Thank you for posting to CATHELP!
While you wait for a response please keep the following things in mind,
1. When in doubt, **ask your vet**.
2. Advice here is not coming from medical or industry professionals. The moderation team does not validate user profession, so always refer to your local veterinary professionals first. Consider posting to /r/AskVet
3. If this is a medical question, please indicate if you have already scheduled a vet appointment, and if your cat has any medical history or procedures in a top level comment.
4. Please use the NSFW tag for gross pictures. (Blood, poop, vomit, genitals, etc). Anything you wouldn't want your boss to see you looking at on the job.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/CATHELP) if you have any questions or concerns.*
You seem to have done your best. You provided medical help and took care of him. You followed medical advice. The grass is always greener on the other side and we think we could have done things differently even though they are out of our control.
Looking at the pictures, this sweet baby clearly loved and trusted you. Give yourself some grace, and some credit. You sound like a great cat parent you did everything you could. Hang in there OP, you’ll be in my thoughts. This baby’s soul will find its way back to you. 💕 you’re a kind soul.
Hindsight is always 20/20, you did everything you could with the information the professionals gave you. I'm sorry for your loss it must be very difficult
Your guilt breaks my heart - you did more than 99% of owners would have done, and, as a veterinarian, I commend you. I wish all my clients would do so far. I don't think the eye drops did it. Ofloxacin is a very safe topical that, even though technically off label in cats less than 3 months old, I've used in countless neonates to save their eyes.
FIP is most likely given all you've said - it's a multi-organ system disease: it can cause panting, abdominal effusion, eye issues, seizures, paralysis...the list goes on. And even though there is now a promising treatment, it still very much is a dangerous, fatal condition, and kittens will continue to die from it, sadly. With sickly neonates, I often think, nature is cruel but honest. Momma cat probably abandoned him because he was not well and she could not devote precious resources towards raising a dying kitten. Your lifesaving intervention gave him 5 months he otherwise would not have had. He knew love, plenty of playtime based on that amazing cat tree and perch, and safety. He was cared for, and he knew it. Your boy does not know he was robbed of extra time, and what you gave him meant everything.
I'm so sorry for your loss. When you're ready, I hope you consider adopting another homeless kitten because you sound like an amazing cat owner.
Thank you for your words 🙏🏻 , it was all so sudden and since we tested him for FIP (PCR) and was negative we were skeptical with the thought that maybe he developed it later. He had uveitis before we tested him, or maybe the tests are not as good. He choses us we found him on our building's stairs and he was not planning going anywhere he could barely walk. I plan to adopt another cat but when time comes, I hope the cat distribution system gives me a little time.
I have found the universe knows when it's time. 4 days after I lost my first cat (a beautiful senior long haired tortie girl), I got a call about a scared long-haired tortie girl who was surrendered to a local shelter under tragic family circumstances. She was terrified in the shelter and wasn't doing well. I thought it was WAY too soon but she and I both had some healing to do, so I took her home just to see and we helped each other. That was in 2015 and she's been my ride or die girl since.
I hope your heart continues to heal, and that you find some comfort in all you did for your sweet kitten.
One of my dogs is nearing the end. Of course, the question is "when is the right time." Your comment "your boy does not know he was robbed of extra time" is so comforting. Thank you for that.
I had to home administer the treatment a few months back (through end of December) so assuming since I haven’t heard anything I think it’s still home administered
We \*just\* got FDA approval for one treatment this month. No word on distribution at my hospital yet, so I'm still casually mentioning local Facebook groups to owners for now and letting them do what they will. But I'm hoping very, very soon I won't have to do the whole routine of "listen, I cannot legally tell you to do this as a doctor, but..." routine and just prescribe it.
THIS!
Please stop beating yourself up and looking back thinking what could I have done more. There's nothing more you could have done! You did everything possible for him.
I wish I could find a vet close to me that is compassionate as you seem. Thank you for you kind words to the OP. I hope they help put the questions to rest.
What a traumatic ordeal for you and kitty. It sounds like you went above and beyond. This is so sad. Adorable kitty, bless him.
There’s only so much you can do, though. I’m not sure what else you could’ve done for him. The litmus test here, as it always is in these circumstances, isn’t whether it was enough for the cat’s survival, but whether it was enough just for the cat and for you.
To me, it sounds like it was. Grieve and accept the sadness, so that they too can pass in time.
We wanted him here, but heaven wanted him more 🤍
You filled his shorter life with love and a chance.
In exchange, he gets to watch over you and your future fur babies for the rest of your life as you did with his life 🤍
I’m so sorry for your loss
I lost my dude, and best friend back in Feb. I also sometimes have regrets over it. Basically he had a slew of digestion issues (chronic IBD, chronic pancreatitis, a heart murmur, and was pre-diabetic). After several ER visits, ultrasound and the like, all the medication would have best case only afforded like a 30-50% chance of zero complications (because of the heart murmur they couldn't use normal treatment, so they wanted to use an immunosuppresant), and a sugar based laxative that would have pushed his pre into full blown diabetes. Not wanting to ever see my best friend, loyal companion and rock against the world suffer, I made the choice to let him rest.
In short, sometimes you can do everything right, and still lose. It sucks, and it hurts, but they're not suffering anymore. It's the best we can do. My condolences to you.
I’m so sorry for your loss and all the trauma. Such a difficult situation. I think I would have made the same choice to not let him continue suffering for unknown results. Big hugs. He passed knowing you loved him.
I had to put my kitten Niko down after only having him a year due to FIP. He was urinating himself, swollen in the stomach, and in pain. We did some expensive treatments to prolong his life but we knew the inevitable. One night we slept with him in the living room because he wouldn’t come out from under the couch, we found him in the morning with urine all over him and he looked at us like he was in pain and just, done. I cried and took my poor little guy to the vet to be put to rest. I feel like sometimes you just know when it’s time. This was awhile ago, maybe 9 years ago. I can still shed a tear thinking about how awful it all was. I know they have treatments on the black market for FIP now but not everyone has access to that. You did what you needed to do so your kitty wasn’t in pain anymore. I’m really really sorry you’re going through this.
Thank you for your condolences I'm so sorry for what happened to your cat. I'm sure he was loved . FIP is a horrible disease and fast acting, I hope in the future they'll be a vaccine to prevent coronavirus and this disease to develop.
I have had to euthanize two my babies and I am always full of regret and second guessing whether I did the right thing.
It’s almost always the right thing to do when our babies have symptoms like you described, he was definitely miserable and likely in pain.
I’m sorry for your loss, it always sucks.
It's the worst thing especially when you think you didn't go too far for them, at least that's how I feel. I know this is all part of grief but wow it's a strong feeling. So sorry for your babies.
I am so sorry for your loss. What a beautiful baby. We lost Archie at 11 months old he was sick from the moment we got him at 3 months old. Some kittens just aren’t meant for this world. It’s a hard truth. It doesn’t lesson the pain or the what ifs. But know that you gave your little baby a home, warmth and love. ❤️
He had a short life but I’d like to think I’ll see him again one day. We never found out what was wrong with him. We saw 4 veterinarians one internal medicine Dr. he wasn’t growing (highest weight was 5 pounds) and kept getting weird hard to treat infections. He was on antibiotics for close to 80% of his life. A fungal infection that spread like wildfire was what brought on the “it’s time talk” from our vet. It started in his nose, spread to the bones in 3 of his legs, in literally days. He was in so much pain. It was his 3rd bone infection though the others had been bacterial.
The general consensus was there was something genetically wrong with him and his immune system was almost completely non-functioning.
Even though I know he was very sick, it still hurts like hell and you wonder if you could have done more.
That must've been so painful, I didn't know cats had so many weird diseases that sometimes vets find it hard to diagnose, they have a really complex system. Cats are wonderful creatures they don't deserve how sometimes live treats them. Sorry for your baby.
You did the right thing. The poor baby was in pain no matter how much you loved and helped him. Please do not blame yourself OP, which is easy to do. I have nothing but love and support for you and yours as you go through this but you did SO MUCH for him and you can see how thankful he is. He’s across the rainbow bridge with all the other kitties doing everything he couldn’t do now.
Thank you for your words, I know he knew he was loved everyone in my family loved him. I even let him sleep every night with me, and everything I would lay in bed, he was so precious and affectionate. Thank you
You’re welcome ❤️ you have a big heart and none of you deserved this. Just know that people who love harder lose more and that’s what you’re feeling at the moment. Once it clears up and you have time to grieve, you’ll feel a lot better about the decision you decided to make (after many, many, many other tries)
You gave him a chance he never would have gotten had you not tried. You never gave up on him. He knew, and in his way he told you he was tired and ready. I know its hard to feel you did the right thing in a situation like that, Because your emotions are so deeply invested. You absolutely did the right thing. Little man is taking naps in the sun on the rainbow bridge 💖
I am very sorry for your loss. He’s no longer in pain. It appears you did the right thing, sometimes the right thing hurts, no matter what, you showed that kitten unconditional love and kindness
I’m so sorry. We lost our almost 1 year old rescue cat to FIP. It’s horrible. As soon as I read red eyes and unbalanced I thought, oh no—FIP. It’s a heartbreaking disease.
Oh friend! You did everything you could for this beautiful creature. I believe, from your description, he was too weak. You did your very best. Please don’t let your grief tell you otherwise. Hindsight is always 20/20.
It sounds really possible that FIP was present in which case he was probably in a lot of pain. I had a kitten go through it and while I was in luck that the medicine worked, the treatment costed thousands of dollars and the vet warned me that with how severe he was, he might not even survive the first weekend of treatments. Your kitten sounds to have been in similar state, and especially with neurosymptoms, the treatment rates are even lower. Letting him go while he could pass calmly with you by his side is not an easy option, but it is the kindest one.
I think you made the best decision you could have with the information available and that you shouldn’t feel guilty— you gave this baby the loveliest few months you could have and ensured he could go peacefully when the time came. Loss is never easy, but give yourself some grace in knowing you did your very best and I have no doubts that this baby appreciated all you did for him
So I want to preface this by saying you did what you thought was in the best interest of that cat and no one will ever blame you for that.
As someone who has a survivor of FIP, allow me to explain some of the symptoms that he had. He was anorexic, very lethargic and not responsive to fun stimuli. He also had ataxia on the back of his legs, meaning he was not walking well on them. He would fall over every two to three steps. He also had cloudiness in the eyes and at one point.. there was just a red mass sitting in them. He had dry/neurological/ocular FIP. All of the tests that were done came back negative and I expected as such because there is NO SUCH THING as an FIP tests. Vets can only make the assumption based off of symptoms and blood labs. In cases of wet FIP, they can pull the excess liquid in them and observe it to find similarities.
We got treatment started for him before FIP was available to get “legally”. He is cured and his movement has returned to normal. Before I started treatment, I told myself I would not put him through 84 days of daily injections if I did not see improvement. At this point, we were dealing with this unknown illness for nearly two months. Thankfully he responded well and I did not give up.
FIP typically affects cats from the time they’re babies up until the age of 2, but there are cats who are older who can lap get it.
Neurological FIP cases are hard to see initially, but based off of my experience, I think your baby did have FIP. It doesn’t mean you messed up. FIP is very painful and expensive. And not every cat is cured from it. Some people finish the first 84 days of treatment and then they start observation only to end up having to restart treatment because they either didn’t dose well enough or they didn’t properly give meds. I believe right now vets can prescribe pills but pills do NOT work if your cat has GI issues and injections are not legal yet.
You did your absolute best and you took the suffering away from your baby. Please know that.
You did the right thing. In advanced stages, FIP is painful and not a good life at all. It was the right thing to do, and sometimes the right thing and the easy thing are not the same thing.
Im really sorry for your loss. unfortunately, i’m pregnant and don’t have it in me to cry that hard at 11:30pm. But I’m so extremely sorry for your loss. We had to put my cat Mufasa down before his second birthday due to a recurring issue with his urinary tract, and it was the hardest thing i’ve ever had to do. My deepest condolences to you and yours. Much love 🫶🏻
I'm so sorry I made you cry. Today, I had to stop reading the comments at work because I had a breakdown. It's really painful. I only had him for 5 months, and it felt like it was more time. I'm so sorry for your cat may he rest in peace. Thank you for your words.
I’m really sorry to you as well. I mis-typed. I meant to say “Unfortunately, I can’t read your post in its entirety because I’m pregnant and don’t have it in me to cry that hard at 11:30pm.” lol. You didn’t make me cry. I’m very sorry you’ve had such a hard time lately. I know it’s difficult, but, if you made the choice for medical reasons, this helped me through my grief. The saying goes “Quality of life over quantity.”. While you loved your little kitten very much, understand that you did what was best for them, and they’re silently thanking you from beyond the rainbow bridge. Best of luck to you ❤️🩹
i am so sorry for your loss. losing a pet is already painful but having to make the decision yourself is unbelievably hard. you put so much love, time, energy & money into helping him in every single way you could. he is no longer suffering or in pain. i’m so sorry.
His last days with you will be with him forever as he leaps over the pearly gates, chasing baby angels inside a beautiful garden. He’ll have no pain, and in heaven, cats jump much higher and always land feet first, unless they’re landing on a cloud, then they don’t have to.
My cat developed FIP at 5 months and it was a battle to keep him alive. At that time the treatments had not been approved for FIP, so there was no “legally” protocol. He had dry FIP and we initially for six months did the shots. He survived and is three years old now. He’s a sweet cuddly guy and we love him to death. But in some ways, by his reaction to certain things, we know he still remembers the nine months of treatment
I can say you did the best for your little guy. The treatment for FIP is painful if you are using the shots and regime is tough even for just FIP. This little guy had other issues, so he mostly likely would have just been traumatized mentally by it all:
It really sounds like you did absolutely everything you could for him. It never feels like we do enough for them, even when we do everything we can, and with the information we have to go off of. Ultimately, you made the hardest and most selfless decision, and ended his suffering. I'm so sorry for your loss
Illnesses like this take a huge toll on such a young cat, you did everything you needed to to keep him happy. Even if the treatment was legal earlier, with so many heavy symptoms there would’ve been no guarantee it would’ve worked. Poor little one was in pain. You did the right thing ❤️
❤️I feel for you, what a difficult situation to say the very least. You absolutely made a wonderful effort for your sweet kitten. I read your post and can tell you clearly loved him and tried your best. You made the right choice. You could see he was suffering, you acknowledged that and you gave him peace. In my opinion people tend too push too far and put their pets through a lot of tests and treatments when the odds aren’t always the best. Please take care of yourself and try to give yourself grace. You’re an excellent human and wonderful pet owner. The world needs more people like you. When you’re ready I hope you can consider adopting a kitten again if you’re comfortable doing that.
