Sniffles may have Cancer :(

ToniTuddle

Sitting here for the last two hours mobile phone on loud and door open so I can hear the house phone in hallway, waiting on the vets to call me.

Sniffles has not been right for quite some time. I've had her to the vets a few times and her temperature was fine each time and she got her yearly vaccination as usual 2 weeks ago. So thought maybe she was just more grumpy than usual. She already is a moooooody wee fart has been all her life!

Two days ago Mum noticed she wasnt as fussy about her food and seemed to be drinking more water than usual.

Yesterday evening I checked her and noticed the dreaded drooling/dribbling. Some of my previous cats developed Leukemia and the drooling was always a sign it was coming to the end

So this morning I rushed her out to the vets first thing. When I went to take her out of her wee house she didn't even fight me and was just limp in my hands. I mean this upset me more than anything. She is my beloved psycho little Nazi cat! Always trying to wriggle away and claw like mental when she knows she has to go to vets!

I signed the consent form to have her sedated so they can take the blood samples and test for Leukemia.

If it's negative they will clean out her teeth and gums or something like that as they are all swollen and her lymh nodes are swollen too. Plus give her steroids and start antibiotics.
If it's positive they have recommended putting her to sleep.

No idea at what time they will be able to sedate her to take the test, so all I can do now is just wait by the phone for the phonecall :(

This is the one and only Queen Sniffles aka Psycho Nazi:

Cerocco

She is a beautiful cat. I know exactly how you feel. My cat had cancer 2 years ago and it was devastating. I really hope that it turns out to be just something benign. I keep my fingers crossed for you, stay strong

Groom!

Oh poor Sniffles. She is an absolute beauty.

Any news yet? I have 4 cats and I totally understand.

Hope news is good xx

star-pants

Fingers crossed for Sniffles, that'd just be heartbreaking

Whispered

fingers crossed for you and Sniffles op. xx

ToniTuddle

Thank you for the well wishes x

Not long after I posted that the vet called me back. Because she is German I didnt quite understand her English. So kept getting ym hopes raised then dashed then raised again. She told me Sniffles had tested negative for Leukemia! The relief was like the best feeling ever!

But then she went on to explain she had tested positive for FIV...basically cat AIDS She said her immune system was shot to pieces and that she wouldn't be able to fight off the simplest infection which this time was a simple gum infection or something.

All I could say was ammmm or ok. Knew where the conversation was gonna lead and could feel the tears starting up again and my throat went all funny so could hardly get any words out.

She told me the option of giving Sniffles antibiotics and steroids and just see how it would go, so I agreed straight away but then she hesitated and explained that it would probably not be successful. Knew I was just being selfish wanting Sniffles back even for another few days and considering she was in pain and soo ill I told her it was ok to put her to sleep. She was already sedated from getting the blood tests done so there was no point in waiting for her to come round and be all groggy and not know what was going on and feel the pain and discomfort again :(:(

So the vet wrapped her all up in a light pink bedsheet when it was done and placed her back into her crate.

As with Ginger I groomed her one last time and said I loved her and said goodbye Buried her beside Ginger(my dog who died last year). Out of all the cats and humans Ginger was the only one she really liked. She never showed affection at any time unless it was to him. Rubbing herself in under his chin while he was sitting down or just going over and sitting right beside him for few hours She did miss him terribly when he died so made sense to bury her over beside him.

So took ages to dig the grave and get that all sorted damn roots of trees and big stones. After I buried her, we binned all the beddings from the wee houses, cleaned all the shed, their dishes and disinfected everything.

Will take Podge and Tabby(is the cat in the background of Sniffles' photo) to vets first thing on Monday when they are open again and have them tested for Leukemia and FIV. Tabby had already been tested but want to check again. Podge already has Cat Flu from day one since he arrived. Always figured he would be the obvious one to die not Sniffles. I'm just wondering now maybe he has FIV and gave it to Sniffles Arrrrgggghhh. This is a horrible weekend

Will just have to wait until Monday afternoon now to get test results of them done.

TooManyDogs

You poor thing

ToniTuddle

I know Podge will not have a long life given the whole cat flu I came to terms with that when I took him in.

