Thinking about having my cat PTS but is it too soon?

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Chumsmum

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My 17yo Siamese is not right and I'm booked vet to come out to us at home and I'm seriously thinking about having her PTS tomorrow but worried that I'm not giving her enough time.

She has steadly lost weight over the last few years and there is nothing to her, she used to be quite a plump Siamese but is light as a feather now. She hasn't eaten for 24hrs and not interested at all in her favourite things and has been sick but it's just greenish fluid. She is very quiet (she is a loud Siamese) and was hiding under the bed the morning looking a bit confused though I left her curled up asleep on my bed and she purred when I fussed her but didn't 'talk' me to like she normally does.

I had her sister PTS a couple of years ago with same symptons but that was slighty easier as I had blood tests done first which showed her kidneys had virtually packed up. I know there is treatment they can try to flush the kidneys but neither cat would be up to it IMO - they stress even going to the vets never mind being treated there. Obviously it could be something else but can't imagine putting her through any treatment at her age.

If she is still the same tomorrow I think I will have her PTS but am worried I am not giving her enough time - she could just be having a few 'off' days?? What would you do?

On a brighter note she was outside yesterday enjoying the sun, sleeping in her favourite spot - the passenger seat of my OH's sports car with the top down
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Will obviously be guided by vet but trying to get my head straight and trying not to cry at work
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Thanks for any advice / replies.
 
This is always a very dificult decision to make.
Be guided by your vet but if she is 17 yrs old I feel sadly that the time may have come.
Only you can make the decision.
<<<<<<<<sympathy vibes coming to you>>>>>>>>>>
 
Owning Siamese, I know what they are like and once they have decided enough - there is little that can be done. You jsut have to see how she is today and tomorrow before the vet comes to her. See how she goes, what the vet says but they good saying off better a day to early than a day to late is a very good one!

I'll be thinking of you xx
 
you know your cat, but remember its always better a day to early than a day to late. In your situation I probably would, as she's not interested in her normal pleasures, and she's a very good age. Cats will purr out of relief also, it can mean many things, and isn't always because they are happy. Your also doing the right thing by getting the vet to come to you, i like to have all my animals pts at home, rather than at the vets, which is way to stressful.
 
I know how it feels. You do get to the point where you say to a vet Ok if my cat is this old and poorly what will tests you want to do show and how will that benefit the cat.
In my case my vet was very good with me -

I was told one option would be exploratory surgery (mine had signs of a tumour) but he was only letting me know becuase he had a duty to. We agreed that her age it would do nothing for her so I made the decision.

The next hard decision was wether I wanted to be there.
I did and I held her in my arms. I am glad I did because I saw how peaceful it was and had her last purr even though she was a very poorly moggy.

Its a tough decision you will have to make and if your vet is any good he/she will help you.

Not the cat in my sig she is the usurper Tiggy my old cat was called Suzy and was 18. So called because I had lost Katy (16) when I got her and the last film I had watched was 'Desperatly seeking Susan'.

Anyhow good luck and Best Wishes
 
Thank you all so much for replies - I really appreciate them and I know that questions like this can bring back sad memories.

Yes, will ask vet what tests / treatment they would do to try and make her well again but unless it's something as simple as an injection that will have her fighting fit again I will have my sweetheart PTS, she has had a long and happy life and I will miss her so much
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Thanks again.
 
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Yes, will ask vet what tests / treatment they would do to try and make her well again but unless it's something as simple as an injection that will have her fighting fit again I will have my sweetheart PTS, she has had a long and happy life and I will miss her so much
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My oldest cat is 16 this year. He's very special to me and I dread getting to this stage with him. However, what you have said is exactly the view I will take if he becomes ill. I would do anything to make him better, but I won't put him through pointless treatment.

I think you are being very sensible, and also very selfless in putting your cat first.
 
Sounds as if you know in your heart that it's time for her to go. I will always regret keeping my old Tabby alive for too long and giving him medication which he hated (on Vet's advice.) When we had a second opinion we were told he was too ill to treat, had been for weeks, the medication would have done no good, and he should have been PTS long before he became so poorly. The first Vet was just interested in our cash and has acquired a bad reputation around here because of that. The Vet we use now is excellent - kind, caring and puts the animal's needs first, not his bank balance!
 
Good Luck!
When I lost Suzy what helped me was I dug out every photo I had ever taken and had all the digital ones professionally printed and bought a special photo Album just for her. I often sit back and go through the photos and smile.
 
Sounds like classic pyrexic (feverish) cat to me - off its food, tucked up and very quiet. I'd get the vet to give a jab of antibiotics and if she doesn't pick up in 3-4 days, I'd PTS. It doesn't have to be the end, I usually try and tempt them with a little cat milk and some tuna, even the old ones and if they are still turning up their noses, then I take the hint
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I think you're doing the right thing not getting the cat fully investigated at her age, would be kinder to let her go quietly. Hope it all works out for you, I know how you feel, been there before. Big hugs.
 
Only you really know but having had my old moggie who was 17/18 put to sleep 2 weeks ago I know how you are feeling. It is the bit we all dread - personally I would like to come down and find that they have just slept away. Many hugs with the difficult decision but at the end of the day you are doing the right thing not putting your cat through unnecessary suffering and thinking long and hard about the decision.
 
It is hard but please let her go.
One of mine had a fantastic Xmas (a few years ago) with turkey etc, mid Jan stopped eating, vet said kidneys not working, he could treat but the outcome was not likely to prolong life by much so decision taken.
 
