i might be taking in my parents 17 year old

Tink · 23-02-2008, 06:39 AM

when i was 11 years old, we found a litter of 2 day old kittens in our yard..the mother was killing them one at a time (she was a very young stray) so we took the litter in..there was six left alive. we bottle fed them, raised them, and kept two and rehomed four of the other babies.
cut to 17 years later..
the male we kept (tigger) is going downhill with an infection that may have already spread to his brain..the female (cuddles) is VERY close to him. also, in recent months my mother's allergy to cats has gotten so bad that they have had to be seperated from the household and she feels tremendous guilt. she has also suffered numerous medical problems and has just not have had enough energy to try to spend time with them and deal with the allergy. my father is in his seventies and pets them a bit but they don't get a lot of attention like before.
there is a big possibility tigger will be put to sleep soon (like tomorrow)..he is having a crucial appointment in the morning and my parents fear is to leave the 17 year old female alone in a room seperated from everyone and she will die of loneliness or a broken heart. her health is still good but she is so extremely attached to her littermate and extremely affectionate when anyone enters the room (she will cuddle you forever if she could).
i have decided to step in and take in this little girl if or when tigger passes. i have a household of monsters that are yound and playful and she is a very mellow cat so i will probably put her in an extra room we have for her litterbox, food, and bed. but i am on disability and home 95% of the time and can spend one on one time with her alone in other rooms of the house (like when i'm on the computer or just want to lay down and read a book for a few hours..or even watch tv).
all this little girl wants is affection. i love all my babies but because they are very young right now a lot of time they are doing their own thing..as in exploring the house, finding new things to get into, etc. and there are so many times i've wished i had a mellow older baby to just sit or lay with me and cuddle.
i think i could make the rest of her life better and she could thrive with me. with so many personalities in this house, i've become a master at juggling seperating some from others while spending time with everyone seperately in the way they prefer...there are so many hours of the day she could just lay with me and be with me. even since she was young, she was always this type of cat.
my mom said after i offered this she would even offer to help out with any financial costs for her food, litter, etc. and probably make the four hour drive up here and drop off a forty pound bag of food to start with and everything. she just doesn't want to put a healthy elderly cat down or let her die of loneliness alone in a room in their house.
if and when tigger passes (which is probably soon no matter what), they will travel up here and drop her off with all her things so i could pay loads of attention to her during the grieving phase.
i know she is 17 years old, but i feel a responsibility to this baby i nursed when i was a young girl to let the rest of her life be the best it could be.
will keep you posted what's going on...i have so much love to give and want to make this beautiful older girl happy and help her have the will to live and thrive.

alexgirl73 · 23-02-2008, 10:30 AM

I'm sorry to hear of this Tink, but I'm sure if Cuddles comes to live with you she will be very happy.

Grete · 23-02-2008, 11:19 AM

Awww it sounds like you are just the right person to give Cuddles the affection she needs

*hugs*

Elaine · 23-02-2008, 11:23 AM

Tink, I dont mean to appear rude or sound like a party pooper but given Kuan Yins recent aggressive attack, do you think this is a good idea to bring the poor elderly kitty home with you?
I also feel that, since animals live in the here and now, as long as the old kitty receives plenty of love and attention where she is that she will come to terms with the loss of her litter mate sooner than you might think.
Winston was 18 and a half when we lost his oldest companion, my vet recomended that we get a kitten to replace some of the lonleyness for him, they said it would bring out the kitten in Winston. So we got Eva. In hind sight, I would never do that to an old cat ever again. Winston was good to her but she was too tiring and annoying for him. It really wasnt fair tbh.
Sorry to be so negative and should you go ahead and take her in, I wish you all the very best and hope it all turns out well.

Tink · 24-02-2008, 04:32 AM

guess what?!!!
tigger's swelling is not an infection like they originally thought..it is a non malignant frontal lobe tumor..it cannot be removed by surgery without killing him but he is comfortable, happy, and may even live a year longer..SOOOOOOOOOOO...
I'M TAKING BOTH OF THEM!!!!!
tigger's face will continue to grow more deformed..as the tumor progresses he may have a slight headache and may occasionally need it drained, some cortisone, and low does painkillers. one day it will eventually burst and the vet says that there will be no pain and death will be instant. but he is perfectly happy now and she sees no reason to put him down (he was loving the vet, the techs, even people in the lobby).
it may sound like bad news but i just want to make him so happy with the time we have left. my parents are making the drive next saturday...my boyfriend and i are setting up a safe place for them to lounge and we are even going to build an outdoor enclosure so they can bask in the sun on pretty days...
i'm so excited!

Tink · 24-02-2008, 04:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Elaine

Tink, I dont mean to appear rude or sound like a party pooper but given Kuan Yins recent aggressive attack, do you think this is a good idea to bring the poor elderly kitty home with you?
I also feel that, since animals live in the here and now, as long as the old kitty receives plenty of love and attention where she is that she will come to terms with the loss of her litter mate sooner than you might think.
Winston was 18 and a half when we lost his oldest companion, my vet recomended that we get a kitten to replace some of the lonleyness for him, they said it would bring out the kitten in Winston. So we got Eva. In hind sight, I would never do that to an old cat ever again. Winston was good to her but she was too tiring and annoying for him. It really wasnt fair tbh.
Sorry to be so negative and should you go ahead and take her in, I wish you all the very best and hope it all turns out well.

they are going to be seperated from kuan yin. also, they don't receive any love and attention where they are. my mom can't go near them and my dad goes into the room they are kept in every few days to replace their food or water...sometimes he even forgets to clean the litter box.

Kay · 24-02-2008, 04:32 PM

That is good news about Tigger. I too have my reservations about moving these two oldies but do understand your reasons. I just hope you can manage to keep Kuan Yin away from them as I know all too well how difficult seperating cats can be but I wish you and them all the best.

dandysmom · 24-02-2008, 05:36 PM

Didn't you take Kuan Yin with you when you visited your parents? Did she meet Tigger and Cuddles? It sounds as if you've devoted a lot of thought to this, and I hope all goes very very well for you! Love the outdoor enclosure idea!

Tink · 24-02-2008, 11:40 PM

i think it is a plus that they know me and spent the first seven years of their lives with me. we are building an enclosure that takes up about 1/3 of the living room where they can rest, hide, sleep, go to the bathroom, etc. but it will be screened so that it is see through and they can feel a part of the household again instead of locked in a room with no windows like they are now. the dogs go and play outside for a few hours and kuan yin tends to nap during the day with the ferret..so with the dogs outside and closing the room to the kitten/ferret room..i can let them roam the house. also, if i'm on the computer, watching tv, or laying in bed reading a book, i can simply shut the door so they can sit on my lap and get cuddles..they've had no human contact for awhile now but everytime you enter where they are now they are DYING for attention and affection and will come up and try to snuggle you. also, when it is nice, they can enjoy an outdoor enclosure and lay in the sun..they are both sun worshippers..LOL. i think at this point anything would be stimulating or enrichment for them. and with the zoo i have at home, i've become quite good at juggling all the personalities..LOL.

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