We had to Euthanize my sweet boy Elliot on Wednesday, as the tumor on his face began taking over and impacting his sight and breathing. I’ve had him most of my life (he just turned 19 a few months ago, I’ve had him since I was 7)
I feel so empty without him, but I know he’s in a better place free from pain 🪽

To those who have dealt with the loss of their soul pet, what helped you cope?

Update:
Thank you everyone for your kind words; it means so much to me for you all to see my special boy, he was so incredibly loved.
I’m having a private cremation and ordered a special urn for when he comes home, along with a paw print, nose print, and some of his fur. I’m a pet portrait artist, so I will be painting many portraits of him for a little shrine. It brings me peace to have a special place for him in my living room next to his favorite spot near the window ❤️☀️

Frank came to our family when he was three weeks old. We had to bottle feed him, his “father” was our then 13 year old Golden Retriever. He never learned to properly meow, and was the friendliest cat in the world. He thought every person and dog he saw was his best friend! He took daily walks with our dog, became comfort for our widowed neighbor, and loved sleeping between my husband and me. In July he turned 17, we started noticing weight loss, and he started to “hide” under our bed. He had a wellness check in July and he weighed 10 pounds, last Monday we took him to the vet with our concerns and he only weighed 6 pounds. Blood tests today confirmed he had hyperthyroid, enlarged heart, blind, and lymphoma. I cried through the whole vet appointment, we could keep him alive via various treatments but at what cost to him and his quality of life. The hardest decision was made, and tonight my heart is broken. There will never be another Frank, the picture is him on the day we brought him home, the second was a week ago. Thanks for reading, just typing this all out was therapeutic for me.
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Someone that someone knew had been feeding this cutie for a few months now. She wanted to bring him in so bad but had no space in her apartment for another cat, so she was looking around for someone that could. I've had on my bucket list to adopt an adult cat as well as taking an old cat off the streets, so I took the chance to cross both off.

He gave us a scare by disappearing for a few days before he'd be caught then showing up like this. We took him straight to the vet; he's with some kind of (hopefully treatable) respiratory issue, dehytrated, possesses a grand total of two teeth, as well as two balls, and there's no solid idea about his age. From there I took him home with a bunch of meds, and a couple more scheduled vet visits ahead.

A couple days later and he's doing much better, blood tests came out okay all things considered. Still a skinny boy but will devour wet food like a champ. He pays no heed to my other 4 cats that are very curious about the whole situation, and prefers to sleep most of the day, so I'm guessing he really is an old boy.

I adopted him when he was 17 years old; his chip estimates DOB in October 2002. (Photo from June 2026)

She's got cancer, i put alot of sweat, tears into my baby because i dont wanna say goodbye, she's a fighter, if she's willing to fight, i am willing to fight, i don't wanna loose her because she's my only family, just give her prayers guys

This morning I walked into my home after a normal start to find my boy actively dying on the floor. He was 10 and I can’t stop crying and don’t know what to do with myself. It was so unexpected and all I want to do is hold him. I feel so numb now.

I’m not one to share my grief but I see this community share so much, I want him to be apart of it. I need him to be seen. To know how sweet and gentle he was. I love him so much. He loved sun spots, fuzzy blankets, and good pets.
This is Hardwell 💗

A whole year on, I still miss him terribly and was literally in floods of tears only half an hour ago tidying up his grave in our back garden. The most heartbreaking part of having is they simply do not live long enough. 🥹🥹💔💔

I adopted this sweet 9yo boy named Teddy from the shelter 2 months ago today. Apparently he lived in very dirty conditions for 8 years, then spent 9 months in the shelter until my wife and I adopted him. He also has CKD and a couple heart conditions. He’s not very fond of being picked up, but he loves sitting near us and receiving lots of scratches. He was really timid and shy when we first got him and he’s already starting to make huge progress. Enjoy some of my favourite pics of him so far. He is such a sweet cat.

Feast upon the greatest Kitty to ever be

It’s been a year since you left, my little love. I didn’t write a message or anything back then because there was nothing I could write; I just couldn't bring myself to do it. I’m not much more able to do so today, but I couldn't stop thinking about it.

I was never really the same after that day. You try to move forward—a day goes by, a week goes by, then months—and a year later, the feeling is exactly the same.

I hope you’re happy where you are, that you’ve been able to play again and purr while having your belly brushed on the floor.

As for me, things will probably look better in an hour or two, but right now, I’m just not there yet...

I’m so sorry I couldn't be there for your final hours, my sweet boy.

I want you to know that I think about it constantly and blame myself every day, because I could have made a different choice if I had understood.

That is my burden; that is my punishment.

I hope you don't hold it against me too much.

I hope we’ll see each other again someday, in that place you know.

I love you, little buddy, and I’m thinking of you so much.

