One of my kitties, one of my very favorites, is very, very sick with renal failure, the vet said. Other than giving him IV fluids, there's no treatment.

It's been quite a rough time these past couple of months. The kitty just hasn't wanted to eat very much and has lost a lot of weight. He's had many good spurts where I think he's recovered only to backslide again. As of a couple of days ago, he was the worst he's been and if he didn't turn the corner, would have to have been put to sleep within a day or so. He's been receiving the IV fluids for three days in a row now and at least seems to be looking at the corner. Now we just have to do the day to day thing.

I guess more than anything I was hoping for everyone to send him (his name is Mitten and he is a Sylvestor-type black and white cat, about 8 or 9 years old) some healing thoughts and energies, ie, pr=ay=ers.

Thank you so much.

Awwww...best thoughts and wishes to Mitten.

yes, this is the part that really hurts. keeping you both in my ts&ps.

You are both in my T & P's. My mom cat's name is Mittens, he's gray and white. Please keep us updated.

"Charcoalsmom," I am so sorry to hear about Mittens and I'm sending the strongest energy I have to both of you. I know how heart-wrenching it can be and will be hoping that he can turn the corner once again.

Feel free to post back whenever you want even if you have no up-dates. Everyone on this board knows what you are going through and, sometimes, it helps just to share it with others who understand.

So sorry you and mitten are going through this.
I too will be sending you and Mitten my healing energies, thoughts and prayers.

Thank you, Idaho. I didn't even know there was a pet board until I read it from Rel, I think, and that you had helped her a lot. A couple of days ago when Mitten was so bad, I was so upset that I almost posted in our real estate boards that he was very sick and that it looked like I was going to have to have him put down. I cannot even begin to describe how I feel on the inside about that. He really is one of my favorites, one of my babies. I could not love a pet any more than I love him.

At least so far today, he has actually eaten something. When he started not eating cat food, I began giving him people salmon and tuna with limited success. I made him a steak, too, which he ate at the time.

Then he got really bad a few days ago. Today, on a whim, after he wouldn't eat the salmon, I tried some Foster Farms lunchmeat and he actually ate that. He's probably eaten close to 4 slices of that stuff today. I am so relieved. Maybe he can get some strength back and get a little bit better. There is no hope for a cure but maybe he can just get better.

Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers. I sincerely appreciate them from the bottom of my heart.

Charcoalsmom, I know exactly what you're going through.
A little over five yrs ago my Patches (my heart) was diagnosed w/renal failure and we had to bring her in to the vet every few days for fluids, they taught me how to do the IV and I took it home and tried, but I couldn't stick the needle in, it broke my heart. The doctor gave me K/D formula from Science Di*et, she ate it for a while, but her appetite would wane. The days I'd have to bring her in were more frequent and this lasted a few months...
She became very weak and started to fall over at times, I'd run to pick her up and put her on a comfy spot and cover her w/a blanket. She barely touched food, all she'd do was drink water and she couldn't hold her urine, at this point I couldn't let her go on like this...I was suffering seeing her like this but most importantly I knew she wasn't living but just existing...I had to make a decision, as hard as it was I knew that I had to let her go. I debated long and hard and called the vet a gazillion times...
He answered all my medical questions and he comfirmed what I knew in my heart, I knew she was trying to tell me something. He reassured me for the gazillionth time that when it was time I'd know. I cried, gave myself a headache, debated, talked about it w/DH, then late one evening, I laid beside her with tears in my eyes and I asked her if she knew how much I loved her, she picked her head up to look at me, I told her I loved her w/all my heart and that she was the most special little cat in the world. I knew she was too weak to fight any harder than she was. I let her go five yrs ago this past April, she was over 19 y.o. Although I had another cat (Fluffy) that had passed away due to the same illness, Patches was special, she was my heart...

I hope Mitten regroups and gets better for a long while, my t&p's are with you both.

"Yves*," So good to hear from you again; I've missed your posts lately and know how very difficult it was to share your experience with Patches with "Charcoalsmom." Thank you for doing so...

"Charcoalsmom," "Yves" has basically said everything all of us who have dealt with this situation can offer; if it is truly renal failure, it is simply a matter of time and you will have to decide when the time has come.

Hearts are breaking for you from all of us who have been where you are and know how very difficult it is. Hopefully, a little more time but there will never be enough time....

Take every moment you can to spend with Mitten and know he cherishes every one of them. And when the time comes that Mitten might be leaving, do what you can do help him stay and, then, let him go if it is inevitable.

He trusted you to take care of him throughout his life; he is still trusting you to do the right thing now. I hope you have a few more special days and times together....

Yve, thank you so much for sharing your heartbreak with me though I am so sad to hear of what you went through. At least you had a lot of time with your Patches and he was able to live a long, happy life. I think part of that is what is so hurtful to me about Mitten-- he is so young.

I asked him the other day, when he was so sick, if he was ready to go or if he still wanted to fight this thing. He "said" he wasn't ready to go.

Realistically, he isn't the same cat now and I don't know if he'll ever be well enough to go back to being the same cat. He's lost so much energy, so much sparkle, so much life, in such a short time. It breaks my heart to see him this way when I'd do anything in the world to help him if there was only something I could do.

I am encouraged tonight again because he ate more of the lunchmeat and got a dose of fluids. This is the first day in quite awhile that he's consistently eaten. My dh (that means dear husband, right?) is encouraged because he was kneading the blanket. I told him that he had done that even the other day when he was so sick. Mitten did a little walking around today, too.

