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seventheTW for pet illness, which is how I am letting you all know that the famous and majestic Porter K. Poof is on his way out, my friends.
Porter has made it to a very lucky 15 years old, but we are at the point where things are starting to fail. It's likely he has six months left.
I noticed some behavior changes but didn't really put it together until I tried to give him treats and he did not take them. This is a cat who is so feral for food that we taught him 6 tricks. This is a cat who will steal your spaghetti. I had never seen this cat pass up treats.
So we went to the vet. He is in early stages of liver and kidney failure. A later visit found a mass, so it is likely to be internal cancer. There are other things going on, and I could spend tons of money and time getting 4 biopsies on different things and getting him surgery, or I could... let the 15-year-old old man go out with a bit of dignity. He has gone from a robust 18lb to a boney 13lb, from rich fluffy coat to a bit of a scraggly boy.
Meanwhile, antibiotics and medication has him eating somewhat again. Frankly, Friskies canned Pate has saved his life. We tried all kinds of fancy cat foods and purees and mousse and it turns out this asshole just wants to eat the cat version of fucking McDonalds. He does better with frequent fresh small servings, so I make sure to offer him a variety of things every couple hours.
He is still not eating enough, but he is eating, and his mood and behaviors have returned as well. Some days he's out of it, but some days he still comes to scream at me at my work desk. He cuddles. He demands. It's obvious that he is going, but there's enough of him still there for now.
He starts a steroid this week for palliative care as the antibiotics wind down. Man, part of what convinced us that he was still in there and kicking is how much he fucking hates the medications. We have to wrap him in a towel like a burrito and scruff him. It is a two person job and I wear gardening gloves to protect my hands. He does not like the drugs, and it fucking sucks having to put him through it, but it is good to see he still has enough life in him to protest. Violently. And loudly.
They also had to shave part of his belly for an ultrasound and my god he looks so stupid. His belly has so much floof and there's just a part MISSING like there's a hole in the cat hello did you see this. I am allowed to laugh, that ultrasound cost me $400.
If you remember my previous two posts (previous, lol, try three fucking months ago) you are probably aware that things have not been great for me and not just the cost of care but knowing that I am facing this loss is not helping. I am reminding myself that losing his brother Marzy was a shock and Rydia was gone in a week, so having months to spoil him is not the worst thing. I am focusing on shoving as much food into the cat as I can and making sure he knows just how loved he is.
The other cats know. They are picking up on his changes and my mood. They are also loving that I'm basically doing the cat equivalent of leaving McDonalds fries all over the fucking house. Once Porter is done every cat is going on a goddamned diet. Potato looks like a beach ball.
Unless he responds well to the steroid he is unlikely to see the end of this year. I love him so very, very much.
There will be plenty of pictures. We are going to celebrate the fuck out of this old man. He's had a hell of a life, and he's still kicking.
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Date: 2024-08-05 08:25 pm (UTC)i'm sorry to hear he's not doing well but i'm glad he's got such good ppl taking care of him here at the end <3
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Date: 2024-08-06 04:18 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2024-08-08 02:41 pm (UTC)I'm so sorry. Much love to him, you, and all the other kitties as you face this time. I'm glad he seems comfortable and happy, that makes kitty hospice so much easier.
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Date: 2024-08-11 02:29 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2024-08-13 07:58 pm (UTC)