Our saga with Kira continues andwe had a dreadful night - we gave Kira a gabapentin as prescribed by the vett. It was the last thing he had in his arsenal and knew it might not work, but it was worth a try. It should have calmed down any pain and made her hungry. It did both of those things but at such a cost. Oh my goodness - what a nightmare. We gave her the pill at about 4pm and she ate and then went to sleep on her bunk bed. We sat down at about 7pm and there was a sudden bang from the corner of the loungs. She had fallen off the bed and was just lying in the middle of the floor (it's a cat bunk bed so only about 2 foot off the ground) She fell off her bed and couldn't get up and I thought she had had a stroke. Her back end just didn't work and she fell over and over. I screamed for Nigel. The one thing I dreaded with giving her all of these extra chances was that something would happen and she would end up distressed and my last memory of her would be of her struggling. Whilst I held her, Nigel googled it and it was a side effect from the drug. She was, thankfully, totally zoned out as well so she wasn't distressed or crying when she couldn't walk and kept falling over. However, we were not drugged and we were very distressed. IShe is besotted by me and I was able to get her to sleep on my knee and we just sat in stunned silence all evening. When I moved she tried to walk again and so we gave her some food - just liquid food - and she ate well and drank well but was totally out of it. I sat on he floor with her wrapped up in her blanket on my knee and got her to sleep and then we put her on her floor bed in the bedroom with us with her bed, her food, her litter, her water as we couldn't risk her falling down stairs. She slept until about 3 am - better than we did - when she then climbed onto our bed and slept and, whilst she ate this morning she then slept for 8 hours straight. It was the last thing we could try and she is never having another and so we now know we are doing the right thing for her tomorrow.
She is such a little toughie. Even when she couldn't stand she kept trying and that is what she has been doing for weeks - trying. She still seems happy, her coat is good and she isn't in pain, but she cannot sustain the liquid-only diet and the weight loss and she doesn't deserve to suffer. We have tried everything possible and it is time to let her go with dignity. We will say our last farewell to her tomorrow and let her go find her brother at rainbow bridge.
We went out whilst she was sleeping for a walk on the beach to clear our heads and we also popped into the Range for things we needed and that was dreadful. I don't think I have ever seen it so busy. So much for lockdown and social distancing.
We came home and decorated the tree because we knew if we didn't there was no way we would do it after she had gone plus she has always loved the tree and would sit staring at it. So she has her last Christmas and her last tree.
Today I am thankful that - at last - we are at peace with the decision we must make.
That must have been a very upsetting time for you all,I hope you have a peaceful night together. Tomorow will be an ordeal,but you will face it together,and know in your heart that you are doing what is best for Kira,no matter how much it hurts you ,it’s the right decision.
Posted by: Mary D | December 01, 2020 at 06:53 PM