Not sustainable cleanliness issue with cat

[Anonymous]

I would lean towards having her put down. Her quality of life sounds poor and it is making your poor as well.

[Anonymous]

You have done your best for your cat, and now it's time to let her go. She sounds like she has a terrible quality of life because of her health issues, and it's not like traveling to the vet for an injection every three weeks is a walk in the park for an anxious cat.

Getting an animal is not a life sentence for the humans who suffer along with the animal.

I have had to put two cats to sleep for incurable peeing outside the box issues (along with various other health issues) and although it was heartbreaking both times, we simply couldn't afford to throw away thousands more dollars (after the thousands we'd already spent) and live our lives in a house reeking of cat pee where nothing was safe. That's insanity and no one wins moral points for martyring themselves to their pets.

[Anonymous]

How old is your kitty OP?

I was in a very similar situation the past few years myself.

I had a 17 year old kitty who I had since he was four months.

Toward the end - it was very tough.
Both emotionally as well as physically.
He vomited on a weekly basis > from 1 - 4x.
He also stopped using his litter box for 💩 and there was so much dried up on our carpet.

In the summer humid months he was covered in fleas and we had some in the house as well.
He meowed at all hours and my sleep was affected for a long time.

Many people told me it was time to euthanize my kitty but I just loved him through it all.
He passed six months ago and I miss him every single minute.
It is a relief however to not live in a smelly, stinky house.
His litter box was just GROSS.

I am saving up to get new flooring for the remaining dried on poop carpet.
I love + miss him so much it hurts.

I do not regret keeping him alive throughout all the stress and hard labor.

However I believe ultimately it is up to each person on how they want to deal…..

[Anonymous]

I think people are prone to feeling guilty about getting rid of a pet who is making their life harder, but here's the thing: a pet who is making your life significantly harder is usually also not having a happy life, either. The symptoms and/or behavioral issues that make your life hard make the pet uncomfortable, too.

The fact that you'll be a little relieved when your animal dies does not mean you didn't love them, and it doesn't make you a horrible person.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I feel like a horrible person for saying this, but I think our semi healthy cat should be put down because of a cleanliness issue.

The vet says she can live a few more years if we bring her in for a steroid injection every 3 weeks or so (not expensive so money is not the issue ), but she does not clean herself any longer and that combined with other skin and fur issues that go along with this disease she has make living with her pretty nasty.

She leaves mats of hair everywhere she sits , leaves dandruff type stuff everywhere, sneezes a lot and sprays gunk everywhere to the point that I have to scrub the walls in certain areas a few times a week, and I just don’t think I can take it anymore . I have given up my new arm chair that I loved and waited years to be able to buy (where I was going to sit and relax and enjoy a book now and again) because it is ruined and I can’t keep her off of it.

She leaves the litter box and spreads stuff on the floors and chair and I am at the point where I don’t want to do it anymore just because the vet can keep her alive with these shots . She has mouth ulcers that sometimes bleed and that goes everywhere too and I’m sure she’s in some amount of pain because she has lost weight but again, the vet convinced my 21 year old son that with all of these interventions she can live another few years

Am I wrong to just want to put her out of her misery and be able to be in my house again without being grossed out constantly ? Is that cruel of me ?

I was going to ask how old the cat is but given these two conditions, I don't think it's cruel or mean.
In hindsight many people, myself included, look back and realize that they wait too long. Yes you are grateful for the extra days/month/years even but you can look at it with a different perspective and realize you held on way too long and yes, likely the animal was in more misery than you realized. They can't kill themselves and end , the always communicate it to you, so they just wait around for nature or for intervention.
It's a really tough choice and if your DS needs to hear it from a professional, I suggest seeking a second opinion. One vet encouraged me to much regarding caring for our elderly dog and again in hind sight I can see that he was just a compassionate person and responded to my visible upset every appointment and did what he thought was kindest for me as the owner and kept offering options and hope.

[Anonymous]

+1 to concerns about the cat's quality of life. I would discuss euthanasia with the vet. Sometimes the vet will say that s/he is not comfortable euthanizing a generally healthy cat and other times s/he will say that your concerns are valid and that you can decide when.

It's never easy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You don’t get rid of a cat because it’s now inconvenient for you. If you do put the cat down please don’t get another one.

Don't listen to this person.

OP, you don't have to go down a long path of medical care for any animal. You are allowed to say "this has tipped the balance from enjoyment to drudgery" and have the cat put down. It's not cruel, it's a kindess.

There are other cats in shelters who will gladly take up space in your home.

[Anonymous]

The cat sounds miserable OP, please don't prolong it's agony.

[Anonymous]

This is OP. We have decided to give this one more try. One of her main issues is the condition of her coat. She will be shaved by the vet ($250!!!!!) so that she can start fresh with no matted fur. The vet was able to give us a pill form of steroids so she doesn't have to go back in for shots. her mouth looks better according to the vet, and she gained a little weight, which also means that she will begin to groom herself more once her fur grows back in. The vet hopes that the steroids being given every day, thus keeping the level steady, will improve her quality of life and keep her happy for a few more years. If at any point she deteriorates even a little bit more, we will have her euthanized. She assured us that the cat isn't in pain and that is good to Hear.

I don't want her to suffer, so we will watch her closely. She actually played with a toy a little yesterday for the first time in months. My kids just could not bear the thought of euthanizing her if a $25 a month pill could help her so we are going to try it. The vet also said the steroid will likely shorten her life to a few years left, but I feel there are no other options at this point, so we will hope for the best.

I appreciate all the kind words and support here. I was so overwhelmed, and my kids were making me feel horrible because I couldn't see either us continuing the way it was, or the poor cat suffering.

We have all agreed that the minute anything gets worse or she seems to be suffering in any way, that it will be time to say goodbye.

[Anonymous]

Sounds like a good plan, op. We have an older cat who is similarly on comfort measures...I feed her what she likes and only medicate to improve her current life, not to extend it. She was shaved before I got her for different issues than you described and my only suggestion is to make sure she has warm places to lay once she is clipped...you can buy electric heated cat beds but a regular bed or blanket in the sun or by a heater work too.

[Anonymous]

I think it's OK to put her down but you don't deserve another one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think it's OK to put her down but you don't deserve another one.

You are a psycho.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the update, OP! I'm glad you've got a plan that works for you. Wishing you the best.

[Anonymous]

OP you're a good person, and I think that's a good plan. You're trying, and you should give yourself a lot of credit for that.

Since kitty will be without her fur coat, please consider keeping the house a bit extra warm for her, or at least ensuring she has very warm spots that she can cuddle in until her coat grows back.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP you're a good person, and I think that's a good plan. You're trying, and you should give yourself a lot of credit for that.

Since kitty will be without her fur coat, please consider keeping the house a bit extra warm for her, or at least ensuring she has very warm spots that she can cuddle in until her coat grows back.

we definitely will do that. She loves one particular corner near a heat vent, too. I wonder if they make sweaters for cats lol.