[dougt.ah3]

Here is my crew ... difficult to get them all at one time.

[DETRoadster]

Originally Posted by dougt.ah3

Here is my crew ... difficult to get them all at one time.

I'm going to go out on a limb and guess the cat is the boss.

[dougt.ah3]

Originally Posted by DETRoadster

I'm going to go out on a limb and guess the cat is the boss.

She certainly is. Found her outside when she was a kitten. I am not a cat person but had to give her a home.

[Esteban]

Originally Posted by dougt.ah3

She certainly is. Found her outside when she was a kitten. I am not a cat person but had to give her a home.

Same at my house and we don't have any other pets. Yes, they definitely boss people too.

[MasAyinde]

This guy is currently on a plane in from the Bahamas. Picking him up in just over 2 hours.

[DETRoadster]

Epic face-off.

[Esteban]

Originally Posted by DETRoadster

Epic face-off.

Lucky for your dog the fence keeps the beast out.

Of course the beastie could hop that fence if he wanted to.

[DETRoadster]

Originally Posted by Esteban

Lucky for your dog the fence keeps the beast out.

Of course the beastie could hop that fence if he wanted to.

Oh yeah, that's a street-smart ferrule cat that has been roaming the neighborhood for a couple years. It's a certified feline bad-ass that taunts the neighborhood coyotes for fun and would have shredded our dog to bits if that fence wasn't there.

[No one]

Originally Posted by DETRoadster

Oh yeah, that's a street-smart ferrule cat that has been roaming the neighborhood for a couple years. It's a certified feline bad-ass that taunts the neighborhood coyotes for fun and would have shredded our dog to bits if that fence wasn't there.

It does not look feral. It seems to be in a perfect condition. At least it should be living a comfortable life: coyotes must be easy to prey, plentiful and tasty.

[SenorFunkyPants]

Heads of Evil Corp at a board meeting.

[Hawkeye]

Originally Posted by MasAyinde

This guy is currently on a plane in from the Bahamas. Picking him up in just over 2 hours.

What is the story behind the Bahamas? A breeder? A cute stray during a visit?

[MasAyinde]

Originally Posted by Hawkeye

What is the story behind the Bahamas? A breeder? A cute stray during a visit?

Visited Bahamas in May and fell in love with the strays down there. Found an adoption agency that takes litters of puppies from strays and finds homes in US and Canada. Potcake Puppy Palace if anyone is curious

[MasAyinde]

And he's home!

[soldes]

My main guy Red

[CDN-Driver]

Originally Posted by MasAyinde

And he's home!

Awesome, a rescue dog knows when they have hit the jackpot.

[DETRoadster]

Hey Pet lovers, can we have a serious convo here? I'm talking about that thing we never want to think about; saying good-bye.

Bella has been my sidekick and partner in crime for 16 amazing years. She has degenerative disc disease, Cushing's disease, cataracts, is losing her hearing, and spent 5 days in the ER vet recently with her 2nd round of pneumonia in 6 months. On the positive side she doesnt seem to be in pain, she flat out runs down the hall for meal time, enjoys chasing (slowly) the random squirrel, can still dig a massive hole in the sand at the beach, loves car rides, belly rubs, and chasing sticks. She generally still seems to be enjoying life at an admittedly slower pace.

I just shot off a $7,000 credit card payment for her last ER stay, knowing she's got a CT scan scheduled for Monday to try to get to the bottom of the reoccurring pneumonia. Another $2,500. I'm not infinitely wealthy but at the same time cant see myself deciding her time is up just because it's expensive. I always told myself the deciding factor was going to be her quality of life, not mine. So if she's pain free and still enjoying the things she's always enjoyed well then I'll do my part and keep her going.

How do you all approach balancing end of life decisions like this?

[Sara]

Originally Posted by DETRoadster

Hey Pet lovers, can we have a serious convo here? I'm talking about that thing we never want to think about; saying good-bye.

Bella has been my sidekick and partner in crime for 16 amazing years. She has degenerative disc disease, Cushing's disease, cataracts, is losing her hearing, and spent 5 days in the ER vet recently with her 2nd round of pneumonia in 6 months. On the positive side she doesnt seem to be in pain, she flat out runs down the hall for meal time, enjoys chasing (slowly) the random squirrel, can still dig a massive hole in the sand at the beach, loves car rides, and generally still seems to be enjoying life at an admittedly slower pace.

I just shot off a $7,000 credit card payment for her last ER stay, knowing she's got a CT scan scheduled for Monday to try to get to the bottom of the reoccurring pneumonia. Another $2,500. I'm not infinitely wealthy but at the same time cant see myself deciding her time is up just because it's expensive. I always told myself the deciding factor was going to be her quality of life, not mine. So if she's pain free and still enjoying the things she's always enjoyed well then I'll do my part and keep her going.

How do you all approach balancing end of life decisions like this?

I’m extremely sorry to read about Bella’s reoccurring illness. I’m a firm believer in doing everything to keep them going as long as there’s quality of life. It’s my opinion that they’ll let you know when they’re ready. If she’s not in pain, she’s still eating, and running around, I wouldn’t think she’s ready to go. Enjoy the time you’re still with her she’ll let you know.

[RickFLM4]

Originally Posted by DETRoadster

Hey Pet lovers, can we have a serious convo here? I'm talking about that thing we never want to think about; saying good-bye.

