Lucky kittie

PaganMommy · #1 (**permalink**) 04-08-2010, 01:04 AM

When I was about 8 years old, I was taking out the trash and heard a meowing sound. I put the trash down, and looked all around the dumpster I heard the meowing from. When I was unable to find the source of the sound I started to put the trash in the dumpster when I saw him. A tiny new born kitten in the dumpster. There he was with an entire litter of dead kittens surrounding him. I called for my dad in a panic, asking him to help me save the poor kitten. My dad got shovel, intending to put the poor kitty out of his misery, knowing his chances were slim of surviving. But he didn't have the heart. He gently lifts the tiny kitten out of the dumpster, and we take him in the house.

Using tiny bottles, and kitten formula milk, we did the unthinkable. We nursed the tiny kitten back to health. In time he grew to be a playful little kitten, attacking our toes any time we were to walk by. He's next step was litter training, which he took like a champ. We had him neutered some time in between his kittenhood, and adulthood, and that's when he decided he belonged outdoors.

We had some close calls, and lost a few of his nine lives throughout the years. I remember the day he got a hold of my pet parakeet, and my dad could do nothing but throw him across the room. He broke his hip, and I was so mad! But he recovered like a champ, and went back to being his old tom cat self. The day he got up into the motor of our van, and got hit upside the head... the time he ran underneath a car when it was still moving on a busy street... Lmao, I remember when we took him to the vet, and we warned the guy that he was aggressive. "Oh it's fine," he says "I deal with aggressive cats all the time!" So we left him there, he told us to pick him up in the morning... but by the time we got home from dropping him off, there was a message on the answering machine telling us to come pick him up, because they couldn't handle him... he tore that vet a new one

But now my 11 year old cat, Lucky is in renal failure, and there's not anything I can do about it. My parents don't want to take him into the vet due to past experiences, and unwanted bills. My mother says that he'd prolly rather lie down and die, than go to the vet anyhow... but still... he's my kitty... my little baby I rescued from a dumpster. I know I can get through it, because I went through the same thing with my dog, Rex. But it just hurts so bad when your beloved animals die.

I hope to the gods that he pulls through, but it's looking like this may be his 9th life.

Sakara · #2 (**permalink**) 04-08-2010, 01:13 AM

I'm sorry

I hope you can spend as much time with him as you can in his final days

Kidney issues in cats suck

Hang in there and give him lots of love

Stargazer · #3 (**permalink**) 04-08-2010, 01:13 AM

I so know what you're going through. If there is anything I can do, please let me know.

If he hasn't gone to a vet, how do you know he's in renal failure?

Keri · #4 (**permalink**) 04-08-2010, 07:47 AM

It might not be renal failure - and even if it is if it's not end-stage there are drugs and diets that can make him more comfortable and buy him time. What are his symptoms?

It's hard when it's up to your parents tho and I wish you well in what unfolds.

PaganMommy · #5 (**permalink**) 04-08-2010, 11:35 AM

He hasn't been able to move his bowls, and his but is leaking a very concentrated brown liquid.

Just really looks like renal failure to me, so that's what I'm assuming at this point.

Keri · #6 (**permalink**) 04-08-2010, 07:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PaganMommy

He hasn't been able to move his bowls, and his but is leaking a very concentrated brown liquid.

Just really looks like renal failure to me, so that's what I'm assuming at this point.

Constipation can be a sign of CRF but if that is the only symptom I wouldn't jump straight to it.
How is his urine? frequent? copious? Any chance you can catch a sample of it and if so, what colour is it?

How much is he drinking? Does he "hang out" by the water bowl?

If you "pull up" the scruff of his neck a little or the skin on his back how long does it take to snap back into place?

Do his eyes look sunken? Do his muscles, especially around the head and back, look wasted?

Does he vomit more than he used to?

Does he eat wet or dry food?

If you don't want to respond to any of these questions that's ok, I understand, I'm just trying to help

feathafur · #7 (**permalink**) 04-08-2010, 09:01 PM

Keri beat me too it
doing blood work with a urinalysis will tell you what you need to know as well as looking at all the other symptoms and your vet can come up with an action plan!
we deal with nasty cats all the time, and if their that bad, they can be anesthetized to obtain the samples quite easily.

