Monday, August 03, 2009

Cat Question for Those with More Knowledge Than I - Serious & Important to Me.

I need some help here, I’m at a loss. I have 4 fat spoiled indoor cats but there’s still a lot I don’t know about cats and I have a problem here. I could use some advice. It has me all freaked out and crying and I can just feel that malignant hypertension creeping in so I’m turning to people who might be able to help me here.

Roley the outside cat. This is a feral cat at heart. She lets my family and Darkstar pet her, people she’s known since she’s been here but she hides from everyone else. She’s never been picked up, she’s always been very much the independent outside cat. I have no clue how old she is but she’s been here 10 years and she was a full adult when she got here.

For the past couple of years she’s had some sort of growth on her back. Nothing huge but there was no getting close enough to check it and it never seemed to bother her. She’s never been to a vet but she’s never had any outward signs of anything wrong (runny eyes/nose, green eye snot, loss of appetite, etc.) so we let her do her thing.

She’s got some medical issues now, she had a small hole in her leg as if she had bitten off an engorged tick. That was what we originally thought was the arthritis, she wasn’t moving so we assumed. Once we saw the wound she let us put cortizone cream on it and it was clean. She started walking again.

Past couple of days I’ve noticed flies swarming her back. Lots of flies where the thing on her back was. She’s not in any pain, I was petting her head (all I’m allowed to do) and she was purring up a storm and didn’t even seem to notice her back was crawling with flies. I, however, did notice and started losing it right there.

Darkstar found a pretty good page about myiasis and I’m guessing that’s what’s there. He’s currently off to get some gloves to check her without getting mauled. Now here comes the question.

What the hell do I do with her? Keeping her age in mind and the fact that she’s never been to a vet, is the trip/ordeal itself going to be too much for her? Do I sit by and do nothing and watch her get eaten by maggots?

When I was fresh out of high school my first job was receptionist for my family vet. I had been working there a few months and a large collie came in. Big Lassie-sized collie. I went downstairs at one point during the day to get something and the tech was shaving the collie. This dog’s entire back was a sea of maggots. There was practically no skin, just a blanket of maggots. The owners didn’t care and the dog was so far gone it was put down. I quit the job that day and was haunted for weeks seeing those maggots in my head and that poor poor animal.

I don’t want to do that to Roley. She deserves better than to be eaten by maggots. She’s made it 10+ years with 3.5 legs and she deserves better. But I don’t want to go put her through the ordeal of the vet to hear she’s too far gone, it’s a tumor on her back, blah blah. If she were in pain I would have taken her right away but she’s not. Even though she’s not moving much she’s not pooping or peeing on herself so she’s moving somewhat.

I’m not worried about the financial end but it has to be considered as I’m on disability and funds are tight. I’d rather not eat for the month if the vet is the way to go and I’ll find a way to handle it so it’s not money making he hesitant. There’s no reason to put her down but even my untrained eye can see she’s not a ‘healthy’ cat. Do you take an aging cat and put her through a trauma?

Claudie. Claudie was fine and not in pain either. He went for surgery to get the malignant tumor that had come back removed again and because of his age his heart gave out after the surgery and I never got to hug him again. Not that I wanted him to die of cancer but he could have gone on a while longer until he was in pain.

I don’t know what to do. I don’t know what the right thing to do for HER is. Not for me or my mother, for HER. This is one of those times I wish I had a genie to give me the answer. I just know my pressure is spiking through the roof which is making my kidneys twitch and all I can do is cry like a blubbering idiot. I can’t even be out there with Darkstar when he gets back with the gloves to check her.

So please. Those of you who know more about cats and conditions than I do, please help me out here. What would you do, what should I do? Whatever it takes to make it better for her for however long she has left.

Thank you for your help. Please, to my wiseass friends who read this.. Cut me some slack just this once and no snarky replies.. Please. I’m already in a messed up place in my head.

Thanks again..

1. Well.. this is a toughie, isn’t it? So, since there really isn’t a right answer, I’ll give you mine. The “what I would do in your shoes” answer.

   I would take her in to the vet. Trauma and all. Because, really.. cats are tough cookies and can put up with a lot, pain-wise. She might not be showing outward signs of pain, but she might be in a hell of a lot.

   I would much rather have her checked out, to rule out anything treatable, then to let her just deal with it as is. Also, yes, it might traumatize her for like, a day, but cats are adaptable also, and so, even though she might freak out at first, she will get use to whatever you do/wherever you take her in a few hours.

   Also.. if, by chance, she is already too far gone, a vet will be able to let her “die with dignity”, as a cat should. No animal should be eaten alive by maggots, but a cat especially? No, no, no. She should be able to be cleaned up and without pain for her departure, if it so happens she is too sick for treatment.

   I lost Celeste because her heart gave out after a traumatic medical experience and I never got to say goodbye, either. It kills me inside when I think about it, but a small part of me knows that she was at a place where her pain was managed and it was as peaceful as a heart attack could be.

   Webkittyn, you are a good soul. I know it’s hard to make tough choices, especially when your own life seems like it’s one thing after another. Maybe it’s the Universes way of keeping you distracted and able to put your energy into helping the voiceless. Keep me updated, okay?

   Binary Blonde  on  08/03  at  11:20 PM

2. I agree with the above.

   Take her to the vet.  It’s the right thing to do.  If the vet determines that she’s treatable, s/he will be able to work something out with you, payment-wise.  If the vet determines that she’s not treatable, having her put down is the right thing to do, regardless of how difficult it is to do so.  And don’t let the fact that she’ll freak out over going to the vet dissuade you.  If everything works out, she’ll recover from the “trauma” of the visit just fine. 

   P.S. Your anti-spambot answer is not correct.

   monogodo  on  08/04  at  12:14 AM

3. The vet is a good idea. If she is treatable, then bonus. My cat Gary Buckets didn’t like me much until I took him to the vet when he had a hole in his leg. We had to keep him inside and quiet which goes against your cat’s usual habits.

   If it is not treatable, then she deserves to have the person who loves her beside her as she passes. I know it’s not easy, but it’s necessary.

   With love and trust in whatever your choice may be:

   Mare

   Marilyn Martell Stotler  on  08/05  at  09:51 PM

4. Hello kittys,

   First of all never hit your cat. Cats don’t understand wrong from right. What seems annoying to you is normal to cats. Cats are creatures that operate on instinct and just do what seems natural in that moment. Cats have a language all their own and its your job to figure out what works when teaching kitty his or her boundaries. Use praise as much as possible. If you reward the cat frequently for good behavior, they will continue to do what you find acceptable because it is favorable to them...they know they will be given a treat.....

   Thanks!

   cat toilet training tips  on  09/11  at  05:26 AM
Page 1 of 1 pages

Name:

Email:

Location:

URL:

Smileys

Remember my personal information

Notify me of follow-up comments?