Alright. I slept on it. I read all of your posts and I rally appreciate all of the understanding. People who don’t love a pet just can’t understand the delima. “It’s just a cat. If it’s pooping all over the place, put it down.”
As for meds and the other suggestions, I have to remind you all that we’ve been dealing with this for a decade. I’ve spent thousands of my (very patient) husband’s dollars on this animal over the years. We’ve tried most of the suggestions here. Over a thousand dollars (I don’t want to think about the exact amount) on tests. We even had to bard him with a vet for several days for fluids and tube feeding when he refused to eat or drink one summer. (Almost a thousand for that round of treatment and tests... and we were broke at the time.)
I’m letting him go. He’s not happy. I’m not asking my husband to put more money into an old animal. I’m not guilting my daughter into taking a disruption into her new home and marriage. I’m not ruining my landlord’s property with cat feces and urine.
I’m not going to put my responsibility onto other people’s shoulders.
And I’m not abandoning this cat to an unknown fate. I am still responsible for him.
I’m going to go ahead with the home euthanasia.
Thank you all for your thoughtful input and understanding. This is hard, but I do believe that it’s the best thing for my little buddy.
I don’t know if animals have souls or not, but I do believe that there’s a special part of him that needs to go ‘home’ now. He did his job here and he did a great job! It’s time to get this guy away from this terrifying place and let him rest.
May God help you get through this, then. Both of you.
Too bad for the kitty.
I've read your reasons and I understand spending a lot of money on an animal when you don't have it. Unfortunately, some vets are extremely unethical and once they see in your eyes that you'll pay whatever it takes to make that animal better, you get every test there is, they always need to be hydrated although it sounds true in your case.
Please give this kitteh a chance to live, find a no kill shelter, if you lived near Sacramento, I would be glad to help you. They have volunteers and the one my wife volunteers at will take any cat and then they post adoption posters for them on the web. Some are destined to live forever at the shelter as they aren't adoptable.
I understand about the litter box. We just got an abandoned female who doesn't get along with the other kittehs. So, I take her upstairs to bed and she sleeps at my feet. Well, one night, I woke up and she had used the blanket I was sleeping in to do #2. I was not pleased. She'll scratch at the throw rugs which means she needs to be put in a litter box. We're hoping she learns soon because two nights ago, she was scratching at my shorts so it was a quick trip to the litter box.
It sounds to me like you've taken a lot of time and put a lot of thought into this decision; you're not trying to be cruel, just what you think is best for the little guy.
Maybe some of the suggestions in this thread will give you options you didn't know you had.
I hope to read that you've changed your mind but if you don't, I won't hold it against you, not that I have a right to anyway. None of us know what you've done over the years and you have to be able to sleep at night which I think you will as you've spent so much time, money and emotions trying to help him. Good luck and prayers.
Only you know this kitty.
You have loved him for a long time. It is obvious that you have done every thing you could for him.
Because of that love, I truly believe that whatever decision you make, it will be the best one for him.