More on Basil

[rkold]

To go into a little more detail, Basil has end stage cancer which is why he now has kidney failure. He's already lost a lot of weight and has steadily been losing interest in food. Each day he eats less and less. We could put him through chemo, lots of future blood tests and injects of fluid, but our vet says at the best that extends his life by a year and a half and I just worry about the sort of life he would be having. I want to make it clear, it's not that we are not willing to spend the money on our cats. Last summer, Basil was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism and we paid a small fortune to get him radiation therapy. However, after treatment he was for all intents and purposes better and he was happy. I just have my doubts about how happy he would be with us trying to force him to live longer. If he were younger I might feel differently, but it's so hard when the cat is already over 14.

I do bring the cats to the vet at least once a year, so it is not as if I've been slacking in their care. Basil in particular had a bunch of appointments and check ups recently with his thyroid issues.

I don't write about my cats here so often, but they're a huge part of my life since I tend to be home quite often. I love just sitting on the couch or the bed and having a cat curled up besides me. It makes me feel loved. I love holding the cats even though they don't enjoy it. They're almost like children... and yet not. I adore them, but I know it's not the same as the baby growing in me. You also... expect to lose your pets. No matter how much you love them, I know I've always expected to outlive Cookie, Basil and Nutmeg, just like I expect to outlive my parents and for Ryuchan to outlive me.

Today Basil was no longer interested in his beloved challah, which has always been his favorite food. I can't say how many times we accidentally forgot to put it away and we found the plastic bag ripped to shreds and large bits of challah missing.

I suspect he doesn't have long now. He's no longer really eating and just seems really sad. I don't want to let him suffer like his sister did. I felt bad that I didn't realize something was so seriously wrong with her when she stopped eating but we were busy with the holidays. I think he and Cookie know he is dying.

Cookie fortunately had a clean bill of health. She's going to be 16 in a week or two.

Comments

End stage

[(Anonymous)]

Unfortunately, since he's in end stage, there's no treatment that would give him a year and a half, at most a few months.

- Sad husband

[winter]

My sympathies again :( I think you'll know when it's time; both times with mine, it was very clear.

[reynardine.livejournal.com]

I've had two cats put down due to illness. Mirrim was only 9, but she had an aggressive form of cancer. She had an operation and was fine for nearly a year, then the tumors came back. We didn't want to put her through another operation like that.

Lily was slightly older when we had her put to sleep. We had the fluid treatment done on her twice, but when the vet said it would be a common thing, then we knew it was time. Having those treatments was a miserable experience for her. It was kinder to let her go.

I'm so sorry about Basil. Like you said, you know that eventually a pet will die, but that doesn't make it easier when it happens.

[twotone]

*hugs*

I'm so sorry that you and Kennis have to make this difficult decision.

[bramblyhedge.livejournal.com]

Oh, hon. *HUGS* It is so sad to watch them suffer but also so hard to have to make the decision to let them go. :(
I remember with Prince that I really wanted to stop Mum from taking him to the vet, even though he was utterly wretched and it was too cruel to let him continue that way any longer.

[rkold.livejournal.com]

I just don't know. I feel like we waited too long with Nutmeg because we just didn't know it was anything that serious. She's been slowly fading for months but it was just so hard to see. With my mother's cat Marmalade (who also died of cancer) we were actually admonished by the vet for waiting so long. His passing was still really peaceful, he didn't need an injection in his heart or anything, he was just really thin.

[rkold.livejournal.com]

This will be my second or third depending on how you count the family cat I shared with my birth family.

I wasn't there when we had Nutmeg put to sleep, but I knew she was doing poorly when I left for Japan. I was really surprised when I heard during my layover that she had improved.

I keep telling myself we had him for 14+ years which is a long time and he's been mostly happy and mostly in good health except the last year+ Before that, he was always our most healthy and active cat.

I worry about Cookie being alone, but maybe she will get along well with the baby.

[rkold.livejournal.com]

*hugs*

It would be much easier if you could just tell when they were tired of suffering or even when they were just suffering too much.

I think we're going to have to bring him in soon though. He's not interested in food and he isn't really drinking anymore either.

[rkold.livejournal.com]

*hugs*

I just wish there was some way to know how much they were suffering or to let them know how much we still loved them and they we understand.

It's hard, pets are such a part of your life.

So sorry about Basil.

[ginarolo.livejournal.com]

It so hard to lose a senior pet. Can they do steroids or at least pain pills?

[rkold.livejournal.com]

I keep telling myself that 14 years is a really long time. Most cats live to be 12-14 so he's done very well. You just read about the people having cats until they are 20+ and keep hoping you will be one of those people.

I've spent a lot of this summer worried about the cats. You know when they get to be older that something might happen.

I'm sure Basil and Nutmeg would have found a decent home without us since they were kittens in a no-kill shelter and a popular place to adopt at the time. Cookie... I doubt she would have made it to 6 months without us taking her in.