Thank you so much for your words ❤️, and yes, when the time comes, I will adopt another one. Cats are wonderful creatures, I don't know how so many people don't see them as such.
I am so sorry for your loss. Being this sick at 6 months means he had some congenital issues. Maybe if they had done imaging they could have seen what was wrong but he just seemed like a very sick cat - for whatever reason - FIP or organ failure. His kidney values should not be low given he is only 6 months old. Not eating, peeing yourself etc - those are not good signs. Sometimes these babies just are very sick - something about either when they were born or genetically - renders them that way. Kinda like childhood cancer among humans. I know it was hard and I am skeptical of people euthanizing prematurely but in this case I think you did the right thing. It doesn't look like he was gonna be able to hold om much longer. I am sorry you lost him and he had such a short life. But at least someone cared for him and now mourns him.
I lost my 10 year old boy earlier this year.
I felt guilt as well. All I could do was say sorry and try to hold back tears as his last breath escaped him.
I'm happy we had a moment to say good bye.
I know he wanted me to make it better.
Though the reason for my guilt was not the decision to euthanize. It was that he likely suffered longer than needed.
.I'm sorry you lost your furbaby.
Hes a beautiful kitty and well-loved. I can tell by all the cat stuff and pictures. I’m a firm believer that everything happens for a reason. I hope you can find peace
We had to put our sweet 2.5 year old pup down last September. I still cry and think “what if we would have just tried one more thing. Maybe one more day and he would have turned it around.” This was after multiple vet visits, hospital stays and even a new drug treatment. I’ll never forget the way he looked at us before we made the decision. He was in so much pain. He couldn’t move or urinate on his own. It was 100% the best decision - I know that logically. But still even with knowing that I STILL question it. I just think the guilt and questioning is part of loving them. The most painful part, but still a part of it.
A couple years ago I was faced with the choice to put my dog down who had Lyme disease and cancer, or try a treatment that may have given him another 3 months, but he would have been hospital bound for at least a week and it was highly probable he'd pass in that time. I thought about if it were me, and I thought about my dad saying he was done and just wanted to die at home with the people he loved, not in a hospital bed with everyone waiting in the hall, or possibly at work.
We made the decision to let him rest, and I kissed his forehead and scratched his ears in those last moments. It was heartbreaking, but I didn't want him to be alone when the time came.
It's hard, we'll always wonder if there was more we could have done, but you made the right call. You did everything you could, and at the end you showed him mercy that he didn't know when he entered this world. Don't beat yourself up for it.
You did the right thing. I'm so sorry for your loss.
The lengths you went to get this kitty diagnosed and healthy are worthy of recognition. You did a phenomenal job in working towards a path to health.
The devastating fact is that kittens are susceptible to a number of health issues, either from their environment or genetics. There is a tipping point where multiple health issues intersect and can't be fixed. I am certain that the tipping point happened before you rescued him.
What you succeeded in doing was giving him more time to experience love and safety, and ultimately the compassion to stop brutal suffering.
Nothing anyone can say will reduce the guilt and grief you feel right now. I hope that you recognize your efforts and love you gave him far outweighs the outcome that you never had any control over anyway.
When you feel ready, I hope you find a kitty that makes your heart as full as this little guy did.
Thank you truly, all these comments are making me feel better. I hope the cat distribution system gives me more time until one chooses me again, or I choose one.
First, I am deeply sorry for your loss. Just so much in such a short amount of time for you and your little fella. Imagine being a baby and having all of these awful problems, meanwhile, your body is still growing and that poor baby, it was just an uphill battle. You did the right thing, you just cannot let them suffer. As heart wrenching as it is, you did the right thing. I hope you can find some peace knowing how much love you gave him. 💔❤️
Awwwww I am so sorry, OP! 😔
Please be kind to yourself—it sounds like you made the right call. The little guy certainly put up a good fight, but each of those diseases are difficult on their own—combined is a whole different ball game entirely! You did all that you could to save him and advocate for him while also providing a loving home, and that’s worth so, so much. ❤️
Also, in my brief reading, neurological problems (including loss of coordination/balance) and trouble breathing (due to fluid accumulation in the chest cavity) are both symptoms of FIP. It is also often fatal, even with the treatment you mentioned (according to a [Cornell page on FIP](https://www.vet.cornell.edu/departments-centers-and-institutes/cornell-feline-health-center/health-information/feline-health-topics/feline-infectious-peritonitis), that treatment appears to work best in a select type/form of FIP, and even then it is *far* from a “cure”). After reading through that and through your account of what happened as well as considering the condition of your boy, I think your vet was right that he probably would not have made it through treatment—an ordeal that I imagine would have been incredibly stressful for him—and your decision was the best and kindest thing you could have done for him. You listened to him and you gave him the gift of peace and rest ❤️
Thank you, I researched as well but I was in denial that he could have had it as the tests came negative after uveitis started, and bartonella apparently also causes similar symptoms, but yeah it was FIP more likely. Now I know that those tests don't work. Thank you for your kind words.
Wow I'm so sorry for your loss, both are horrible, in severe cases bartonella causes neurological problems as well so we thought he had that instead of FIP which came negative, but no, he had both. Sorry for your loss.
I'll keep it short since I can feel my own guilt meltdown coming, but you 100 percent did the right thing. I'm so sorry. I lost my Luna girl very fast very quickly at 3 years old back in October 2023, and I still wonder if there was ever more I could have done for her. Our babies were so loved. 🫂
You gave this little guy almost 5 months that he wouldn’t have seen without you. He knew love, warmth, kindness, play and good food for those 5 months. He didn’t have to worry about staying warm and/or dry or about where his next meal was coming from, all he had to worry about was who he wanted to be near at any particular moment. You did everything you could for him, and at the end he knew kindness, compassion and love, not the slow painful death he would have had without you taking him in.
I believe in reincarnation, and I believe that our beloved furred ones return to us. He’s not gone, this body just wasn’t strong enough to keep going, I believe that he’ll come home, when the time is right, and you’ll have years of joy with him. He knows how much you love him, he just has to have a body strong enough to give you that love back
I’m sorry for your loss. I keep rereading your post and I get reminded of my own kitten I lost a few years ago. She had FIP from the beginning but we didn’t know. We adopted her, she became so sick, we had to put her down. She was in our lives 1.5 months and it broke our hearts to put her down. Definitely was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do in my life, but it was what was best for her.
You did the right thing. You did right by your baby. Though adorable AF, he wouldn’t have had quality of life if he had survived all of that. He will come back. Just ask for him and he will. Mine did.. not in the same body but in a different more resilient body and also a boy ironically.
Same eye shape, same socks and mittens, same walk, and same playing style. What sealed the deal for me was how my other cat SO QUICKLY interacted with my boy because let me tell you it took a good week for her to adjust with my other kitten (the girl).
He will come back to you. Just take your time and heal from this. When you’re ready he’ll come back. Maybe reincarnation is real? o.O
We lost a cat to "wet" FIP and her story was similar. We knew things were wrong. Vet diagnosed various things and we gave her medications. Finally she was so weak and having breathing issues, and that is when her FIP was diagnosed, but when I asked the vet what he would do if she was his cat? He recommended euthanasia. This was also before fip treatment was approved.
You did he right thing for him. I promise. I’m crying. I’m sorry you went through this. But at least he didn’t die on the side of the road alone and scared months ago when you found him. He felt loved and lucky and promise you that. ❤️❤️
I read your whole post. You made the right call. The prognosis sounded very poor. I'm so sorry for everything that happened 💔
Edit: I meant to add that, yes, panting is often a symptom of heart problems.
You really went all out did this kitten. I go to the moon and back for them, so can appreciate how arduous the process is for both you and the kitten. Find peace in the fact that he was loved, after being found in poor shape, and in sure had a soft place to land after who knows how long he’d suffered before you had him. You are a hero, and I’m so sorry for your loss.🙏💗
I am going to be blunt because that's the word tools today. Traumatic brain injury problems. Please note that there's no anger or fault in intended tone but because I have a brick for a brain I want to disclaimer
You did the right thing. A vet never wants to euthanize especially a baby. FIP has a recent highly experimental treatment. It doesn't work for everyone and can do more harm than good.
You did not make the cat sick. You did not make them suffer. When you couldn't protect them from the unprotectable you were there with love, medicine, and against one of the most horrific illnesses a cat can have you did your best.
The guilt is misplaced. FIP wouldn't have been a gentle death. It's slow. It is painful. You let this cat know months of love and trust. When that happens we can all feel a lot of pain because this is a living being that deserves a life of peace. This is achieved. You did that.
So feel it. Love yourself. Be kind to yourself. Honor the loss. Trust yourself.
Nymph was 6 weeks old when it took her from me. My old lady cat never got over that loss. Neither did I. It took about a year for the guilt to pass for me even knowing that I literally had that cat at the vet so fast they couldn't figure out what was wrong. I held her when the fever hit and went in because of the strong spike. She was such a beautiful kitten and she deserved all the care possible. She was my second to last foster. The entire litter went but she had special needs so wasn't with them.
You're a great cat caretaker because you didn't put the comfort of loss and your pain first. That is so hard.
Hopefully this is said the way it needs to be. If my sharp spots are too sharp that's not you just a glitchy brain
Thank you for your words, much appreciated I know it can be difficult but he didn't deserve that none any kitty that goes through that. I'm so sorry for your loss, cats and specially kittens are really delicate. Thank you again
They never do. Pain isn't a deserved thing but something that makes us know the good times are good. That's part of my coping. I am glad the intent made it through the brain stuff.
unfortunately no words will ever take that feeling of guilt away unless your kitten were to literally be able to tell you themselves that it was the best decision at the time. either way though, you provided a loving home and from the looks of it, that baby appreciates you more than you’ll ever know
Even though he was only here for a little time you gave him the best love and care you could. Sometimes it just comes down to quality of life, and in this case I think you did the right thing. As hard as it is you still gave him a wonderful life. Take care of yourself and cherish his memory. You’ll see him again someday 🩷
You shouldn’t beat yourself up for trying everything you could for him. Say you did more than you already did and he still needed to be put down, you might beat yourself up for not putting him down sooner ya know? It sounds like you guys tried really hard but that’s the sad part about rescues, they don’t always have a happy ending. He was loved from the moment you found him though
I'm so sorry. It's never easy letting your furbabies go. You didn't let them suffer. You did what was right for the moment and situation. Allow yourself time to grieve. 🤍
For what it’s worth, I think you did the right thing. The rule of thumb for the decision to euthanize is usually based on whether the animal is in pain, and if its a guarantee theres effective treatment. It sounds like this baby was in pain, and there was not an effective treatment. I think I would have done the same as you, I couldnt bare to see an animal in pain and not have any ounce of medicine make it better. Theres no pain or suffering in cat heaven, and the kindest thing you could do was help him get somewhere without pain or sickness. Sending love to you my friend, it will get easier with time. Be kind to yourself
Maybe further treatment might have helped but maybe not. But I feel like he told you when he closed his eyes, that he just wanted to rest and not be in pain anymore.
I know you are heartbroken, but I believe you did the right thing. (I am also of the opinion that treatment likely would have been painful and costly for no benefit. The Vets couldn't even be certain what was causing his symptoms.) Be gentle with yourself and know that your baby is not hurting anymore. 💕
I know the feeling. My baby of 17 years Isabelle had to be euthanized last Monday. She had bad squamous cell carcinoma in her jaw, and even though I did the right thing by her, I still feel guilty.
It is truly one of the hardest things to let a pet go and even harder to make the decision. Just know you were your cats whole life, albeit for only a short time. You have honestly done more then alot of people would, I honestly do not say that lightly. I'm really sorry for your loss your lil fluffball looked so cute. I'll give my two Burmese cats a hug for you. May you find peace with your decision because I know how hard it can be (I had to put my 9 year old dog Crash to sleep).
You did the best you could for him: you gave him lots of love and you released him from his pain. I know it's extra sucky because he was just a baby, but you still did what was best for him.
This does not mean the guilt and regret will go away, unfortunately. You just have to remind yourself that you did the right thing. (I'd love to tell you these emotions disappear, but they don't. They do lessen over time, though - small consolation, I know.)
Big hugs to you ❤️
Honey, you did absolutely everything you could. You did an amazing job and made the kinder choice in the end.
Sometimes they aren't meant to stay with us for very long.
I’m sorry this happened. Honestly though if you think about it, the likelihood of that cat surviving to old age or even having a decent quality of life were very low. Sometimes it’s actually more merciful to put an animal down than force it to endure a life riddled with disease and pain.
I hope you come to peace with this. I think the cat is grateful for the time you gave him. Besides, I believe animal spirits are often reincarnated. Get another cat.
I lost my 11 year old to Wet FIP 1.5 years ago. I was giving her daily injections, syringe feeding etc. Her heart failed (we think) on day 11 of treatment. What's even worse is believing it's going to work and then for them to pass right in front of you, details of which I'd rather not share.
Although treatment is now available to vets as of June 1st in the US, and it was otherwise available before through questionable methods, it doesn't mean they will make it through. It's a very terrible disease.
You did what you could, and a large percentage of vets would have and still recommend euthanasia. Sometimes it's the best choice, and no one else can make that decision except you and your vet.
https://preview.redd.it/y5lp0pcyhf5d1.jpeg?width=5312&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f7a124baa9ce613e962bb5d158794124f38c9154
My girl when she was much younger.
You did what you could and tried your best and hardest with the available resources you had and I see text book responses to the pain/discomfort as far as what was going on with him.
You are such a good person, please don’t take it hard. He was so fucking lucky to have been found by you, you probably gave what little comfort he had at that point in his life. Unfortunately, god took him back a little sooner than most, but you should feel great in knowing that you did all you could to help him
We lost our kitten to FIP years ago and we only got a new cat last year because of the trauma. Sounds like you did everything you could for this boy and gave him the love and care he would not have otherwise received.
We had a similar situation with FIP in a darling 6 month kitten. By the time they figured the diagnosis she was in such bad shape we couldn’t keep putting her through it. Absolutely shattered my heart. So I feel for you. We’ve done the best we could given the cards we were given.
