Happy Monday- reminder for new folks- I discuss pet hospice/end of life (Pawspice), and foster kittens and cats with medical issues. Posts dealing with that content will be marked with #pawspice or #medfoster an appropriate.
If those topics/images make you uncomfortable, feel free to mute
Most weeks, he bounces around 45. (70 is excellent qOL. 35 and below is time to talk to your vet.)
#pawspice
So why am I fixating on a potential negative outcome for Max? After all, positive attitude, chin up, etc
This is where being hospice informed comes in.
His quality of life score has been on a slow, steady drop since last August. #pawspice
The miracle tonight would be a little more time. Enough to let him be at home, happy, and comfortable. That little bit probably won’t be years. I’d be okay with a few days. Just a little extra time to help wrap my brain around things. Time to let him go gently. In his favorite spot. #pawspice
The hardest lesson I had to learn along the way is that miracles don’t always look the way we think they should.
As much as we wish it was otherwise, death comes for all of us eventually. Sometimes the miracle is a good passing from this world. #Pawspice
Tonight is about wait and see. Wait and see if things rebound. Wait and see if he’s got an other miracle in him.
It’s tempered by the knowledge that things have gotten harder for him this last year. #pawspice
“You can go.”
I ripped my heart out when I walked out the door. Because I mean every word. #pawspice
(This will be ongoing thread, semi stream of conscious)
Max is one of those cats. He came here, on death’s doorstep. That first night I told him “if you want to stay, we’ll fight. If it’s time to go, that’s okay. Your call.”
Today at the ER I told him- “I don’t want to let you go like this. Please don’t make me. But if it’s time, it’s okay.” #pawspice
This means most of my fostering is hospice informed. Everything I do is focused on a mix of quality of life vs quantity. The idea is maximize one day at a time, see what happens.
It serves me well, and over the years about half of my hospice cats have moved on to forever homes. #pawspice
I spend a lot of time with death. Death isn’t an adversary in this house. It’s a friend. Death is part of living, and in a lot of situations can be welcomed and celebrated.
We don’t fear death here. We invite it right in. Death generally means an end that leads to meeting someone new. #pawspice
This is going to be open and honest, because I don’t know any other way to be with this stuff.
Buckle in. #pawspice
CW: pet illness
Okay so call this a heads up post. I’ve always shared what goes on with my cats, using minimal filters. I’m going to take y’all along on this ride, good and bad for the next day or so.
Hashtag I’ll be using is #pawspice. Feel free to mute me or the tag.
Approaching the end of life for any beloved family member is hard. It’s even more challenging in some ways when it’s your pet. Balancing the desire for them to live forever with the realities of shorter lifespans hits every pet owner in a deep and profound way. #pawspice
Hospice kitty Mr. Edwards found @thecatball today. He approves. :) #fospice #pawspice… https://www.instagram.com/p/BO-ZvC7AMH7/
A moment with Miz G'tha #seniorcat #fospice #pawspice #deafblindcat #deafcat #blindcat https://www.instagram.com/p/BIyQevcAk8K/
Miz Leilo! U be Valentine?
#pawspice #neko #meow #specialneedscats #cancer #famouserkitten… https://www.instagram.com/p/BBvLRPJCU-0/
An Easter egg hunt and basket for Pinta #pintocat #pintabucket #pawspice http://ln.is/instagram.com/p/eXgRM
Pawspice kitty Pinta settling in for the night #pawspice #hospice http://ln.is/instagram.com/p/saKJE
