RE: How to cope when it's one of your own

Alison Clare Hickman — Tue, 21 Mar 2017 17:39:02 GMT

Am so sorry to hear that you and your lovely mum's furbaby is so very poorly. Hugs.

I agree wholeheartedly with Celine and would also add that the human beings need some tlc too. So if either you or your mum need to talk to someone then perhaps you might want to contact someone like Blue Cross bereavement support? I am thinking your mum, will feel awfully lonely and may try to be brave for fear of upsetting you, so might get some comfort from chatting to people who know what she is going through...

https://www.bluecross.org.uk/pet-bereavement-support

Ali h xxxx

RE: How to cope when it's one of your own

Celine — Tue, 21 Mar 2017 11:38:34 GMT

I'm so sorry to hear about your kitty, and your poor Mama. It's harder when it is your own because you completely overthink the situation. There are probably all sorts of options out there and I bet you'll be running through every one of them in your head.

As you know from seeing the various reactions from clients, there are many different ways to react to this, and I don't think you can ever have one "correct" approach for a given situation. Some owners will choose to euthanase very soon after diagnosis before any further deterioration. Others will want to pursue avenues for treatment or extending quality of life. I don't think we can judge a client's decision, it may not be the one we would make but it's not our decision..... until of course, it is.

I hesitate to offer my opinion because again, it is not my pusskin. But if I was in that situation then I think my priority would be my cat's immediate freedom from pain. I'm sure that's something you are already onto. I personally would then want a few days to process the situation and then probably say goodbye. So you have to ask yourself what you want to achieve from the situation. Obviously, your answer would be, a totally healthy and pain-free kitty who will last at least another 30 years (well, that would be my response anyway.) But.

You could let her go soon. You could speak to good oncologists and talk about a plan for treatment, tailored so that the very worst side effects are not encountered. I know nothing about this field though or her full diagnosis or if this is reasonably possible. You could do something in between. I'm sure you and your mum will both be very vigilant about noticing any deterioration though so I am sure you'll know if it's the right time to say goodbye. Really really sorry. Spoil her today x