I'm glad I was able to share my life with them. They've all been wonderful cats. Basil use to play this silly game with Kennis and I use to love playing with his tail when he was sleeping with us, so that he would bop Kennis' face.

Re: So sorry about Basil.

[rkold.livejournal.com]

No, there really isn't anything they can do. The biggest problem is he just doesn't want to eat or even to drink anymore.

I think it's hard to lose any pet. But I try to tell myself how lucky I am that Basil has had such a long and good life.

Re: So sorry about Basil.

[ginarolo.livejournal.com]

You are lucky to have had him so long. If he isn't drinking or eating sounds like he's telling you it's time to go.

Re: So sorry about Basil.

[rkold.livejournal.com]

Yeah, we both think it is time now, but Kennis had the car today so there was no way to get to the vet any earlier. And I just really want him there with us. Basil is still not doing well, but definitely seemed happier that Kennis had come home.

[rkold.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I think he had no health problems at all until the hyperthyroidism last summer. Cookie and Nutmeg both had trips to the vet to check on various ailments before that and Nutmeg in particular had always been sickly.

We're not going to let Cookie suffer either. She is slowing down and definitely seems like a little old lady now, but I think she's pretty happy. The last few mornings she has come to sit on my legs while I use the laptop.

We're going to put him to sleep tomorrow. He really seems to be suffering now. Kennis is going to work from home.

[nikittin.livejournal.com]

This is so sad. :< I know you're doing your very best to make his final days as comfortable as possible. <3

I got the warm fuzzies when you mentioned the just sitting quietly with a cat and feeling loved. I totally get that from my kitty.

[rkold.livejournal.com]

It's really hard, he's been a very good cat, but he's just gone completely downhill so quickly. It's amazing to compare yesterday with the day before that and today with yesterday.

I really adore having a cat curled up near me, it always makes me feel loved and peaceful. I'm going to miss having a big cat ball on the bed with me come Winter. I'm very grateful Cookie has been coming to see me in the morning and sitting on my feet.

[jougetsu.livejournal.com]

I'm deeply sorry to hear it. *hugs*

[winter]

With renal issues, if the kidney function's low, it'll go fast. No pain (which is apparently typical), just lethargy and sleep. Mind you, the things I did to get Tonio a few more days, I might be biased towards maximising cat-time :S

[ad-exia.livejournal.com]

I definitely understand your position - it's not about the money, it's about the quality of life. Sashi stopped eating about two weeks before I had to put her down, and it was definitely a tough two weeks, even if she wasn't really ready to let go until the end.

My thoughts are still with you all - cats are a very important part of your life, and no one should ever tell you otherwise.

[codename-windy.livejournal.com]

Sorry to hear about Basil. Even when we know that we will most likely outlive our pets, it still isn't easy when the time comes.

For what it is worth, I think your decision to not put him through the whole chemo etc. ordeal is the right one; if he is already at the end stage, the treatment would probably only prolong his discomfort. Perhaps there might be some medication or something that would help to make him more comfortable for the time he has left...?

While it certainly isn't much comfort, at the very least you know that Basil has had a long kitty-life and that he has been loved very much. I am sure he has been very happy and feels his life has been fulfilling.

[mec]

Poor Basil. :-( Of course you don't want to let him suffer, but letting a beloved pet go is always hard, even when you're doing what's best for them. At least he's had a wonderful life with you, and all the love he could ever hope for. My condolences to you, Kennis, and of course Cookie. *hugs*

Re: End stage

[rkold.livejournal.com]

Your sad wife really loves you a lot and is always grateful for having you.

[rkold.livejournal.com]

Tonio was much younger than Basil was, so it's also just a very different situation. I might have felt differently if he wasn't 14, which they say is about how long a male housecat lives. (12-14 according to Wiki is their average age)

[rkold.livejournal.com]

And I'm so sorry about your loss. *hugs*

My step grandfather died while I was in transit to Japan and there was no possible way to go home for the funeral.

I hope you're doing OK :/

[rkold.livejournal.com]

I think he was ready, he was crying a lot and it was no eating or drinking. We just couldn't keep him around like that.

The last few days have been very hard and I'm just hoping that time and my pregnancy cloudiness dulls the pain.

[rkold.livejournal.com]

No, there really isn't any medication that can help. You can give injections to help with the kidney failure and hydrate the cat, but many cats don't enjoy the injections and it hardly seemed worth it.

We're both very sad right now and I'm hoping that Cookie our remaining cat is doing OK. She had a clean bill of health but I am sure it is hard for her to lose her companion.

[rkold.livejournal.com]

*hugs*

It's very very hard right now. We both know it was the right decision, but it doesn't really make it easier because there is now this big hole in our lives. We still have Cookie and we both love her, but it's not the same thing. Basil was a truly special cat and I wish now I had recorded all his little adorable idiosyncrasies so I could share them.

[ad-exia.livejournal.com]

That sounds like it was about time, then.

I bet they were hard, and all I can say is that, having gone through that very recently, it will get better. You will miss him a lot sometimes, and then be okay at others, but it will get better. <3