Cat Chat Feline Forum

Pippin had a fine needle aspiration of a swollen lymph node in his neck on Monday - the vet has just phoned with the results, and as we strongly suspected it looks as if Pippin has a tumour in the nasal cavity, and the lymphoma has already spread into the lymph node. We could do more investigations to confirm it and stage it - x-rays and biopsy, both requiring a general anaesthetic - but as the treatment options would be far too invasive for the vet to recommend or me to contemplate we have agreed palliative care with meloxicam and antibiotics. His vet thinks he may be OK for some time, but I am already aware that he is slowing down even further.

I am sad of course, but he is 18 years old and has had increasingly severe arthritis for the last 10 years, and I have been aware of his life becoming smaller and less rewarding over the last months. While he is eating reasonably well and not in pain, we will take each day as it comes. One more summer, or at least a few more weeks of lazing in the sun…

So sorry fjm, even expected this kind of news still comes as a shock and 18 being a pretty good "innings" isn't even al that helpful when it comes to facing those 18 years drawing to a close. As you say, fingers crossed for a good summer for him and for you both.

So sorry to hear about Pippin. I hope he manages one more summer of lying in the sun.

Over the last week or two Pippin has been getting rapidly worse - barely eating except for chicken liver, which gives him diarrhoea, increasingly uncomfortable, and with that look in his eyes that is both inward and far away. This morning he chose to go back to his private place rather than settle on my lap as he usually would, and I knew the time has come. We have the last appointment of the day this afternoon, and I will be with him. I am tearful, but both my head and my heart know the time is right - any more time would be for me, not for him.

Sending huge hugs to you and scritches behind Pippin's ears, wishing you courage for later and a peaceful day if he feels up to spending at least some of it with you. You really have done everything that could reasonably be done in his best interests no matter how hard that is for you, you do so much and give so much to your four legged furry family and Pippin certainly can't leave you anything but a glowing review. Will be thinking of you both.

I’m so very sorry. They are such a big part of our lives and 18 years it’s a long time. My boy is 18 too. Thinking of you and sending love

Thank you everyone.

It was very quick, very peaceful, very easy on him, and made me wish more than ever that we could offer the same kindness to humans when necessary. The vet took him away briefly to examine and insert a long line catheter, and was obviously rather shocked at how quickly he had gone down over the last few weeks. I held Pip on my lap and murmured to him, the vet injected the drug into the line and within seconds Pippin collapsed asleep in my arms and his heart stopped. “As virtuous men pass mildly away, and whisper to their souls to go…”

There is a feeling of full circle. It was kitten Pippin I wept into when I got the phone call from my mother that she had terminal cancer, almost exactly 18 years ago, and we have been through a lot together since. I shall miss his greetings when I drive up to the house, and his heavy weight on my lap morning and evening. I’ll even miss him tromping over my head at 5am in the hope of breakfast. I am sad, but he has had a long and happy life and was helped to slip away before his illness became unbearable. Heaven send all of us the same good life and easy death.

The ultimate gift of selfless love, when we have nothing else left to give.

Be extra kind to yourself and your household in the tough days and weeks ahead, we are here for you. Purr in peace Pippin.

I'm sorry to hear you've had to let him go, I find them going quickly helps me know it was the right time, and like you, wish we could have that for humans. RIP Pippin

RIP Pippin