The sorrow is transient, though deeply heartfelt. The Lady and I both didn’t want to make that decision for her. That Lucky somehow kept on through it all is a testament to the will to live. Who are we to say otherwise, to deny her that?
I'm so sorry for your loss.. It's a full time job with these babies...thanks for the info...i lost a long time mama cat last spring to an infection shortly after she gave birth, i never found any kittens from that litter, very tough to deal with...soldier on pards, i think we save more than we lose.. It's tnr season starting now here, I've got the trap ready , and several who need catching...Sadly, the Feral Mom of our four amazing beastlets has had cancer starting on her nose. For roughly nine years she has been a regular here at our home.
There have been several times this year we thought she was done, but has kept on trucking like the energizer bunny. While her nose has been a concern for well over a year, this year has been another story. I will skip the most vivid details, but also am compelled to share for those who love there little friends as we do... even the one who wouldn't let us touch her but gifted us with her kittens.
Why? Because this is something that cat owners should know.
The "light" version is that as the cancer took over her nose, it started bleeding and showing signs of infection. I do not know how else to describe what has happened to her other than to say that at some point her nose literally fell off, leaving her cheeks still there. Those too have fallen off. She still has her whiskers, but greathing is clearly a problem as you can hear her gasping through her nasal passages. We do not know if it is related to the cancer, but she also lost an eye as part of what has happened to her this year.
For us, this has been horrible to watch. She had resisted all attempts to capture her and get her help... which even a year ago would likely mean being euthanized.
I was able to get her under a drop trap today and have taken her to be euthanized.
The message for cat lovers who have friends with white ears and noses is that these little beasts are very susceptible to this type of cancer. Much like how some of us Northern European Pink Skins can't take much sun, the same is true for cats.
We first noticed little dark spots forming around the edge of her nose. According to our Vet, this is the same that can happen at the tips of their ears. That is the warning sign. If you have outdoor cats with white ears or noses, pay attention.
Alas, this is a photo from 2015 with the second group of kittens she brought to us. Marmalade is only about 3 mos old at this point. This is the way I want to remember Lucky:
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We are so grateful for the gift you gave us, little girl. Thank you, and we will miss you.
Pain is relative.. I have severe scoliosis and sometimes non stop pain for hours or days, i always have a hard time accepting vet diagnosis of " quality of life" used as euthanasia recommendations... Cats are tougher than i am , and I'd tell em to shove that needle in themselves... Lucky was probably a good call though...The sorrow is transient, though deeply heartfelt. The Lady and I both didn’t want to make that decision for her. That Lucky somehow kept on through it all is a testament to the will to live. Who are we to say otherwise, to deny her that?
Though I can’t imagine what it must have felt like, we know she was in pain.
We are absolutely grateful for the beasts and celebrate them all, daily! Nothing will change that.
tw... I'm pretty certain we are on the same page. I know I could be mistaken, but I'm certain we've talked cat before.
Regardless, emotions are a b!tch.i am sure , given the circumstances the decision you made was proper and needed..my comment was more a general one , based on my own experiences.. and yes, we have talked at length here and other forums about cats and the fondness we share for them.. caring for ferals, the tnr , the heartbreak, of trying so hard and it not being enough, the mindlessness of folks who create issues (like feral colonies) then abandon the cats because they get bored due to sociopathic traits (which in my mind is epidemic in regards to homeless animals, particularly cats).. just keep plugging pards... my next tnr effort starts soon...tw... I'm pretty certain we are on the same page. I know I could be mistaken, but I'm certain we've talked cat before.
The Lady and I have a policy to not be Captains of the community. We usually discuss it in terms of mentoring a younger female friend of Hers rather than cats, though.
When we first met Lucky about 9 years ago she was hunting in our yard and garden. There was another feral kitten we were luring whom we named Rebel; all black with a tiny little white spot on its chest. (Shortly before that was another feral we called Nugget.) Regardless, Lucky ended up dom-ing out Rebel for the territory.
None of them were willing to cross the threshold, though.
Fortunately, we got wise and got Lucky fixed through a local community service that tends to Ferals. The two younger of our Beasts also went through that service... we were not trying to adopt them. They had a different plan.
Regardless of all of that, the right choice was absolutely made for Lucky. Her face was an open wound and I am certain she was looking for that quiet spot to lie down for-good as cats will do when they are at the end. It had been roughly four days since she ate anything from us. I don't know about other homes near us, but neighbors knew it was coming too.
Lucky "lived" on the next door property in a hay barn. They used to be a Xmas tree farm. I talked to the neighbor-father and grown son about two months ago when it became apparent that the choice needed to be made. They agreed and were cool if I was able to do it.
I went there today and met the son's wife as they (father and son) were out. She was completely relieved that this was over and quite grateful.
In the end, my initial response is fading already. As I said earlier, it's more about the assumed responsibility of making such a decision for another living creature. I've definitely been more torn up about pets who are closer to me than Lucky was.
She knows it and takes advantage of it,turns everyone into her slave.
that is soooo cool...kitty be earning his treats....
.. people say cats are just "dumb animals" ,i beg to differ....
Beautiful cat.
