Cooney, the Retarded Cat
has taken to sitting on his rug and just staring at the litterbox.
We’re concerned his time is short.
Yeah, yeah. I’m not a cat guy. But Cooney has been a pretty decent animal for some time now- I think, what, 67734 years? Keep a happy thought for him if y’all will. He ain’t gonna live forever but I’m damned if i want to see him have any discomfort.
Being a cat person, I wish Cooney the best. Take good care of him.
Having heard your voice when you tell tales of Cooney, I think you are a cat person. It’s a big tent. Not every cat person is the crazy old lady whose house reeks of piss from upwind. Some are just people who admire the rugged individualism of cats.
And their unabashed hypocrisy on the subject as well.
M
As much a PITA as they are, I actually like both our cats.
You know as well as I do that Cooney’s discomfort is your responsibility – I hope he does well, but when it’s time, it’s time.
The best description of the “right” time to put an animal down was “If you’re sure it was time, you waited too long”. Unfortunately, I can’t remember where I read that :(
Best wishes for Cooney – hopefully he’s just screwing with you, thinking “If I sit here staring at the litterbox for no apparent reason, maybe I can make them worry”. That sounds like cat-logic. I hope he’s ok.
Actually, I dislike cats intensely, but if I have to have a cat, Cooney is the best possible option. And thirty years after his death we will STILL be vacuuming hair.
Got two cats sitting right here watching me work. Well, that’s not accurate. They’re napping while making sure they are in close proximity to me. If I move, say to go to the kitchen to grab some breakfast, they’ll both get up and follow me.
They are fabulous fellows, the both of them. Even if they are a raging pain in the ass most of the time. And given that there have been cats in this house almost continuously since 1966, I can completely empathize with your comment about the fur factor.
In any case: Best wishes to Cooney from all three of us. May he live as long as he wants, and chase mice and birds and rabbits in Heaven when he’s ready.
Aaron — I think you may be thinking of Rachel Lucas.
Heh. We’ve seven in the house. 1 in the barn. Yeah, I know, backwards.
And we’re still vacuuming hair from Sebastian, a Chow who passed from this vale in 2001.
I’m not a vet, but I think most old cats eventually die of kidney failure, so watch the litter box. If uring production starts to fall off quickly, and/or if the puss stops drinking, feel for the cat’s bladder. If it feels hard and large, or if the cat jumps when you press on it, there is a major bladder or kidney problem.
If you find such a problem, the cat has few hours left, and they will be miserable hours. Double check by putting an ear to the kitty’s chest to listen to it’s heartbeat. If the heart is racing, or if the cat is panting, it has 3 our of 4 feet in it’s grave.
If you know a vet, they may give you the drugs to put the cat down, but the second one requires intravenous injection, and if you aren’t trained in that on a kitty, you will probably miss.
Best of luck, and keep a jug on hand to help you get by the moment.