Today, well, sucked. My mother changed my appointment that I had made for the dog without asking me, so I was mildly annoyed. Then, she decided that since I had decided if Sandy was really bad I would put her down, she would put the other two cats down. So, I woke up to my mother taking the cats to the vet this morning.
We got one of the cats, Sam, in 1992. He was just over 15. The other cat, Snowball, was my first official pet. She was 14. The cats had long lives, I give them that, but I am not sure I totally agree with my mother putting them down. I keep 'seeing' the cats and then it dawns on me that for the first time in my life, there are no cats at my mothers house.
And, while I have tonnes of pictures of both cats, dating back to the kitten years, I don't seem to have any on my computer right now. As to Sandy, I am not sure. We only gave her a look over, the vet says she is going to need x-rays and tests to find out what it wrong with her for sure, but all of her options are not life-threatening. I thought there was something wrong with her stomach, but the vet does not think that is what it is. Her gagging is a cause for concern, it could be something ver minor or it could be something very serious. It is the only thing that doesn't go with what she thinks is wrong with her, and that is that she has a thyroid problem. Then, she has arthritis, but I knew that already. Her sister had it super bad, and she was younger than Sandy is now when she died.
So, summary, I have no cats in my house anymore which really sucks and me and my mother argued over at the vet, but I might end up keeping Sandy afterall! I need to decide about the tests, though, one of them is 400 dollars. Sandy is 12. I don't want to put her through unnecessary stress at such an elderly age. You multiple by 7, right? That means in people years she is 84. The vet said that other than being overweight and what might be causing her to gag, she is doing pretty good for such an old girl.
The above picture is old, it is Sandy and Atra when he was a kitten. Atra is a HUGE cat now, so it is rather funny. Actually, when we first got Atra he used to stay here and Sandy treated him like her kid. Get this, Atra used to, um, suck and for some reason, even though Sandy should not be able to, he would come away with his face wet... Atra still sucks, but on a blanket. He's a strange cat, and I have noticed Tolkien likes to do that too, maybe he has tried it on Miko and that's why she avoids him...
Big hugs to Kailana. I'm sorry to hear about your cats...I really am. I'm glad to hear that things are looking a bit better for Sandy though. She's lucky to have you :)
ReplyDeleteThanks Chris. I look at my blog and wonder why people read it, so many depressing things! Since I have started blogging I have put 4 or 5 cats to sleep. I am not sure if Maggie was before or after blogging started... Anyways, it's been depressing.
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear your doggie's going to be okay!
ReplyDeletePoor Kail, you are not having a good animal year, Hopefully it is all up from here. I'm glad that things don't seem to bad for Sandy but $400.00 for one test man that is steep.
ReplyDeleteBIG HUGS AND HAPPY THOUGHTS GOING YOUR WAY
I am so sorry, Kailana. I know where you are coming from with your mom. When my parents decided to put down our family dog of 14 years, I thought the decision was made awfully quick. They wouldn't even listen to the possibilities open to them. They heard heart problems and decided it was the end of the road. Anyhow, I am glad at least that you have Sandy. I hope that you are able to figure out what is wrong with her. It is good that the vet thinks she is doing well considering.
ReplyDeleteK, that's so sad. That's a tough one. Hang in there.
ReplyDeleteOh man. Sorry to hear about your kitties! People that don't have animals really have no idea what a big part they play in your life. Our dogs ARE part of the family. I really hope your dog will be ok! Hugs to you!
ReplyDeleteThanks everyone. I've never not had cats at my house before, I can't imagine getting used to it... 23 years (almost) of cats and now nothing... I came home last night and there was no cats waiting for me at the door, it was the weirdest thing ever. Tonight I am going to get a frame to hang on the wall with four slots and put my four cats pictures in it. And, the kittens don't appreciate the fact that they are now my only cats. They were just happy that this meant they got a treat last night. :)
ReplyDeleteHi Kailana,
ReplyDeleteI'm very sorry to hear about your cats. Were they sick, or was it a preemptive move by your mother in case they started getting sick?? Either way, I'm very, very sorry for you. I know the feeling.
If you pay the $400 will there be a definitive answer about Sandy? How much more money will be required after that if some5thing is wrong? Did the vet give you an idea?
Hi Michelle,
ReplyDeleteMy mother thought the cats were sick, but the vet didn't really see why. She thought they looked fine for their ages and agreed with me that it was likely their food disagreeing with their stomaches. My mother decided that she was still going to put them down, though.
As to Sandy, no. The doctor is pretty sure that I will find that she has a thyroid problem, so that test (which is 100 dollars) will have an answer (unless it is not a thyroid problem because then I wasted 100 bucks). The 400 dollar test and some x-rays are to find out why she is gagging. To me, the gagging is the thing that worries me the most because the doctor has no idea what is wrong, but it could get costly. There is no way I can afford 400 bucks, in any case. so, I am doing cheap stuff first... (if you call 100 dollars cheap).
(((Kailana)))
ReplyDeleteI am so sorry about the loss of your furr babies. It's never easy to loose one, but more is horrible! I lost 2 last year within 2 months and I was just devastated. I'd had cats all my life and we haven't taken in a new one yet. I miss having a cat around so much!!
I hope and pray Sandy will be okay!
this is so awful - its especially bad when something like this is taken out of your hands!
ReplyDeleteThat's so sad, I couldn't imagine my house without cats. I hope the dog is ok and they can all be returned home to you.
ReplyDeleteI'm so sorry to hear about your cats! They do become part of your family and it is heartbreaking when they get ill. And it is amazing how expensive vets are! I hope your dog is okay!
ReplyDelete