Vet says my cat has cancer....

TaoWolf said:

My sympathies... it does suck horribly. I can relate due to recently losing a dog to cancer. He was a Labrador Retriever that was with me for 16 years. Emotionally, it was no different than losing any close member of my family! But I also had a really hard time trying to know if/how much he was suffering towards the end... animals can be amazingly stoic about things that would leave the average person bedridden and non-functional...

But you can get a good idea about the possible magnitude of suffering by the quality of life they maintain. If your cat is playing and eating and drinking - that's a sure sign that any pain/discomfort they feel is manageable to their unique personality. It's when they can't/won't do the most basic of things to have any quality of life due to pain that you might want to really consider making a decision about doing something...

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kether noir said:

My wife and i wish you and your kitty the best. our cats and dogs are our kids, until my power swimmers are given a green light.

its kinda odd, but see if you can get a sense from your cat. does he/she seem ready? Whats your gut feeling?
i have done this before, my mothers cat was too heavy to clean herself, and regardless of diet she got bigger.(she had mated and the embryos died. she was toxic and we had to let her go. but, even a bit before that she seemed ready to go.

Now my wife's dog of 11 yrs has now developed large cyst like lumps. and he cries if he walks too much. more then anything, i think it's denial with her at the moment. i hope i'm wrong. i really do.


best wishes,
kether n~


Love Is The Law

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PussymOneyWeed said:

I had the same thing happen too my cat jynx, i know exactly what you're goin thru. I waited until i could see that he was not happy and starting to be in pain before we had him put down. Honestly the hardest thing ive ever had to do. He was my first and only pet and he pretty much grew up with me through all the really rough parts of my life, as cheesy as it sounds, he was one of the few things that kept me sane. I fuckin loved that kitty =[

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angelsbandit said:

April,

I am so sorry for what you are going thru - I know the love some of us feel for our creatures.
Please remember that although you love them, it is not fair to allow them to suffer when that time comes.

You are the one your creature loves, and depends on - make the right decission for your pet when the time comes.

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Arsehole said:

If he's not in pain and is still active I personally wouldn't put him down. I had to put my 19 year old cat down last winter after his cancer took a turn for the worse. Just give him some bongs hits to keep him at ease until it's time.

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swishsweet said:

Sorry for the bad news I think that you should wait it out as long as you feel right... its your cat

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purplehazin said:

I am dealing with a similar situation. Last month I had to put down one of my 13 year old labs, and I think within a few days I might have to call the vet for his brother

One of the hardest things a dog owner has to do is hold their dog while they get euthanized.

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justlearning73 said:

I have been throught this many times with cats and dogs. It hurts like hell, but in time things get better. I do not take my animals to the vet to be put down though. I take care of that myself. Sorry but to me drugs are not the answer to put down. I belive it is better to use a bullet correctly placed behind the head. That way everything goes away with no suffering for them. No strange place. No sting of the needle or the weird feeling from the drugs. Here and then gone. Then i wrap them in a sheet and place in the ground. Now before all that they get spoiled to no end, from their food to a cozy warm bed(most times that is my bed). I have been told that the way I do it is cruel. To me it is a lot harder on me than them. Then again it should be harder on the owner than the pet.

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