I have known Patch for 17 years, and fed him for 10. He and his siblings were born in 1994 on the property behind ours. The old lady who lived there could never catch the mama cat to spay her, but did manage to catch the kittens and have them fixed. She died some years ago, and her son moved away and left the cats, now adults.
Patch has always been very friendly. He and his siblings came to our door and we started feeding them. His brothers, Scratch and Sniff, died about two years ago, so it's just him and his younger sister, Baby Kat. Patch makes friends with every creature he meets, and has brought home other cats, possums, and squirrels. He alone of the cats let me pick him up and pet him.
Recently, I noticed he was very emaciated and moving slowly, like he had arthritis, so I brought him into the house, and the next day took him to the vet to see what was wrong, and to euthanize him if necessary, because he's too good a cat to die under somebody's house the way his brothers did. His blood work was okay, but he had a low-grade fever. I've been giving him medicine for the fever, and for the arthritis, and just gave him a bath, because he hasn't been grooming himself. He is incredibly docile, and did not fight me very much at all. He knows to use the litter box, and has been eating and drinking, and doing his business. All he does otherwise is sleep, poor thing. He's no longer crying to go out. Molly knows him, and, being scatterbrained and indifferent to most things, tolerates him. She usually goes over to smell him, but I think she knows he's not well.
I'm not sure how much longer he has left. If I knew he was terminally ill, I would put him down, but he's eating and drinking, and it might just be arthritis; he is, after all, the equivalent of 90+ year old man. All my other companions, canine and feline, gave me clear signs. Patch is being inscrutable.
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Patch
- Madeleine
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Oh poor Patch, hope he's with you for a while yet - if he's eating etc normally, that's always a good sign. If it is arthritis can you or your vet not give him anti-inflammatories - our old lab was on them for years, and we also gave her glucosamine from the health food shop. Maybe it's just old age slowing him down. He's lovely.
Currently reading "Mania" by L J Ross
Seventeen is incredibly old for an outdoor cat. You've done a wonderful thing bringing him in. If he's eating, drinking and eliminating, I think you're doing the right thing just making him comfortable. I give glucosamine to my elderly cat and it does seem to help. Blessings to you and healing thoughts for Patch.
Last edited by fljustice on Tue November 1st, 2011, 3:00 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Faith L. Justice, Author Website
It is so hard when they get old and start fading. The others are right, if and when he stops eating and using the box, then it's time for you-know-what. I've let them talk me into taking extreme measures to keep a pet going even when there's no quality of life left, and it has never been worth it in the end extended their life like that.
At home with a good book and the cat...
...is the only place I want to be
...is the only place I want to be
[quote=""lauragill""]Patch's condition got worse, and he had to be euthanized this morning. I was with him the whole time; he went very peacefully.[/quote]
*hugs*
It's never easy, but Patch is in a better place now and the pain is gone.
*hugs*
It's never easy, but Patch is in a better place now and the pain is gone.
At home with a good book and the cat...
...is the only place I want to be
...is the only place I want to be
So sorry to hear that, Laura, but you did a wonderful thing bringing him in and staying with him. Hugs.
Faith L. Justice, Author Website
- SonjaMarie
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So sorry to hear that Laura! I pray that Jasper dies a natural death in his sleep or such, it's so much harder when you have to put them down
SM
SM
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My Booksfree Queue
Original Join Date: Mar 2006
Previous Amount of Posts: 2,517
Books Read In 2014: 109 - June: 17 (May: 17)
Full List Here: http://www.historicalfictiononline.com/ ... p?p=114965