Sybil and Zoe
Member Since 2018
I just wanted to update that my sweet Zoe crossed over the rainbow bridge. It was a very hard decision to make as she was only 8 years old. But her quality of life was not what it should be or deserved. She was so hungry all of the time with a voracious appetite no matter how many times she was fed or how much. When she would finally have a moment's peace she would layout flat on her side of the linoleum of my kitchen as if she could do nothing else. She did go outside a bit lately as I would encourage it with treats so that she would use the outdoors as her litter box and give me a bit of a break. She urinated such large amounts and poo so often it was a never-ending scoop the box and haul what felt like 50 lbs of used cat litter down the stairs to the garbage. I never saw evidence of her having neuropathy but she would stand to pee and the force was like a hose. My catbox room was fortified with tarps and old carpet scraps to protect the flooring from the spray. The only blessing was because of her diabetes her urine was so dilute it never smelled. Even though I used the TR protocol and increased her up to 20 units of Lantus twice daily, I never saw her get below 288 on the meter. I checked her twice daily religiously until the last month because I never had to worry about hypoglycemia.
I loved her so much and could not have asked for a better cat to have a horrible disease. She started out as a skittish touch me not but after diagnosis became a loving kitty who came to me for her shots and pricks, and would even wait patiently on her sofa arm perch for her shot even if I was not ready to give it. I have to say that the cost of food and litter and Lantus was astronomical as she would blow through food and litter like mad. Some mornings when awakened by the knowledge she had just used the box
and I would scoop the huge clumps of wet litter, I have to say I would be frustrated and ask God how much longer could this go on. I knew it was not her fault and could not help the situation, and I gave her the very best care I possibly could. I am a nurse and treated her no less than I ever would a human patient. Yet I prayed that Zoe would let me know when it was time. On 5/11/20 pm she was her usual begging self asking for food even when given 2-3 cans of fancyfeast and then stealing her sister's food. I was lying on the sofa and she was on the floor by me begging. I was ignoring her since it was always that way. She jumped up by my side (she is not one to lay on or by me more than a minute or two). She was sitting there by me looking at me and I felt wet. She had peed on me!!! Of course I lost it because it was on my newish sectional.
(thankfully as I said her urine had no odor).This was so atypical and unnerving and I know she was trying to tell me something. I went to shower and clean up. She came upstairs and "talked to me" and I asked her if she was ready. She left me and went into her cat box room and I followed her. She stood in the middle of the area I had protected, and not in her full-sized kiddie pool I had filled with litter...and she peed standing up. I knew she was ill and this was not her behavior, so I made the decision to take her to the vet and put her down. I could have spent $$$ to get her momentary problem fixed, but would it give her a better life and rest from her constant hunger? She knew no other life since diagnosis but constant hunger and who knows maybe pain. She deserved so much better.
With a heavy heart I made the decision to put her down. The truly sad part is because of the Covid-19 pandemic, the vet would not allow me to stay with her as I have all my other cats from my past. It broke my heart but I was given time alone to talk with her and make my peace with the decision. She seemed to be at peace with it too. So I had to leave her with the vet but the techs were so loving I know they saw her through it as I would have had I been there.
With all that being said, I want to thank all of the contributors on this site. You are all amazing and helped me through when the vets seemed so lacking. I chose to halt the climb on the insulin dosing at 20 u bid as honestly I just could not afford to keep increasing with the cost of Lantus. Many of you have had procedures on their cats for acromegaly(which I fully believe she had--her features became less cat-like and more lion-like with squaring of her nose and brow from when she was younger)--but I could not spend the kind of money it would take to have it diagnosed and treated. She is free now, over the rainbow bridge with my other 4 kitties who lived much longer lives but passed on. They are all basking in the sun and nibbling on catnip waiting until we are all together once again. Fly free my sweet angel.....
I loved her so much and could not have asked for a better cat to have a horrible disease. She started out as a skittish touch me not but after diagnosis became a loving kitty who came to me for her shots and pricks, and would even wait patiently on her sofa arm perch for her shot even if I was not ready to give it. I have to say that the cost of food and litter and Lantus was astronomical as she would blow through food and litter like mad. Some mornings when awakened by the knowledge she had just used the box
and I would scoop the huge clumps of wet litter, I have to say I would be frustrated and ask God how much longer could this go on. I knew it was not her fault and could not help the situation, and I gave her the very best care I possibly could. I am a nurse and treated her no less than I ever would a human patient. Yet I prayed that Zoe would let me know when it was time. On 5/11/20 pm she was her usual begging self asking for food even when given 2-3 cans of fancyfeast and then stealing her sister's food. I was lying on the sofa and she was on the floor by me begging. I was ignoring her since it was always that way. She jumped up by my side (she is not one to lay on or by me more than a minute or two). She was sitting there by me looking at me and I felt wet. She had peed on me!!! Of course I lost it because it was on my newish sectional. (thankfully as I said her urine had no odor).This was so atypical and unnerving and I know she was trying to tell me something. I went to shower and clean up. She came upstairs and "talked to me" and I asked her if she was ready. She left me and went into her cat box room and I followed her. She stood in the middle of the area I had protected, and not in her full-sized kiddie pool I had filled with litter...and she peed standing up. I knew she was ill and this was not her behavior, so I made the decision to take her to the vet and put her down. I could have spent $$$ to get her momentary problem fixed, but would it give her a better life and rest from her constant hunger? She knew no other life since diagnosis but constant hunger and who knows maybe pain. She deserved so much better.With a heavy heart I made the decision to put her down. The truly sad part is because of the Covid-19 pandemic, the vet would not allow me to stay with her as I have all my other cats from my past. It broke my heart but I was given time alone to talk with her and make my peace with the decision. She seemed to be at peace with it too. So I had to leave her with the vet but the techs were so loving I know they saw her through it as I would have had I been there.
With all that being said, I want to thank all of the contributors on this site. You are all amazing and helped me through when the vets seemed so lacking. I chose to halt the climb on the insulin dosing at 20 u bid as honestly I just could not afford to keep increasing with the cost of Lantus. Many of you have had procedures on their cats for acromegaly(which I fully believe she had--her features became less cat-like and more lion-like with squaring of her nose and brow from when she was younger)--but I could not spend the kind of money it would take to have it diagnosed and treated. She is free now, over the rainbow bridge with my other 4 kitties who lived much longer lives but passed on. They are all basking in the sun and nibbling on catnip waiting until we are all together once again. Fly free my sweet angel.....
Awh that was so sweet. Thank you.