This post is making me feel very sad as I too have a Siamese. She is a Siamese cross and is my baby. She will be 13 this year and is starting to look old. With grey hairs around her whiskers etc. Only the other night when she was upstairs in the bathroom with me when I had a bath, she put her paws up to me against the bath and did her usual loud mew as Siamese's know how to. I looked at her and just started to sob uncontrollably. I know that one day I will have to let her go as we do outlive all animals so far as I know. But the fact that she is starting to look a bit older now just brought it home to me as I have never been this close to any cat like this before. She will go mad mewing when she goes upstairs until she finds me or hears my voice and I have never owned any cat that has acted in that way before. When we go on holiday and my mum looks after her she sulks after me I have been told. My mum doesn't see that much of her and when I return the cat avoids me for a few hours or days as she is so miffed with me.
I know some people can say oh well it is just a cat, but I really do think some animals, cats and dogs, included ( as well as a few other pets) are so much more than that. My other cats are moggies and them to me are your average cats. But through my experience with my own Siamese cross I have learned that they are not your average cat. She will come to give me a fuss and some attention if I am feeling sad, and not just because she wants feeding or needs to be let out as other cats do.
Chumsmum my heart goes out to you it really does x
I hope that she is just having a few off days and I really would try her with some bland food for a few days like fish or chicken ( little and often), just to see if she improves in any way at all. I would also recommend a trip to the vets as kit279 suggested. They will most probably give a jab of antobiotics and steroids to give your cat a boost. If it was me I would give it a try and see if there is any improvement.
I think everyone knows their own pets best though and you will know when it is time to call it a day. I do also agree with your sentiments about operations and flushing out of kidneys etc in older cats. I hope I never have to make that decision with my baby though because my head says one thing and my heart says another and I know I will find it very hard to let go. But I do know that I would not let her suffer in any way and have had any animal ( or pet) that I knew it was a dead end road for them put to sleep before they started to suffer. I just know though that, that decision will be very hard for me to make though for my baby as I really love my cat so much.
Big hugs and I hope your cat has a few more years of purring and pleasure to give you yet x
Caroline x
 
Thanks for replies - you wouldn't believe how much they are helping me.

I popped home at lunch time to see her, still not interested in anything, even her most favourite squirty cream. I took her outside for a bit but after a few minutes she wanted to come back in and lie down again on the bed. She just looks so tired and rough and lost
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OH thinks the same.

She settled back to sleep in a sunny patch on the bed. We have agreed that we will see if vet thinks anti b injection etc will help but she is not going to vets for any other treatment and if he thinks she is suffering too much or not hopeful on injection she will be PTS.

Siamese are the most wonderful cats - I really couldn't have any other breed now after owning 3 - they are so loving and funny and opinionated and loud
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The first thing we noticed in Sian's deterioration was how quiet she was
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She loves sleeping on my pillow to be close and comes in to the lounge at night to tell me it's bed-time in a very loud voice that wakes the neighbours
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Aw Chumsmum you're making me cry again now after reading that
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She does sound like she is a very poorly little girl though. Although I do know that some years ago my little lass went off her food for a couple of days and I took her to the vet and she was checked over and given some anti b's etc and was fine again afterwards. Still no idea what it was though. Whether it was something she ate I really don't know? She was a good weight back then though. She still has plenty of flesh on her now ( she isn't overweight though) but is not as heavy as she used to be and that does scare me a little as the other cats try to bully her out of eating sometimes and they really annoy me.
It is so clear to see from domestic animals how the sick and older animals would get forced away from a good meal in the wild when you view how your own pets are to each other. I know it is nature but it saddens me.
I combat this though by making sure she has extras or try to feed her away from the others.
The vet may prescribe something like Lectade? or similar if she is not eating well to try and keep her fluids and electrolytes up. Is she dehydrated in any way? Can you pinch skin on the back of her neck and does it go down again easily or does it slink back down slowly? Only asking because if her appetite is suppressed for whatever reason and that includes not wanting to drink then that will cause her to become dehydrated which will make her feel even more 'lousy' than what she is already, especially as it is quite warm today too.
I am sure you will do right by your cat whatever decision you ultimately make. It is a very hard decision when it comes to putting to sleep and I don't envy anyone who has to make it at all. I lost so many pets last year ( mainly ferrets), most were put to sleep ( some died in their sleep) for various reasons, illness and age or the two combined that it nearly broke me mentally.
But getting back to Siamese yes they are wonderful and when I originally got my Saki I had asked to rescue a Siamese cat. The rescue places didn't want to know. Why did I want a Siamese was some of the replies I got. Incidentally I had already rescued a 'moggie' from one place but had always wanted a Siamese. I placed an ad in a paper and got a phonecall from a couple whose child had query asthma resulting from the cat ( then a kitten). He was fine with the dog though. I had the cat and it did turn out the little lad was allergic to the cat. I have never looked back as she is the most wonderful cat you could ever have. I can never replace her and wouldn't want to. When you said that your cat sleeps on your pillow mine does too if she gets the chance. She has to be close to my face. Sometimes she will even curl up between me and the partner on the pillows and will be lying on my head lol.
She will even try to wake me with a bite to my chin as well. Out of my 4 cats she is the only one allowed upstairs to sleep with us and if she doesn't sleep with me she will be curled up next to my daughter.
So yes they are truly wonderful cats.
My thoughts are with you at this time and I hope that the trip to the vets brings good news and that Sian has a few more years left with you x I will keep everything crossed for you.
Caroline x
 
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