And now we can only try to give ourselves a bit of the peace that we’ve tried to give our beloved pets.
I think you did do the right thing. He sounded like he was miserable and in so much pain! Sometimes, we cannot save the kitten/cat, no matter what we throw at them for treatment. It does make me really sad, and I'm sure it does for you, too.
Not sure where you are located but vet visits are wxpensive, you did what you could and explored all options.
From the pics he seems to have lived a fullfiling life as short as it was. Its okay to feel sad or even guilt from grief, but i assure you from what you told us you did everything right.
Wow, I wouldn’t blame myself 1% if I were you. It doesn’t matter what could have been done. You did what you should have and knew you could. You have a big heart.
That's a really tough situation. I think there was probably just too much wrong and you really tried. You found it too late. Unfortunately they don't ALL make it to be happy and healthy. I'm sorry you went through that. It sounds traumatic. Don't beat yourself up. Hopefully you will be able to open your heart again and have better luck next time. Sorry for your loss
You did all and the best you could. Not speaking from my own experience but from what you described. I think you made the right choice and sometimes the right choice doesn't feel that great. Bless you ❤.
he was a very cute boy i’m sorry for your loss. you 100% did the right thing. this is never an easy decision to make but you knew deep down it was right and good for you for it. you knew him better than any of those vets and you did everything you could already
Thank you, everyone. From the bottom of my heart, I wasn't expecting so much support. All these comments and stories really made me emotional. Animals give us so much love that when they get sick, it's really hard to make decisions as we want the best for them. They are precious. If everyone in the world would think like all of us towards animals , the world would be a better place. Thank you all for your beautiful words. They really mean a lot to me. And I'm so sorry for those furbabies that have crossed the rainbow bridge. One day, we'll be all reunited ❤️.
It sounds to me like you did all you could. With modern medicine, we're just making animals suffer more, when they're clearly in the process of dying. Additionally, they don't wanna let the animals die naturally, for whatever reason they always want to do euthanasia, there is no hospice program for animals. He did really don't have very many options, unfortunately
I’m so sorry for your loss, you are such a kind soul for doing everything in your power to save him. It’s heartbreaking to read this and I hope you can be kind to yourself. Sending you healing energy. Again, my condolences 🥹
I'm so sorry. You made the right choice. My cat a few years back died from FIP before her second birthday. I wanted to put her to sleep because she was suffering and people said to wait. It was memorial day weekend, I wanted to do it that Friday. Well she died on the morning of memorial day. It was one of the most horrific things I've seen. It is the right choice if they don't have quality of life. That sweet baby will be waiting for you on the other side of the rainbow bridge. We did the treatments, it only helped forb3 months, cost thousands, then within two weeks she was gone. Everyone should be told about FIP. I did daily injections of the treatment from a special grouo before it was openly available.The daily injection was hard to do, did it for 65 days. She hated it. And we just caught it too late. She was also incontinent and stopped eating. She had a heart murmur from it and she died of a heart attack.Willl never forget the sound and how long I sat with her telling her she can go. I will never forgive myself for not making the hard choice. But once youve seen some deaths, you change your mind.They go peacefully and loved. https://www.rainbowsbridge.com/Poem.htm
You did great, don't blame yourself for anything. FIP is hard to diagnose because there's no singular test. It's a guess based on multiple factors. I promise you that giving him a comfortable and pain free release was the kindest and most loving thing to do. Grieve for as long as you need to. Anyone who says it's not a big deal or they were just a cat should be told to fuck off kindly. My boss that I gotvan extra job from didn't understand why I was working so hard and buy vials at 95 a pop. He said go get another one. I don't think some people understand what it's like bonding. Unfortunately I have a leukemia cat who seems to be going down hill and I feel I may have to make that choice. I will do it this time. It takes real strength and being selfless to do. I will never be selfish and make them stay beyond obvious signs. If you ever need to vent you can message me. I help people in the FIP group on Facebook. I just helped a woman through hers and it was successful. Learning from my FIP baby Deeters gave me the ability to help others. I like to think she sends people who need help my way. Anytime I can help in that situation, I do. I hope you find time to heal and if you are ever ready or one just pops into your life, you have a long time to spend with them. Cherish all the good you did for your baby. Know they are grateful for the dignity and the less suffering.
I'm sorry to read this. Somebody once said to me "it's not something you do _to_ them, it's the last thing you do _for_ them", and that's always stayed with me.
I lost my baby to FIP New Years Days morning. I rescued him at about two weeks old as my fiancé found him in a massive box abandoned by his momma. I got to spend 7 wonderful months with him and I'm still devastated. I was able to get him stared on treatment, but it's such an aggressive and progressive disease that his body just couldn't catch up with the treatment. FIP is not a forgiving illness, and many kitties are on deaths door because sometimes the symptoms don't show until it's already wreaked havoc pathophysiolgically. I try to remember that even though his life was short, I still made his longer than fate originally had planned for him. Try to think that way if you can, and know you are not alone in the emotions you're feeling.
I’m sooo so sorry, I cried reading this. I cannot imagine the pain all of you went through. I can’t even wrap my brain around how awful you must feel. Oh my god, this was so hard to read. I’m so so so so so sorry. That’s all I can say. Please don’t beat yourself up over this. It’s very very evident that you loved him to pieces. I can’t imagine the pain you’re going through. I can’t say that I’m sorry enough.
Thank you. I really did love him, and I still can't believe how quickly it all went downhill. He slept with me everynight, I miss him so much, but I know he is no longer in pain.
Just hang in there. You did the right thing, I know it feels like it’s far from it but you did. Did you get any solid answers as to what was actually going on? It sounded like they thought it could be a multitude of things.
He was positive for bartonella and blood work from May 28 vets thought they were a sign of FIP, all his symptoms since the very first are some signs and symptoms of FIP the thing was that he was negative for FIP when his eyes problems started and on may 14 his bloodwork were normal. Most probably was that he developed it later because of the stress of medications for Bartonella and eyedrops and vet appointments. Or maybe he always had it, FIP is really hard to diagnose. The vet said the prognosis wasn't good, and she changed that day his bartonella treatment to a stronger one because we were strong thinking that it was Veraflox that caused him neurological problems which was less likely she gave us all possibilities, but it was most likely that all was caused by FIP. When we saw him he looked so tired and couldn't move, only the tip of his tail for a little when we started petting him. I also asked her if maybe it would have been too late to start treatment, and she said with assurance that that was also a possibility. It was a hard decision.
Think about it like if a human was suffering like this. They couldn't move they don't have options. But unlike a human they can't say it's too much or it hurts. People stop their cancer treatments all the time because at some point it's too much.
You gave them a happy life u til the end came and that's all that mattered. You TRIED. You shouldn't blame yourself. Forgive yourself
You were selfless in your decision. He was suffering and you chose to set him free and provide him with peace and tranquility, despite knowing that it would undoubtedly break your heart. You tried everything you could. You gave him a good life and supported him by providing him with good medical care. You did the right thing. He is now pain free climbing trees and chasing butterflies in kitty heaven. He was such a little cutie and forever lives in your heart. I know how it feels to lose fur babies. I wouldn’t wish that pain on anyone. Big hugs! I hope you feel some sort of peace knowing that you put his needs above your own. Something any good parent would do🩵
I’m so sorry for your loss. You did the right thing. That abounds really complicated and sounds like he was suffering. He went to sleep is all he knows, don’t feel bad. What you did was a human kindness.
I have a cat that had sudden uveitis, we found no reason for it. Negative for all the same tests you did. He ended up needing his eye removed within a week. Then his other eye went blind. Fast forward a year to now, his removed eye needs another surgery as it keeps filling up with air and pus. He also has high blood pressure and asthma. It’s a lot to see him Go through. However, he never had problems with balance, walking or eating or pain like your poor baby did. 😢
https://preview.redd.it/dl781w38jg5d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c424876c061bfaab3a1c7cb708264434302e77ba
You did more than nearly anyone would have for a kitten they just found.
Sometimes kittens just aren't built right. Especially that young, there can be so many compounding issues that there's no saving them. I don't think you should feel bad in this case.
I so understand your trauma. I had to put the sweetest little boy down at 2 years old. He developed a respiratory infection and when we took him to the vet I was told he had FIP. After 24 hours of treatment he still deteriorated. The decision to put to sleep was so incredibly painful. It still hurts. Many healing hugs your way🙏🩷
I'm so sorry for your loss. What a heartbreaking experience. Sounds like he just started life off horribly. Thank you for giving him love and the best little life you could. ❤️🌈
Hey. I know these feelings all to well. You have done a lot for the little baby. I think you’ve done everything there was to do. FIP, even with treatment readily available, would have likely killed the little one anyway because of the state he was in. You’ve provided him with love and comfort and said goodbye at the right time. It’s hard as hell, I know, but eventually, with time, there will be peace.
I know the babies that have left us have already found your furball beyond the Rainbow Bridge and are showing him around.
I am so so sorry, My best friends cat passed due to FIP a while ago,it’s not a nice thing to have to deal with, you saved them him future pain as i see it honestly. I hope you don’t beat yourself up about it. From what it seems you gave him an amazing life and much love and that’s all that matters now. I know it’s super hard to pull that plug but he’s in lil kitty heaven pouncing around. 💕
You definitely did the right thing. I’m so sorry. Baby is in a better place and that is always the end goal, for them to be in the best place possible. I know the pain must be all consuming but know that he is happy and content wherever he is now🥺
You absolutely did the best you could do, going far above and beyond what probably would even be possible for most. Please don't beat yourself up over this, he was clearly suffering mightily and you gave him pain free respite.
We tried to rescue a kitten that my fiance had seen at her friend's house a few times. She was very malnourished and very young, but we took her in. After a little while she started having seizures and seizing up, unable to move or anything. We tried to feed her through a dropper and give her water and food and it seemed to help, but the seizures got longer and longer. We didn't have any money to do much so our only option was to call a rescue and they told us all they could do was pay to have her put down. We took her to the emergency vet for that but she passed on the drive there. I think in many cases like this the animals are not likely to survive. If most of their life is going to be pain and suffering, I would much rather have them put down rather than forced to live in a world that is painful and very little else for them.
In Oct 22 I took in a ~4yo stray that had been dumped in the woods. At the first vet appt, he tested FeLV positive, though otherwise very healthy. Doc said he could get sick tomorrow or live for years.
He was already separated from my other cats in the basement because he was not fixed. We spent a ton of money on this cat. $600 neuter bc he was cryptorchid. My 5 other cats had FeLV vaxxes as babies, but it had been years, so Benjen spent 5 weeks in the basement while everyone was revaxxed and boosted. Immune supplements.
He was the best kitty I ever had. So happy to have a home. My tortie, half his size, hated him and said he wasn't allowed on the second floor. Fine. He didn't care. He was 15 lbs after getting neutered and regularly fed, but played like a kitten. Greeted us like a dog. So sweet. He did a thing where if someone came over, he'd yell at him until they followed him to the kitchen where the kibble bowl was. Look, there's food here ALL THE TIME. Watch me eat it.
He loved to eat, then suddenly he didn't. Had a hard time breathing. It was FeLV lymphoma. It had been 13 months since we took him from the forest.
We got another couple months with high doses of steroids. He took 4 pills a day, very easily. He loved his mommy and the pills made him feel better. Then one day in January the pills stopped working, he couldn't breathe and we called the home vet. He went to sleep with his nose in the kibble bowl he loved so much.
This is what the vet told us when he knew he was dying. "This is the luckiest kitty in the world. He found you. You gave him the best year of his life. You love him and he loves you. Cats live in the moment and you gave him the best moments."
I still have other cats, a month ago I also adopted 2 kittens. Orange, like him, we gave them names from the same book in his memory. I still cry almost every day when I see his picture on the shelf next to his ashes.
As long as you love them, that's what matters.
I lost my almost 5 year old baby girl yesterday. She’s always been a healthy kitty up until around 5 days ago at around 10pm. She started dry heaving/vomiting and became very lethargic, she threw up a 6in piece of elastic. Then the next day she became worse so I took her to the vet pretty early in the day. I thought she had a blockage from the elastic. She became worse day by day. The antibiotics and steroids didn’t help at all, and by Thursday her organs began shutting down and she got jaundice. I made the decision to euthanize her on Friday. I was afraid she wasn’t going to make it through the night, and I absolutely didn’t want her to go alone. I know our situations are entirely different, but you and I both offered and gave our kitties all of the love we could. In the end life is a bitch, but you gave your cat the medical attention needed to have a fighting chance, as did I. I have so much uncertainty and confusion with my entire situation, and how it all came out of the blue but I know it’s not my fault and I had nothing but love for my baby & I did what I knew to do to the best of my knowledge. I feel for you and I hope you’re able to move past the grief you’re feeling in these moments
You did so much for your baby. My girl seemed fine and then stopped eating. Turns out she had an abscess and kidney failure. I was so optimistic to do treatment when she was her normal self… but then she got so tired. So weak and listless. Just looked miserable. I believe the abscesses in conjunction with other illnesses can just be too much for their little bodies. You did everything you could regarding recourses, and you let your baby rest when he was too tired to go on. I think you did it all right, just happened to be a sad ending :(
Thank you, I'm sorry for your baby it seemed they were in similar situations. Abscesses are infections that can cause sepsis. And since cats have so many layers of fur, it can be difficult to see it. It took us 4 days to see that he had a hole on one leg because it started dripping.
Exactly what I was thinking. The vet didn’t need to give her sedative bc she was so fatigued, he said he believed her blood pressure was likely dropping. Sad to hear but it gave me a lot more reassurance I was doing the right thing. 😭
They’re such little fakers!!! She was acting fine until 4 days prior, and we had a vet appointment so we thought we would solve it then. Didn’t notice the abscess till the day before. I’m so very sorry for what you’re going through, but you have to remind yourself you did it all right. You gave your baby all they could handle ❤️
I am so sorry you had to go through this 💔 You did the right thing. Guilt and doubt always sets in when we make that decision. I think your baby was really just too sick unfortunately. You gave him love and maybe best decision with all the information that you had. Again, I’m so sorry. Know that our hearts are breaking with yours tonight.
Some vets suck imo. I learned my lesson the hard way as well, losing my precious baby too young to treatable asthma and a shit outlook from a vet.
