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Little White is Little Gray's sister. Little Gray was the one who had stomach/intestinal cancer but did very well for a long time with the single treatment, way better than what the specialist said. Little Gray had his final thread awhile back.

Their brother is Little Orange.

None of these cats were staying when dh first brought them home as tiny kittens. That's why I named them with their colors, to have a way to describe them, until they went to a new home. That never happened.

Ok, so Little White tested for renal failure quite awhile ago but has been doing, overall, fairly good since then, way better than expected, really. She's had a few bumps along the road since the diagnosis but has always come through.

That's not happening now. I noticed about a week ago that she seeemed to be limping slightly on her back left leg. Also thought her right cheek (by her head) was bigger but realized it was her hair on that side sticking out a little.

The vet doesn't know what's going on with her leg. It's a very hard bump yet none of her lymph nodes are swollen. Little White got fluids, antibiotics, and B vitamins and hasn't gotten any better. She's not eating very much at all and that lump on her cheek really IS a very hard lump just like on her leg. The vet has never seen something like that in cats, doesn't know what to make of it except it isn't good, and he says she is wasting away and that it's time.

Not sure when the "time" will be. I imagine this Sunday. Very sad, I still see life in Little White but she ISN'T doing well and there's little hope, if any, of her doing well. Yes, we could take her to the specialists, poke, prod, have this test, that test, amputate her leg to get rid of the bump, and spend thousands of dollars and still wind up with the same results--kitty is sick and simply cannot get beter.

Thank you for listening. I'll post more when I know more.

Awww, CCM, Tears here because I know just how you are feeling ~ it's funny in a way that you had the "colors" and I got the "vegetables" ~ all kittens who were never expected to live, much less live life the way they have done for years.

And, now, those many years later are coming to an end with Little White ~ just like with Beets.

It's not a matter of money or possible treatments; it's a matter of dignity for our beloved cats/family members/friends. Renal failure is irreversible and prolonging the inevitable only makes us, not them, feel better.

My thoughts are so with you right now; there is never a good time to say goodbye but, sometimes it's a kindness to let them go when we can do that for them. Okay, too many tears to see the keyboard right now; just know that many of us are with you during this time.

Aww, thank you for your kind words, IR. There's just no good time for something like this to happen. Yet it happens all the time.


She doesn't seem to be suffering yet though she is not walking on that leg very much. The vet thinks it's difficult or painful for her to eat though he doesn't feel that she is in a lot of pain right now. She doesn't act like she is in pain, doesn't wince or wimper or anything even when the bump on her leg is being examined.

But she isn't really eating much of anything even with the pain medicine she was given before when she got the fluids and other things. I made her a cat food shake and she licked that fairly well yesterday but very little today.

Ironically, the vet is puzzled about the lumps and believed, based on her blood work months ago, that the renal failure was going to do her in. It seems to be the lumps now that are having the final say. So sad.

That is sort of cute, though, I have colors and you have vegetables. I am glad that we were able to give our colors and veggies a good life.

(group hug) (How do you get those emoticons to work?)

Well, today's update is that she was a little bit better. She perked up around 3:00 AM, to my surprise. She ate a little and drank today so we're going to take it day by day. She is going to get some fluids tonight and an injection of antibiotics. Not sure about any other medicine. Currently she is sleeping on my bed. The lump on the side of her face is still there. I bought her favorite food so will make her a cat food shake for later.

CCM, glad to hear that Little White had a better day today than yesterday ~ yes, it is a roller coaster ride with ups and downs and none of the excitement as I posted in my thread "The Long Goodbye."

And day by day is the only way to deal with it. I posted there that I had started to give Beets canned food three times a day and one of your responses indicated you were doing the same with Little White ~ only more like 10 times a day.

Guess what? Same here now - I give Beets a spoonful whenever she wants ~ which comes out to about ten times a day and anything she doesn't finish before it dries out? Well, the rest of the indoor cats are getting a bonus.

I'll be thinking about you and Little White ~ hoping for the best, whatever that might be....

PS. The emoticons work by using a colon then typing the word you want followed by another colon - with no spaces. So group hug is colon, grouphug, colon.

Aww. Will be thinking of you and little white. I agree with not doing all the tests. I think sometimes, we do it thinking we are doing the best thing....when in fact, it's not. I realized that with my first cat. Spoil her rotten and enjoy every moment. It's so sad that our fur babies only stay for a short time. Hugs to you and Little White.

So sorry Charcoalsmom, this is just so heartbreaking to see a member of the family sick, failing... you feel so helpless. We give our pets good homes and wish they could be with us forever and sadly, they can't. I'm sure you're taking her to a wonderful vet... having been in the medical field for many years I have to ask... and I don't know how old she is b/c that does play into the diagnosis, has the vet ever put her on an anti-inflammatory medication such as Prednisone? Prednisone has a lot of side effects but one thing it does do is increase the appetite which is good in this case, and decrease the inflammation. Just a thought and not to question your veterinarian. Our pets are such a blessing to our lives... they enrich and enhance every moment.

So sorry but glad she is feeling better, if only for a bit. I know you will do what is right for her.

Thoughts are with you.

It happened tonight, just a little while ago. Very sad.

I am so sorry, CharcoalsMom. Hugs to you.

I'm so sorry CM. RIP little one.

CM, try to remember the good times. It may help ease some of the sadness you feel.

CM,

I'm so very sorry to hear of your loss. I know nothing can numb the pain, but know that you're in our thoughts and pra*ers. It always hurts so bad. ((Hugs)) to you and may your precious Little White R.I.P.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: GypsyDancer52,

Very sorry for your loss. Hugs and prayers
Carolyn

Charcoal's Mom--I'm so sorry about Little White. I know exactly what you're going through. In October, my cat Lynx started limping around the house. I thought it was because he and Dulcey, the other boy, had had a fight. He didn't get any better. I took him to the vet. They gave him all kinds of meds, and did tests. He wasn't eating, and he was hiding. If I had tried to get him out, he would have dug in deeper. The second time I took him to the vet, my favorite doctor saw him. His leg was swollen to twice it's size and he was meowing as if he were in a lot of pain. The dr. took an x-ray of his leg, and said it looked moth-eaten which was usually a sign of cancer. She did more tests and said there were other things she could do. I finally decided that what I was doing was what was best for me, not Lynx. So when she said he was not going to get any better, I thought about it, and pra*yed about it and finally told her to go ahead and put him down. This was the day after Thanksgiving last year. I still miss him very much, and I know you'll miss Little White. You'll always remember her and the good times you had together and the love between you two. My thoughts and pra*yers are with you. You're not alone in this. We're all thinking about you.

Charcoalsmom, Not sure if you remember me or not...but just wanted to tell you how sorry I am for your little furbaby. My heart just breaks for you so much. Thoughts and p r a y e r s from KY to you.

Hugs~

Thank you for your kind words, everyone. I am hanging in there.

(Luvtoflip, of course I remember you!)

How ya doing Charcoal? Just wanted to check in on you.