But I swear if Tabby ends up testing positive I'm going to crack up and go on the damn beer for a month

Whispered

I'm so sorry to hear that. Lots of cuddles for the other two tonight.

BengaLover

So sad isnt it..
I had a very similar experience recently, with a poorly cat that just seemed to be going downhill and getting infections, she was tested for the aids one, it was negative but a test for leukimia was positive.
Loved her to bits but given as she would never be fully well, I decided to have her put to sleep, didnt feel it was right to keep her alive for my own pleasure at the expense of her discomfort.
I was absolutely in pieces but the vet let me stay with her while they did it and it was very calm and gentle and she just fell asleep in my arms.
Her sister from the same litter is very healthy, but I have been advised to have her tested too, decided against it for the time being but if she starts to get unwell I will do it.
The horrible thing about rescue cats or non pedigree cats is that you never know when you get one if they have these conditions so you are taking a risk.
Heartbreaking though, I feel your pain.:(

ToniTuddle

Podge knows somethings up. He had attached himself to Sniffles from day one even though she was of course indifferent to him! In the last year she had tolerated him alot more and allowed him to sit near her. Probably more to get heat from him ha ..... *sigh*

You would think I would have hardened up a bit considering how many have died from Leukemia/CatFlu etc. But nope. Got a full loo roll here and gonna spend the night crying and eating junk food and listening to sad songs!!

Know it was the best thing but.....just was so sudden.

That photo doesn't show her full fluffyness. At times she would look like she had been electricuted her fur was just so thick and yet soft and sticking out all over. She looked like she was obese! But it was just all the fur. Never seen a cat like her before.
She was the last one remaining out of the very first 3 I adopted.

theghost

So sorry to hear about Sniffles. You never get hardened to a pet's passing - every one is just as heartbreaking.

kildareash

So sorry to hear about snIffles. hopefully your other cats will be given a clean bill of health on Monday x

sotisme

So sorry. She was very lucky to have such a caring owner. Hopefully your other cats will be in perfect health.

ToniTuddle

theghost wrote: »

You never get hardened to a pet's passing - every one is just as heartbreaking.

Yeah I know
Just would make things alot easier if you did

Just keep thinking about her funny little markings on her legs.
Her back legs the way the fur was coloured it looked like she was wearing wee brown leg warmers kinda like socks!
But it was the front leg markings that were really cool.

When she would be sitting staring at you(trying to stare you down to bring her food:)), her whole chest was white and all down the front legs were white apart from half way down her two legs. There was basically a diamond shape in brown. Like half of a diamond on one leg and the other on the other leg. Then when she would sit and have her legs together there was a perfect shape. It was cool. Not sure if that comes out right but looked like this:

/\
\/

She would always win the staring contest from afar! If I was up close she wouldn't even look at me. She had the rarest wee personality.:)
Really expected her to live the longest. Know Podge won't live long so was already planning on taking Sniffles and Tabby with me when I moved. Was just discussing in another thread how I didn't know if Sniffles would take to living indoors full time. Now I'll never know.

Thanks for the messages guys. Hopefully their tests will come back ok. This time tomorrow I will have dropped them in.

Tallon

Sorry to hear toni *hug*

joyce2009

You poor thing i'm very sorry to hear this...Fingers crossed the other two will be ok..

Loopsie

ToniTuddle wrote: »

Podge knows somethings up. He had attached himself to Sniffles from day one even though she was of course indifferent to him! In the last year she had tolerated him alot more and allowed him to sit near her. Probably more to get heat from him ha ..... *sigh*

You would think I would have hardened up a bit considering how many have died from Leukemia/CatFlu etc. But nope. Got a full loo roll here and gonna spend the night crying and eating junk food and listening to sad songs!!

Know it was the best thing but.....just was so sudden.

That photo doesn't show her full fluffyness. At times she would look like she had been electricuted her fur was just so thick and yet soft and sticking out all over. She looked like she was obese! But it was just all the fur. Never seen a cat like her before.
She was the last one remaining out of the very first 3 I adopted.