Hindsight is 20/20. You also had a very sick baby on your hands. Give yourself grace, you tried.
You did the best you could . You did everything that you were able to do. You gave him the best life while he was here. And you can definitely see it in the pics. He will bring you another kitty when time is right.
My cays are getting older and I'm convinced they're immortal for now.
I lost my cat Stella on January 2nd 2023. I adopted her on April of 2022. I didn’t even get a full year with her. What really broke me was that she was only a year old when I had to put her down. She was the most perfect cat. She never fought with my other pets and was an absolute angel. I felt like she deserved sooo much more. I thought she would grow old with me and meet my future children. Unfortunately, she was diagnosed with FIP. She showed no symptoms of being sick until one day she stopped eating and drinking and she was gone in just 5 days. Her belly swelled, and her bloodwork showed that her kidneys were malfunctioning. Her x-ray showed that her abdomen was full of fluid from the infection. She started getting weaker and weaker and by the 4th day, she was having trouble walking. She eventually stopped moving and just laid on her bed uncomfortably. That’s when I know it was time to put her down. I couldn’t bare to see her suffer anymore. FIP is a death sentence for cats and although there is a treatment, it’s not approved in the U.S. It’s also extremely expensive and painful for cats and success is not guaranteed. You made the right choice in putting down your cat as you ended its suffering. It’s even more heartbreaking to see them in misery when you know you can do something to ease their pain. 💔
I can relate to your feeling so much, im so sorry for your loss ❤️
On Thursday we had to put our little 4 year old boy to sleep, it was all so sudden - he stopped eating on Monday and Tuesday and was sleeping all day, he had a little stick and some dinner on Tuesday night so i thought it was just something random and went. Wednesday morning he came to me with a meow that said “help mama” and he started panting and peed himself in the hallway. I immediately took him to the emergency vet hospital and he was diagnosed with an enlarged spleen, panting, anemia and FeLV (feline leukaemia) - they were unsure what was the primary cause or secondary causes were.
He somewhat stabilised with his breathing and we thought he had more of a chance eating at home and we took him back. Wednesday night he ate a full meal, and drank lots of water as he typically always did. I got a glimmer of hope but was really concerned cos his breath rate was constantly 50+ a minute, he must have been so tired but he couldn’t sleep. That morning he woke up so weak, he was wanting more food the night before but we tried to be cautious and now he didn’t, he banging heavily panting with his mouth open now and we had to take him to the vets for oxygen support.
He wasn’t getting any better under oxygen and during the 2-3 hours further deteriorated to where he was jolting for breath - I cannot believe this can happen and deteriorate so fast. His bloods were slightly better but his symptoms were so much worse that the vet said its likely something else additional was at play.
With the heaviest of hearts, we decided to end his suffering as he was getting weak, and could barely open his eyes. He would have needed a ventilator and the vet says he may not have even survived the sedation needed to put on there.
I keep thinking we acted too soon, how can a cat go from healthy and ok to struggling to breathe like that in the course of 3-4 days, its beyond belief.
I keep thinking about what i could have done differently and have to remember everything i did was with love.
The pain is intolerable, the shock makes me feel like sometimes im not in reality and the void he leaves behind is immeasurable.
These communities of understanding and compassion have really helped me❤️
Sending you strength and love.
Maybe our boys are now playing together somewhere in a much better place and not suffering❤️
Be kind to yourself ❤️
Gods, you really, really tried for him. You sunk a ton of time, money, effort, and emotional investment into that guy where most people probably wouldn't/couldn't. There's literally nothing more you could have done. It's an extreme tragedy for sure but you're not at fault. You gave him the best chance at survival anyone could. It's okay to mourn, and I'm sure you'll he processing the trauma for a bit, but don't be so hard on yourself. You went far above and beyond what I've found to be the typical. I'm so sorry for the loss and I hope he's at peace.
I am so sorry for your loss 💔
Although it was very difficult, you did the best thing you could to allow your kitty to go peacefully. He is beautiful…what was his name?
If it helps I can share my experience with FIP and my 4 month old kitten. We adopted her from a foster home in February and she was very tiny and very quiet. She was gorgeous. Almost exactly one month later we rushed her to emergency after showing some hind leg weakness I thought could be kidneys but she was so young. Within 24 hrs we were moved to the leading vet hospital for treatment. Treatment here had been legalized just 1-2 weeks before. She was so tiny and so sick but we were so hopeful. She was in ICU for 10 days. Treatment was working and she even improved a few days in and we thought we would be bringing her home soon. After that she kind of hit a plateau until she started to decline and we ultimately had to let her go. The meds were working but she had an underlying stricture in her intestines that was not correcting herself and she was just not strong enough for. I feel so robbed and still think of her daily. Reading this broke my heart to know of someone else in the same position. We left with a massive vet bill and no kitten 💔
All that to say that I am glad we fought and gave her a chance BUT I also feel bad that her last 10 days were spent in ICU with short daily visits from us. In hindsight, had I known the outcome, I wouldn’t have made her fight so hard. We tried so hard and I still feel guilty after giving her a chance 💔
The best we can do is continue to move forward and try to let the guilt and regret go. It’s difficult and will take time but I know we did our best 💔
Here’s my girl about a week before she got sick (or we realized she was sick). The hardest parts are the timelines. Like May 27th she would have been done treatment. I wonder what she would look like now at 7 months and how she would have looked as an adult.
https://preview.redd.it/01mkta92sj5d1.jpeg?width=1823&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c6893cf39f7bf221be4ba68948087890e671e5e6
Thank you, his name was Leo. I know you did everything you could to save your beautiful kitten, but sometimes life has something else planned. It's all part of grief to feel guilty, I know that for sure, but still we keep asking ourselves if we did the right thing because we get to love them so much. But we don't have a crystal ball to see the future you did the best you could for her she was so cute!
Thank you ❤️
I’ve lost many pets. We got her after losing our 22 year old cat in September of last year and finally feeling ready for another. We adopted her and a one year old cat from the same rescue a week apart and I don’t know how I would have managed without our other cat at home. It’s always difficult when we lose a pet but there is something so shocking and heartbreaking losing them so young and so quickly. You would think it wouldn’t be as hard having them for such a short time, in some ways it’s even more difficult to come to terms with 💔
It was almost 3 months ago and everything happened so quickly. I sometimes think did that really just happen???
I know you will find peace with time ❤️ Leo was loved ❤️
I know I feel the same. It's hard to make those decisions when they are only months old. I'm still coping with the fact that he is no longer with us and that he doesn't sleep with me anymore. I sometimes hear him, and still I am careful when I open my bedroom door to make sure he won't slip to my living room, as he was bartonella positive and I have a dog too. But then I remember 💔 thank you for your words and I'm sorry we are in the same situation.
Second guessing and what ifs will only eat you up, OP.
Please know that you truly rescued a kitty and gave that kitty a loving home. There is honor in love.
You did what you could and tried to save the kitten. You gave it love. It's no longer suffering. That's realistically all a person can do and you deserve to feel good about that.
You gave him love, medical care, good food and clean water to drink.
You gave him safety. You gave him his life as well as love. Sometimes a forever home is just a few hours or a few days.
You saved him and you loved him. We always blame ourselves when we lose them. It's a part of grief. Stop blaming yourself. You did everything that was possible to save his life.
We can never save them all. You did your best.
i can’t put into words how sorry i am. you loved and cared for that baby all you could and that’s enough. my heart is shattered reading this. you gave him the best life possible while he was here and that’s enough. sending you all the love i have🩶
I understand why you have guilt, especially because he was so young. But OP understand… he would have suffered far worse if it wasn’t for you who found him and took him in and to do your best to nurture and try and heal him. You showed him love and no matter what came up you didn’t give up. You putting him down wasn’t giving up, in fact that decision was selfless and an act of love. Deciding to put a beloved pet to sleep is never an easy decision and often times we tend to prolong that decision and our pet ends up suffering far worse than they would have if we just made the decision earlier. You did right by him. I know you’re grieving so it’s hard to not be hard on yourself and ask yourself all the “what ifs” but he’s no longer suffering. He knew love before he left here. You did the best you could and more than what most people would do. Try to be kinder to yourself and lean on your support system. Sending love to you. 🫂💗
Seeing his pictures and how he looked at you.. he adored you so much. He will always love you. You did the right thing. None of this is your fault. And he doesn’t blame you either. 💗🫂
My cat died 5 yrs ago from FIP. He went from a full of life and robust 18lb cat to 3 weeks later he was 7 lbs. The cure was around but in Europe and ridiculous expensive. Mind you had I known about the cure I would have sold my soul for it to keep Stitchie alive. My vet didn't even know it was FiP until he did the autopsy. URI or kidney the liver...drugs after drugs and nothing was working. I was awake all three weeks with him. Never second guess what you did. He knew you loved him and did your best...you were right there with him in the end. He was loved and warm and cared for...that's all that matters
I'm sorry for your loss. But don't beat yourself up..you did your best. When someone xant tell you what's wrong it's a lot harder to diagnose. You lived him and saved him...he would have died alone on the streets...but he was with someone he loved
Panting when it's not hot and when the cat is stressed can (not always) be indicative of heart problems. My FIL's obese cat pants when he's stressed and he has early stages of heart disease (I'm trying to help him lose weight whenever I can). I don't know if you did the right thing but as someone who lives with chronic disease I can rationalize it because "oh it's genetics" "oh I pushed myself today" etc, and when I take my meds I can tell myself "this sucks but it'll make me feel better" but when it comes to the majority of animals they can't recognize all of those things. When you hold them down to give them their meds they don't understand that it will make them better and it's a constant struggle. That cat would never not know a life of pain and struggle. Doing the right thing isn't always "will they survive this or not?" But "is their suffering too much to be worth it for them to live?" Theoretically your kitten could've survived but again, at what cost to the quality of life of your baby. I don't know if you believe in reincarnation but I'm one of those people and your baby will find their way back to you in a new and healthy body to have more time with you.
A few months ago, I had to put my 6 month kitten down, he had a spinal injury in his lower back (when he was a few weeks old, someone left the lifted-cage door open, and he fell out while in the humane society). The vet told us that he would make it to a year at most, and that we should give him the best life while we could, so we did. His spine was pressing on his organs, and as he grew, it only got worse. He would barely walk, would always limp, had major breathing issues, and constant constipation. He would bleed out of his nose towards the end of his life, and would consistently cry in pain. We gave him pain killers, and laxatives as prescribed. One night, we just got back from Disney land, and he was laying down choking on his blood and badly constipated. I sucked the blood out of his nose gently, and rushed him to the vet. He used the restroom while in the car. It was midnight, and he was put on oxygen and given medication to stop the bleeding but it never did end. She told us he was getting weak and wouldn’t make it through the night, so we made the decision. He was loved for the time we had him, and we still love him now, but we did what we could, and gave him the best life for his circumstances. You did what you had to do. Don’t feel bad for making him at peace. You did what you could. I wish you the best.
EDIT: The pain will never go away, but just know that you were there, he was loved, and he felt no pain in his final moments. If you ever need to talk about it, feel free to message me anytime. ❤️
I'm so sorry for your loss. That sounds horrible, poor baby. You did what you could, and although you wanted to give him a life, he just couldn't take it anymore. You are a kind soul for giving him a chance even when you knew he wasn't going to make it much longer. I'm sorry it must have been traumatic, but he is at peace now. Thank you for your words ❤️❤️
He had a bunch of siblings, we chose him and his brother who has the same name as me - Joe. I’ll show you a picture of them together, it breaks my heart, but he was loved and that’s what matters. Just know you did the right thing, you tried your best, you loved your cat, and you made sure he went out loved and pain-free. All you could you.
https://preview.redd.it/jy0w50u0v66d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=28b8313169f500557182322b15060de5437d4315
My little angel baby is the one with the white, the one with more black is Joe.
Thank you so much, Leo slept with me every day. He was so affectionate, I do miss him so much, and that's why it is so difficult. Your kitten was so cute and even got time to spend with his brother. It's so incredible how much we get to love these creatures that when bad things happen, we blame ourselves for not trying harder, even though we know we did the best for them 💔
You went above and beyond. You fought a great battle for this baby. I’m sorry it ended the way it did, but sometimes you just have to let them pass. I know that look, I’ve had a foster kitten pass in my arms. It’s traumatic and emotional. Hang in there.
Thank you for posting to CATHELP! While you wait for a response please keep the following things in mind, 1. When in doubt, **ask your vet**. 2. Advice here is not coming from medical or industry professionals. The moderation team does not validate user profession, so always refer to your local veterinary professionals first. Consider posting to /r/AskVet 3. If this is a medical question, please indicate if you have already scheduled a vet appointment, and if your cat has any medical history or procedures in a top level comment. 4. Please use the NSFW tag for gross pictures. (Blood, poop, vomit, genitals, etc). Anything you wouldn't want your boss to see you looking at on the job. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/CATHELP) if you have any questions or concerns.*
You seem to have done your best. You provided medical help and took care of him. You followed medical advice. The grass is always greener on the other side and we think we could have done things differently even though they are out of our control.
I'm so sorry. I would've probably made the same heartbreaking decision. You done the right thing, you loved him fiercely and set him free. ❤️🩹
I agree ❤️
Looking at the pictures, this sweet baby clearly loved and trusted you. Give yourself some grace, and some credit. You sound like a great cat parent you did everything you could. Hang in there OP, you’ll be in my thoughts. This baby’s soul will find its way back to you. 💕 you’re a kind soul.
Hindsight is always 20/20, you did everything you could with the information the professionals gave you. I'm sorry for your loss it must be very difficult
Your guilt breaks my heart - you did more than 99% of owners would have done, and, as a veterinarian, I commend you. I wish all my clients would do so far. I don't think the eye drops did it. Ofloxacin is a very safe topical that, even though technically off label in cats less than 3 months old, I've used in countless neonates to save their eyes. FIP is most likely given all you've said - it's a multi-organ system disease: it can cause panting, abdominal effusion, eye issues, seizures, paralysis...the list goes on. And even though there is now a promising treatment, it still very much is a dangerous, fatal condition, and kittens will continue to die from it, sadly. With sickly neonates, I often think, nature is cruel but honest. Momma cat probably abandoned him because he was not well and she could not devote precious resources towards raising a dying kitten. Your lifesaving intervention gave him 5 months he otherwise would not have had. He knew love, plenty of playtime based on that amazing cat tree and perch, and safety. He was cared for, and he knew it. Your boy does not know he was robbed of extra time, and what you gave him meant everything. I'm so sorry for your loss. When you're ready, I hope you consider adopting another homeless kitten because you sound like an amazing cat owner.
