# My cat may have bladder cancer



## Dman (Oct 2, 2007)

I took in a stray cat a few weeks ago, a couple of days later it started urinating blood. The emergency clinic vet thought it was a UTI so she prescribed him antibiotics, he seemed better once I started treatment. 

A few days later I brought him to my normal vet. Everything seemed fine, he gained a couple pounds in a short period of time. They ran blood tests for all the cat diseases. Everything came back fine.

Last night my cat started urinating blood again, I had a few left over antibiotic pills so I gave him one. I also saved a blood clot that came out of him to show the vet.

At the vets office we discovered the cat had begun losing weight despite eating 2 cans of food a day. This however may be do to diarrhea. But the vet was very concerned about the blood clots I found in the urine and she suspects bladder cancer.

The vet did not do any Xrays to see if there was a tumor, so for now she recommended antibiotics, and steroids for the diarrhea. She said that if it were her cat she would treat the symptoms for now and go from their.

I have been home crying since the visit to the vet, the vet says the cat is probably 13 years old. I can't believe someone would dump a sick cat like this. It is making me sick thinking about having to put the cat down or watching it suffer. I have never had a sick pet in my life.

Right now the cat seems fine he ate, used the litter box and is now sleeping in his bed. My girlfriend and I are very attached to him. Especially me.

If he does have cancer how long does he have left? I am supposed to call the vet on Saturday to update his condition. I am also scheduled to get a booster shot next week. Are there any questions I should ask the vet?


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## Heidi n Q (Nov 22, 2006)

I was in a similar situation as you this past summer.

A rail-thin cat collapsed on my back patio one evening and I took him in. I mean, he was skin and bones. Period. I had seen him occasionally over the winter but he would never let me approach. When I brought him in, he could not sit up or stand/walk very well because he was so weak. He would urinate on his bedding. He would get up to eat and poo in the litterbox. He initially gained some weight, but in follow up vet visits, it was shown he was losing weight and the vet suspected cancer.

I did not do many tests (no x-ray or sonogram) other than extensive and comprehensive blood testing. I felt he just needed to be "fed-up" and he would get better. Well, I ended up having him euthanized when he showed no improvement with weight gain while eating very good food, and a lot of it.
It was very upsetting for me to lose him after only a few weeks...BUT...I feel he came to me to help him on his way and show him kindness and love before he left us.

IF you lose this kitty, rest assured that you did the right thing for him when he needed the help.
Wishing you and this kitty the best,
Heidi


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## Nini (May 6, 2007)

I am so sorry about your poor kitty being sick  

The only piece of advice I would have is do NOT give him a booster shot - he is sick, his immune system is already under strain, and vaccinating him now could make him a lot sicker... only healthy animals can handle the pressure put by the vaccine on their system. If he is an indoor cat he won't need this shot anyway.

Personally, I would ask for further tests to make sure it really is cancer... steroids are pretty brutal medicines, and I would look into every other possibility before shooting in the dark with it. Do you know any other good vet that you trust, and from whom you could get a second opinion?

Concerning the URI, what type of food does your cat eat? Does he eat any dry at all? I am asking because dry food is really bad for cats with URIs, and feeding him canned food only, adding a little water to it, would help dilute the urine and help clear any infection in the urinary tract. If you google URI you will find plenty of very useful advice - even lately on this part of the forum we had a good number of members deal with the same problems.

I hope this helps somewhat... 

EDIT: mea culpa, just noticed you said two CANS of food per day... nevermind the dry food question.


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## Dman (Oct 2, 2007)

Heidi, thanks for the kind words. I have never had to have a pet euthanized, right now the cat acts normal except for it being deaf. It saddens me to think about him becoming so sick that he needs to be put down. 

Nini, I will probably skip the booster. Especially since he became sick after the first round of shots.

I didn't know that steroids were that bad, the vet thinks he might have an inflamed digestive tract? 

I am only doing this because she said if he were her cat she would do the same. 

I will probably end up getting additional tests if things don't improve.


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## Nini (May 6, 2007)

Found this for you, maybe it can help you observe what signs your cat shows or does not show:
http://www.petplace.com/cats/urinary-bl ... page1.aspx


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## Leazie (Apr 14, 2007)

How kind of you to care for this stray cat. I am sorry that she is ill. What ever time she has left you are doing her a truly wonderful service by showing her so much love and attention.


