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[quote=Anonymous]My cat is almost 16 (will be this summer). He's had various health issues for a long time but has miraculously kept on going and enjoying life.

I recently brought him to the vet because he's been getting skinnier/bony and hasn't really been grooming himself (I chalked it up to arthritis, which he's had for a while. I was shocked to learn that he's lost nearly 5 lbs in 9 months and now only weighs about 8 lbs. He also has a firm growth in his chest wall that might be a tumor. The vet is suggesting palliative care considering his age, and other health issues that complicate his care.

It's very possible that he's dying, but he still has an appetite, comes for cuddles, follows me around - so there's quality of life and it's not yet "time" to make a difficult decision. It's also possible that he'll live for months and isn't quite at the end.

So here's the thing. We have had this vacation to the beach planned for a year - it's my kids' spring break and we are going to North Carolina with my DH's family. This will be five nights away, and I hired our regular cat sitter to come each day for half an hour. But the idea of my cat (who definitely gets lonely by himself and is attached to me) being alone for days when he's somewhat frail and in poor health makes me so sad. On the other hand, sending my family off on vacation without me for 6 nights makes me very sad, too.

I could ask the sitter to come twice a day instead - once in the morning and once in the evening. But I'm worried I'll come home to find an even frailer cat and that I'll be worried the whole time we're away about him having a hard time without us (and me in particular).

Wondering what others would do in my position - especially if you are like me and are very concerned about your pet.[/quote]

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