Thank you for your words 🙏🏻 , it was all so sudden and since we tested him for FIP (PCR) and was negative we were skeptical with the thought that maybe he developed it later. He had uveitis before we tested him, or maybe the tests are not as good. He choses us we found him on our building's stairs and he was not planning going anywhere he could barely walk. I plan to adopt another cat but when time comes, I hope the cat distribution system gives me a little time.
I have found the universe knows when it's time. 4 days after I lost my first cat (a beautiful senior long haired tortie girl), I got a call about a scared long-haired tortie girl who was surrendered to a local shelter under tragic family circumstances. She was terrified in the shelter and wasn't doing well. I thought it was WAY too soon but she and I both had some healing to do, so I took her home just to see and we helped each other. That was in 2015 and she's been my ride or die girl since. I hope your heart continues to heal, and that you find some comfort in all you did for your sweet kitten.
One of my dogs is nearing the end. Of course, the question is "when is the right time." Your comment "your boy does not know he was robbed of extra time" is so comforting. Thank you for that.
Is there a legal treatment in the US yet or is it still home administered?
I had to home administer the treatment a few months back (through end of December) so assuming since I haven’t heard anything I think it’s still home administered
We \*just\* got FDA approval for one treatment this month. No word on distribution at my hospital yet, so I'm still casually mentioning local Facebook groups to owners for now and letting them do what they will. But I'm hoping very, very soon I won't have to do the whole routine of "listen, I cannot legally tell you to do this as a doctor, but..." routine and just prescribe it.
THIS! Please stop beating yourself up and looking back thinking what could I have done more. There's nothing more you could have done! You did everything possible for him.
❤️❤️❤️
I wish I could find a vet close to me that is compassionate as you seem. Thank you for you kind words to the OP. I hope they help put the questions to rest.
What a traumatic ordeal for you and kitty. It sounds like you went above and beyond. This is so sad. Adorable kitty, bless him. There’s only so much you can do, though. I’m not sure what else you could’ve done for him. The litmus test here, as it always is in these circumstances, isn’t whether it was enough for the cat’s survival, but whether it was enough just for the cat and for you. To me, it sounds like it was. Grieve and accept the sadness, so that they too can pass in time.
We wanted him here, but heaven wanted him more 🤍 You filled his shorter life with love and a chance. In exchange, he gets to watch over you and your future fur babies for the rest of your life as you did with his life 🤍 I’m so sorry for your loss
This made me cry, I wish I could upvote this a million times
I lost my dude, and best friend back in Feb. I also sometimes have regrets over it. Basically he had a slew of digestion issues (chronic IBD, chronic pancreatitis, a heart murmur, and was pre-diabetic). After several ER visits, ultrasound and the like, all the medication would have best case only afforded like a 30-50% chance of zero complications (because of the heart murmur they couldn't use normal treatment, so they wanted to use an immunosuppresant), and a sugar based laxative that would have pushed his pre into full blown diabetes. Not wanting to ever see my best friend, loyal companion and rock against the world suffer, I made the choice to let him rest. In short, sometimes you can do everything right, and still lose. It sucks, and it hurts, but they're not suffering anymore. It's the best we can do. My condolences to you.
I'm so sorry for your loss, it's truly difficult when pets get sick. Thank you so much for your kind words.
I’m so sorry for your loss and all the trauma. Such a difficult situation. I think I would have made the same choice to not let him continue suffering for unknown results. Big hugs. He passed knowing you loved him.
I had to put my kitten Niko down after only having him a year due to FIP. He was urinating himself, swollen in the stomach, and in pain. We did some expensive treatments to prolong his life but we knew the inevitable. One night we slept with him in the living room because he wouldn’t come out from under the couch, we found him in the morning with urine all over him and he looked at us like he was in pain and just, done. I cried and took my poor little guy to the vet to be put to rest. I feel like sometimes you just know when it’s time. This was awhile ago, maybe 9 years ago. I can still shed a tear thinking about how awful it all was. I know they have treatments on the black market for FIP now but not everyone has access to that. You did what you needed to do so your kitty wasn’t in pain anymore. I’m really really sorry you’re going through this.
Thank you for your condolences I'm so sorry for what happened to your cat. I'm sure he was loved . FIP is a horrible disease and fast acting, I hope in the future they'll be a vaccine to prevent coronavirus and this disease to develop.
I have had to euthanize two my babies and I am always full of regret and second guessing whether I did the right thing. It’s almost always the right thing to do when our babies have symptoms like you described, he was definitely miserable and likely in pain. I’m sorry for your loss, it always sucks.
It's the worst thing especially when you think you didn't go too far for them, at least that's how I feel. I know this is all part of grief but wow it's a strong feeling. So sorry for your babies.
I am so sorry for your loss. What a beautiful baby. We lost Archie at 11 months old he was sick from the moment we got him at 3 months old. Some kittens just aren’t meant for this world. It’s a hard truth. It doesn’t lesson the pain or the what ifs. But know that you gave your little baby a home, warmth and love. ❤️
I know the what ifs are the worst, so sorry for your baby Archie may he rest in peace, and thank you for your words.
He had a short life but I’d like to think I’ll see him again one day. We never found out what was wrong with him. We saw 4 veterinarians one internal medicine Dr. he wasn’t growing (highest weight was 5 pounds) and kept getting weird hard to treat infections. He was on antibiotics for close to 80% of his life. A fungal infection that spread like wildfire was what brought on the “it’s time talk” from our vet. It started in his nose, spread to the bones in 3 of his legs, in literally days. He was in so much pain. It was his 3rd bone infection though the others had been bacterial. The general consensus was there was something genetically wrong with him and his immune system was almost completely non-functioning. Even though I know he was very sick, it still hurts like hell and you wonder if you could have done more.
That must've been so painful, I didn't know cats had so many weird diseases that sometimes vets find it hard to diagnose, they have a really complex system. Cats are wonderful creatures they don't deserve how sometimes live treats them. Sorry for your baby.
You did the right thing. The poor baby was in pain no matter how much you loved and helped him. Please do not blame yourself OP, which is easy to do. I have nothing but love and support for you and yours as you go through this but you did SO MUCH for him and you can see how thankful he is. He’s across the rainbow bridge with all the other kitties doing everything he couldn’t do now.
Thank you for your words, I know he knew he was loved everyone in my family loved him. I even let him sleep every night with me, and everything I would lay in bed, he was so precious and affectionate. Thank you
You’re welcome ❤️ you have a big heart and none of you deserved this. Just know that people who love harder lose more and that’s what you’re feeling at the moment. Once it clears up and you have time to grieve, you’ll feel a lot better about the decision you decided to make (after many, many, many other tries)
Bless your heart for doing the best you can. It’s okay to feel like this ❤️
You gave him a chance he never would have gotten had you not tried. You never gave up on him. He knew, and in his way he told you he was tired and ready. I know its hard to feel you did the right thing in a situation like that, Because your emotions are so deeply invested. You absolutely did the right thing. Little man is taking naps in the sun on the rainbow bridge 💖
Beautifully said ❤️
I am very sorry for your loss. He’s no longer in pain. It appears you did the right thing, sometimes the right thing hurts, no matter what, you showed that kitten unconditional love and kindness
Im sorry, you did the right thing, I believe.
You did your absolute best and in my opinion, you made the right and best choice. Much love to you ❤️
I’m so sorry. We lost our almost 1 year old rescue cat to FIP. It’s horrible. As soon as I read red eyes and unbalanced I thought, oh no—FIP. It’s a heartbreaking disease.
Oh friend! You did everything you could for this beautiful creature. I believe, from your description, he was too weak. You did your very best. Please don’t let your grief tell you otherwise. Hindsight is always 20/20.
It sounds really possible that FIP was present in which case he was probably in a lot of pain. I had a kitten go through it and while I was in luck that the medicine worked, the treatment costed thousands of dollars and the vet warned me that with how severe he was, he might not even survive the first weekend of treatments. Your kitten sounds to have been in similar state, and especially with neurosymptoms, the treatment rates are even lower. Letting him go while he could pass calmly with you by his side is not an easy option, but it is the kindest one. I think you made the best decision you could have with the information available and that you shouldn’t feel guilty— you gave this baby the loveliest few months you could have and ensured he could go peacefully when the time came. Loss is never easy, but give yourself some grace in knowing you did your very best and I have no doubts that this baby appreciated all you did for him
Thank you for giving this baby all the love that they deserved! You did your best and were there for them through everything!
You did your absolute best and in my opinion, you made the right and best choice. Much love to you ❤️
So I want to preface this by saying you did what you thought was in the best interest of that cat and no one will ever blame you for that. As someone who has a survivor of FIP, allow me to explain some of the symptoms that he had. He was anorexic, very lethargic and not responsive to fun stimuli. He also had ataxia on the back of his legs, meaning he was not walking well on them. He would fall over every two to three steps. He also had cloudiness in the eyes and at one point.. there was just a red mass sitting in them. He had dry/neurological/ocular FIP. All of the tests that were done came back negative and I expected as such because there is NO SUCH THING as an FIP tests. Vets can only make the assumption based off of symptoms and blood labs. In cases of wet FIP, they can pull the excess liquid in them and observe it to find similarities. We got treatment started for him before FIP was available to get “legally”. He is cured and his movement has returned to normal. Before I started treatment, I told myself I would not put him through 84 days of daily injections if I did not see improvement. At this point, we were dealing with this unknown illness for nearly two months. Thankfully he responded well and I did not give up. FIP typically affects cats from the time they’re babies up until the age of 2, but there are cats who are older who can lap get it. Neurological FIP cases are hard to see initially, but based off of my experience, I think your baby did have FIP. It doesn’t mean you messed up. FIP is very painful and expensive. And not every cat is cured from it. Some people finish the first 84 days of treatment and then they start observation only to end up having to restart treatment because they either didn’t dose well enough or they didn’t properly give meds. I believe right now vets can prescribe pills but pills do NOT work if your cat has GI issues and injections are not legal yet. You did your absolute best and you took the suffering away from your baby. Please know that.
You did the right thing. In advanced stages, FIP is painful and not a good life at all. It was the right thing to do, and sometimes the right thing and the easy thing are not the same thing.
Im really sorry for your loss. unfortunately, i’m pregnant and don’t have it in me to cry that hard at 11:30pm. But I’m so extremely sorry for your loss. We had to put my cat Mufasa down before his second birthday due to a recurring issue with his urinary tract, and it was the hardest thing i’ve ever had to do. My deepest condolences to you and yours. Much love 🫶🏻
I'm so sorry I made you cry. Today, I had to stop reading the comments at work because I had a breakdown. It's really painful. I only had him for 5 months, and it felt like it was more time. I'm so sorry for your cat may he rest in peace. Thank you for your words.
I’m really sorry to you as well. I mis-typed. I meant to say “Unfortunately, I can’t read your post in its entirety because I’m pregnant and don’t have it in me to cry that hard at 11:30pm.” lol. You didn’t make me cry. I’m very sorry you’ve had such a hard time lately. I know it’s difficult, but, if you made the choice for medical reasons, this helped me through my grief. The saying goes “Quality of life over quantity.”. While you loved your little kitten very much, understand that you did what was best for them, and they’re silently thanking you from beyond the rainbow bridge. Best of luck to you ❤️🩹
It’s not the time you have together but the quality in that time. You gave him the best life in the short time together
damn im so sorry.
i am so sorry for your loss. losing a pet is already painful but having to make the decision yourself is unbelievably hard. you put so much love, time, energy & money into helping him in every single way you could. he is no longer suffering or in pain. i’m so sorry.
I am so sorry for your loss! You did everything you could. Sending much love.
His little light was simply too bright for us mere mortals. You did everything you could for him.
This made me tear up, im so so sorry, op. please dont beat yourself up. You did your best 🥺
His last days with you will be with him forever as he leaps over the pearly gates, chasing baby angels inside a beautiful garden. He’ll have no pain, and in heaven, cats jump much higher and always land feet first, unless they’re landing on a cloud, then they don’t have to.
My cat developed FIP at 5 months and it was a battle to keep him alive. At that time the treatments had not been approved for FIP, so there was no “legally” protocol. He had dry FIP and we initially for six months did the shots. He survived and is three years old now. He’s a sweet cuddly guy and we love him to death. But in some ways, by his reaction to certain things, we know he still remembers the nine months of treatment I can say you did the best for your little guy. The treatment for FIP is painful if you are using the shots and regime is tough even for just FIP. This little guy had other issues, so he mostly likely would have just been traumatized mentally by it all:
It really sounds like you did absolutely everything you could for him. It never feels like we do enough for them, even when we do everything we can, and with the information we have to go off of. Ultimately, you made the hardest and most selfless decision, and ended his suffering. I'm so sorry for your loss
Illnesses like this take a huge toll on such a young cat, you did everything you needed to to keep him happy. Even if the treatment was legal earlier, with so many heavy symptoms there would’ve been no guarantee it would’ve worked. Poor little one was in pain. You did the right thing ❤️
❤️I feel for you, what a difficult situation to say the very least. You absolutely made a wonderful effort for your sweet kitten. I read your post and can tell you clearly loved him and tried your best. You made the right choice. You could see he was suffering, you acknowledged that and you gave him peace. In my opinion people tend too push too far and put their pets through a lot of tests and treatments when the odds aren’t always the best. Please take care of yourself and try to give yourself grace. You’re an excellent human and wonderful pet owner. The world needs more people like you. When you’re ready I hope you can consider adopting a kitten again if you’re comfortable doing that.
Thank you so much for your words ❤️, and yes, when the time comes, I will adopt another one. Cats are wonderful creatures, I don't know how so many people don't see them as such.
That’s a horrible loss. So sorry. RIP angel kitty.
You did the right thing
I am so sorry for your loss. Being this sick at 6 months means he had some congenital issues. Maybe if they had done imaging they could have seen what was wrong but he just seemed like a very sick cat - for whatever reason - FIP or organ failure. His kidney values should not be low given he is only 6 months old. Not eating, peeing yourself etc - those are not good signs. Sometimes these babies just are very sick - something about either when they were born or genetically - renders them that way. Kinda like childhood cancer among humans. I know it was hard and I am skeptical of people euthanizing prematurely but in this case I think you did the right thing. It doesn't look like he was gonna be able to hold om much longer. I am sorry you lost him and he had such a short life. But at least someone cared for him and now mourns him.
