Oh, Steph. I'm so sorry. I'm wishing peace for Slinky and your whole family.

So sorry, Steph. this has been a hard run for your furry family.

also, ~ma for anyone in the Hurricane zone.

except, msbelle.

So sorry, Steph. It's never easy to let them go, no matter how right that decision is.

Timelies all!

Take care, those of you in the hurricane zone.

Is FB down for others?

Is FB down for others?

Yes. Also Instagram. Although when I check them on downforeveryoneorjustme. com, the site says they're both up. But I can't get in.

But the apps on my phone work.

Wait. That's a lie. They work but only for a few posts, then they can't load any more posts.

I'm just going to keep posting.

My problem with having Slinky euthanized today is that she's not on death's door. Or my perception is that she doesn't seem to be. And I know it's a fine line -- I would never want her to get to a point where she's suffering in pain, but I don't want to cut her life short needlessly. She still walks around and can get up on the furniture, and eats.

But she's 20, and she's had kidney disease for 2 years (the vet said the average cat with kidney disease lives for 1 year after diagnosis, even with meds and treatment), and she has hyperthyroid disease. She also has a chronic infection in her mouth because she's too old and frail for a dental cleaning/extraction. And Tim said that in the past week, she makes noises that sound like pain when she eats (I haven't heard them, but I believe him).

In the past 4-ish months, 2 different vets have basically told us that it's time to let her go. They didn't tell us "Hey, if you don't do this now, you're being cruel," but they emphasized that she's very old, and has multiple illnesses that are not going to go away, and she doesn't have much time left.

I know this is not an unkind thing. The fact that she can still walk around and eat doesn't balance out the rest of her illnesses/problems. But because she's still able to walk around and eat, I keep viewing that as "proof" that she's still okay.

But she's not. If she were a friend's cat, and the friend described her to me and was wrestling with the decision to euthanize her, I would say that this is not a bad decision. And it's not cutting her life short needlessly, because she's only going to continue to decline. And it's better to not force her to experience that decline.

But it still feels wrong.

I'm so sorry, Teppy.