The trip to the vet tonight was one way, as expected. Cat had a large growth in his abdomen, which the vet said was either an intestinal blockage, or more likely since he was still pooping some, a tumour. Either condition would have been 'operable' but with a very poor prognosis either way. If it was cancer, chances are it would have spread to other areas; if it was an intestinal blockage, the chance of secondary infection was high. Not to mention that the very act of putting piggies under anaesthetic is often fatal in and of itself.
Last night, amid many tears, the boys and I talked about euthanasia, what it meant as a pet owner to make those decisions, and what the decision might be based on. It was a complex discussion that evolved from being a responsible pet owner to all manner of things - the monetary burden of owning a pet, quality of life, assisted suicide, extraordinary measures.
I'm consistently impressed with how mature and thoughtful my sons are, and I was proud of their desire and ability to voice their opinions and feelings on these things with such clarity and compassion. We agreed that if he was not going to get any better that euthanasia was the route we'd go. Then the boys asked me to take some special pictures with them, the results of which you're seeing here. The boys set up the shots, and I snapped away.
Wil held out optimism right to the end. When the vet found the mass in Cat's abdomen and explained the probable outcomes, the boys understood what needed to be done, and bravely said their goodbyes.
We've brought Cat home with us - the boys want him cremated and put in an urn along with the rest of our beloved pets. I may have to flay another tampon... *sigh*
The trip to the vet tonight was one way, as expected. Cat had a large growth in his abdomen, which the vet said was either an intestinal blockage, or more likely since he was still pooping some, a tumour. Either condition would have been 'operable' but with a very poor prognosis either way. If it was cancer, chances are it would have spread to other areas; if it was an intestinal blockage, the chance of secondary infection was high. Not to mention that the very act of putting piggies under anaesthetic is often fatal in and of itself.
Last night, amid many tears, the boys and I talked about euthanasia, what it meant as a pet owner to make those decisions, and what the decision might be based on. It was a complex discussion that evolved from being a responsible pet owner to all manner of things - the monetary burden of owning a pet, quality of life, assisted suicide, extraordinary measures.
I'm consistently impressed with how mature and thoughtful my sons are, and I was proud of their desire and ability to voice their opinions and feelings on these things with such clarity and compassion. We agreed that if he was not going to get any better that euthanasia was the route we'd go. Then the boys asked me to take some special pictures with them, the results of which you're seeing here. The boys set up the shots, and I snapped away.
Wil held out optimism right to the end. When the vet found the mass in Cat's abdomen and explained the probable outcomes, the boys understood what needed to be done, and bravely said their goodbyes.
We've brought Cat home with us - the boys want him cremated and put in an urn along with the rest of our beloved pets. I may have to flay another tampon... *sigh*
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