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## Dman (Oct 2, 2007)

Thanks Leazie, but the cat is a boy, the vet is a woman  . The cats name is Pierre. He is a nice cat, he even likes going to the vet. 

Nini, the only symptoms he has now are the blood clots and weight loss. He lost about a pound in a couple weeks, but he still acts hungry.

He only had trouble peeing yesterday afternoon, I don't know if the antibiotics helped or if the bleeding is intermitent.


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

It's so wonderful that you took Pierre in like you did. If he is not meant to be with you for long, he'll have love and comfort in his time of need. Bless your heart.


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## Leazie (Apr 14, 2007)

Dman said:


> Thanks Leazie, but the cat is a boy, the vet is a woman  . The cats name is Pierre. He is a nice cat, he even likes going to the vet.
> 
> 
> > Sorry about that...some days I am more blonde than others  .


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## Megan1216 (Nov 28, 2004)

Maybe I'm wrong, but how can a Vet "suspect" Bladder Cancer without tests? He could be totally wrong, or he could be right, and maybe something can be done. My Dr. Jean'll see this thread.

I am so sorry this is happening. *Hugs* But you have a very good heart in taking him in.


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## Dman (Oct 2, 2007)

The vet suspects cancer because of the blood clot I brought in. She thinks the clots could be caused by bladder cancer or bleeding disease from poisoning.


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## Megan1216 (Nov 28, 2004)

Ok, but still, if it were me, I'd have my cat tested. Just to be sure.


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## doodlebug (May 13, 2006)

Aww, you must have a great big heart to take this kitty in. 

Your comment about the emergency vet 'thought it was a UTI' doesn't sound very definitive. Has his urine actually been tested? I'm asking because I did a little research and clots may also be a symptom of crystals in the urine. He has a lot of things going on here with the clots, the weight loss and the diarrhea, but I wouldn't assume it's all interrelated when you don't have any history on the cat. I hope that the vet can figure this out quickly and it's not cancer and you get to spend many years together. 

Welcome to the forum, wish it was under better circumstances for you....


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## Mom of 4 (Jul 29, 2006)

I agree about the blood clots not always being a sign of bladder cancer.
An inflamed bladder (cystitis) may also have clots.

As for the weight - thyroid panel and a blood sugar (to look for diabetes) would be high on my list. Even borderline diabetes can cause weight loss and the high blood sugars make it difficult to get rid of infections.

Thank you for caring for Pierre. Here's to a long and healthy life for him.


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## Dman (Oct 2, 2007)

Hey guys, I had the cats urine tested at the emergency vet, they said no crystals were present, or bacteria. I think I had thyroid tested at the vet, and I am sure he tested negative for diabetes. 

I think my vet said she felt a lump on the thyroid, but that it was common in older cats.

I am most likely going to get the tests done. The vet said everything would be about $200, I already spend $450 on him so a couple hundred more isn't much :lol: 

I fed Pierre 3 cans of food yesterday, and he already had two cans today. I just gave him some catnip and now he is cleaning himself on his bed. 

The vet said Pierre was anemic, can I feed him cooked liver?


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## Nini (May 6, 2007)

Dman said:


> The vet said Pierre was anemic, can I feed him cooked liver?


I am so glad that you are taking such good care of Pierre... he is lucky to have you!

You can feed him raw liver in small chunks, or pureed, if he will eat it. You could mix it into his canned food. If he does not like it raw, then yes, cooked is next best  

I really hope that vet made a wild guess and was completely wrong, and that Pierre will turn out to have something treatable instead *fingers and paws crossed*


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## Dman (Oct 2, 2007)

I hope she is wrong too, she tends to give the worst case scenario. But there is still a chance she is right. Either way I would like a definitive answer.


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## Nini (May 6, 2007)

Dman said:


> Either way I would like a definitive answer.


I know... especially with such a scary diagnosis... well I really hope the tests can bring more information, and help make a firm diagnosis of what is wrong with your kitty.
If he really is anemic, you can also use kitty vitamin drops, like Pet Tinic. It would help replenish his iron levels, and it's easy to administer.

Hope he feels better soon... any blood in his urine since he's been home?


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## Megan1216 (Nov 28, 2004)

Glad you're getting the tests. I hope that it's something else treatable, and not cancer. *Fingers Crossed*

How has Pierre been doing? If he's eating, that is a good sign.  Now, could it be something like a Kidney stone, or are Kidney Crystals the same as stones?