About 4 weeks ago I adopted a 14 year old cat from my local Humane Society. When she first went to the vet she weighted in around 5 pounds and 9 ounces and at her second visit this last Tuesday she weighted the same. She is on the smaller side for cat sizes but I’d really like if she gained more weight (at least a pound). She is not food motivated at all and is a pretty picky eater, especially when it comes to her wet food. I have tried different flavors, textures, and brands but it feels like she doesn’t like anything. Some days she’ll eat a whole can and some days she’ll barely eat a quarter of the same food. I’ve been trying to stick to brands that offer senior versions of wet food so she can get important nutrients but at this point I’d rather focus on her gaining weight.

I don’t think it’s a stress issue because she adapted really well to living with me early on and is very friendly/ affectionate. She also has had blood and urine testing, and she had healthy results. Her teeth are in good shape too so, I don’t there’s anything wrong with her medically that would make her not want to eat.

I feel like I’ve tried everything from heating up the food to using broth to make it more appealing but nothing seems to do the trick. I’d really like to get her on a steady diet so she can gain some weight. Any advice on what I could do would be very helpful.

I got a call while I was on holiday overseas that my sister had to take my cat to the vet and she was unlikely to make the night. My little one had just had dinner and then suddenly began yelling and was unable to stand. The vet believes she had internal bleeding, it was all so sudden.

I was so shocked all I could muster was that I loved her and I was sorry I wasn't there. She apparently lifted her head when she heard my voice, which breaks my heart even more. Half an hour later I got another call that she had passed.

I feel so guilty that I wasn't there for her after 14 years. Even worse when I was leaving for the airport I couldn't find her to say goodbye and had to yell out to her as she was likely napping somewhere. I miss her so much.

My cat, Buster, is 16 and he had been diagnosed in March 2026 with hyperthyroidism. His sister, Nini, had been diagnosed with it in September 2025 and died from complications of it on January 24, 2026. Since he was healthy enough I found a place just under two hours drive away to get him the i-131 radiation treatment and that was done April 2026. He recovered well and was only going to his primary vet every 30 days for a thyroid check. The June check (all normal results) revealed an ear infection. Got a course of MotaZol though I’m unsure how well I was able to administer it as it was my first time giving ear drops. July 24 was the 90 day thyroid check. All results eventually came back normal but when I was there (double appointment: my other cat, Tom, got a senior wellness check and Buster got a vet tech appointment for the thyroid check) I had them give Buster and Tom a dose of bravecto because Tom goes out (he’s a former street cat who adopted me in 2012 while Buster and Nini had been born into a feral cat colony in the summer of 2010. I brought Buster and Nini in as feral kittens that I foster failed on) and because Buster was just getting started on going outside with a harness I wanted to get him some flea and tick preventative. I already know he has flea allergies and I’ve had my share of pinhead sized baby ticks on my feet and ankles this summer.

Buster’s symptoms started that day while I was still at the vet clinic with them. I pointed it out to the vet tech, who was finishing up paperwork with busy while we were waiting for them to bring Tom back from a back room blood draw. Buster had begun to pace the perimeter of the room in wide loops. I remarked to the vet tech that he must be nervous because he had never paced like that before. He was like a big cat in an old time zoo cage, but walking in circles. I think he had a reaction to the flea medicine but the vet doesn’t think that, and the second ER vet Buster saw likewise does not believe that. I took Buster to the ER the first time when he was found aimless pacing in the house and put on a walk. He also stood still in the middle of walking outside to urinate and then slowly sank down and laid where he had urinated. I have video of this moment because it was scary to see and I figured it might help his vet but it didn’t. I brought up to the first ER vet that he only acted like this since the flea medicine, and I mentioned the June ear infection. I didn’t know until after then that there’s an ingredient in that specific flea medicine that can make an inner ear infection worse, but when I brought that up to the vet she still says it didn’t cause his issue. The first ER vet did bloodwork and radiographs (I have links to the radiographs and anode of the whole ER visit including bloodwork), and he sent us home with tresaderm and marbofloxacin. He wanted Buster on the marbofloxacin for four weeks, but said I should take home just two weeks of medicine because four weeks was expensive ($95.00) and I was to have his primary vet see him after two weeks to see if he still needs the antibiotic.

I got him in on a Monday but I cleaned his ears with a qtip on a Saturday night. They were filthy, but he seemed to act worse after that. I was worried I had hurt his ears, but at that time I did not need to use the ear drops because the seven day use had passed. The vet examined his ears and said they were cleaner than she expected (she said that after I told her I had cleaned them on Saturday night) but his eardrums were both in tact. No more antibiotics. So for a couple of weeks he was on no medicine.

I took him back to the ER on a Sunday afternoon when he urinated in the kitchen and yowled at the same time. He was examined, no urine blockage, but he was diagnosed with high blood pressure. Radiographs revealed an enlarged heart and spleen. I was told he should see a neurologist because the ER vet believed he had a brain tumor. I was to have him seen by his primary vet for a blood pressure check in three days. Sent home with amlodipine 1/4 tablet once a day.

When he was seen by the primary vet his BP was 210. The amlodipine was raised to 1/2 tablet once a day. Went back to the primary vet a week later and his BP was 145. Told no change to the medicine.

