Pets

Our Zoey was lying in the bathroom floor one Thursday, unable to jump up onto the toilet seat b/c she had gotten so weak. I took her to the vet late on Friday, and they gave me really bad news. Her kidneys were almost shut down. I had to decide whether to leave her at the vet's over the weekend and decided against it -- she was a super-sensitive kitty and I didn't want to leave her among strangers in what might be her last hours, like our first cat was. Then she wasn't eating, drinking, or using her litter box. Very soon she was barely moving. All we could do was hold her on our laps and soothe her. Amazingly, she survived until Sunday night, and I was hoping I could get her to the vet on Monday, but she passed during the night. Only five days earlier she had seemed fairly healthy for an older cat.

In 20/20 hindsight, I should have put her to sleep on Friday, but Mother was undergoing medical treatment herself and was "out of it". I was afraid to put her cat to sleep when she was in no condition to decide herself -- she was perfectly capable of forgetting what she had said and done, and would blame me for putting her to sleep too soon. It was just the worst possible coincidence of events and I had to make a decision without enough time or information to go on. I wish we had discussed her situation more earlier, so I would have been prepared to make the necessary decision when it was time.

I encourage you to have "the talk" with your vet ASAP, so events don't catch up to you too soon.