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## Dman (Oct 2, 2007)

Pierre is doing well, he hasn't had blood in his Urine since Monday. Besides the blood in the urine and the weight loss he didn't act sick at all.


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## Megan1216 (Nov 28, 2004)

That sounds like good news to me!


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## CataholicsAnonymous (Dec 4, 2006)

Concerning the lump on the thyroid --- hyperthyroidism in older cats is usually caused by a benign tumor on the thyroid gland. 

Also, when my Maggie had cystitis and bladder inflammation, she passed clots almost daily until it was cleared up.


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## Dman (Oct 2, 2007)

Pierre is doing well, but it looks like his diarrhea is getting worse. It might be from the antibiotics. He has also been going outside the box is this a sign of anything besides him not wanting to mess up his litter box?

I read that people like Nutro food on the forum so I bought him some Natural Choice. He really liked it. It sure smells better then the 9 lives I have been feeding him. His appetite is really good, maybe it is from the steroid shot. 

I am going to setup another appointment with the vet tomorrow or Saturday.

I want to thank everyone on the forum for their time and concern, I am a chronic worrier and this place helps a lot.


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## Nini (May 6, 2007)

Dman said:


> He has I am a chronic worrier and this place helps a lot.


I think everyone here can relate to that  

I am glad to hear Pierre is doing a little better... glad he likes the new food too! One thing you can try for his diarrhea is to add a little bit of plain canned pumpkin to his canned food. It adds bulk to the stool and most kitties don't seem to object to the taste too much.


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## doodlebug (May 13, 2006)

Since he's on an antibiotic I would recommend give him some acidophilus to help keep the population of the good bacteria in his digestive tract at the right level. Some digestive enzymes wouldn't hurt either. You can mix both in canned food, a whole capsule of the acidophilus and an 1/8 tsp of enzymes per meal. You can get both in any health food store.

Nutro is much better than 9 Lives. Did you slowly transition him over, the food change could be affecting digestion too. Also, fish flavors could cause diarrhea. 

And Nini's pumpkin suggestion may help as well. Get regular canned pumpkin (in the baking area of the grocery store), make sure there's no spices in it though.


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## Megan1216 (Nov 28, 2004)

Dman said:


> Pierre is doing well, but it looks like his diarrhea is getting worse. It might be from the antibiotics. He has also been going outside the box is this a sign of anything besides him not wanting to mess up his litter box?
> 
> I read that people like Nutro food on the forum so I bought him some Natural Choice. He really liked it. It sure smells better then the 9 lives I have been feeding him. His appetite is really good, maybe it is from the steroid shot.
> 
> ...


 Nutro is *much* better than 9 Lives. Good you switched! 

Lisa's right. If you didn't slowly transition him over, the food change can be affecting him.


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## Dman (Oct 2, 2007)

I have been bad about feeding him. Last night I fed him a can of tuna, then I read that it is not good for cats, and today I switched foods even though a friend at work told me it wasn't good to switch quickly.

I was scared that the 9 lives might not have been nutritious enough. The can of 9 lives said feed 1 ounce per weight of the cat, while the Nutro says one can per 7-9 lbs.

One more thing, can I feed the cat a little yogurt or cottage cheese with live cultures for the acidophilus?


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## doodlebug (May 13, 2006)

About 6 oz. of good wet food per day should be fine for an adult cat. The crummy ones like 9 Lives require you to feed more for the same nutritional value because they use lousy protein sources like by-products, corn & soy. 

I wouldn't use yogurt as an acidophilus source, it's dairy and many cats are lactose intolerant. Never heard of cottage cheese having acidophilus. The capsules work fine, no taste from what I can tell.

Yes, stay away from tuna. As I mentioned, fish itself can be the source of diarrhea. And plain human tuna is not nutritionally complete. A little bit as a treat every now and then (once a week or every two weeks) is fine, but not a steady diet of it. Even if it's cat food tuna.


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## Megan1216 (Nov 28, 2004)

I take Acidophilus and I was giving it to my German Shepherd because he needed it. I bought it from The Vitamin Shoppe. It's Acidophilus with Bifidus. 100 Wafers for $4.99, and it cured Zeus's "tummy upset". You can crumble it and sprinkle it on the food. It has a Strawberry flavor, and I like it.


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## doodlebug (May 13, 2006)

Flavored wafers should not be given to a cat Megan (or a dog)...regular capsules should be given to pets.


