There are several local vets around here as most people seem to have them in the semi-rural setting with big blocks of land. However I did see a van yesterday with a big sign. “Mobile vet.” Perhaps there may be one near you or you could ask about home visits? I am well out of touch here. Puppy was euthanised by a vet at home but that is very many years ago.
Aravis, sorry to hear your sad news. It'll be hard for all of you, but must be so tough for your daughter who's known your cat all her life. It's awful when they have to leave us.
Thanks for all the good wishes. Mick won’t eat or drink much, and won’t touch anything with medication in it, so he may not last that long. My daughter spent a long time last night combing him very gently, which he enjoyed.
She’s back at uni next weekend and has two weeks of exams, so unfortunately it’s quite likely he will die during her exams and she won’t be there. For that reason I am slightly hoping he will deteriorate more quickly and die this week, but at the same time I don’t want to lose him yet!
He developed an intolerance to fish recently (no idea if it’s connected to the cancer). I discovered soup for cats at the supermarket yesterday - there’s one brand with generous shreds of chicken and no fish content, which he will agree to consume some of, and it might at least keep him hydrated as he won’t drink at the moment. He’s always drunk a lot so I assume water just tastes wrong now.
I haven’t tried it - will look out for it. At the moment I’m just mixing in a teaspoon of water with each spoonful of food, as he is eating a very small amount from time to time. That seems to be keeping him going at the moment. I think he’ll fade away quite soon though.
Mick had to be put to sleep earlier today; the tumour was a very aggressive one and for two days he hadn’t been able to eat, and was struggling to find a comfortable position to sleep.
The vet came to the house and it was very peaceful. He died on his favourite cushion listening to the Goldberg Variations with all three of us stroking him.
He was a complete Bach fanatic, to the extent that he would sometimes go and fetch one of us to listen if the other was playing Bach on the piano! He quite liked Chopin, wasn’t keen on Mozart, and if you tried playing something like Schoenberg he’d claw furniture till you stopped...
After a worrying week-and-a-half Truffles is almost back to herself. I came back from holiday to find her struggling, possibly dehydrated due to refusing to use her cat flap to get to her water bowl & food that a good Moggy minder replenishes diligently. Fierce Cat next door has taken ownership of the back garden through which she has to go to get to her door (on a microchip lock) so she sticks pretty much to the front garden, relying on the front door being opened.
Anyway, a urine sample & blood test showed she had cystitis (poor thing) but this is clearing thanks to twice-daily powders and it hasn’t affected her kidney function which is pretty good (phew). So I am working on a new strategy for her when (not if!) I go away which might involve a kind neighbour liaising with the Moggy minder. I’ve tried all sorts of ways to reclaim the back garden from Fierce Cat (including Valium-for-cats to make her braver) and realise this won’t happen until he is off the scene. There were times when the vet and I thought this might be the beginning of the end, but she’s doing fine now.
Though we will never forget our beloved Spikey, our household has now been joined by another kitty!
A friend from church was offered a council house but wasn’t allowed to take her cat. So we have offered a new home to Cookie! She is a tortie, almost two years old with beautiful amber eyes.
Currently she won’t come out from under the sofa (she only arrived last night). But we are hoping she ventures out soon.
.... we have offered a new home to Cookie! She is a tortie, almost two years old with beautiful amber eyes.
Congratulations- so you have another naughty tortie, as my vet called Truffles a couple of years ago when she was being “difficult”. Apparently they are notorious for being strong willed, although Truffles is mostly very amenable.
She is getting bolder, although the Thug next door chased her back inside just now.
I thought it was just me and Torties! Our Burmese rescue, of blessed memory, ruled the house. I also have fond memories of a long haired tortie feral who refused to be tamed (about 6 wks when she came in, and her brothers were no trouble)
I don't suppose Cookie could forget her dignity long enough to chase a toy of some kind? No, I thought not.
Speaking of tortitude, my Beatrice pulled of a surprising stunt this morning. Thanks to lymphodema, I have to wear compression socks, which I can't get on by myself; a dear neighbor, J, comes over on weekend mornings to help me out.
This morning, she took off her rings and put them on the coffee table so that she could put lotion on my legs and feet - and Beatrice grabbed one and ran with it down the hall. She then dropped it on my bed, where J was able to retrieve it. I suggested that, from now on, I should hold the rings, as this was the third time Beatrice had messed with them. (The first time, she knocked them to the floor; the second, she pushed them under a quilt.) I love this cat dearly, but...
