I really need some advice before I put my cat to sleep

I am really hoping someone can help me. My cat has had a spinal cord injury that has made her inable to urinate or have bowel movements. She has been at the vet since Sunday and they are telling me I have to make a decision soon. They tell me that I can express her bladder several times a day but that nothing can be done about the bowels, so it is best to put her to sleep. I read many things the last couple of days where people have paralyzed animals and take care of them. I cannot seem to find any information on expressing a cats bowels or if this is even possible though. I guess the injury is called "tail pull" or "tail Jerk". My vet says that any imporvement would be seen within the first week, but I have read that it can take months. The bad part is that I have consulted a second vet and she said the same thing, but I really have my doubts! Has anyone had any positive experience with something like this? I love my cat so very much and cant bear to think about putting her to sleep if I can help her and make her comfortable. Please help

 

i'm so sorry to hear about your cat... How old is she?

There are some questions you need to ask yourself i suppose. Some 'disabled' animals require a lot of time and care. Are you able to be there, or someone be there to help her urinate and poo?

If not it could be very uncomfortable and plain unhealthy for her to sit around and wait until someone can come do this. It sounds like she could be this way for a long time, and she may not get better- if i read your post right.

It's clear you love your pet, and i'm sure you will make the right choice. *hugs*

 

hugs to you....we live in a world where we feel we have to try to save everything.
This is strictly my opinion of course...but the bottom line is it fair to let an animal that is independent by nature have to live out an existence where even peeing is something it must be helped with.
Think of the mental state your cat will be in for the remainder of her life - not being able to get around, can't poop/pee without human intervention. The the possible illnesses that might occur due to that inability.
Is that how you would want to live out your life?
I can't make the decision for you, it's something you know you have to do. But ask yourself if your cat is going to have a fulfilling life - what the QUALITY of her life is going to be like in this state.
You have to think of your cat - and not how your heart is going to be broken....your heart will heal, unfortunately it sounds like your cat's body won't.
Hugs to you

 

I'm sorry about your poor kitty. My heart goes out to you.
I agree with the above posters. Such a hard decision. :cry:

 

I agree with the others about quality of life, BUT....you need to convince yourself that your cat will not be able to get better. You say you have read that there can be improvement - have you tried contacting a vet who does chiropractic or acupuncture?

You might also try this Yahoo group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/catswithparalysis/ and see if they have any specific info about this condition.

If your cat can't regain movement, I think putting him to sleep may be for the best. Is he in pain?

I just had to have my 15-year-old cat put to sleep last week. Liver cancer, on top of diabetes and cardiomyopathy. Believe me, I know how painful it is. And there are always doubts about whether you are doing the right thing. I'm sorry there are no clear answers.

 

I agree, this is the hardest decision to make. I have had to do it twice in the last 3 years. Make the best decision for your cat if she is suffering it is time to let go. :cry:

 

I am so Sorry for You

Dear KittyKat,

We had to make that exact decision 3 weeks ago. Well, it will be 3 weeks on Monday. I am still heart broken. On a selfish note, I would have taken care of the kitty, even though I knew that he would be paralyzed on the left side and he wouldn't be able to enjoy himself (that was my selfish side). The vet said the best thing we could do for our kitty was to have him euthanized. We did that and I miss him every minute of every day. From all of the wonderful messages I have received at this site, I finally feel a bit better about what we had to do, however, I will never stop missing the wonderful kitty that chose us to be with the last year of his precious life.

He came to live with us for some reason. He actually belonged to someone else on a nearby street. They no longer wanted him, so he graced us with his company. He stayed on our deck every day and night. We finally invited him, gave him a bed. He even had his own closet.

Thank the Lord we have another kitty who has been with us for 11 years. She is wonderful also.

Think of your wonderful kitty! If there is nothing else that can be done, do it for your kitty.

Peace be with you!
Sincerely,
Georgef