Guest #1 January 30, 2003 Last night my spouse and I took a very sick kitty to the vet. It was really weak, and its temp was so low that it didn't register on the digital thermometer. Blood tests revealed that the cat had advanced Feline Leukemia, among other things. The vet returned shortly with the cathetered kitty, and three hypos. The vet was kinda young and a bit nervous. His hands shook a little as he performed the procedure. In went the saline to open the vein up. Next went the Sodium Pen. Last went the booster. Lights out. Euthanized kitty. My wife took it pretty hard, as she always does when things like this have to be done, bless her heart. The hardest part was knowing that because this was a feral cat, it did not reveal its weakness until the very end. I don't like to think about how much the poor thng suffered, but at least it isn't suffering anymore. mh"The mouse does not know life until it is in the mouth of the cat." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jumperconway 0 #2 January 30, 2003 Sorry to hear that Mark, Even though I'm not a cat fan,>>> to you and your wife Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest #3 January 30, 2003 Thanks! Euthanizing the little critters is sad, but what's really hard is realizing how much the poor things suffer before you realize what's going on. They can't tell you they don't feel good, so by the time you see something, despite being empathetic and knowledgeable about their habits, it's already too late. "The mouse does not know life until it is in the mouth of the cat." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jtval 0 #4 January 30, 2003 that sucks. sorry to hear about it!My photos My Videos Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wmw999 2,589 #5 January 30, 2003 I had a surprise like that with a dog; red blood cell count so low he could count the visible ones in a sample on his fingers. It's hard to do, isn't it. But if the time ever comes for me, I hope there's someone there when I die that I love and depend on, holding me. Wendy W.There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Michele 1 #6 January 30, 2003 Thanks for doing that, Mark. My oldest, BK, well, her time is coming...but not yet. She's still being feisty and living up to her name. Sad. Ciels- Michele ~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek While our hearts lie bleeding?~ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Shark 0 #7 January 31, 2003 That's a real bummer... Sorry. BSBD Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skymama 37 #8 January 31, 2003 Sorry to hear that, Marc, I know it must have been hard for you and your wife to do. Give your wife some cyberhugs from us. She is Da Man, and you better not mess with Da Man, because she will lay some keepdown on you faster than, well, really fast. ~Billvon Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
trilete312 0 #9 January 31, 2003 Wow pets are great and it is incredibly hard when you have to let them go, I just got home from the vet, and they didn't even have time to Euth. She sat on the table with me petting her and just passed away. Wow is that hard. Now just have to remember all the joy she brought over the last 12 years.----------- Ready, Set, Gooooooo Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
flyskunk89 0 #10 January 31, 2003 This happened to me once, minus the vet... There was this black cat that used to hang out by my apt. I seemed to be its only friend, which was understandable because it never seemed to bathe itself and stunk to high heaven. I figured it still needed some petting, so for about a year I gave it some scratching and petting and just washed my hands afterwards. One night it decided to die on my doorstep. It let out a terrible moan, which was the worst sound I ever heard from a cat. I opened the door and the poor guy was dead. I buried him in the yard. I was pretty bummed about the whole deal. Seemed sad that he seemed to have no friends or loving owners or anything. Anyway, sick animals are a major bummer.... no doubt about it. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ladyskydiver 0 #11 January 31, 2003 Sorry to hear. **Hugs** for you and your wife.Life is short! Break the rules! Forgive quickly! Kiss slowly! Love truly, Laugh uncontrollably. And never regret anything that made you smile. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest #12 January 31, 2003 Thanks a bunch!"The mouse does not know life until it is in the mouth of the cat." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest #13 January 31, 2003 Thanks a whole lot... "The mouse does not know life until it is in the mouth of the cat." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest #14 January 31, 2003 Quote Seemed sad that he seemed to have no friends or loving owners or anything. Feral cats have lives that are nasty, brutish, and short. The feral cat we put down the other day never went in our house (good thing too, what with the Feline Leukemia), but it brought a lot of joy to my wife."The mouse does not know life until it is in the mouth of the cat." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Snowbird 0 #15 January 31, 2003 That's so sad. Animals get into our hearts so quickly. It was good of you to look after the kitty, ease him out of his suffering. Women and cats will do as they please, and men and dogs should relax and get used to the idea. -Robert A. Heinlein Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest #16 January 31, 2003 Thanks The VER visit was $328, BTW "The mouse does not know life until it is in the mouth of the cat." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Michele 1 #17 January 31, 2003 QuoteFeral cats have lives that are nasty, brutish, and short Charlotte came in from the cold over a year ago. She's still skittish, but has calmed down immeasurably. And now she shows no interest in going outside. Penguin is a feral cat that lives in my neighborhood, and seems to have a disability in her rear legs...she can't run very fast, and when she does, she slides a little. I've been feeding her and making sure she has water available. She tends to sleep on the back stairs, and knows when it's dinner time at my house. She won't let me near her just yet, but maybe soon...my neighbor caught her in a cage and got her fixed, but didn't keep her inside. Perhaps she and I can build a trust and she can come live inside (after being checked by the vet). Sorry for your loss, Mark. Feral or not, the kitty was a living breathing thing, and you did right by her. I am not looking forward to losing BK, but will let her go when the time comes. Ceils- Michele ~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek While our hearts lie bleeding?~ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest #18 January 31, 2003 Thanks a bunch. My wife has built "cat shelters" for feral cats so that they'll have a place to be safe (making the entrances too small for dogs, etc.) She has since branched out to making what I call the "Kitty Condo". Czech this out: -Interior 5'x3' and 18" high -Double-wall foam insulation, sealed with RTV -Insulated floor with Linoleum -Berber carpet (remnant, of course) -Doors on either end (so that if something nasty does get inside, the cats aren't trapped) -Two wide windows in the front -Sloping top finished with outdoor latex to shed rain -60-watt lamp inside for light and warmth The whole thing is covered with a wooden facade from made out of decking lumber, so that it looks like part of the back deck area. This also blocks the wind from the entrances, and makes them twisty so that dogs can't get in. There's also a cut-out in the wooden fence by the back gate that's big enough for a cat, but too small for most dogs. Last year I installed a CCD camera with a coax to our living room VCR so that anytime she wants to see what's going on inside, she can just change the channel. There's also a temperature gauge, and a convex mirror for the camera. We ought to be charging rent for the place...As you can see, she's serious about her kitties... "The mouse does not know life until it is in the mouth of the cat." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest #19 January 31, 2003 Thanks!"The mouse does not know life until it is in the mouth of the cat." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Luv2Fall 0 #20 February 1, 2003 So sorry to hear that.............it's a hard thing to deal with. I had my vet put my very best friend "Pee Wee" to sleep three years ago.......it still hurts and I still miss him. My condolences. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