Toni reading your posts im in floods of tears, you have lost of member of the family and like with losing a person time will ease it
I hate when people say something so inappropriate like 'ah sure it was only a cat' i wanna scream and punch their lights out.............
i cannot understand people who cannot bond with animals
We lost persia not so long ago, the thoughts that stop me getting upset is i know she had no quality of life left
Kai and I lost one of our best friends and its devastating
Loopsie xxxxxxxxxx

ToniTuddle

Loopsie wrote: »

Toni reading your posts im in floods of tears, you have lost of member of the family and like with losing a person time will ease it
I hate when people say something so inappropriate like 'ah sure it was only a cat' i wanna scream and punch their lights out.............
i cannot understand people who cannot bond with animals
We lost persia not so long ago, the thoughts that stop me getting upset is i know she had no quality of life left
Kai and I lost one of our best friends and its devastating
Loopsie xxxxxxxxxx

People can be utter twats. Still get people saying "do ya still have all them cats? Here I'll give you a plastic bag and the river is that way *chuckle chuckle*" WTF? :mad: People be like I'm only joking....really? I like a joke as much as the next person but I never feicin joke about drowning animals.

As for when you mention unfortunately one has passed away and they turn and say ahhh well one less mouth to feed. Ignorant old farts. Or stupid lads who only think cats are pets for girls

They think I'm even more mental for actually spending money on them by taking them to the vets. I have no time for people like that anymore. Least future generations will have it drummed into them to go to vets and the old generations who think it's silly will feicin die off. :mad:

I use to get given out to for putting money into the Donegal pet rescue charity box in the shop. Saying I should be giving any spare money to cancer charities. Ah excuse me? I feicin do give money to such charities but if I want to give money to an animal charity then I feicin will. It's my God damn money. Ok I'll stop ranting now!

Yeah you mentioned Persia in the other thread You did the right thing though. No point in making them suffer just so you can have them for that little while longer even though it's heartbreaking having to let them go

Least you will be giving a new cat/kitten a home soon. They of course won't ever take Persias place but just find a new place of their own in the family

For me I don't think I'll be taking in anymore strays for awhile....well actually there have been none coming round in the last year or more I'd say. Though....in fairness who am I kidding if a new cat landed at my door they would have found a home >.< Just can't say no!

Rochester

Huge sympathies to you on the loss of the Sniffles, a beautiful cat. You did the right thing for your pet and getting the others checked is a great idea. Hope you get good news on them.

hdowney

i am so sorry for your loss and hope the other two get given the ok.

i know what you are going through. i have lost a few cats over the years but two stand out the most.

Tommy my black sweetheart had a bad gum infection that wouldn't heal. so we took him for tests and the vet said he had AIDS, and best thing was to put him down. I was 14 yr old and had to make the heartbreaking decision that it was best for him. the vet wouldn't let me stay with him though which hurt. and when i came back to collect him they just handed me a black binbag 'here is your cat'! i nearly hurt someone that day, and stopped going to the vet.

i took our other cat Tiny to be checked and he came back all clear thank God.

however two years ago we noticed he was under the weather, he seemed to be going deaf and had an ear infection (he was 13 yr old) and took him for tests. the vet rang me in work and told me, he had cancer. i just burst into tears then and there at having to go through it again (my other cats had ran off and died or got hit by a car, decisions taken out of your hands, but having to choose to put the pet down - even if it is for the best - is the worst feeling).

the vet was wonderful this time though. i was with him, and got to stay with him for as long as i wanted. i was in tears for ages and it was so hard to leave him, but i know i did the right thing for him.

i know how painful the experience is, but i also know how important it is to make the right decision for the animal, they cannot make it for themselves.

you are very brave to have taken the step, and i know in time it will get easier, although you will never forget your precious baby.

to all the asshats who say those nasty things to you just walk away with your head held high and know you are 1million times the person they are.

hamlet1

i am so sad looking at that utterly beautiful cat that had to be put down.my own beauty has started getting recurrent episodes where he is flaked out and sore and miserable for about 4 days and then hes in top form again.this used happen every 3 months but its happening every fortnight now.vet just thought it was a virus,but hes going for blood tests tomorrow and i am dreading the result.i too hate it when someone says its only a cat,cant you get another.they havent a clue

ToniTuddle

hamlet1 wrote: »

i am so sad looking at that utterly beautiful cat that had to be put down.my own beauty has started getting recurrent episodes where he is flaked out and sore and miserable for about 4 days and then hes in top form again.this used happen every 3 months but its happening every fortnight now.vet just thought it was a virus,but hes going for blood tests tomorrow and i am dreading the result.i too hate it when someone says its only a cat,cant you get another.they havent a clue

I know all my cats have been beautiful to me but Sniffles was like the Queen of them all the way she went about. A very silent and cold Queen but gradually over the years you could give her pets without her toddling off straight away. She did enjoy it but once she realised she had shown you that she was back to I'm-Tough-Kitty-Who-Doesn't-Need-You-Human!

