When to Say Goodbye

Two of our five cats are dying. One has throat cancer, and the other, kidney failure. Both are sweet, loving members of our family. They are 11 and 13 years of age, and have been with us since 1996. Coincidentally, both are fast friends, napping together, eating together, and generally hanging out together.

Cat, the oldest, was diagnosed with kidney failure in October 2007. The vet said that with care, she might last to the summer. Proper care is intravenous fluids every other day, and eating a special renal wet food--food that won’t interfere too much with her kidneys. Without the proper diet, the vet told us, she would not last long. Cat refuses to eat the renal wet food. In fact, currently, she is barley eating anything. She has gone from a healthy weight of 10 pounds, to of about three or four. She is all skin and bones.

Tigger, the other ill cat, is an orange Maine coon cat. He is the dominant cat in our five-kitty family. Awhile back, I noticed that his tongue stuck out, and thought he had some type of diet deficiency. My husband took Tigger to the doctor, and was told that it was cancer in the throat, under the tongue area. Tigger is a heavy animal. His healthy weight is around 16-18 pounds. I’m not sure what the weight is now, but I’m guessing it is around 12 pounds. Because of his inability to stick his tongue in, it is almost impossible for Tigger to groom himself. His long hair became impossibly matted, so we took him to a groomer who sheered off the mats. I’m sure this hair cut has helped him get about. However, his tongue still sticks out and he drools constantly. He drools on the floor, on Cat as she sleeps, and on his fur. He can no longer eat kibble because his tongue will not cooperate. So I recently began feeding him a raw food diet, recommended by Julie Cantonwine at Healthy Pets Northwest. He likes the food, and, with difficulty, does manages to eat three times a day. He is listless, but still has an appetite.

These two members of our family are visibly dying. They have no pep, no energy. Cat meows mournfully, because she is disoriented, and the vet said she would develop dementia. Tigger hangs his head, his tongue hung out dripping, and stares listlessly, like a child who is feverish. I watch them both and know that soon I will be taking them for their last ride to the vet to make the final goodby through lethal injection.

I just can’t do it. At least right now. Cat still can jump onto the furniture, and Tigger still begs for food three times a day. Right now, they have each other. I believe Cat will go before Tigger because she is so very sick right now. What then? Tigger will miss Cat. Should I euthanize them together? Is it right for me to make that type of decision?