So, at least there is good news for today and I hope there is good news for tomorrow.

I've also been trying to spend as much time with him as possible but often when I sit down to pet him, he'll leave. He doesn't want to cuddle at all and hasn't slept on the bed in quite awhile. When I've brought him to bed with me, he'll usually leave, too. That's ok. He just needs to get better.

Idaho, thank you again for your kind words and thank you to everyone for the healing thoughts and prayers. I really do believe that they are helping.

Charcoalsmom,

I am so sorry to hear about your sweet furbaby. I also will be sending p*rayers & best wishes your way. Times like this are so hard on furbaby parents. I hope he gets better soon.

Charcoalsmom,

I'm sorry your kitty is sick. Hopefully, he is rebounding from this episode. Just a thought...You might want to try stage one baby food in turkey flavor to get him to eat more. My vet recommended it when my cat was sick and wouldn't eat. It's easy on the digestive tract. Thoughts and prayer are with you!

Charcoalsmom, I really hope your kitty turns the corner. Virtual vibes to you and your lovey boy+++++++++++++++++++++++++++.

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Thank you, Daphne. I've tried the baby food numerous times with numerous jars of different flavors. Basically, nothing. On a few jars, he ate a couple of licks but mostly nothing.

He ate a little bit of the turkey lunchmeat again today. He seemed to like the chicken better but I have only turkey left right now.

Thank you.

I'm sending t's & p's your way. I hope Mitten gets completly well real soon. I have 5 cats, and I don't know what I'd do in the same situation. Many t's and p's for Mitten.

Idaho, I was fighting back tears as I typed but thought I should share that. Thanks for your kind words.

Charcoalsmom, You're welcome, just wanted you to know that I went through the same thing that you're going through and I know its frustrating and it hurts even moreso since he is still young. In Patches' case she was an old gal, although she didn't look it or act it...until she became ill. When the time comes you'll know it, but you'll probably need confirmation, like I did because I just didn't want to let her go.
Hopefully your Mitten is at an earlier stage in his illness and you'll have more time w/him.
Keep doing what you're doing and let him know how much you love him.

"Charcoalsmom," My thoughts are so with you tonight; how is Mitten doing today? Wish I could send some magic to fix Mittten's problems but I can't. All I can offer is a heart that knows what your heart is feeling right now.

Thank you for your kind words, Idaho. Mitten had a fair day today, he ate a little and walked around a bit. I just finished trying to feed him some roast beef lunchmeat and he didn't eat it very well. He got his fluids a little over an hour ago. He doesn't seem to be feeling well at the moment and has gone into the cabinet--not his usual place. So, we will see how he is tomorrow. Better, I hope. (He hates getting the fluids and fights tooth and nail.)

And thank you all for your thoughts and prayers. I really do believe they are helping.

"Charcoalsmom," Maybe it is time to think about starting to say good-bye and deciding the best way to do that? Mitten has trusted you with everything in his life so far; such a difficult thing to think about. Thoughts and tears with you as you struggle with such a difficult situation....

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Oh, Idaho, I have been thinking so hard about this, absolutely dreading the time I will have to make the decision, dreading the actual result, dreading seeing and holding my dead Mitten in my arms, feeling that I somehow let him down and wishing with all my heart and soul that he were still with me. I have looked outside numerous times wondering where the best place would be to bury him while hoping that he'll be able to hang on long enough until we move back to the other house so that he can be buried "at home."

He's not ready to go yet. I will never be ready for him to go, that is for sure, but he isn't ready to go yet. He will let me know or I will know, similar to what it was the other day when he was so sick. I knew that day that he had only a day or two left at that time if he didn't snap out of it. I even told my husband at the time that I was beginning to give up hope and my husband was the one who said he (dh) wasn't quite ready to give up on Mitten. I asked him to make sure to tell me when it was the time, if I didn't know it myself. He said he would. (Husband is the vet. He brought Mitten home when Mitten was a lost kitten who had badly injured back legs.)

"Charcoalsmom," You and Mitten know what is best and I truly do believe that everyone involved does know when the time has come. If you don't think the time is yet, then keep on caring for Mitten, encouraging him and know you are doing the right thing for him and for you!

Both of you will be in my heart and I will be so hoping that Mitten can hang on little bit longer with special times for both of you....

Thank you, Idaho.

Mitten had a decent day today, he ate (even a bit of canned cat food tonight), drank, and went to the litter pan on his own. He didn't walk around as much as he did yesterday but he still wandered around a bit.

So, all things considered, nothing but good news today on this end.

Thank you, everyone, for all your healing thoughts and energies. I really do believe they are helping. :-)

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Charcoalsmom,

I am so glad to hear Mitten did better today. Your story is truly breaking my heart and I hate that you, dh and mitten are going through this terribly difficult time. I'm still sending t's & p's your way. Hoping your baby will take a turn around for the better.

Thank you all for your support and kind words.

Just thought I'd give you an update on Mitten: he has been doing well lately, eating canned cat food most of the time again now and receiving fluids every other day.

Today I tried to give him some kidney support herbal formula that I gave him about a month ago but he stopped eating the food the second I dropped the two drops in it so I thnk I will not try that again for awhile. While it is the only thing that I think can perhaps help heal his kidneys, he is so skinny now and I don't want to do anything that might cause him not to eat.

I am touched by the thoughtfulness of all who have helped us so far and I thank you from my heart.

Charcoalsmom,
Sending you positive healing vibes.
And will keep you, your hubby and your Mitten in my thoughts and prayers.