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My 16 year-old kitty Emily has been slowly losing weight over the last year. She went from 11 pounds to 8, to 6...she was diagnosed with a thyroid issue in July and started on medication twice a day. Her weight stabilized for a while but then dropped to just around 6 pounds in December. Her belly has been very distended and the vet suspects Lymphoma. We went ahead and decided to treat her with steroids to see if she would put on some weight but she has been getting progressively slower. She purrs and is otherwise sleeping almost all day, but I noticed that she didn't eat on Saturday, yesterday, or this morning. I offered her some chicken baby food which she usually likes but after one quick lick, she turned her nose away
She smells terrible, like a mix of pee, poop, and a decaying smell. I feel so sad for her. I feel like maybe it is time, but then there is that part in the back of my mind that is terrified of making this decision and wishing she would die in her sleep. It's hard when she looks up at me and is purring to think she is ready. I am also feeling guilty because we brought home out new puppy last week (we had been on a waiting list for 6 months so knew when he was coming home) so I feel like the timing is bitter-sweet. She has had no stress b/c of the puppy b/c she sleeps in a different part of the house and has not had to interact with him at all. We decided to keep her as peaceful as possible and not risk introducing them at this point. This is just a vent I guess. At work and feeling really sad, and the lack of sleep from the new puppy, puppy blues, and this mixed together makes it all seem much more overwhelming.