Missy has been home a week now. She mostly sleeps but does get up to see visitors. She gets around a little and has even managed to climb up on the couch under three legpower. Well three and a bit, actually. She is putting some weight on her weak leg now.

She isn't eating much which worries me. But she still seems content and affectionate so on we go. However much time she has, she will be cared for and loved.

Good new, glad to hear that.

What more can any of us hope for, but to, when dying...... be close to one that cares for us deeply.

A act of service you provide and kudos to you for providing it. May you learn as much from kitties eventual demise as I do from witnessing your compassion.

Catmoon, your love and compassion are shining through with this ordeal.
Thanks, it's very inspiring

Kindly,
Laura

It's an ill wind that blows no good.


Missy got a thorough brushing out today and seemed to like it. But she spent most of the day curled up in a ball on the sofa. Her eyes are still bright and lively but she is not eating anywhere near enough to keep her going. I am considering withdrawing water and providing only milk instead.

She is still a very pretty puss. But, geez what am I supposed to do, bring her fresh fish every day or something? I wonder what happened to her appetite. I think the vet said something about this being the normal ending to a cancer story.

She is walking on four feet now, though awkwardly. That is a small miracle by itself. She is off the painkillers and doesn't seem to miss them. She hated the taste and they made her drool. She seemed to know the difference between that pill and the mini-aspirin, took the aspirin quietly and fought the painkiller like crazy. She will take a little butter off the end of my finger but thats about it.

ps I just tried her on a little canned tuna and she ate some!

Greetings Catmoon,

All the best to you and your cat.

It is a blessing for the cat to have someone care for it at this time.

Metta,
Retro.

Today Missy followed me into the kitchen and meowed for food. I put out some more tuna and she ate a decent cat-sized meal. Weeee!

Now where does a Buddhist go to get a deal on a case of tuna? I'm noticing there is something of an ethical conflict in having a hungry carnivore around the place. Oh well, I'll worry about her diet when I have my own diet in order.

I'm so sorry to hear your kitty is ill.

I think you do right when you give her what she wants, you may not have her so much longer to do good things for her, a creature that is suffering and the pleasant stuff like food is alleviating that suffering a bit. Give her all the good she can still enjoy...

...you will get that back, when you are ill, but that should not be your motivation...

Are you aware of meditations that inhale her suffering and exhale it out into cosmos where it dissolves?

You may wish to try that...

PS. About the carnivore needs....the tuna is already dead, and not at your direct request...perhaps also try some cream or plain joghurt. Or fresh eggyolk if the eggs are very fresh and ok.

Where is the cancer?

Hi Catmoon,

I really hope your kitty heals quickly and becomes healthy again. At least she is living with someone like you who loves her so much and takes such good care of her.

Don't worry about giving your cat meat. She's not human. We couldn't expect a lion to go vegan. Meat-eating is often just part of being an animal.

Cats phsycially are not normally able to be vegetarians. They require a certain protein found only in meat type products to thrive.
Dogs and people however do not have this requirement for that specific protein(amino acid).

But now do exist "designer" cat foods that are vegetarian. But they are comparatively very very expensive and may be very hard to find locally. So it may be practically mostly impossible.

But as to cat foods.....I find many of the dry foods contain much of what they call filler. The filler is invariably corn or grain. So less harm is done and still the cat gets its necessary food. But a sick cat may not eat such a dry cat food so I personally would feed it just what it eats. It's personal life continuance probably more important than the food it consumes and the harm that produces. We all cause harm with our diets just by eating.... even human vegans. It is a fact of our and cats existance. Nothing is black or white in this realm it seems.

I totally agree with Ron. When we take on an animal friend like a cat or a dog, we engage in feeding them animal products for their well-being. It is the nature of their diet. We can do our best with harm reduction but if we take the responsibility of a domesticated animal it's our responsibility to meet their health needs.

This is my very humble opinion

That said I won't have an animal friend again after this one, for that reason.

Yes, animals should be kept according to their needs.

We could harm them if we don't.

Thanks for the suggestions! Missy has mammary tumours, quite advanced.

Now that Missy is eating a bit she seems to be gaining strength. Each day she seems to put more weight on the bad leg, and has once again taken to meowing at me when she is hungry or wants a rub. When visitors arrive she still comes to see what's going on and be part of things. So I think her quality of life is pretty good. I would be content to continue like this indefinitely, though it seems unlikely to work out that way.

This is good news

Best,
Laura

Oh dear...

How old is Missy?

Missy is now about eighteen. I don't know here exact age because she came to me when she was three or four years old.

Amazing how attached one becomes in that time.

I wonder.. is catnip an appetite stimulant?

She is an old lady, in a cat's lifespan...

I heard it makes cats happy and a little high, so perhaps it would be a good remedy to any discomfort she may be having.

Luckily she has somebody like you, who takes care of her.



Oh, yes. I loved my cats as if they were my children. I was very sad when they passed, but my second cat passed in my arms. She was still young, came under a car, and died within minutes.

I was inconsolable at first, I admit that.

I am thankful for their presence in my life, they gave me so much love and allowed me to unfold my loving potential.

...and humans -they leave you for smaller reasons than death....is it not so?

Pets become loyal and devoted when you're good to them.

Not so humans. Not all.

I suppose one of the causes of attachment to cats is all the things they don't do.

My cat doesn't nag me about doing the dishes, she doesn't make fun of me on a bad hair day, she doesn't argue about my religion or politics, or criticize my way of doing things. All she really seems to want is dinner and a scratch behind the ears once in a while. Well, maybe twelve times a day.

Yes.



How is she?

How are you?

Anna