PaganMommy · #8 (**permalink**) 04-09-2010, 11:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Keri

Constipation can be a sign of CRF but if that is the only symptom I wouldn't jump straight to it.
How is his urine? frequent? copious? Any chance you can catch a sample of it and if so, what colour is it?
How much is he drinking? Does he "hang out" by the water bowl?
If you "pull up" the scruff of his neck a little or the skin on his back how long does it take to snap back into place?
Do his eyes look sunken? Do his muscles, especially around the head and back, look wasted?
Does he vomit more than he used to?
Does he eat wet or dry food?
If you don't want to respond to any of these questions that's ok, I understand, I'm just trying to help

Having a hard time urinating. Brown in color.
Dunno how much he's drinking, but he was watering at the mouth a bit yesterday.
Dunno if he's dehydrated.
He's eyes do look sunken, and sort of bloodshot. Muscle mass is deteriorating by the day.
He eats dry food, and wet food for treats...

He's just having alot of the same symptoms as stars Willowee was having. So I've assumed renal failure.

Quote:

Originally Posted by feathafur

Keri beat me too it
doing blood work with a urinalysis will tell you what you need to know as well as looking at all the other symptoms and your vet can come up with an action plan!
we deal with nasty cats all the time, and if their that bad, they can be anesthetized to obtain the samples quite easily.

Great except that my parents wont take him to a vet...
Maybe I'll ask her if she wants me to let HER just lay down and die, instead of taking her to the hospital everytime she has heartburn...
Just ticks me off...

PaganMommy · #9 (**permalink**) 04-09-2010, 12:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stargazer

I so know what you're going through. If there is anything I can do, please let me know.

If he hasn't gone to a vet, how do you know he's in renal failure?

Just the symptoms...

Stargazer · #10 (**permalink**) 04-09-2010, 02:08 PM

PaganMommy, Willowee didn't have any of those symptoms.

His symptoms were:

Dehydration: Drank tons of water and peed a lot. (no brown pee). Had a hard time pooping. From pinching the skin, you could see he was really dehydrated. Vomiting (especially in morning) and wobbly when he walked. He was also very scrawny.

There are a number of things it could be. Other things that get cats are the liver, the pancreas, and the thyroid. You could google his symptom or send Reptscue a pm.

Will your parents let YOU take him to the vet on your dime? 11 is not that old for a cat. If he's still eating, he may be curable. For all we know, a round of antibiotics could be all he needs.

Stargazer · #11 (**permalink**) 04-09-2010, 02:11 PM

Here, I found this online:

Bowel or Urinary Problems

Cats are susceptible to several disorders that can result in bowel or urinary problems, and they can develop internal blockages. If your cat appears fairly normal but strains to pass feces, he may be constipated; in a cat, this usually requires veterinary attention. Wait no more than 24 hours to call your vet if your cat is straining, but has produced no bowel movement. If your cat is drinking or urinating more than usual, consider his activity level and diet. If he appears to be normal otherwise, wait 24 hours for improvement. If there are other behavioral or physical symptoms, contact your veterinarian immediately.

The condition is urgent and requires immediate medical attention if:

Your cat is straining to pass urine or passes only drops or dribbles.
He is vomiting as well as having bowel or urinary problems.
He has blood in the feces (may appear as black, tarry stools)
He has discolored urine- red, dark orange or brown urine

Stargazer · #12 (**permalink**) 04-09-2010, 02:12 PM

Not to be mean or anything--I mean I don't know your parents--but it's cruel of them not to take the cat to the vet.

PaganMommy · #13 (**permalink**) 04-09-2010, 03:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stargazer

PaganMommy, Willowee didn't have any of those symptoms.
His symptoms were:
Dehydration: Drank tons of water and peed a lot. (no brown pee). Had a hard time pooping. From pinching the skin, you could see he was really dehydrated. Vomiting (especially in morning) and wobbly when he walked. He was also very scrawny.
There are a number of things it could be. Other things that get cats are the liver, the pancreas, and the thyroid. You could google his symptom or send Reptscue a pm.
Will your parents let YOU take him to the vet on your dime? 11 is not that old for a cat. If he's still eating, he may be curable. For all we know, a round of antibiotics could be all he needs.