Bella has been my sidekick and partner in crime for 16 amazing years. She has degenerative disc disease, Cushing's disease, cataracts, is losing her hearing, and spent 5 days in the ER vet recently with her 2nd round of pneumonia in 6 months. On the positive side she doesnt seem to be in pain, she flat out runs down the hall for meal time, enjoys chasing (slowly) the random squirrel, can still dig a massive hole in the sand at the beach, loves car rides, and generally still seems to be enjoying life at an admittedly slower pace.

I just shot off a $7,000 credit card payment for her last ER stay, knowing she's got a CT scan scheduled for Monday to try to get to the bottom of the reoccurring pneumonia. Another $2,500. I'm not infinitely wealthy but at the same time cant see myself deciding her time is up just because it's expensive. I always told myself the deciding factor was going to be her quality of life, not mine. So if she's pain free and still enjoying the things she's always enjoyed well then I'll do my part and keep her going.

How do you all approach balancing end of life decisions like this?

After hanging on too long twice (in retrosepct), I feel like it’s better to let go a little too soon rather than hanging on a little too long. But that’s easier said than done and our instinct is to hang on as long as possible. It’s really difficult to tell when they are starting to suffer because they react differently than humans (much tougher than humans in this regard I think). By the time it becomes obvious, they have probably been suffering for a while. I think one sure sign to start thinking about it is if they aren’t so eager to eat or stop eating on their own for no explainable reason, but there are likely other physical signs depending on their ailment. Frequent or repeated stays at the ER would probably be another. It’s just a personal judgment call. And BTW, I find vets generally are not that helpful in this regard.

Anyway sorry to hear Bella isn’t doing so well and wish you and Bella the best in getting through this time.

[Tico]

My two children. Samson (Doberman) and Frankie (Pitt). Both rescues

[3.0L]

Originally Posted by DETRoadster

Hey Pet lovers, can we have a serious convo here? I'm talking about that thing we never want to think about; saying good-bye.

Bella has been my sidekick and partner in crime for 16 amazing years. She has degenerative disc disease, Cushing's disease, cataracts, is losing her hearing, and spent 5 days in the ER vet recently with her 2nd round of pneumonia in 6 months. On the positive side she doesnt seem to be in pain, she flat out runs down the hall for meal time, enjoys chasing (slowly) the random squirrel, can still dig a massive hole in the sand at the beach, loves car rides, belly rubs, and chasing sticks. She generally still seems to be enjoying life at an admittedly slower pace.

I just shot off a $7,000 credit card payment for her last ER stay, knowing she's got a CT scan scheduled for Monday to try to get to the bottom of the reoccurring pneumonia. Another $2,500. I'm not infinitely wealthy but at the same time cant see myself deciding her time is up just because it's expensive. I always told myself the deciding factor was going to be her quality of life, not mine. So if she's pain free and still enjoying the things she's always enjoyed well then I'll do my part and keep her going.

How do you all approach balancing end of life decisions like this?

As I've mentioned elsewhere on this forum, I recently lost my kitty of 18.5 years. We figure she was about 20 years old (arrived at our house as a stray).

We faithfully took our cats to the vet at least once a year for a checkup. Our vet told us a little over a year ago that our kitty was in the early stages of kidney failure, so we had an idea what was coming.

Meanwhile, she gradually lost weight (thyroid meds began) and we modified her diet. She showed signs of arthritis in her joints. Her water intake gradually increased, as expected. I went out of my way to keep her comfortable including her own camp chair with folded beach towel in the backyard. I was always with her when she wanted to go outside. I kept up this routine as long as she looked content and peaceful.

Near the end she started a mournful meow on occasion and stopped eating. We had her put down the next day. Our vet told us we were doing the right thing.

Stay in close touch with your veterinarian. Ours told what signs to look for when it was time. It was still very difficult to do.

[DETRoadster]

Thanks for the kind comments, all. Lots of good advice.

We have been in contact with a local vet that does in-home euthanasia, 24-7. We are set up in their system so whether it's next week or 2 years from now, we call and say "its time" and they come on over. Any time, day or night.

I think one thing we have going for us is that Bella is a total wussy and a massive foodie. She doesnt hide her pain; she screams. And if she refuses a meal or a treat we know with 100% certainty there's something seriously wrong. So using those two indicators I think we have a pretty good shot at quickly understanding when something is wrong. Literally, as I'm typing this, I heard her starting to whine. A quick look at the clock confirms it's 5:57 PM. Dinner is at 6:00 PM sharp every night. Her internal clock is incredible.

The real variable in all this is her re-occurring pneumonia. If the CT scan confirms the suspicion that she has a fungal infection in her sinuses, and it's treatable, she'll be in good shape. if the source of the pneumonia is unknown after the scan, or, they find she has a fungal infection that's done serious damage to the bones in her skull, then another bout of pneumonia is a simple matter if when and not if. We decided if that happens again we are not putting her through another week in the ER. We will have to take action and put her down peacefully at home.

[Esteban]

DETRoadster, Bella is so cute and adorable. Reading your post and seeing that photo of her brings a tear to my eye.

I lost a cat several years ago to lymphoma. He was about 14. It was very sad. I cried like a baby when I had to give him up.

I like what the above posters said. I especially like what Sara said. I think that's good advice. Good luck and best wishes to your baby and you.