I think it’s nearing the end of the road for FatKitty.
This last year has been a hard one for her, with the new baby and the diabetes double whammy, and the biggest manifestation of that is her box habits. She started pooping outside of her litterbox when Ingrid was born, occasionally, which was no big deal because it’s just poop, and it was just in the basement, so easy to take care of. Over time, though, she’s given up on the box completely for pooping. And in the past few weeks, for peeing, too. On top of the puking, on average once a day, and the pooping, the peeing is really the last straw. We’ve done everything the experts say to do, tried every single kind of litter at the store (not kidding) tried different litterbox arrangements, everything. And it’s not working. As her insulin starts to get low, and now seeing how little the box is being used in favor of the damn basement floor, it’s really seeming… like it’s time.
And that sounds kind of cruel, I know, and I’m sure people are reading and thinking we’re bad people for thinking that this is the time, when she (as far as we know) is relatively healthy. (Tho the peeing could be a sign of something, I guess…) But cat pee is bad. Bad. And our house smelling like catpee is even worse. This is our HOUSE, you know? And yes, it’s our cat, too, and we’re both choked up at the thought of losing her (I’m welling up as I type this) but sometimes you have to make that decision. She’s THIRTEEN. She’s had a fabulous life. When we got the diabetes diagnosis, I charged the insulin to my credit card, and the decision then was that we’d do one bottle (it lasts a long time) and reassess. And as the bottle starts to get low, the assessment isn’t in FK’s favor.
She’s wonderful with Ingrid, and Ingrid LOVES her, and that’s sort of sad, but I remember when I was pregnant, and she got weird, and i was so desperate for our baby to know our cat, and… she has. It’s not realistic to think we can keep her forever, especially with all the peeing. RIght now, it’s just in the basement, but that’s bad enough. It’s just hard. It would almost be easier if she got REALLY SICK and it would be 5000 dollars to save her, or we could euthanize… but the peeing and pooping and puking don’t exactly point to a cat that’s REALLY WELL, you know?
This is hard. I feel a little nervous even posting it, because I’m afraid that it sounds incredibly selfish or that I think my basement floor is more important than a living creature. I don’t feel that way, but our family’s sanity and health also has a stake in this, too, you know?
I’m sure others have had to make the choice. When did you know it was time? Is it usually more clearcut?
The peeing might mean she’s not getting enough insulin. Or a bladder infection, that’s what it was when my cat went all pukey and started peeing everywhere – the antibiotics fixed him up. Or both – an infection is a double-whammy when you have diabetes, because your sugars go way up, so it’s Peesville, population: you.
If it were me, I guess I’d go to the vet and see if they thought it might be one of the above quick-fix things, or if it was really a case of, dang, this cat is going to be incontinent forever and therefore locked in the basement, fat and lonely, forever.
I’m so sorry you’re faced with this situation. It is so hard to say goodbye or decide when to say goodbye. 🙁
In the meantime to cut down on pee agony, they make cat diapers. My toby escaped them easily, but um, fatkitty is a lot less shall we say athletic.
I know I’m probaby going to be in the minority on this one, but at that age the issues begin to multiply (as do the expenses to fix them). If it’s an easy fix great, but diabetes usually means tough and ongoing issues that will make it more expensive and harder to let go. It’s never, ever easy to let go of a beloved pet, but when quality of life suffers for them (and you) I feel it’s time to let go. At thirteen, that’s a good life!!! I have loved my pets dearly, but I could never justify having to spend enormous amounts of money to keep an ailing animal alive when they’ve enjoyed a long, happy life. That’s just me though.
No advice, just my sympathies. It is really hard to make these kinds of decisions. I am glad Ingrid got to know FatKitty, and learned the joy of cats. That is a nice legacy for FC, indeed.
Oh Gretchen, I’m so sorry. My parents went through the same thing with our first dog (well, their dog which was the first one we knew). He was their baby before we were, and he got to be 14, which was really great for a purebreed, and started doing the same things. It killed my mom to do it, but when you have little kids in the house, it’s awfully hard to have an animal pooping and peeing everywhere. I know it won’t make the decision any easier, and it might be a simple fix like yam said, but know that sometimes it’s just time, and you’re certainly not the only one who would make that decision. Hugs.