Well he lives with my parents, so I don't see if he's drinking alot. My parents say he's always trying to pee, and he's having a hard time pooping. I dunno if he's dehydrated. He's beginning to be quite wobbly, and wont really move unless he has too. And like I said earlier, his muscle mass is deteriorating by the day... making him look more and more scrawny. I may ask my mother to go halfsies with me for the vet bill.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stargazer

Here, I found this online:
Bowel or Urinary Problems
Cats are susceptible to several disorders that can result in bowel or urinary problems, and they can develop internal blockages. If your cat appears fairly normal but strains to pass feces, he may be constipated; in a cat, this usually requires veterinary attention. Wait no more than 24 hours to call your vet if your cat is straining, but has produced no bowel movement. If your cat is drinking or urinating more than usual, consider his activity level and diet. If he appears to be normal otherwise, wait 24 hours for improvement. If there are other behavioral or physical symptoms, contact your veterinarian immediately.
The condition is urgent and requires immediate medical attention if:
Your cat is straining to pass urine or passes only drops or dribbles.
He is vomiting as well as having bowel or urinary problems.
He has blood in the feces (may appear as black, tarry stools)
He has discolored urine- red, dark orange or brown urine

I think I'll call a vet...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stargazer

Not to be mean or anything--I mean I don't know your parents--but it's cruel of them not to take the cat to the vet.

I completely agree... because what if I'm wrong and it isn't renal failure... and it's just something fixable... I'm very mad at my mother for not taking him... but at the same time it hard to be mad at her when she's sitting in a hospital bed.

PaganMommy · #14 (**permalink**) 04-09-2010, 03:47 PM

PaganMommy · #15 (**permalink**) 04-09-2010, 04:01 PM

Ok guys I've got him an appointment at 10:45 this morning... I'll update you when I know...

feathafur · #16 (**permalink**) 04-09-2010, 04:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PaganMommy

Ok guys I've got him an appointment at 10:45 this morning... I'll update you when I know...

yay

doing bloodwork on her will tell you loads more!
Ive got an 18yr old kitty whos got terriable kidneys and you would never know anything was wrong with her unless you looked at her bloodwork

best of luck to you both!

PaganMommy · #17 (**permalink**) 04-09-2010, 11:31 PM

So I took Lucky to the vet this morning. He got checked out, and had what appeared to be a massive blockage in his bladder. So they put him under, and drew blood, tested for FIV (since his mother was a stray) and some other things. He was FIV negative, which is awesome. But then they checked his gums, and noticed that they were very yellow, which is a sure sign of Liver disease. So they tested for that, and it turned out to be negative. Then came the urinalysis...
Turns out the blockage they found wasn't a blockage, but some sort of tumor... Then his blood work... I don't remember what type of measurement this is, but she told me that average is 5-10... and his was 0.62... his gums were yellow because he had hardly any blood... She said she was surprised he was still alive...
So my little evil Lucky kitty cat was put to sleep today, in the exact same room that my dog Rex was put to sleep. I told him through my sobs and tears that I love him even though he's always been a butt head to me, and that we've all loved him, and will miss him. I told him tell Rex that we love and miss him. I petted him for the very last time, and then he was put to sleep...

Stargazer · #18 (**permalink**) 04-09-2010, 11:44 PM

I'm so sorry.

I know there are no words to console you right now, but if you need to talk, please let me know.

He was such a beautiful cat. He had a rough start in life and would not have even had a life if not for you. I believe that the depth of pain you feel is directly proportional to how much you love him.

PaganMommy · #19 (**permalink**) 04-09-2010, 11:54 PM

yeah... And today was the most I've got to pet him in years, cause he was put under... I dunno how I could love such a butt hole cat as much as I do... But I do, and that's all that matters.
Thank you Star, and everybody else for the helpful information, and kind words..

Stargazer · #20 (**permalink**) 04-09-2010, 11:56 PM

I wondered that myself for 10 years, too.

I believe cats are here on earth to teach humans how to love. I think they do a pretty good job.

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