With her being such a bossy boots and could control the rest without any hiss or meow or anything, I was really surprised when I first heard her meow. I mean she didn't speak to us for a year or seriously long time maybe longer from the moment we got her nothing but silence. Then on way to vets one time while she was in her crate in back seat I heard this TINY TINY meow. Like the weakest softest kitten type meow I've ever heard. Even the kittens I've had sounded louder than her. Me and Mum both looked at each other like...WTF It was soo cute. I was like "ah-ha! You aint such a big toughie after all!"

Ahh it's wee things like that make ya smile thinking about them. Everybody gets to have the memories and at least we all have them even if they do make you tear up every now and again

Hope your test results come back with something positive or they can treat it in someway. Let us know. Thoughts are with you xx

We are leaving here at 11am to drop Tabby and Podge out for getting the tests done. They will probably have to sedate them so they will call me with the results and then I'll go back out and just go from there.

steph1

Sorry to hear about Sniffles

ToniTuddle

Arrived at vets this morning with Tabby and Podge.

There was a slight incident with a woman who couldn't control her dog very well a massive golden lab or something. He was lunging for everyone in the wee room. Not meaning any harm as such but the cats were freaking out and the others in room were very uncomfortable having that sized thing coming at them!

Podge was amazing when we got seen too I was so proud and the vets were all impressed with how easy going he always is He didn't need to be sedated to take the bloods and was just loving the attention on him.

I signed the consent form to have Tabby sedated and for them to do the blood tests and give him a dental. His teeth were always very bad for God knows how long before I took him in so we actually have no idea how old he is.

So went back out there now and picked up Tabby. He's only coming round from the sedation and hasn't a clue what's going on. He is also dribbling and bleeding a bit from his mouth due to the dental. I've still got him in his crate sitting on top of my desk in my bedroom so he can still see me and know I'm there but that he is secure in one place and won't hurt himself stubbling about. Only open the crate to gently wipe away the drooly blood and give him a little light pet. Guess it would feel like us when we come back from the dentists! They also gave him a shot of antibiotics.

Now onto the main thing.
I asked about the test results for both of them, the Leukemia and FIV tests.
They are both positive

To say the feeling on hearing that news was like someone had punched me in the stomach would be an understatement.

Now I've no idea if maybe Tabby infected the others or if Podge did or maybe Sniffles developed it few years ago after a fight with a stray. Nobody knows. Either way they are positive and basically there is nothing that can be done about that.

Tabby is in excellent health.
Podge is doing better than he ever was even with the Cat Flu.
So basically we just carry on as normal until the day comes that their quality of life deteriorates.

They gave me a load of multivitamins in powder format. It's meant to do for like few months! Think they felt sorry for me after all I'd been through this weekend. They are amazing vets the nicest on the planet can't thank them enough for all they do for me.

So the multivitamins will be a boost for them both over the next few months. Really believed Tabby didn't have it though.

Jaysus. Podge is a trooper. He has Cat Flu and FIV and still bouncing about. Maybe he is simply a carrier of it. I don't know.

Anyway. Just want to thank everyone for their support and best wishes x
All we do now is carry on as normal until their time comes whenever that may be. Going to keep close eye on Tabby now after this dental and make sure he doesn't develop an infection or get it seen to straight away. Simple infection could have him dead without few days

BUT I'm positive they will have another few happy years left in them. I'll try and make sure of that

hdowney

i am so sorry to hear that. it is never nice getting news like that and after just losing your other cat. i am glad to hear you are staying as positive as can be in the circumstances and i know you will give your cats the best quality of life you can.