Good for you, Alan. Inthe end, even though they become part of our families and lives, they are still pets. I envy pets in that when life becomes unbearable, it's quite acceptable, expected even, to give them the needle. I wish we could have done that for my cancer-ridden great-aunt last year.

I did it for our first dog and it was the hardest thing I've ever had to do. It took five years before we started thinking about another one. I'll do it for him when the time comes, too.

Oy. A connundrum.
We were considering the needle 9 months after we moved to our "home in Napoleonic exile" but then the old cat who was leaking everywhere distasteful and our adopted NEW can because very very sick. Old cat went outsid eone day (voluntarily) and never came back. Problem solved.

We have been lucky with our cats' health. Sammy is 16 and he had me before I had my wife. First time he met her he threw up INSIDE her skirt, and she has known her place ever since and not gotten out of line. I certainly like him more than most children and people I meet. He has a fat little sister named Emily who is like a tiger striped soccer ball, but not as well behaved. Both are sweet natured, and both are champion mousers, over 60 between them, not bad for cats who never go outside (it was that kind of house). We are fortunate. Wish I could help you with yours.

Somebody had to direct you here - might as well be me.

http://catrecipes.com/

Given the age of the cat and your personal taste preferences I would probably recommend the beer can cat although I have not tried it myself - trouble finding very small cats or very large cans of beer. Maybe try substituting keg for can and throw in several felines.

Bon appetit!

Any site that has the PETA seal of unapproval must go into my bookmarks ...

Sorry to hear that, Alan. We had to give the big needle treatment to Lori's cat just after she moved in - hard on me and I'd only been living with the critter for 3 months (the critter being the cat). 9 yr old, kidney failure.

She would have waited a long time to get another, but it was all fairly knew to me so we got 2 kittens after 18 days. That was 4 years ago or so now. They're doing well, although one has a heart murmur - she's on atenolol twice a day for the rest of her life, although it seems to be working, keeping the rhythm normal and shouldn't effect lifespan so we've been told. I'm not a cry-y guy, but when we found out she was in trouble, man, I cried. I don't know if I'd cried like that my whole adult life. It's a part-of-the-family thing. Damn cat.

Hopefully, you can find out some good news related to the leaking, etc.

He looks like the cat will live, only that he has obnoxious habits. Thus endearing him more to me.

You're a good guy Mike Campbell. As for Gordo and Paul, when PETA passes out their purrs and grrs each month, you would get a GRRRR. From me, 50 lashes with a wet slice of textured vegetable protein.

we have been incredibly lucky with our cats and dogs- almost all of them live to a ripe old age.
Currently, my nearly 13 year old black lab has lymphoma, and we are treating him with prednisone - it won't cure it, but it makes him feel better. And here at the Donovan household, we do what we can to keep our felines and canines comfortable for as long as possible. Then, hopefully, they will die in their sleep. If they are in great pain, we take them to our vet, Nikki, and then we cry.

That is good and you are very good but I really have to admit I am not a pet lover. I may even be less of a vet lover. I suspect my DYI approach to health care of lower species is quite 13th century.

You and me both, Alan, although I did cry myself to sleep the night I found out that the first of my two cats had died, and I'd given him away 4 years previous.

I actually consider myself kinder to these two creatures than any others who have pooed, peed and ralphed regularly on my furniture and carpet throughout their adult lives.