Our Cat Tiocy is driving me crazy, for about the last two years I have been concerned about her health. She will be 11 years old in September. Recently, the last couple months her breathing has gotten very bad, the vet suspects a nasal tumor, which is inoperable, I am not sure if it is that or something in her throat. They cannot put her under to find out due to her health. It is pretty harsh, he said that even if they found out what it was, (nasal or throat) that it would be inoperable in her due to her health. So, I feel like we are just waiting for her to die. I have raised this kitty by hand since the day she was born. In the last couple months, she has been going up and down, we will think that she is getting close and then she is fine again. Sometimes, she has the hardest time breathing(open mouth and raspy - kind of sounds like a snore) and then a couple days later she is better. It is heartbreaking to watch. She is my youngest daughters favorite cat, both my girls have known her since they were born. Tiocy has always been there for me, she was there before I even met my husband. I am going to die losing her. I have lost many pets but this one is different. I am not sure I can handle her going. I feel like I am losing my first child.
How do I know when enough is enough? Do I keep waiting letting her have her bad days, as long as she keeps having good? I am worried that she will have many bad days an I will say "that's enough" only to have her get better. And then when I finally do "it", I will always wonder if she would have been better the next day. I usually have no problem giving out answers to these questions but for the life of me, I cannot answer them myself...not with her.
Sorry for the rambling, it is just hitting me hard today.
We never have enough time with them and it is so hard sometimes to know if the time has come to ease their way. If there is a tumor that is obstructing her breathing you will probably see an increase in breathing difficulty when there is more heat & humidity. I faced the same situation about 8 yrs ago with Rufus, my samoyed/collie. He had a growth in his esophogus (sp?) which was probably cancerous. In your heart you will know when the time has come and your love for Tiocy will give you the strength. Hugs to you & I hope Tiocy improves.
My old housecat, Iman, is a daily source of well...discust, for me. She is pushing 20. She pukes in the carpet a few times a week, generally in the area that I take to walk to the bathroom at 3am, with the lights off. She begs 24/7 for food, but if fed more than a tablespoon, several times a day, ralphs it back up. She is skeletal, tottering, and as in the way as any 90 year old human would be, if set on the same path in the house as you. She cannot care for herself, and I pull furballs and pieces of poop from her fur, just so they won't hang there. Isis will undoubtably pop my head like a pimple, if I do not care well for her, but geriatrics are definately not to my likeing. Oh, she has been this way for some years, now, so in case anyone thinks I am overreacting...bite me. She is more work, and is more destructive to the general house hygeine, than all the dogs combined...
