I need to make a hard decision. I don't know if I should put my cat down or not. He suffered a spinal injury at the start of the year and still has not regained control of his hind legs, and is still incontinent. Other than his legs, he is healthy, loving and has an continually impressive appetite. But he cannot live the life of a normal cat and I work most of the day, so I cannot give him the attention that a half paralyzed cat requires. What is fair? To leave him alive in this condition with a 'not so great' quality of life, or to put him down which amounts to killing him. I just don't know. All I know is that I love him and I am responsible for him. But sometimes I think that just keeping him alive is not really being responsible at all. I'm at my wits end. My life today seems like an endless tragic scene in a continuing drama.
Thursday, November 15, 2007
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4 comments:
hey mona..i checked your post in catsofbangalore. please dont give up hope.
there are two suggestions i would like to give you..1. would you like to consider homeopathy? it can help sometimes..maybe. i think its worth checking it out.
secondly, how about kitty wheels...like dog wheels. http://www.wheelchairsfordogs.com/ it will definitely help your kitty be mobile...
Hi Jellicles?
Is this Rina? I know, your advice is sound. I did take him to an alternate therapist vet here and she was going to work out a plan for him. But it's really, really expensive. I am however considering just asking her to give me the homeopathic medicines that I can administer to Ginger. Poor baby, he is depends on me so much. Thank you for encouraging me not to give up. I have checked the wheelchair site and it may be sometime before I can opt for something like that. But I am trying my best. I do hope something works out for him. I cannot bear the thought of ending it. It's impossible. Thanks so much.
hey..i am not rina..:)
the important thing is the quality of life. and only you can know that. discomfort and pain for cats is something entirely different. when we look at a cat and think that he/she is suffering from pain or is uncomfortable, it is usually us projecting *our* perception of pain and discomfort on cats. cats have a VERY high threshold for pain. and sometimes they do recover and gain mobility. let's hope ginger will be one of those lucky cats who do!
on the other hand, if ginger is miserable and is unable to spend the minutes of her day, then you may have to look deeper into the matter. i think being with the sibling is a great blessing because ginger will never feel alone. and cat siblings or even two cats that are very friendly with each other are closer than twins. they share so much and their world is someplace we can never reach...all this tells me that there is still hope for ginger.
dont give up. as long as he has the will and desire to live, you cant give up. and when an animal cant take it anymore, he/she will communicate it.
i am trying to get a wheelchair made for a dog in bangalore. its not getting done as fast as i'd like...but that is successful, i'd definitely like to see what my wheelchair can do for ginger. i dont know if he has made any for cats, but its worth a try. i dont want to get your hopes up too high. my wheelchair guy is still under review until he delivers the wheelchair for the dog and pending the dog's approval, we can talk to him about getting ginger a set of wheels.
meanwhile, re homeopathy...if you can give me ginger's full history..including what you think is the personality/quirks of ginger, i'll see what we can do. i know a couple of people who are really skilled and they'll be direct if they feel they cant help. with dates..can you give me ginger's case history..and if there has been any improvement..and test results if any..and whatever medication he has been/is on..etc. please send it to catsjellicle AT gmail DOT com.
nose rubs and belly scratches to both your darlings.
Thank you so much Jellicles. I've sent you a comprehensive email on your gmail account. Sure hope it arrives. You're a true blue cat lover. Thanks again. And Ginger and Caramel both send their miowiest greetings.
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