It’s that time in every young, male cat’s life that they would dread, if only they knew it was time to dread it.
Yes, that’s right. Tig got snipped today. He is currently sleeping on the blanket that hangs off my chair. He’s still pretty loopy from the anesthesia. Gracie is hissing at him, because he smells funny. Hey, he does smell funny. I can smell the antiseptic they put on him, and if I can smell it, it must be overpowering her more sensitive nose.
Today was a twofer at the vet. Gracie went in for her annual shots and physical. We got some bad news. Her heart murmur became more pronounced this year. The vet says he has a scale of 1 to 6, and that she’s been a 2 until now, when he’s moving her up to a 3. We’re going to discuss treatment at a later date. I think that if the treatment is very expensive, and won’t really make a difference, I may let Gracie live out her natural life without trying to shove medications in her on a regular basis. Tig’s illness was very expensive, and I’m not sure the treatment did much for him. I don’t think it prolonged anything but my own hopes, although for a while, the fluids did make him feel better. And I won’t have as much disposable income after next month. I’m closing on my new condo the first week in September. My housing costs will be more than doubling.
So we will take a look at things after the first of the year, and see what the vet recommends, and what I think is worth pursuing. She’s eleven years old. She’s had a heart murmur all her life, and I knew it would affect her eventually. I’m all for treatment if it accomplishes something, but when all is said and done, she’s a cat, not a person. She’s already lived far beyond what her life would have been had she been a feral cat, or if her owner had destroyed her instead of dropping her and her littermates off at the Clifton Animal Shelter.
Of course, I may say the exact opposite come January. But we shall see. Right now, she seems perfectly fine and happy. Well, except for the vet smell, Tig, and being annoyed by him regularly. She liked being an only cat again today. That probably will never happen again.
My dad developed a mild heart murmur in later life and still kept going–includin’ a last big fling at age 13. (When AHM tried to register the litter, the AKC wrote back basically sayin’ “Do you know how old this dog is?”!)
Anyway, you’re doin’ the right thing, IMHO. Except for diabetes treatments, we’ve never had much luck prolongin’ lives by shovin’ pills down throats.
Congrats on the condo. Hope the fe-lyings settle in okay.
Poor Tig. We guys always twinge when hearing ’bout “the snip.” Gracie’s life style doesn’t seem the type that would be too affected by a heart murmur.
Harrison, did the AKC let you register the pups?
My friend Sarah’s Dachsund was a daddy at 11. Great pups, too.
Refua shlema to Gracie… and to Tig, too.
I send them both my very best skritches and bellyrubs.
Sometimes expensive medical procedures and meds even cause more suffering than not doing anything. Sides, she may surprise you and live a long life.
May Tig have an uneventful recovery from his snippage.
Prayers, skritches, bellyrubs and love to them both.
Well, it may be a downhill slide for Gracie. She’s lost a little weight, her heart murmur is up, and now the vet says she may be showing signs of cancer. I had him do a blood draw, and her calcium levels are up, he says.
Upshot of it all is: I’m going to let things progress naturally, and see what happens. I’m not too averse to meds for her heart murmur, if it’s only a pill a day. We got her through her digestive problems with steroids.
But if she has cancer… what’s the point?
Meryl
My Orange and Sneakers cats both had cancer. They lived each day getting loves and scritches. A lot of lap naps.
Both let me know when it was time.
Miss Gracie will continue to live her life as any orange cat does. In her own style.
Pamela