Need immediate advice on dying cat UPDATE: She's gone

[Mozart]

I just don’t know what to do right now. My old barn cat, who is probably 16ish, is not long for this world. She had started to show her age in the last year, when we got back from a trip a few weeks ago I noticed she was thinner. She was still eating and drinking. Made mental note to take her to a vet but we had just adopted a two year old girl, life was a bit upside down and it did not happen. I am just kicking myself right now.

Early this week I found her napping on the back deck which was very unusual as she is a dyed in the wool in the barn cat, she was never interested in the house. I realized she was now even thinner and quite tottery. I decided I should bring her in the house and take her to a vet. I went to fnd the house cat so I could keep them separate (they did not get along), when I came back I found the house cat on the deck and the barn cat gone.

I looked for her, could not find her. She has been missing for 3 days and I have been heartbroken assuming she has gone off somewhere to die.

I just found her. I was driving somwhere with my kids, backed up the car and discovered she was underneath. I did not hit her with the car as I had backed up straight and she must have been right in the middle.

She is in rough shape, can’t walk and is clearly not long for this world. She is in my bed room where it is cool and quiet, on a stack ot towels. I have been syringing liquid into her mouth but she is not that interested. She just lies there, eyes open. My regular vet (who makes house calls) is out of the country. Do I take her to any vet I can find right now? She has never been to a vet office in her life (other than when I had her spayed after I found her in 1997). My equine vet did all of her vaccinations. She has never been sick, never needed the vet.

I can’t decide if it is kinder to let her die quietly in my bedroom where I can hold her and check on her or take her wherever. She does not appear to be in distress but cats do not really show that do they? I am fairly sure she would be distressed by taking her to a vet. But maybe she is so far gone she won’t care? But if she is so far gone maybe it doesn’t matter anymore?

I just don’t know what to do and I am too upset to think clearly.

Please, WWYD??

[jacksmom]

sounds like she is suffering badly (while being very stoic about it). i’d get on the horn and find the closest vet that could euthanize her for you. personally, i wouldn’t want her to suffer a minute longer than necessary.

[JoZ]

Would your equine vet come to the house for her, by any chance?

I don’t know the right answer, I’m sorry. But here’s another suggestion. My old cat LOATHED the vet – vicious dangerous behavior. No way I was going to have his last moments there. I got a subQ syringe of something that made him unconscious before I brought him in to the vet to be put to sleep. It was a wonderful idea and I was able to say goodbye hugging him on my bed. Even if a vet gave you this shot and you administered it in your car before bringing her in, it might be a good idea.

Big jingles for a quiet passing for your girl and peace for you. It’s so hard, and my heart bleeds for you.

[Simkie]

I’m so sorry about your kitty

Do you know ANY vet who will come to the house? It doesn’t need to be a small animal person. When I needed to euthanise my dog on Saturday of Memorial Day weekend, I called one of my equine vets, who was happy to come over and help.

If no one will come to the house, I would definitely find somewhere to take her.

[Guin]

Get her in to any vet who can take her immediately. It can take a LONG time for a very sick animal to die, and it gets more horrible the longer it goes on.

I will forever be haunted by not taking our guinea pigs in to be euthed when they were in the final stages of ovarian cancer.

Please start calling vets right now and find someone you can go to immediately. :no:

[Mozart]

My equine vet is out of the country at a competition, a small animal vet that lives 10 minutes away is away at a funeral ( I will get a call back when she is back, should be mid afternoon) and in the time it has taken me to make those calls and shove some lunch at a screaming toddler she has, I think, gone into a coma. She is still breathing but it is very shallow, there is no blink response, she is limp, there is no reaction when I stroke her and she did not swallow the liquid I had syringed into her mouth earlier (it has leaked out of her mouth).

Can it really be kinder at this point to put her in a car with a cranky toddler and drive her about 20 minutes away to vet when she is in a coma? I will call another vet and see what they say and if they can help her.

[saje]

Do you have injectable ace on hand? A cc or so of ace should help her on her way if she’s that close. At the very least it will tranq her enough not to care about being taken to the vet.

(Poor ol’ kitty, and poor you faced w/ this )

[lcw579]

I don’t really have any advice but I wanted to let you know how sorry I am. You are doing the best you can for her while dealing with a toddler - I’ve been there and I know it isn’t easy.

Talking to the other vet will help you make your decision.

Godspeed kitty.

[jetsmom]

I’d take her to the closest vet. Comas can last a while. I couldn’t let one suffer.

[Burbank]

I am so sorry for you and your position, it is not a easy one. Do you have another equine vet in the area that your vet refers that could come out?

[Simkie]

@jetsmom;5747705

I’d take her to the closest vet. Comas can last a while. I couldn’t let one suffer.

Ditto. I’m sorry

[JanWeber]

I’m not sure she’s suffering. If she were mine, I’d let her stay on her towels in the bedroom and go in and stroke her periodically. If you have a vet who will come out to euthanize, great. I think it would be unnecessarily stressful for her to GO to the vet and be euth’d on the table.

[Mozart]

She is gone

I did call another vet, they are about 25 minutes away. They were extremely kind, said that she could last a very long time in her current state and that at the stage she was at she would likely not be distressed by the car ride and visit to the vet.

She was euthed within 30 minutes of my last post. She seemed to regain consciousness when I moved her and her stack of towels to the front seat of the car but then seemed peaceful again. The vet saw her and euthed her immediately. She really did not seem to notice anything.

I am so grateful that she found the strength to come back to the house after spending three days by herself in the bush. I feel gutted thinking of her by herself in the bush for three days and that I failed her in the last week of her life.

You know, I am a pretty down to earth person but I can’t but think she came back to ask for help. Even the fact that she came up to the house early in the week was so unusual for her. She was telling me it was time.

Been a rough year, I euthed my heart dog in October, my mom’s dog a couple of months ago and my beloved old retired horse six weeks ago. At least I can give her a decent burial and know where she is.

Thanks for the advice and for being kind about it. :sadsmile:

[Wayside]

I’m so sorry for your loss.

Don’t beat yourself up about it. Hindsight is always 20/20, and you did what you could with the knowledge you had at the time. There was no way for you to know that she’d go downhill so quickly, or that she’d disappear while you were containing the housecat. You did not fail her. <hugs>

[mustangtrailrider]

You did the right thing. How truly sorry I am for your loss. Hugs to you!

[Lone]

[QUOTE=Wayside;5748074]

Don’t beat yourself up about it. Hindsight is always 20/20, and you did what you could with the knowledge you had at the time. There was no way for you to know that she’d go downhill so quickly, or that she’d disappear while you were containing the housecat. You did not fail her. <hugs>[/QUOTE]

I agree, it sounds like you did everything you could for her. I’m so sorry.

[Guin]

I’m sorry about the kitty, but you did the right thing. The vet was right about an animal lingering in that state for a long time.

Godspeed to kittycat.

[LauraKY]

I’m so sorry. It’s so hard to lose them. Godspeed barn kitty.

[lcw579]

You did all you could. Clearly the barn kitty knew she was loved and knew where to turn for help when she needed it. And you were there with comfort and relief at the end.

I’m so sorry for your loss. All of them.

Godspeed Barn Kitty.

[Jumpin_Horses]

so sorry (HUGS)

RIP ole barn kitty