trying to cry at the door to go outside. He enjoyed 2 short trips outside yesterday but I think he really just wanted to find a secluded spot to die as he is an indoor cat. We thought he might not make it through the night but he did and had another restless day. Tonight he started to have difficulty swallowing, almost choking at times and seemed to have a difficult time catching his breath so I made the hard decision that it was time to help him go. He rode on my lap to the vets, didn’t seem to be upset or distressed, and he slipped away quietly and quickly, re-affirming that his body was indeed ready to let go.

He was just a unique and wonderful cat and I will miss him very much.

[Krikit 1,164]

I'm sorry Kathryn.

[Colleens 40]

Tristan returned to spirit shortly after 6 pm today, Monday, January 17, 2010 at 17 years old. He was diagnosed with cancer December 30 and after the first rough week, seemed to rally for a while, although spent most of his time comfortably sleeping. He has not been able to eat for a few days now and today started having trouble drinking. Over the last week especially, he had become very frail and weak. For the last day and a half he became very restless and seemed unable to find comfort or to sleep for very long. He kept trying to cry at the door to go outside. He enjoyed 2 short trips outside yesterday but I think he really just wanted to find a secluded spot to die as he is an indoor cat. We thought he might not make it through the night but he did and had another restless day. Tonight he started to have difficulty swallowing, almost choking at times and seemed to have a difficult time catching his breath so I made the hard decision that it was time to help him go. He rode on my lap to the vets, didn’t seem to be upset or distressed, and he slipped away quietly and quickly, re-affirming that his body was indeed ready to let go.

He was just a unique and wonderful cat and I will miss him very much.

Sorry to hear that Kathryn

[Canadiandggal 49]

Tristan returned to spirit shortly after 6 pm today, Monday, January 17, 2010 at 17 years old. He was diagnosed with cancer December 30 and after the first rough week, seemed to rally for a while, although spent most of his time comfortably sleeping. He has not been able to eat for a few days now and today started having trouble drinking. Over the last week especially, he had become very frail and weak. For the last day and a half he became very restless and seemed unable to find comfort or to sleep for very long. He kept trying to cry at the door to go outside. He enjoyed 2 short trips outside yesterday but I think he really just wanted to find a secluded spot to die as he is an indoor cat. We thought he might not make it through the night but he did and had another restless day. Tonight he started to have difficulty swallowing, almost choking at times and seemed to have a difficult time catching his breath so I made the hard decision that it was time to help him go. He rode on my lap to the vets, didn’t seem to be upset or distressed, and he slipped away quietly and quickly, re-affirming that his body was indeed ready to let go.

He was just a unique and wonderful cat and I will miss him very much.

I am sorry I am sure he will be greatly missed

[Danu 19]

I'm sorry for your loss Kathryn, I know he was a very special cat to you.

[OBX 51]

Sorry to hear about Tristan Kathryn.

[CanadaLove 16]

Sorry to hear about Tristan, Marilyn.