Beatrice sounds fun! I do those stockings for my mum when I'm with her, there is quite an art to doing it.
Cookie has demolished two sachets of Lick-e-lix (do you that in the US? It's kind of a yoghurt texture and apparently very addictive!) She's now giving Henry the Hedgehog a play session, still under the sofa. She is getting bolder, though, and having the occasional peek at the world outside the safety of the sofa.
Progress on the Cookie front. She popped her head out to look at us last night, and strolled nonchalantly from under one sofa, across the small gap, to the space we've still allowed her under the other (we've now blocked off most of that one).
And this morning we found she had been slightly sick again, but this time outside on the floor, rather than under the sofa. Much easier to clean! (And yet again, so grateful for hard wood flooring!)
But the biggest surprise was that she had evidently come out during the night, found her way to the bathroom and used the litter tray.
I posted the Scrubs song "Everything Comes Down To Poo" on Facebook in celebration!
Gil, it does indeed. When I first brought Aroha home she had the runs and I was so glad that I had established her (temporary) home in the bathroom. I have litterboxes there and in the porch because I read that you should provide one more litterbox than you have cats.
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She’s back at uni next weekend and has two weeks of exams, so unfortunately it’s quite likely he will die during her exams and she won’t be there. For that reason I am slightly hoping he will deteriorate more quickly and die this week, but at the same time I don’t want to lose him yet!
Happy Birthday Spencer!
One year old today. 🐶 🐶
(Does that mean he'll be moving on to the Big School soon?
The vet came to the house and it was very peaceful. He died on his favourite cushion listening to the Goldberg Variations with all three of us stroking him.
My condolences to you and your family, Aravis.
RIP, discerning pussycat.
Anyway, a urine sample & blood test showed she had cystitis (poor thing) but this is clearing thanks to twice-daily powders and it hasn’t affected her kidney function which is pretty good (phew). So I am working on a new strategy for her when (not if!) I go away which might involve a kind neighbour liaising with the Moggy minder. I’ve tried all sorts of ways to reclaim the back garden from Fierce Cat (including Valium-for-cats to make her braver) and realise this won’t happen until he is off the scene. There were times when the vet and I thought this might be the beginning of the end, but she’s doing fine now.
A friend from church was offered a council house but wasn’t allowed to take her cat. So we have offered a new home to Cookie! She is a tortie, almost two years old with beautiful amber eyes.
Currently she won’t come out from under the sofa (she only arrived last night). But we are hoping she ventures out soon.
Gill H, Cookie sounds gorgeous!
Enjoy life with Cookie, @Gill H!
(Not really giving her away, but I was looking forward to a warm bath to cure my aches and pains).
Little ratbag.
She is getting bolder, although the Thug next door chased her back inside just now.
Also trying lying on the floor where she can see me and doing the ‘slow blink’ at her.
It works for Jackson Galaxy!
I don't suppose Cookie could forget her dignity long enough to chase a toy of some kind? No, I thought not.
She did manage to poke her head out from under the sofa today, so that's progress.
This morning, she took off her rings and put them on the coffee table so that she could put lotion on my legs and feet - and Beatrice grabbed one and ran with it down the hall. She then dropped it on my bed, where J was able to retrieve it. I suggested that, from now on, I should hold the rings, as this was the third time Beatrice had messed with them. (The first time, she knocked them to the floor; the second, she pushed them under a quilt.) I love this cat dearly, but...
Cookie has demolished two sachets of Lick-e-lix (do you that in the US? It's kind of a yoghurt texture and apparently very addictive!) She's now giving Henry the Hedgehog a play session, still under the sofa. She is getting bolder, though, and having the occasional peek at the world outside the safety of the sofa.
Progress on the Cookie front. She popped her head out to look at us last night, and strolled nonchalantly from under one sofa, across the small gap, to the space we've still allowed her under the other (we've now blocked off most of that one).
And this morning we found she had been slightly sick again, but this time outside on the floor, rather than under the sofa. Much easier to clean! (And yet again, so grateful for hard wood flooring!)
But the biggest surprise was that she had evidently come out during the night, found her way to the bathroom and used the litter tray.
I posted the Scrubs song "Everything Comes Down To Poo" on Facebook in celebration!
Good Cookie! She is clearly exploring a little after dark when she has the house to herself.