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## Megan1216 (Nov 28, 2004)

Lisa, I didn't know that! I was told it was ok.

Well, I did a search for you, and I found on specially for cats:
http://www.vitaminshoppe.com/store/en/b ... id=NN-3002

Dman, please forget my post about the flavored wafers. I suggest the link above because it's specially for cats!


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## Dman (Oct 2, 2007)

I set up an appointment with the Vet on Monday to do another Urine analysis. 

She was concerned that the diarrhea hasn't cleared up after the steroid shot. If the cat has diarrhea again today I will give him flagyl.

Pierre won't touch the Nutro food today. He loved it yesterday, but maybe it upset his stomach.


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## Megan1216 (Nov 28, 2004)

It could be because he has an upset stomach. If you didn't do a transition period, that could have really messed him up. *Fingers Crossed* Please keep us updated, and let us know what happens Monday. I'll be Praying for Pierre!


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## Janice (Jan 12, 2007)

Just caught up to this post. Dman, you an awesome for taking in Pierre and helping him like this... just awesome!! I pray that Pierre pulls through all of this for you. We are all thinking about him and you ... take care and give Pierre hugs and kisses from us all!!! (((HUGS))) to you!!


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## Dman (Oct 2, 2007)

Pierre had his first solid bowel movement today, and I didn't even use the flagyl. 

Now he wants to go outside, he sits and cries at the door. I tried walking with him around the backyard but he runs off into the neighbors yard. Pierre is totally deaf so I can't let him be an outdoor cat. I forget he is deaf most of the time, I still sit and talk to him.


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## Megan1216 (Nov 28, 2004)

> Pierre had his first solid bowel movement today, and I didn't even use the flagyl.


 This is great news!  I still have this feeling that the Vet was wrong, that it's NOT cancer. But, Monday will reveal it I guess! But, good news!  

On being outside, you don't want an outdoor kitty even if he wasn't deaf. Too many risks of illnesses and injuries.


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## Dman (Oct 2, 2007)

More diarrhea today :? 

When I brought Pierre to the emergency vet he weighed a little over 7 pounds. Two days later at my normal vet he weighed over 9 pounds, two weeks later he weighed 8lbs 11 ounces. 

Did he really lose any weight? Shouldn't the original weight gain be from water?

It has been 3 weeks and two days since I took Pierre in, how much weight can a cat gain in that time?

I want to take pictures of him and post them on the forum, what is the best and easiest photo hosting site?


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## doodlebug (May 13, 2006)

Bummer on the diarrhea! Have you tried the acidophilus and pumpkin? You could also try some slippery elm and/or digestive enzymes. 

Well, there's just no way he gained 2 lbs in 2 days unless it was all fluid. But even that just doesn't seem right when it represents like 25% of his body weight. I suspect somebody's scale was really off. Maybe you should weigh him at home. If you don't have a pet or baby scale, you can weigh yourself, then weigh yourself holding Pierre and subtract. It's not super accurate, but you can see trends, it would certainly show a difference of 1/2 lb. 

We'd love to see pics. You can load them right here on the forum gallery. Here's instructions:

http://www.catforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=42818


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## Megan1216 (Nov 28, 2004)

> More diarrhea today :?


 You need to order that Acidophilus. Zeus went through a bought of that awhile ago, so I got him on Acidophilus, it it cleared it right up. No problem since.


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## Megan1216 (Nov 28, 2004)

Any updates on Pierre? How did things go at the Vet's office? *Fingers Crossed*


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## Dman (Oct 2, 2007)

The doctor that treated Pierre thinks he might just still have a UTI, I guess the urinalysis said he had slightly high white blood cell count. 

They gave him more antibiotics to take and a flagyl for Diarrhea. I guess the Flagyl reduces the problematic bacteria in his gut. 

The vet ordered me to only feed him 9 lives, because he likes the taste and eats a lot of it.b

But if there are more problems he needs to get the bladder tests done. 

Otherwise the vet noticed that Pierre seemed more heatlhy and alert then his first visit.


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

That's great news.


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## Megan1216 (Nov 28, 2004)

Good to hear!  But, why 9 Lives? Can you ask the Vet about something a little more nutritious than 9 Lives?


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## Dman (Oct 2, 2007)

She wanted to eliminate a change in foods as a cause of diarrhea. And she thinks at this point I should stick with a food that he likes.