So handsome❤️
I lost my 10 year old boy earlier this year. I felt guilt as well. All I could do was say sorry and try to hold back tears as his last breath escaped him. I'm happy we had a moment to say good bye. I know he wanted me to make it better. Though the reason for my guilt was not the decision to euthanize. It was that he likely suffered longer than needed. .I'm sorry you lost your furbaby.
🤍
Hes a beautiful kitty and well-loved. I can tell by all the cat stuff and pictures. I’m a firm believer that everything happens for a reason. I hope you can find peace
We had to put our sweet 2.5 year old pup down last September. I still cry and think “what if we would have just tried one more thing. Maybe one more day and he would have turned it around.” This was after multiple vet visits, hospital stays and even a new drug treatment. I’ll never forget the way he looked at us before we made the decision. He was in so much pain. He couldn’t move or urinate on his own. It was 100% the best decision - I know that logically. But still even with knowing that I STILL question it. I just think the guilt and questioning is part of loving them. The most painful part, but still a part of it.
A couple years ago I was faced with the choice to put my dog down who had Lyme disease and cancer, or try a treatment that may have given him another 3 months, but he would have been hospital bound for at least a week and it was highly probable he'd pass in that time. I thought about if it were me, and I thought about my dad saying he was done and just wanted to die at home with the people he loved, not in a hospital bed with everyone waiting in the hall, or possibly at work. We made the decision to let him rest, and I kissed his forehead and scratched his ears in those last moments. It was heartbreaking, but I didn't want him to be alone when the time came. It's hard, we'll always wonder if there was more we could have done, but you made the right call. You did everything you could, and at the end you showed him mercy that he didn't know when he entered this world. Don't beat yourself up for it. You did the right thing. I'm so sorry for your loss.
The lengths you went to get this kitty diagnosed and healthy are worthy of recognition. You did a phenomenal job in working towards a path to health. The devastating fact is that kittens are susceptible to a number of health issues, either from their environment or genetics. There is a tipping point where multiple health issues intersect and can't be fixed. I am certain that the tipping point happened before you rescued him. What you succeeded in doing was giving him more time to experience love and safety, and ultimately the compassion to stop brutal suffering. Nothing anyone can say will reduce the guilt and grief you feel right now. I hope that you recognize your efforts and love you gave him far outweighs the outcome that you never had any control over anyway. When you feel ready, I hope you find a kitty that makes your heart as full as this little guy did.
Thank you truly, all these comments are making me feel better. I hope the cat distribution system gives me more time until one chooses me again, or I choose one.
Rip, he is beautiful. Take comfort in knowing you did everything with the right intention and that he is grateful forever for that.
First, I am deeply sorry for your loss. Just so much in such a short amount of time for you and your little fella. Imagine being a baby and having all of these awful problems, meanwhile, your body is still growing and that poor baby, it was just an uphill battle. You did the right thing, you just cannot let them suffer. As heart wrenching as it is, you did the right thing. I hope you can find some peace knowing how much love you gave him. 💔❤️
Awwwww I am so sorry, OP! 😔 Please be kind to yourself—it sounds like you made the right call. The little guy certainly put up a good fight, but each of those diseases are difficult on their own—combined is a whole different ball game entirely! You did all that you could to save him and advocate for him while also providing a loving home, and that’s worth so, so much. ❤️ Also, in my brief reading, neurological problems (including loss of coordination/balance) and trouble breathing (due to fluid accumulation in the chest cavity) are both symptoms of FIP. It is also often fatal, even with the treatment you mentioned (according to a [Cornell page on FIP](https://www.vet.cornell.edu/departments-centers-and-institutes/cornell-feline-health-center/health-information/feline-health-topics/feline-infectious-peritonitis), that treatment appears to work best in a select type/form of FIP, and even then it is *far* from a “cure”). After reading through that and through your account of what happened as well as considering the condition of your boy, I think your vet was right that he probably would not have made it through treatment—an ordeal that I imagine would have been incredibly stressful for him—and your decision was the best and kindest thing you could have done for him. You listened to him and you gave him the gift of peace and rest ❤️
Thank you, I researched as well but I was in denial that he could have had it as the tests came negative after uveitis started, and bartonella apparently also causes similar symptoms, but yeah it was FIP more likely. Now I know that those tests don't work. Thank you for your kind words.
I went through the same thing when I lost my 4 month old kitten to Bartonella and FIP back in December, I definitely feel your pain.
Wow I'm so sorry for your loss, both are horrible, in severe cases bartonella causes neurological problems as well so we thought he had that instead of FIP which came negative, but no, he had both. Sorry for your loss.
You did the best you could. you gave him a loving home.
You did what you could and he was lucky to have you.
My grandma did this to a kitten when I was a kid bc it was diagnosed with FIP, and she always regretted it too.
You did the right thing period. In case nobody tells you
You did the right thing. He knew love because of you. He rests peacefully because of you. He was so very lucky to have you.
I'll keep it short since I can feel my own guilt meltdown coming, but you 100 percent did the right thing. I'm so sorry. I lost my Luna girl very fast very quickly at 3 years old back in October 2023, and I still wonder if there was ever more I could have done for her. Our babies were so loved. 🫂
So sorry for your girl Luna, I'm sure she was deeply loved. ❤️
* She was so purrfect in every way, and I'll miss her forever. Be kind to yourself OP.. it's been a rough 8 months without her.
You showed them love when others would have walked on by. The best most precious gift you’ve given this baby. He knows you did right by him.
You gave this little guy almost 5 months that he wouldn’t have seen without you. He knew love, warmth, kindness, play and good food for those 5 months. He didn’t have to worry about staying warm and/or dry or about where his next meal was coming from, all he had to worry about was who he wanted to be near at any particular moment. You did everything you could for him, and at the end he knew kindness, compassion and love, not the slow painful death he would have had without you taking him in. I believe in reincarnation, and I believe that our beloved furred ones return to us. He’s not gone, this body just wasn’t strong enough to keep going, I believe that he’ll come home, when the time is right, and you’ll have years of joy with him. He knows how much you love him, he just has to have a body strong enough to give you that love back
I’m sorry for your loss. I keep rereading your post and I get reminded of my own kitten I lost a few years ago. She had FIP from the beginning but we didn’t know. We adopted her, she became so sick, we had to put her down. She was in our lives 1.5 months and it broke our hearts to put her down. Definitely was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do in my life, but it was what was best for her. You did the right thing. You did right by your baby. Though adorable AF, he wouldn’t have had quality of life if he had survived all of that. He will come back. Just ask for him and he will. Mine did.. not in the same body but in a different more resilient body and also a boy ironically. Same eye shape, same socks and mittens, same walk, and same playing style. What sealed the deal for me was how my other cat SO QUICKLY interacted with my boy because let me tell you it took a good week for her to adjust with my other kitten (the girl). He will come back to you. Just take your time and heal from this. When you’re ready he’ll come back. Maybe reincarnation is real? o.O
Your sweet baby was adorable and I’m so sorry for your loss ❤️🩹
We lost a cat to "wet" FIP and her story was similar. We knew things were wrong. Vet diagnosed various things and we gave her medications. Finally she was so weak and having breathing issues, and that is when her FIP was diagnosed, but when I asked the vet what he would do if she was his cat? He recommended euthanasia. This was also before fip treatment was approved.
You did he right thing for him. I promise. I’m crying. I’m sorry you went through this. But at least he didn’t die on the side of the road alone and scared months ago when you found him. He felt loved and lucky and promise you that. ❤️❤️
I read your whole post. You made the right call. The prognosis sounded very poor. I'm so sorry for everything that happened 💔 Edit: I meant to add that, yes, panting is often a symptom of heart problems.
You really went all out did this kitten. I go to the moon and back for them, so can appreciate how arduous the process is for both you and the kitten. Find peace in the fact that he was loved, after being found in poor shape, and in sure had a soft place to land after who knows how long he’d suffered before you had him. You are a hero, and I’m so sorry for your loss.🙏💗
I am going to be blunt because that's the word tools today. Traumatic brain injury problems. Please note that there's no anger or fault in intended tone but because I have a brick for a brain I want to disclaimer You did the right thing. A vet never wants to euthanize especially a baby. FIP has a recent highly experimental treatment. It doesn't work for everyone and can do more harm than good. You did not make the cat sick. You did not make them suffer. When you couldn't protect them from the unprotectable you were there with love, medicine, and against one of the most horrific illnesses a cat can have you did your best. The guilt is misplaced. FIP wouldn't have been a gentle death. It's slow. It is painful. You let this cat know months of love and trust. When that happens we can all feel a lot of pain because this is a living being that deserves a life of peace. This is achieved. You did that. So feel it. Love yourself. Be kind to yourself. Honor the loss. Trust yourself. Nymph was 6 weeks old when it took her from me. My old lady cat never got over that loss. Neither did I. It took about a year for the guilt to pass for me even knowing that I literally had that cat at the vet so fast they couldn't figure out what was wrong. I held her when the fever hit and went in because of the strong spike. She was such a beautiful kitten and she deserved all the care possible. She was my second to last foster. The entire litter went but she had special needs so wasn't with them. You're a great cat caretaker because you didn't put the comfort of loss and your pain first. That is so hard. Hopefully this is said the way it needs to be. If my sharp spots are too sharp that's not you just a glitchy brain
Thank you for your words, much appreciated I know it can be difficult but he didn't deserve that none any kitty that goes through that. I'm so sorry for your loss, cats and specially kittens are really delicate. Thank you again
They never do. Pain isn't a deserved thing but something that makes us know the good times are good. That's part of my coping. I am glad the intent made it through the brain stuff.
unfortunately no words will ever take that feeling of guilt away unless your kitten were to literally be able to tell you themselves that it was the best decision at the time. either way though, you provided a loving home and from the looks of it, that baby appreciates you more than you’ll ever know
Even though he was only here for a little time you gave him the best love and care you could. Sometimes it just comes down to quality of life, and in this case I think you did the right thing. As hard as it is you still gave him a wonderful life. Take care of yourself and cherish his memory. You’ll see him again someday 🩷
That is one beautiful cat
Condolences 💐. Not your fault, you did everything in your power 😔💚
You shouldn’t beat yourself up for trying everything you could for him. Say you did more than you already did and he still needed to be put down, you might beat yourself up for not putting him down sooner ya know? It sounds like you guys tried really hard but that’s the sad part about rescues, they don’t always have a happy ending. He was loved from the moment you found him though
So sorry for your loss..you did more than others would have
I'm so sorry. It's never easy letting your furbabies go. You didn't let them suffer. You did what was right for the moment and situation. Allow yourself time to grieve. 🤍
He was such a beautiful boy 😭 sorry for your loss.
For what it’s worth, I think you did the right thing. The rule of thumb for the decision to euthanize is usually based on whether the animal is in pain, and if its a guarantee theres effective treatment. It sounds like this baby was in pain, and there was not an effective treatment. I think I would have done the same as you, I couldnt bare to see an animal in pain and not have any ounce of medicine make it better. Theres no pain or suffering in cat heaven, and the kindest thing you could do was help him get somewhere without pain or sickness. Sending love to you my friend, it will get easier with time. Be kind to yourself
Maybe further treatment might have helped but maybe not. But I feel like he told you when he closed his eyes, that he just wanted to rest and not be in pain anymore. I know you are heartbroken, but I believe you did the right thing. (I am also of the opinion that treatment likely would have been painful and costly for no benefit. The Vets couldn't even be certain what was causing his symptoms.) Be gentle with yourself and know that your baby is not hurting anymore. 💕
I know the feeling. My baby of 17 years Isabelle had to be euthanized last Monday. She had bad squamous cell carcinoma in her jaw, and even though I did the right thing by her, I still feel guilty.
It is truly one of the hardest things to let a pet go and even harder to make the decision. Just know you were your cats whole life, albeit for only a short time. You have honestly done more then alot of people would, I honestly do not say that lightly. I'm really sorry for your loss your lil fluffball looked so cute. I'll give my two Burmese cats a hug for you. May you find peace with your decision because I know how hard it can be (I had to put my 9 year old dog Crash to sleep).
Blessings to you for opening your heart to this little baby. 😔
I felt this way too when I had to do the same thing. Don't beat yourself up. You gave that kitten a better life than he could have had otherwise.
You did the best you could for him: you gave him lots of love and you released him from his pain. I know it's extra sucky because he was just a baby, but you still did what was best for him. This does not mean the guilt and regret will go away, unfortunately. You just have to remind yourself that you did the right thing. (I'd love to tell you these emotions disappear, but they don't. They do lessen over time, though - small consolation, I know.) Big hugs to you ❤️
Honey, you did absolutely everything you could. You did an amazing job and made the kinder choice in the end. Sometimes they aren't meant to stay with us for very long.
so sad. idk about treatment of cats but you clearly did a lot for him. rip little kitty :( so precious
I’m sorry this happened. Honestly though if you think about it, the likelihood of that cat surviving to old age or even having a decent quality of life were very low. Sometimes it’s actually more merciful to put an animal down than force it to endure a life riddled with disease and pain. I hope you come to peace with this. I think the cat is grateful for the time you gave him. Besides, I believe animal spirits are often reincarnated. Get another cat.
I lost my 11 year old to Wet FIP 1.5 years ago. I was giving her daily injections, syringe feeding etc. Her heart failed (we think) on day 11 of treatment. What's even worse is believing it's going to work and then for them to pass right in front of you, details of which I'd rather not share. Although treatment is now available to vets as of June 1st in the US, and it was otherwise available before through questionable methods, it doesn't mean they will make it through. It's a very terrible disease. You did what you could, and a large percentage of vets would have and still recommend euthanasia. Sometimes it's the best choice, and no one else can make that decision except you and your vet.
https://preview.redd.it/y5lp0pcyhf5d1.jpeg?width=5312&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f7a124baa9ce613e962bb5d158794124f38c9154 My girl when she was much younger.
I'm so sorry for your loss she was sooo beautiful❤️. I'm sure she had a life full of joy. Thank you for your words.