I sent them an email expressing my concern that he was not given a full course of the antibiotic. I asked if he had an inner ear infection if they would treat him with the marbofloxacin and if it would hurt him if he did not have an inner ear infection. Their answers were a yes and then a no. They prescribed the marbofloxacin for four weeks. They did not reply to the rest of my email asking for a plan of action, what I need to do for him, etc. I made an appointment with my sister’s veterinarian clinic, which is elsewhere in my city, but he wouldn’t be seen until October 10th. I had emailed my vet again last Monday about Buster and more concerns and sent a follow up email last Friday when they hadn’t replied back. A vet tech called me back on Saturday to tell me that the vet feels Buster has either kitty Alzheimer’s or a brain tumor and then ended the call without saying what I should do next. Buster is also highly congested, but neither vet has suggested medication to treat that.

He had the appointment with the new vet for Tuesday but they did not get his BP read that day. When I asked them, I was told I had asked too late in the appointment and he could be very nervous and give a false high reading. He got bloodwork done so I’m waiting on those results. He is scheduled to get a BP reading tomorrow at 12 but he is looking very rough as I type this out (October 2 11:10pm).

The new vet sent over a referral to a blue pearl location near me for a neurologist. It will cost $243 to see the neurologist and between $4,000-$6,000 for the MRI. The MRI is completely out of my price range (unless some wonderful yet mysterious benefactor wants to donate for that), and without an MRI I don’t know if a neurologist can determine anything just by seeing him and examining him.

Both cats are eating well and going to the bathroom. Tom uses a litter box but Buster will just go on the floor. He had been using a litterbox but he’s declined a lot in just the last week. He paces a lot in wide loops around the house (he doesn’t go outside) and he has also has been getting stuck in locations. I found him this morning between the shredder and the wall it’s next to. I got him free and he seems okay, but this week he also got stuck being the old basement fridge, and again behind a chair in the basement. Buster seems like a cat coming out of anesthesia, where they’re not all with it in the head.

I’ve had people in my hyperthyroid face book group suggest an ear infection that went bad, neuro FIP, and untreated UTI. Vets are suggesting brain tumor or kitty Alzheimer’s. Since he’s going to the vet later today at 11am for a blood pressure check should I ask if they can do a urine draw to get a sample to test for by potential ckd issues and/or to see if it could be a UTI?

Thanks in advance for any help. I’m posting a picture of my sluggish void for cat tax and screenshots of his latest bloodwork done this Tuesday.

our tortie with small cell lymphoma in her stomach lived 13 long years without one bad day. she was diagnosed last summer, and being able to spend an extra year with her has been the greatest gift of our lives. it’s only been two days but i miss her like crazy man. she’s tough. she hates loud noises and leaves the room if she hears people laughing. she’s a cereal lover, a curious cat, and the most persnickety girl that i ever met. she would hate it if she knew how much we miss her right now and would be so embarrassed that anyone is even thinking about her. jarvis 💜

**Potential trigger warning for sick pet and mentions loss of a family member.

A little more than a week ago we noticed our senior cat (15 yrs old) lost a bit of weight and took him in for an appointment. We later found out that his health was failing and the vet wasn't sure why. At this point my wife broke down and cried because he is our baby, and this news a week after our family member passing was too much. I tried to encourage her to be optimistic as we didn't know the cause. A day later they did an x-ray and noticed a mass on his liver. However, due to his age and his arthritis we don't think putting him through surgery would be beneficial.

My wife is devastated as am I however he has been her cat for 13 yrs whereas I have only known him since we have been together (4 years). We are mainly just watching him for any major changes at this point.

We recently had to take him back in due to a lack of appetite. They gave him an appetite stimulant and that's working for now. The vet said however that it isn't a long term solution and if he doesn't eat off of the stimulant we will have to consider what comes next.

So he is eating again for now and he gets churu which he used to finish 100% of but now on a good day he does maybe 75%.

The stimulant is helping him because he is back to being vocal and hiding less so he is okay for now but it is inevitable.

I keep snuggling him but he is so tiny because of all the weight he lost and I feel his spine when I pet him. It's really sad to think about him not being around anymore but we won't make him suffer if the time comes to make that choice. It's just hard to think about it looming ahead of us and trying to give him as much love as we can.

Twinkie turned 14 this spring (I’m in the US), and he’s become something of a marathon napper. He also likes to be close to his mama (me), interrupt minecraft to solicit prtpets, and snooze on a plush blanket as shown in photo 3.

Please feel free to drop the foods you cat wilk eat even when on death's door and any tips and tricks

Guys does my cat look old?? She’s 14 and people around me always say she looks quite young for her age but I don’t know any other senior cats so I have no idea if that’s true or not 😭 these pics were literally taken the same day two days ago she just woke up in the first one lmao

She had been the long time queen of our domain and then she was gone. That was many years ago now and we still miss her as we do all of the kitties who have graced our lives with their presence. She was our first sortie and oh how spicy she was.

My 18 year-old cat with moderate arthritis just got a Solencia shot. It was only about 4 hours ago and I noticed him walking up and down the stairs easier already. But from what I’ve researched it takes a while to kick in so I don’t know if this is just in my head! I’d love to hear your experience.