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## Megan1216 (Nov 28, 2004)

Ok, that makes sense! That very well could be the cause of it. Did you talk to the Vet about the link I gave you for the Acidophilous just for Cats?


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## Dman (Oct 2, 2007)

No I didn't talk about the Acidophilus. The vet told me that when stray cats are taken in they get an overabundance of a certain type of bacteria that causes diarrhea and that the flagyl brings their numbers down.


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## doodlebug (May 13, 2006)

Dman...cats (as well as people) have good and bad bacteria in their digestive tracts. The flagyl is an antibiotic and doesn't discriminate and kills off both. Giving acidophilus as a supplement while on antibiotics can only help keep the population of good bacteria up. And it won't hurt anything at all, so I'd suggest giving it to her. I always give acidophilis whenever I need to give antibiotics.


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## Dman (Oct 2, 2007)

I was at the vet and forgot to ask about the acidophillus. they tested his stool for parasites and it came out negative. 

They gave me some dry food that is high protein, low carb and high fat. They also said it was okay to feed him Kraft Singles, he has had solid stool twice after I fed him the cheese.


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## Dman (Oct 2, 2007)

Pierre had diarrhea again today, I tried looking for acidophilus at the pet store but they didn't have any. I

bought some plain fat free yogurt with six different cultures and used a syringe to shoot 1/2 a teaspoon into his mouth. He didn't seem to mind too much and swallowed it.

Is it okay to do this? I heard that cats shouldn't eat dairy, but I don't think there is that much lactose in yogurt.

If it is okay should I feed him more? 

Thanks!


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## Nini (May 6, 2007)

You can get the acidophilus (also called probiotics) in capsules in any health food store or pharmacy. It would be a lot more gentle on his digestive system than dairy.

I would not feed him exclusively dry. It is more than likely to make the diarrhea worse, not better. Did you try adding canned pumpkin to wet food? That helped adding bulk to the stool when my kittens had persistent diarrhea. 

He has been treated with Flagyl, right? How much longer do you have to give it to him? If he has giardia (which very rarely shows on a fecal exam), it might take some time for him to get rid of it. If after the Flagyl treatment he still has diarrhea, you might want to ask your vet to treat him for coccidia, which is a very common protozoan parasite, very often elusive of fecal exams too. The treatment for it is called Albon.

In the meantime I would pick the healthiest wet food he likes (preferably no fish and low grain or grain-free), and stick to it. Try adding a little canned pumpkin, or psyllium husks (available in health food stores too) to help with the diarrhea, and the probiotics/acidophilus.


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## doodlebug (May 13, 2006)

I would stay away from the yogurt, giving capsules would be more effective.


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## Dman (Oct 2, 2007)

Today was Pierre's last day taking Orbax, hopefully the diarrhea will go away. He has been on it for 2 weeks. 

I am just scared that he will start urinating blood again. The vet said that a tumor could have caused the infection. If symptoms appear again I will get xrays.


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## Megan1216 (Nov 28, 2004)

Did he do an Ultrasound or anything to see if there were Tumors?

You _really_ should get the Acidophilous. The link I gave you specially for cats is a good price. Capsules are good, too, like Lisa said. It's just a good idea to start him on it.


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## Dman (Oct 2, 2007)

no tests were done to see tumors yet, I didn't get acidophilus either. But the vet said it was okay to give him plain yogurt twice a day. 

Wouldn't the cultures in yogurt be better since they are already alive?


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## Nini (May 6, 2007)

Dman said:


> Wouldn't the cultures in yogurt be better since they are already alive?


No, because there are a bazillion more in a single capsule than in several pounds of yogurt... and the capsules are formulated to be resist digestion til they reach where they are needed in the digestive tract.

In addition, most cats cannot digest milk or dairy well at all, especially older cats, so yogurt is most definitely not a good idea if your cat already has diarrhea. Most vets are not completely up to par on nutrition, so I would recommend you do your own research on cat nutrition online, and judge from the facts you can read about with your own eyes... there are tons of excellent sources of info around if you google holistic cat, or holistic pet care - I am sure it will help you a lot, to make your own informed decisions about Pierre.


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## Megan1216 (Nov 28, 2004)

A lot of cats are Lactose Intolerant (allergic to dairy), and, like Nini said, wouldn't help if Pierre is already having a problem. You really need to get Acidophilous for him, whether it's the stuff Lisa (doodlebug) suggested, or the stuff in the link I gave you. Like I said, it helped my dog when he was having a diahreah problem. :wink:


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## doodlebug (May 13, 2006)

You can get refrigerated capsules with live acidophilis.


