Going to have to put my kitty down

[Ellen Griswold]

The title says it all and I am very upset.  She's 12 years old, diagnosed with kidney disease in the fall.  She is not getting better.  For about the past month or so she has taken to peeing in the bathroom (which is actually much better than the carpeted closet, but still pretty yucky) and I still can't bring myself to do this.  She's my baby, given to me by my dh for our first Christmas, and she literally puts her front paws up to be picked up like a baby.  I'm heartbroken.  However, I know part of the reason behind her peeing is that she is hurting and I hate the thought of that too.  How do I go about this?  I cannot handle the thought of actually putting her in her crate and driving her to the vet.  And, at the risk of sounding completely callous, how much does that usually cost?  Money is tight and I need to figure out how to budget for it.

[Otto]

Is it obviously a case of inappropriate elimination due to muscle wasting? I mean, I've been there. But if the cat can physically get around OK, I would look at whether anything else is going on first. If it's a matter of sub-Q fluids, diet, and so forth just giving out, this is something that my vet, at least, will make a house call for.

[mattemma04]

I had to do this and the cost can be anywhere from $20 to 50.Depends on the vet.You can stay or just drop off your pet.I always stayed and did some serious crying the whole time.

One option is to lock your cat up.You can use an entire room if there is proper flooring.You can also crate your cat in a large dog crate.I had to crate my 3 cats when in between homes and I created a bi-level for them.It was tight,but they survived a few months in that thing.

Can you get some pain meds for your cat? Might help if it hurts to pee.Try a few things before opting for death.It stinks and you will be sad for quite some time,but life will go on if you have to euthanize.Remember the good times and know you did all you could before opting for that final act.

Sorry you are going through this.Love pets but hate euthanizing when needed.I let my one  cat pee up a whole house and gave various drugs before I finally forced myself to put her down.

[Caneel]

OP - I have been there with a 16 yo cat. 

She had other chronic problems but when her kidneys started to go, the peeing was epic, so stressful and time consuming.  It was absolutely heartbreaking to be, on one hand, upset about the pee and all the time and energy spent managing that, and on the other hand, seeing our wonderful little girl so sick and suffering.

Do you know if there is any hope for improvement?  (12 is old for a lot of cats)  We gave ours some sort of medication to ease the progression but we knew it was only a matter of time.   What is your vet's opinion on her future?  A very honest conversation with our vet helped me see the light.  

That trip to the vet was horrible but the pain does get better over time. 

The $20 to $50 estimate sounds about right. 

[Ellen Griswold]

We've been doing a special low protein diet, but not seeing much improvement.  It's really just a matter of time.  The dealing with the pee is just overwhelming (though her choice is a better place than others).  I watched her try to pee the other day and I think that that might have clenched it for me.  It so clearly was painful for her, trying to find different places (well beyond cat normal) and just plain having trouble making herself go.  She's still affectionate to me and that's what's bothering me the most about this.  I called the vet and didn't make an appointment, but just tried to figure out the right protocol.  Thanks for your thoughts.

[2xy]

I've had a few animals put down, and don't remember ever paying less than $100....and that was in three different states. Maybe the east coast is just pricier about that stuff.

I'm thinking about what to do for my 14yo cat. She isn't sick, per se....but badly arthritic and the meds she's on don't seem to be working anymore. She's reluctant to get up and move. Still affectionate though and still loves being petted and brushed. It's so hard to know what her quality of life is at this point. She was just at the vet about five weeks ago for a check-up and they said she's healthy aside from the joint problems. ::sigh::

[spedteacher30]

Some vets don't charge for regular patients--and, as we discovered this spring when we put my dog down, there is a wide range of costs even in the same city. Around here, it is based on the size of the animal, and much of the cost actually is in the cremation. It is a lot more if you want to pick up your animals cremains versus having them cremated in a "bulk" cremation at the SPCA. I did a lot of asking of friends about the final days of their pets lives, and the only regret people shared was not having the cremains. So, we shopped around, and found a cheaper vet than ours, so that we could afford to have her cremains returned to us.

I am so glad we did that, even though she is still sitting in the closet, waiting for us to create her memorial garden in the backyard.

I am so sorry you are facing this decision. A friend of mine said to me, "Euthanasia is a gift we can give to our animal family for their loyalty and devotion that we cannot give our human family." It really helped me to frame it that way, and it really is a gift to our animals to allow them to die with dignity.

[Otto]

Originally Posted by Ellen Griswold 

I watched her try to pee the other day and I think that that might have clenched it for me.  It so clearly was painful for her, trying to find different places (well beyond cat normal) and just plain having trouble making herself go.

I don't mean to harp on this at what must be a very distressing time, but painful urination is not a symptom of CRF.