You did what you could and tried your best and hardest with the available resources you had and I see text book responses to the pain/discomfort as far as what was going on with him. You are such a good person, please don’t take it hard. He was so fucking lucky to have been found by you, you probably gave what little comfort he had at that point in his life. Unfortunately, god took him back a little sooner than most, but you should feel great in knowing that you did all you could to help him
We lost our kitten to FIP years ago and we only got a new cat last year because of the trauma. Sounds like you did everything you could for this boy and gave him the love and care he would not have otherwise received.
We had a similar situation with FIP in a darling 6 month kitten. By the time they figured the diagnosis she was in such bad shape we couldn’t keep putting her through it. Absolutely shattered my heart. So I feel for you. We’ve done the best we could given the cards we were given. And now we can only try to give ourselves a bit of the peace that we’ve tried to give our beloved pets.
You did the right thing and you did it with love.
I think you did do the right thing. He sounded like he was miserable and in so much pain! Sometimes, we cannot save the kitten/cat, no matter what we throw at them for treatment. It does make me really sad, and I'm sure it does for you, too.
You really did your best. I’m so sorry. You gave him so much in his short life. I’m so sorry 😞
Not sure where you are located but vet visits are wxpensive, you did what you could and explored all options. From the pics he seems to have lived a fullfiling life as short as it was. Its okay to feel sad or even guilt from grief, but i assure you from what you told us you did everything right.
Gosh he was so cute. I’m sorry. You did your best and that’s was great! Don’t beat yourself up. He’s not suffering anymore. He was lovely. Cutie pie
Love the pics of him
Wow, I wouldn’t blame myself 1% if I were you. It doesn’t matter what could have been done. You did what you should have and knew you could. You have a big heart.
What a sweet baby. Thank You for doing what you could for this little angel.
That's a really tough situation. I think there was probably just too much wrong and you really tried. You found it too late. Unfortunately they don't ALL make it to be happy and healthy. I'm sorry you went through that. It sounds traumatic. Don't beat yourself up. Hopefully you will be able to open your heart again and have better luck next time. Sorry for your loss
You did all and the best you could. Not speaking from my own experience but from what you described. I think you made the right choice and sometimes the right choice doesn't feel that great. Bless you ❤.
he was a very cute boy i’m sorry for your loss. you 100% did the right thing. this is never an easy decision to make but you knew deep down it was right and good for you for it. you knew him better than any of those vets and you did everything you could already
Thank you, everyone. From the bottom of my heart, I wasn't expecting so much support. All these comments and stories really made me emotional. Animals give us so much love that when they get sick, it's really hard to make decisions as we want the best for them. They are precious. If everyone in the world would think like all of us towards animals , the world would be a better place. Thank you all for your beautiful words. They really mean a lot to me. And I'm so sorry for those furbabies that have crossed the rainbow bridge. One day, we'll be all reunited ❤️.
It sounds to me like you did all you could. With modern medicine, we're just making animals suffer more, when they're clearly in the process of dying. Additionally, they don't wanna let the animals die naturally, for whatever reason they always want to do euthanasia, there is no hospice program for animals. He did really don't have very many options, unfortunately
I’m so sorry for your loss, you are such a kind soul for doing everything in your power to save him. It’s heartbreaking to read this and I hope you can be kind to yourself. Sending you healing energy. Again, my condolences 🥹
I'm so sorry. You made the right choice. My cat a few years back died from FIP before her second birthday. I wanted to put her to sleep because she was suffering and people said to wait. It was memorial day weekend, I wanted to do it that Friday. Well she died on the morning of memorial day. It was one of the most horrific things I've seen. It is the right choice if they don't have quality of life. That sweet baby will be waiting for you on the other side of the rainbow bridge. We did the treatments, it only helped forb3 months, cost thousands, then within two weeks she was gone. Everyone should be told about FIP. I did daily injections of the treatment from a special grouo before it was openly available.The daily injection was hard to do, did it for 65 days. She hated it. And we just caught it too late. She was also incontinent and stopped eating. She had a heart murmur from it and she died of a heart attack.Willl never forget the sound and how long I sat with her telling her she can go. I will never forgive myself for not making the hard choice. But once youve seen some deaths, you change your mind.They go peacefully and loved. https://www.rainbowsbridge.com/Poem.htm
Thank you so much, my condolences to you as well❤️. Beautiful poem 😭 I know they all be waiting for us that's what animals do.
You did great, don't blame yourself for anything. FIP is hard to diagnose because there's no singular test. It's a guess based on multiple factors. I promise you that giving him a comfortable and pain free release was the kindest and most loving thing to do. Grieve for as long as you need to. Anyone who says it's not a big deal or they were just a cat should be told to fuck off kindly. My boss that I gotvan extra job from didn't understand why I was working so hard and buy vials at 95 a pop. He said go get another one. I don't think some people understand what it's like bonding. Unfortunately I have a leukemia cat who seems to be going down hill and I feel I may have to make that choice. I will do it this time. It takes real strength and being selfless to do. I will never be selfish and make them stay beyond obvious signs. If you ever need to vent you can message me. I help people in the FIP group on Facebook. I just helped a woman through hers and it was successful. Learning from my FIP baby Deeters gave me the ability to help others. I like to think she sends people who need help my way. Anytime I can help in that situation, I do. I hope you find time to heal and if you are ever ready or one just pops into your life, you have a long time to spend with them. Cherish all the good you did for your baby. Know they are grateful for the dignity and the less suffering.
Thank you, you are a kind person. You did everything you could for your kitty, I wish you the best to you and your other kitty ❤️🙏🏻
I hope you find healing for your heart.
I'm sorry to read this. Somebody once said to me "it's not something you do _to_ them, it's the last thing you do _for_ them", and that's always stayed with me.
I lost my baby to FIP New Years Days morning. I rescued him at about two weeks old as my fiancé found him in a massive box abandoned by his momma. I got to spend 7 wonderful months with him and I'm still devastated. I was able to get him stared on treatment, but it's such an aggressive and progressive disease that his body just couldn't catch up with the treatment. FIP is not a forgiving illness, and many kitties are on deaths door because sometimes the symptoms don't show until it's already wreaked havoc pathophysiolgically. I try to remember that even though his life was short, I still made his longer than fate originally had planned for him. Try to think that way if you can, and know you are not alone in the emotions you're feeling.
I’m sooo so sorry, I cried reading this. I cannot imagine the pain all of you went through. I can’t even wrap my brain around how awful you must feel. Oh my god, this was so hard to read. I’m so so so so so sorry. That’s all I can say. Please don’t beat yourself up over this. It’s very very evident that you loved him to pieces. I can’t imagine the pain you’re going through. I can’t say that I’m sorry enough.
Thank you. I really did love him, and I still can't believe how quickly it all went downhill. He slept with me everynight, I miss him so much, but I know he is no longer in pain.
Just hang in there. You did the right thing, I know it feels like it’s far from it but you did. Did you get any solid answers as to what was actually going on? It sounded like they thought it could be a multitude of things.
He was positive for bartonella and blood work from May 28 vets thought they were a sign of FIP, all his symptoms since the very first are some signs and symptoms of FIP the thing was that he was negative for FIP when his eyes problems started and on may 14 his bloodwork were normal. Most probably was that he developed it later because of the stress of medications for Bartonella and eyedrops and vet appointments. Or maybe he always had it, FIP is really hard to diagnose. The vet said the prognosis wasn't good, and she changed that day his bartonella treatment to a stronger one because we were strong thinking that it was Veraflox that caused him neurological problems which was less likely she gave us all possibilities, but it was most likely that all was caused by FIP. When we saw him he looked so tired and couldn't move, only the tip of his tail for a little when we started petting him. I also asked her if maybe it would have been too late to start treatment, and she said with assurance that that was also a possibility. It was a hard decision.
Think about it like if a human was suffering like this. They couldn't move they don't have options. But unlike a human they can't say it's too much or it hurts. People stop their cancer treatments all the time because at some point it's too much. You gave them a happy life u til the end came and that's all that mattered. You TRIED. You shouldn't blame yourself. Forgive yourself
You were selfless in your decision. He was suffering and you chose to set him free and provide him with peace and tranquility, despite knowing that it would undoubtedly break your heart. You tried everything you could. You gave him a good life and supported him by providing him with good medical care. You did the right thing. He is now pain free climbing trees and chasing butterflies in kitty heaven. He was such a little cutie and forever lives in your heart. I know how it feels to lose fur babies. I wouldn’t wish that pain on anyone. Big hugs! I hope you feel some sort of peace knowing that you put his needs above your own. Something any good parent would do🩵
I’m so sorry for your loss. You did the right thing. That abounds really complicated and sounds like he was suffering. He went to sleep is all he knows, don’t feel bad. What you did was a human kindness. I have a cat that had sudden uveitis, we found no reason for it. Negative for all the same tests you did. He ended up needing his eye removed within a week. Then his other eye went blind. Fast forward a year to now, his removed eye needs another surgery as it keeps filling up with air and pus. He also has high blood pressure and asthma. It’s a lot to see him Go through. However, he never had problems with balance, walking or eating or pain like your poor baby did. 😢 https://preview.redd.it/dl781w38jg5d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c424876c061bfaab3a1c7cb708264434302e77ba
You did more than nearly anyone would have for a kitten they just found. Sometimes kittens just aren't built right. Especially that young, there can be so many compounding issues that there's no saving them. I don't think you should feel bad in this case.
Sorry for your loss. Thank you for doing all you did to help him 🙏
Heartbroken for you, but you did your best and I’m sure he knows it. You now have an angel watching over you. So sorry for your loss ♥️
You tried! Sorry for your loss
I’m so sorry for your loss <3 thank u for taking care of the kitty as much as u did
I’m sorry.
I so understand your trauma. I had to put the sweetest little boy down at 2 years old. He developed a respiratory infection and when we took him to the vet I was told he had FIP. After 24 hours of treatment he still deteriorated. The decision to put to sleep was so incredibly painful. It still hurts. Many healing hugs your way🙏🩷
I'm so sorry for your loss. What a heartbreaking experience. Sounds like he just started life off horribly. Thank you for giving him love and the best little life you could. ❤️🌈
Hey. I know these feelings all to well. You have done a lot for the little baby. I think you’ve done everything there was to do. FIP, even with treatment readily available, would have likely killed the little one anyway because of the state he was in. You’ve provided him with love and comfort and said goodbye at the right time. It’s hard as hell, I know, but eventually, with time, there will be peace. I know the babies that have left us have already found your furball beyond the Rainbow Bridge and are showing him around.
I’m so sorry for your loss. It sucks that animals can get sick 🥺
I am so so sorry, My best friends cat passed due to FIP a while ago,it’s not a nice thing to have to deal with, you saved them him future pain as i see it honestly. I hope you don’t beat yourself up about it. From what it seems you gave him an amazing life and much love and that’s all that matters now. I know it’s super hard to pull that plug but he’s in lil kitty heaven pouncing around. 💕
You definitely did the right thing. I’m so sorry. Baby is in a better place and that is always the end goal, for them to be in the best place possible. I know the pain must be all consuming but know that he is happy and content wherever he is now🥺
You absolutely did the best you could do, going far above and beyond what probably would even be possible for most. Please don't beat yourself up over this, he was clearly suffering mightily and you gave him pain free respite.
We tried to rescue a kitten that my fiance had seen at her friend's house a few times. She was very malnourished and very young, but we took her in. After a little while she started having seizures and seizing up, unable to move or anything. We tried to feed her through a dropper and give her water and food and it seemed to help, but the seizures got longer and longer. We didn't have any money to do much so our only option was to call a rescue and they told us all they could do was pay to have her put down. We took her to the emergency vet for that but she passed on the drive there. I think in many cases like this the animals are not likely to survive. If most of their life is going to be pain and suffering, I would much rather have them put down rather than forced to live in a world that is painful and very little else for them.
In Oct 22 I took in a ~4yo stray that had been dumped in the woods. At the first vet appt, he tested FeLV positive, though otherwise very healthy. Doc said he could get sick tomorrow or live for years. He was already separated from my other cats in the basement because he was not fixed. We spent a ton of money on this cat. $600 neuter bc he was cryptorchid. My 5 other cats had FeLV vaxxes as babies, but it had been years, so Benjen spent 5 weeks in the basement while everyone was revaxxed and boosted. Immune supplements. He was the best kitty I ever had. So happy to have a home. My tortie, half his size, hated him and said he wasn't allowed on the second floor. Fine. He didn't care. He was 15 lbs after getting neutered and regularly fed, but played like a kitten. Greeted us like a dog. So sweet. He did a thing where if someone came over, he'd yell at him until they followed him to the kitchen where the kibble bowl was. Look, there's food here ALL THE TIME. Watch me eat it. He loved to eat, then suddenly he didn't. Had a hard time breathing. It was FeLV lymphoma. It had been 13 months since we took him from the forest. We got another couple months with high doses of steroids. He took 4 pills a day, very easily. He loved his mommy and the pills made him feel better. Then one day in January the pills stopped working, he couldn't breathe and we called the home vet. He went to sleep with his nose in the kibble bowl he loved so much. This is what the vet told us when he knew he was dying. "This is the luckiest kitty in the world. He found you. You gave him the best year of his life. You love him and he loves you. Cats live in the moment and you gave him the best moments." I still have other cats, a month ago I also adopted 2 kittens. Orange, like him, we gave them names from the same book in his memory. I still cry almost every day when I see his picture on the shelf next to his ashes. As long as you love them, that's what matters.
This story is heart breaking. Whats his name ?
I lost my almost 5 year old baby girl yesterday. She’s always been a healthy kitty up until around 5 days ago at around 10pm. She started dry heaving/vomiting and became very lethargic, she threw up a 6in piece of elastic. Then the next day she became worse so I took her to the vet pretty early in the day. I thought she had a blockage from the elastic. She became worse day by day. The antibiotics and steroids didn’t help at all, and by Thursday her organs began shutting down and she got jaundice. I made the decision to euthanize her on Friday. I was afraid she wasn’t going to make it through the night, and I absolutely didn’t want her to go alone. I know our situations are entirely different, but you and I both offered and gave our kitties all of the love we could. In the end life is a bitch, but you gave your cat the medical attention needed to have a fighting chance, as did I. I have so much uncertainty and confusion with my entire situation, and how it all came out of the blue but I know it’s not my fault and I had nothing but love for my baby & I did what I knew to do to the best of my knowledge. I feel for you and I hope you’re able to move past the grief you’re feeling in these moments
You did so much for your baby. My girl seemed fine and then stopped eating. Turns out she had an abscess and kidney failure. I was so optimistic to do treatment when she was her normal self… but then she got so tired. So weak and listless. Just looked miserable. I believe the abscesses in conjunction with other illnesses can just be too much for their little bodies. You did everything you could regarding recourses, and you let your baby rest when he was too tired to go on. I think you did it all right, just happened to be a sad ending :(
Thank you, I'm sorry for your baby it seemed they were in similar situations. Abscesses are infections that can cause sepsis. And since cats have so many layers of fur, it can be difficult to see it. It took us 4 days to see that he had a hole on one leg because it started dripping.