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## Dman (Oct 2, 2007)

Hey guys, Pierre is doing great. His diarrhea went away a couple days after he went off of the antibiotics, and I haven't seen any bloody urine. Hopefully everything will be okay now.

He won't eat the Nutro, or Natural life foods. He likes Friskies and 9lives. He seems to like the food that looks like sliced meat instead of patte. Any suggestions?


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## Nini (May 6, 2007)

That's excellent news  Maybe the antibiotics were enough to upset his tummy and cause the diarrhea...

There is a thread about "chunky" healthy foods that might be of use to you if he does not like the pate texture: http://www.catforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=44852

I hope he keeps doing well! Please keep us posted!


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## Dman (Oct 2, 2007)

*RIP Pierre*

On Saturday Pierre was on my lap purring and I noticed that he was breathing through his mouth, and was taking quick breaths. My Girlfriend and I were concerned and called the emergency clinic. We thought maybe had a cold because he was still eating, drinking and acting normally.

When we arrived at the vet they immediately gave him oxygen, suddenly I realized that something was seriously wrong. The vet asked if they could Xray him and of course we agreed. Later the vet brought us into another room and showed us an Xray of a normal, cat and then showed us Pierre's. His lungs were filling with liquid, and only the section toward his back was functioning. He also had a large tumor in the kidney area, and the vet suspected another tumor near the heart and lung. The vet drained some of the fluid and believed his lymphatic system was being interrupted by the tumors.

Since Pierre was already under some anestesia from the Xrays, and the other options only prolonged the inevitable for a matter of days we thought the only unselfish thing to do was say goodbye to Pierre.

I have never had to have a pet euthanized, both my girlfriend and I were devastated. We only had Pierre for a year, we were hoping to have him longer. The vet told us she thought he was 13 years old, but to me he looked much older than my childhood cat that is 18. 

Pierre was always thin, had missing teeth, and was deaf but to us he was perfect. I guess our love for him blinded us to the fact that he wouldn't be around forever. 

My girlfriend and I are eager to adopt an new cat(s), our house seems so empty now and I enjoy caring for cats. Pierre needed a lot of attention, his litterbox needed to be cleaned constantly or he wouldn't use it, he would only eat certain foods and demanded hours of petting daily. I look forward to coming home to be greated by a new friend or friends, while still mourning the loss of Pierre.


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## Heidi n Q (Nov 22, 2006)

Please accept my condolences for the loss of Pierre. He was a lucky kitty to have found you and your gf.
As much as it hurts to lose our pets, I do think it is good to get other pets to fill the void. I do not think it is disrespectful to the lost pet at all. In fact, I think it honors them. It allows the love you felt for your lost pet to live on in the love of other pets.
Best of luck to you and your gf. It won't be long before you'll remember Pierre with laughter and smiles instead of tears and heartache.
Heidi


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## Dman (Oct 2, 2007)

Thank you, we have already been talking about the good times and looking at pictures of Pierre. We almost feel like we were too attached to him, it was amazing how much time we spent with him and talking about him, and we still feel guilty that we put him down even though we know that he would not have suffered if we didn't.


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## LilRed (Jul 16, 2008)

So so sorry about Pierre. I am glad though, that he got to spend his last year with you two. Sounds like you were wonderful to him.


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## OctoberinMaine (Sep 12, 2006)

I'm just reading this thread for the first time, and was so sorry to read the sad ending to it. I'm so sorry about Pierre. I lost a cat in February, so I do understand how painful it is. We had her for 1.5 years, similar to your 1 year with Pierre. We may not have had our kitties for decades like some people do, but I know we both loved them to no end.

About getting another cat . . . When we unexpectedly had to have Rookie put to sleep (she had epilepsy), my exact words to my boyfriend were, "Over my dead body am I getting another one." I couldn't imagine opening myself up to the pain of losing another one, knowing how devastating it was to lose Rookie. Within days I was slowly changing my mind (as you said, the house seems incredibly empty). Within 3 weeks we adopted Murphy, and he has been an absolute joy. He's very different from Rookie and he doesn't take her place, but it is very heart-warming to have another kitty around. I do recommend it! It doesn't end the grieving, but it does help.


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