# My kitty is sick (kidney failure) and I need advice **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 18, 2018, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-kitty-is-sick-kidney-failure-and-i-need-advice/826337 "2018-12-18T19:42:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2018, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-kitty-is-sick-kidney-failure-and-i-need-advice/826337/41 "2018-12-21T05:20:18Z")
I’m sorry for your loss. I love kitties. I’ve lost several, and it’s like losing a member of your family when they’re gone. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2018, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-kitty-is-sick-kidney-failure-and-i-need-advice/826337/42 "2018-12-21T13:21:31Z")
Oh no! I am so sorry Gracie’s time came. She was beautiful. You were brave and strong for her, and I know you did the right thing. (( **Infovore** )) ---
**Author:** ![vperry1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/ee7513/32.png) [@vperry1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vperry1)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2018, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-kitty-is-sick-kidney-failure-and-i-need-advice/826337/43 "2018-12-21T14:30:49Z")
> [@Infovore](#): > > Should we help her keep fighting? Or is anything we do only likely to prolong the inevitable for a short time, and we should let her go? > > [Here’s our little blue diva in healthier days.](https://imgur.com/a/EQIoCZR) It’s tough. My girlfriend is actually at the vet right now having our cat put down. I just can’t bear to watch that. But putting pets through all the costly tests and treatments gives us hope. Unfortunately, at times, they’re to no avail. Then you have to start deciding again. It’s a hard choice indeed. I hope the best for your kitty and hope that it all works out for the best. ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2018, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-kitty-is-sick-kidney-failure-and-i-need-advice/826337/44 "2018-12-21T16:50:09Z")
> [@vperry1](#): > > It’s tough. My girlfriend is actually at the vet right now having our cat put down. I just can’t bear to watch that. I’m so sorry for your loss. I know everyone’s different in their feelings about that, and I’m sure your kitty knew love to the end with your girlfriend there with him/her. Me, I can’t _not_ be there. I’ve been present for this with all four of the cats we’ve lost over the years, and so has the spouse. Two of them I held in my arms, one he held, and one we both just hugged on the table. In all four cases it’s been absolutely peaceful. Our other cats aren’t acting any different, other than being a slight bit extra-clingy. It seems weird to me that they wouldn’t seem to notice her missing (especially her sister), but I don’t see a change. We brought each of them in to see her yesterday before we left for the vet–maybe something instinctual told them she was sick, so they knew. I dunno. ---
**Author:** ![Enola\_Gay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/3ab097/32.png) [@Enola\_Gay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Gay)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2018, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-kitty-is-sick-kidney-failure-and-i-need-advice/826337/45 "2018-12-21T19:50:00Z")
> [@Infovore](#): > > I’m so sorry for your loss. I know everyone’s different in their feelings about that, and I’m sure your kitty knew love to the end with your girlfriend there with him/her. > > Me, I can’t _not_ be there. I’ve been present for this with all four of the cats we’ve lost over the years, and so has the spouse. Two of them I held in my arms, one he held, and one we both just hugged on the table. In all four cases it’s been absolutely peaceful. > > Our other cats aren’t acting any different, other than being a slight bit extra-clingy. It seems weird to me that they wouldn’t seem to notice her missing (especially her sister), but I don’t see a change. We brought each of them in to see her yesterday before we left for the vet–maybe something instinctual told them she was sick, so they knew. I dunno. I’m the exact same as you–I can’t not be there. I’ve been there for every pet we’ve ever put down, which is a lot, but my husband can’t take it. For me, I get reassurance that they didn’t suffer & weren’t alone at the end, but everyone is different. I also had 4 other cats when our girl in Kidney failure died & none of them seemed to notice. However, our dog DID notice (she was the one who always cuddled with the dog) & he kept looking for her on the dining room chair, where she often slept. After she died, our vet sent us a little plaque with an impression of her pawprint in it. It’s the perfect size for Christmas tree ornament, so it’s up on the tree now. I’m going to get one of those for every pet from now on. Condolences to you Infovore & thank you for giving your cats a loving home. ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2018, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-kitty-is-sick-kidney-failure-and-i-need-advice/826337/46 "2018-12-21T23:18:18Z")
You made the right choice. And you did everything you could do. Keep a warm spot in your heart for her. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2018, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-kitty-is-sick-kidney-failure-and-i-need-advice/826337/47 "2018-12-22T04:17:53Z")
The vets in the practice I use don’t make house calls, and I honestly wouldn’t have wanted to do that anyway. That’s just me; after mine was examined and determined to be in kidney and liver failure, and weighing only 5 1/2 pounds, we went to a room that was decorated like a friendly back porch and did the necessary deed. It was over in a few seconds; I was offered a plaster paw print but declined, and also wanted to leave right away. About a week later, I got a call that his ashes were at the office, so I picked them up. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2018, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-kitty-is-sick-kidney-failure-and-i-need-advice/826337/48 "2018-12-22T05:54:46Z")
> [@Infovore](#): > > Our cats are our family, and we treat them as such. > > Thanks to everyone else for all the advice. Ultimately, we decided to let her go this morning. She never perked up when we brought her home, and we couldn’t get her to eat more than a couple of licks of baby food. As the day went on, it became clear to us that she was ready to go. We spent the rest of the day holding her, stayed up most of the night (both sitting with her and just unable to sleep) and took her in this morning. We were both with her until the end, and I held her in my arms so the last thing she would know in this life was love. > > Yes, it was expensive to give her the shot at improvement, but we’ve got the money and I don’t regret the decision. We both loved that cat, and we’ll miss her terribly, just like we miss the other three we’ve had to take the same journey with over the years. > > RIP, Miss Boo, Graciela Aria Bella, our little blue dancer diva. 6/25/05 - 12/20/18. ☹ I just saw this post and wanted to offer my condolences. and to say that I second this post: > [@Two\_Many\_Cats](#): > > You made the right choice. And you did everything you could do. > > Keep a warm spot in your heart for her. You’re good people, **Infovore**. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-kitty-is-sick-kidney-failure-and-i-need-advice/826337.md?page=2)