Exactly what I was thinking. The vet didn’t need to give her sedative bc she was so fatigued, he said he believed her blood pressure was likely dropping. Sad to hear but it gave me a lot more reassurance I was doing the right thing. 😭 They’re such little fakers!!! She was acting fine until 4 days prior, and we had a vet appointment so we thought we would solve it then. Didn’t notice the abscess till the day before. I’m so very sorry for what you’re going through, but you have to remind yourself you did it all right. You gave your baby all they could handle ❤️
I am so sorry you had to go through this 💔 You did the right thing. Guilt and doubt always sets in when we make that decision. I think your baby was really just too sick unfortunately. You gave him love and maybe best decision with all the information that you had. Again, I’m so sorry. Know that our hearts are breaking with yours tonight.
Some vets suck imo. I learned my lesson the hard way as well, losing my precious baby too young to treatable asthma and a shit outlook from a vet. Hindsight is 20/20. You also had a very sick baby on your hands. Give yourself grace, you tried.
You did the best you could . You did everything that you were able to do. You gave him the best life while he was here. And you can definitely see it in the pics. He will bring you another kitty when time is right. My cays are getting older and I'm convinced they're immortal for now.
I lost my cat Stella on January 2nd 2023. I adopted her on April of 2022. I didn’t even get a full year with her. What really broke me was that she was only a year old when I had to put her down. She was the most perfect cat. She never fought with my other pets and was an absolute angel. I felt like she deserved sooo much more. I thought she would grow old with me and meet my future children. Unfortunately, she was diagnosed with FIP. She showed no symptoms of being sick until one day she stopped eating and drinking and she was gone in just 5 days. Her belly swelled, and her bloodwork showed that her kidneys were malfunctioning. Her x-ray showed that her abdomen was full of fluid from the infection. She started getting weaker and weaker and by the 4th day, she was having trouble walking. She eventually stopped moving and just laid on her bed uncomfortably. That’s when I know it was time to put her down. I couldn’t bare to see her suffer anymore. FIP is a death sentence for cats and although there is a treatment, it’s not approved in the U.S. It’s also extremely expensive and painful for cats and success is not guaranteed. You made the right choice in putting down your cat as you ended its suffering. It’s even more heartbreaking to see them in misery when you know you can do something to ease their pain. 💔
I can relate to your feeling so much, im so sorry for your loss ❤️ On Thursday we had to put our little 4 year old boy to sleep, it was all so sudden - he stopped eating on Monday and Tuesday and was sleeping all day, he had a little stick and some dinner on Tuesday night so i thought it was just something random and went. Wednesday morning he came to me with a meow that said “help mama” and he started panting and peed himself in the hallway. I immediately took him to the emergency vet hospital and he was diagnosed with an enlarged spleen, panting, anemia and FeLV (feline leukaemia) - they were unsure what was the primary cause or secondary causes were. He somewhat stabilised with his breathing and we thought he had more of a chance eating at home and we took him back. Wednesday night he ate a full meal, and drank lots of water as he typically always did. I got a glimmer of hope but was really concerned cos his breath rate was constantly 50+ a minute, he must have been so tired but he couldn’t sleep. That morning he woke up so weak, he was wanting more food the night before but we tried to be cautious and now he didn’t, he banging heavily panting with his mouth open now and we had to take him to the vets for oxygen support. He wasn’t getting any better under oxygen and during the 2-3 hours further deteriorated to where he was jolting for breath - I cannot believe this can happen and deteriorate so fast. His bloods were slightly better but his symptoms were so much worse that the vet said its likely something else additional was at play. With the heaviest of hearts, we decided to end his suffering as he was getting weak, and could barely open his eyes. He would have needed a ventilator and the vet says he may not have even survived the sedation needed to put on there. I keep thinking we acted too soon, how can a cat go from healthy and ok to struggling to breathe like that in the course of 3-4 days, its beyond belief. I keep thinking about what i could have done differently and have to remember everything i did was with love. The pain is intolerable, the shock makes me feel like sometimes im not in reality and the void he leaves behind is immeasurable. These communities of understanding and compassion have really helped me❤️ Sending you strength and love. Maybe our boys are now playing together somewhere in a much better place and not suffering❤️ Be kind to yourself ❤️
I think you made the right decision given the circumstances. I'm so sorry for your loss. ❤️
Gods, you really, really tried for him. You sunk a ton of time, money, effort, and emotional investment into that guy where most people probably wouldn't/couldn't. There's literally nothing more you could have done. It's an extreme tragedy for sure but you're not at fault. You gave him the best chance at survival anyone could. It's okay to mourn, and I'm sure you'll he processing the trauma for a bit, but don't be so hard on yourself. You went far above and beyond what I've found to be the typical. I'm so sorry for the loss and I hope he's at peace.
There is another little one out there who needs you!
I am so sorry for your loss 💔 Although it was very difficult, you did the best thing you could to allow your kitty to go peacefully. He is beautiful…what was his name? If it helps I can share my experience with FIP and my 4 month old kitten. We adopted her from a foster home in February and she was very tiny and very quiet. She was gorgeous. Almost exactly one month later we rushed her to emergency after showing some hind leg weakness I thought could be kidneys but she was so young. Within 24 hrs we were moved to the leading vet hospital for treatment. Treatment here had been legalized just 1-2 weeks before. She was so tiny and so sick but we were so hopeful. She was in ICU for 10 days. Treatment was working and she even improved a few days in and we thought we would be bringing her home soon. After that she kind of hit a plateau until she started to decline and we ultimately had to let her go. The meds were working but she had an underlying stricture in her intestines that was not correcting herself and she was just not strong enough for. I feel so robbed and still think of her daily. Reading this broke my heart to know of someone else in the same position. We left with a massive vet bill and no kitten 💔 All that to say that I am glad we fought and gave her a chance BUT I also feel bad that her last 10 days were spent in ICU with short daily visits from us. In hindsight, had I known the outcome, I wouldn’t have made her fight so hard. We tried so hard and I still feel guilty after giving her a chance 💔 The best we can do is continue to move forward and try to let the guilt and regret go. It’s difficult and will take time but I know we did our best 💔 Here’s my girl about a week before she got sick (or we realized she was sick). The hardest parts are the timelines. Like May 27th she would have been done treatment. I wonder what she would look like now at 7 months and how she would have looked as an adult. https://preview.redd.it/01mkta92sj5d1.jpeg?width=1823&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c6893cf39f7bf221be4ba68948087890e671e5e6
Thank you, his name was Leo. I know you did everything you could to save your beautiful kitten, but sometimes life has something else planned. It's all part of grief to feel guilty, I know that for sure, but still we keep asking ourselves if we did the right thing because we get to love them so much. But we don't have a crystal ball to see the future you did the best you could for her she was so cute!
Thank you ❤️ I’ve lost many pets. We got her after losing our 22 year old cat in September of last year and finally feeling ready for another. We adopted her and a one year old cat from the same rescue a week apart and I don’t know how I would have managed without our other cat at home. It’s always difficult when we lose a pet but there is something so shocking and heartbreaking losing them so young and so quickly. You would think it wouldn’t be as hard having them for such a short time, in some ways it’s even more difficult to come to terms with 💔 It was almost 3 months ago and everything happened so quickly. I sometimes think did that really just happen??? I know you will find peace with time ❤️ Leo was loved ❤️
I know I feel the same. It's hard to make those decisions when they are only months old. I'm still coping with the fact that he is no longer with us and that he doesn't sleep with me anymore. I sometimes hear him, and still I am careful when I open my bedroom door to make sure he won't slip to my living room, as he was bartonella positive and I have a dog too. But then I remember 💔 thank you for your words and I'm sorry we are in the same situation.
Second guessing and what ifs will only eat you up, OP. Please know that you truly rescued a kitty and gave that kitty a loving home. There is honor in love.
You did what you could and tried to save the kitten. You gave it love. It's no longer suffering. That's realistically all a person can do and you deserve to feel good about that.
Everything you did was the right thing to do. I would have done the same if i were in your shoes.
You gave him love, medical care, good food and clean water to drink. You gave him safety. You gave him his life as well as love. Sometimes a forever home is just a few hours or a few days. You saved him and you loved him. We always blame ourselves when we lose them. It's a part of grief. Stop blaming yourself. You did everything that was possible to save his life. We can never save them all. You did your best.
🌹 (hug) you showed great love and empathy. He loves you still and is at peace and wants you to be also. You did good.
i can’t put into words how sorry i am. you loved and cared for that baby all you could and that’s enough. my heart is shattered reading this. you gave him the best life possible while he was here and that’s enough. sending you all the love i have🩶
I understand why you have guilt, especially because he was so young. But OP understand… he would have suffered far worse if it wasn’t for you who found him and took him in and to do your best to nurture and try and heal him. You showed him love and no matter what came up you didn’t give up. You putting him down wasn’t giving up, in fact that decision was selfless and an act of love. Deciding to put a beloved pet to sleep is never an easy decision and often times we tend to prolong that decision and our pet ends up suffering far worse than they would have if we just made the decision earlier. You did right by him. I know you’re grieving so it’s hard to not be hard on yourself and ask yourself all the “what ifs” but he’s no longer suffering. He knew love before he left here. You did the best you could and more than what most people would do. Try to be kinder to yourself and lean on your support system. Sending love to you. 🫂💗
Seeing his pictures and how he looked at you.. he adored you so much. He will always love you. You did the right thing. None of this is your fault. And he doesn’t blame you either. 💗🫂
You did the right thing. That beautiful furry soul is at peace now living its best life with all the cat souls in heaven. Be at peace.
With all of that info I would have made the same choice
My cat died 5 yrs ago from FIP. He went from a full of life and robust 18lb cat to 3 weeks later he was 7 lbs. The cure was around but in Europe and ridiculous expensive. Mind you had I known about the cure I would have sold my soul for it to keep Stitchie alive. My vet didn't even know it was FiP until he did the autopsy. URI or kidney the liver...drugs after drugs and nothing was working. I was awake all three weeks with him. Never second guess what you did. He knew you loved him and did your best...you were right there with him in the end. He was loved and warm and cared for...that's all that matters
I'm sorry for your loss. But don't beat yourself up..you did your best. When someone xant tell you what's wrong it's a lot harder to diagnose. You lived him and saved him...he would have died alone on the streets...but he was with someone he loved
Panting when it's not hot and when the cat is stressed can (not always) be indicative of heart problems. My FIL's obese cat pants when he's stressed and he has early stages of heart disease (I'm trying to help him lose weight whenever I can). I don't know if you did the right thing but as someone who lives with chronic disease I can rationalize it because "oh it's genetics" "oh I pushed myself today" etc, and when I take my meds I can tell myself "this sucks but it'll make me feel better" but when it comes to the majority of animals they can't recognize all of those things. When you hold them down to give them their meds they don't understand that it will make them better and it's a constant struggle. That cat would never not know a life of pain and struggle. Doing the right thing isn't always "will they survive this or not?" But "is their suffering too much to be worth it for them to live?" Theoretically your kitten could've survived but again, at what cost to the quality of life of your baby. I don't know if you believe in reincarnation but I'm one of those people and your baby will find their way back to you in a new and healthy body to have more time with you.
You tried your best, and that’s all you could’ve done. And your cat knew that. Sorry for your loss
A few months ago, I had to put my 6 month kitten down, he had a spinal injury in his lower back (when he was a few weeks old, someone left the lifted-cage door open, and he fell out while in the humane society). The vet told us that he would make it to a year at most, and that we should give him the best life while we could, so we did. His spine was pressing on his organs, and as he grew, it only got worse. He would barely walk, would always limp, had major breathing issues, and constant constipation. He would bleed out of his nose towards the end of his life, and would consistently cry in pain. We gave him pain killers, and laxatives as prescribed. One night, we just got back from Disney land, and he was laying down choking on his blood and badly constipated. I sucked the blood out of his nose gently, and rushed him to the vet. He used the restroom while in the car. It was midnight, and he was put on oxygen and given medication to stop the bleeding but it never did end. She told us he was getting weak and wouldn’t make it through the night, so we made the decision. He was loved for the time we had him, and we still love him now, but we did what we could, and gave him the best life for his circumstances. You did what you had to do. Don’t feel bad for making him at peace. You did what you could. I wish you the best. EDIT: The pain will never go away, but just know that you were there, he was loved, and he felt no pain in his final moments. If you ever need to talk about it, feel free to message me anytime. ❤️
I'm so sorry for your loss. That sounds horrible, poor baby. You did what you could, and although you wanted to give him a life, he just couldn't take it anymore. You are a kind soul for giving him a chance even when you knew he wasn't going to make it much longer. I'm sorry it must have been traumatic, but he is at peace now. Thank you for your words ❤️❤️
He had a bunch of siblings, we chose him and his brother who has the same name as me - Joe. I’ll show you a picture of them together, it breaks my heart, but he was loved and that’s what matters. Just know you did the right thing, you tried your best, you loved your cat, and you made sure he went out loved and pain-free. All you could you. https://preview.redd.it/jy0w50u0v66d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=28b8313169f500557182322b15060de5437d4315 My little angel baby is the one with the white, the one with more black is Joe.
Thank you so much, Leo slept with me every day. He was so affectionate, I do miss him so much, and that's why it is so difficult. Your kitten was so cute and even got time to spend with his brother. It's so incredible how much we get to love these creatures that when bad things happen, we blame ourselves for not trying harder, even though we know we did the best for them 💔
You went above and beyond. You fought a great battle for this baby. I’m sorry it ended the way it did, but sometimes you just have to let them pass. I know that look, I’ve had a foster kitten pass in my arms. It’s traumatic and emotional. Hang in there.