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Are you saying you haven't seen the cat yourself? What exactly did your friend tell you that caused you to be concerned? Aside from his refusing to go to the vet.
He mentioned in passing that his cat is hardly eating at all, and is very skinny. I haven't seen the cat.
Thanks for the replies, everyone. Bottom-line: The cat may be suffering because cats tend to hide their pain. I almost wish my friend never told me about this situation. I know that sounds bad on my part!
Anyhow, is it possible for a vet to determine pain & suffering with a preliminary exam? If the situation is bleak, then it would be prudent to put this 20-year old cat down. But, if the vet says the cat is comfortable, then fine.. carry on. Just hoping for a somewhat simple solution, and not the end of a long friendship.
My vet, and probably most vets, rely quite a bit on input from the pet guardian, as to how they are acting, eating , behaving, etc. to get some clues as to what the problem might be, if any. Unless there's something obvious showing... lumps, swelling, sores, lesions, rashes, hair loss, skin issues, etc. then they aren't going have much to go on without running internal tests. It's not uncommon for elderly cats to become arthritic or have inflamed joints, and vets can check for that. But if there is nothing obvious showing, then a blood panel should be run.
Cats are very good at hiding discomfort, and if they are very sick or hurting badly, they will go off by themselves and hide, usually places where they might not normally go. If your friends cat is doing this, then yeah, she's probably sick or in pain.
He mentioned in passing that his cat is hardly eating at all, and is very skinny. I haven't seen the cat.
Doesn't sound good considering the cats' age, your friend should get the cat to a vet- the sooner the better.
Not much you can do if he's unwilling to do that.
Thanks for the additional info goyguy, catdad7x. I'm going to call the cat rescues & humane centers in my area for more ideas and vet recommendations. Of course I don't like conflicts, but somehow I feel better about this.
Last edited by Fatty MacButter; 05-23-2014 at 02:36 AM..
Update: This past Tuesday, my friend did the right thing and had his cat euthanized. The vet said that due to her advanced age, and lack of medication, she was most likely suffering. So the hard decision was made. She went to sleep peacefully in my friend's arms. Of course I'm sad, but also glad that he wised up and took responsibility. Relieved.
Sorry to hear they weren't able to help this cat, and glad your friend was willing to do what was best for her. I don't want to say anything negative about your friend, but do hope if he has any other pets that the understands the importance of preventative vet care... especially for seniors.
Thanks for the update.
Update: This past Tuesday, my friend did the right thing and had his cat euthanized. The vet said that due to her advanced age, and lack of medication, she was most likely suffering. So the hard decision was made. She went to sleep peacefully in my friend's arms. Of course I'm sad, but also glad that he wised up and took responsibility. Relieved.
There probably wasn't much that could have done for her at 20 yrs old. May she RIP.
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