Palliative Care – A Caregiving Approach

Last October, Prudence, who was originally a Kracken Kitty, moved up to Resident Cat status after I noticed that she was sickly and being bullied by her bigger siblings. A trip to the vet came back with the worst results. According to her blood work, Prudence had advanced kidney disease, along with stomach cancer AND, possibly, FIP. Those are 3 major strikes against her. One alone could probably be treated and maybe even cured. But all 3 would take a miracle. She has always been a tiny, frail kitten and after consulting with her vet, we were not sure if her body would be able to handle any of the treatment that she would require. I made the decision to do palliative care with her. The vet agreed and told me I probably had a month at the most with her.

Prudence’s Palliative Care

Palliative care is care delivered to a cat as she approached her end of life. This can include modifying the home environment to help maximize quality of life. And that is exactly what I did. Prudence was traumatized from being bullied by her siblings. So, I provided her with a safe place to eat and sleep away from the other Resident Cats. We had some drama between her and Bodie, so I worked hard to keep the peace between them and keep her stress levels down. She quickly realized that she could sleep in the bay windows above the kitchen sink and was safe from the other cats. I moved everything out of her way and that became one of her safe spots.

All of my Resident Cats are on a raw food diet, and I was able to quickly transition Prudence to that diet as well. Once she started to eat food that was species appropriate and not full of processed ingredients, I noticed a significant change. She started to perk up. Her fur started to look better. Her appetite increased. All great things. I was also giving her daily supplements of B12, Oxycat and Catalyst from The-Two-Crazy-Cat-Ladies. It was amazing to see her improve daily. Soon, a month turned into 2 then 3 and continued.

Prudence’s Final Days

A couple of weeks ago, I noticed Prudence was slowing down. Normally, she was very vocal at feeding times. She would make laps around the kitchen island, meowing the whole time in complaints of how slow I was getting her food. She would then run to her crate to chow down on her food. Now, she would just stand and softly meow at me. Most of the time, I had to carry her to the crate to eat. Then, she stopped eating as much. She would mainly just lick up the bone broth that I added to her food.

Her drinking of water increased greatly. This is a symptom of kidney disease. We had water bowls placed everywhere for her at all of her favorite sleeping spots. Unfortunately, with increased drinking comes increased urination. We had to deal with lots of little accidents because she couldn’t make it to the litter boxes. This past weekend, Prudence started to find unusual sleeping spots. Places that were hidden away and ones that she never chose before. She was also unable to jump up to her favorite kitchen window. I knew her time was nearing.

The Hardest Part

This past Saturday evening, as I was getting ready for bed, I couldn’t find Prudence. After searching the house, I found her sleeping on the bottom of a bookcase in a dark corner. After giving her lots of love and bringing her a bowl of water, I went to bed with a heavy heart. I knew the time had come to say goodbye. When I woke up Sunday morning, Prudence did come to the kitchen to eat. However, I could tell that she was very disoriented and weak. She didn’t eat or drink anything. She tried to get back to her favorite kitchen window spot. I gently picked her up and put her in the sunshine where she slept for a couple of hours.

We made the appointment at the Emergency Vet to help her cross the Rainbow Bridge. It was a very emotional time for us, but I knew it was what was best for Prudence. She was tired. She was ready. And I needed to not be selfish. But it was so very hard to say goodbye.

Through a better diet and daily supplements, we surpassed the one-month diagnosis from the vet. We got almost 10 months to love and spend time with our dear, sweet Prudence. It was nice to be able to have that time to come to terms with the inevitable. And although Prudence was only 4 1/2 years old, I know that it was a life full of love. I do find myself feeling guilty. Was there more that I could have done? Should I have tried to treat her? I have to remind myself that in Prudence’s case, quality of life was the best decision for her. She deserved to spend the rest of her time not being poked and prodded or fully medicated. I wanted her to have love and feel comfortable. And that is exactly what she needed and received.

Goodbye is Never Easy

Now, she is flying high with the Angels, waiting for me at the Rainbow Bridge. Although I had many months to prepare for her crossing, it was still very difficult to make that final decision. I have cried many tears over the past few days. Tears are flowing as I write this blog. It is never easy to lose a beloved cat. No matter how much time you have to prepare. However, I know that I made the best decision for Prudence when I chose to do palliative care for her. I rest easy knowing that I have another furry Guardian Angel watching over me and one day, we will snuggle again.

“Heaven will never be Paradise unless my cats are there waiting for me.” – Unknown