Follow On Thread..after Losing Puss

[crisper]

Thankyou all so much for your kind words after the sudden loss of our girl..On reflection.. were now concerned about the lack of treatment she got at the cattery...we have NO DOUBT that the outcome would have been the same, she needed to be put to sleep.. but the cattery said they thought that her listnessnes.. lack of appetite.. and general ''unwell look'' was down to heat..The vet said she'd been ''suffering'' for at least 5 days before we picked her up..can we do anything? the cattery owner is listed in FAB... but I cant find a complaints section!... I feel terrible.. I feel I left her to suffer at the cattery.. whilst on holiday.. the cattery owner had both mine and hubby's mobile number..and my mother in law ..who would make a decision if we were un- contactable.. they didn't contact any of us!!..I have to say.. her brother is ok.. so thats a relief!!... Thanks for your thoughts on this.. I might not get back 'til tomorrow.. so ta in advance..I'll aknowledge tomorrow.. ta guys Mrs C xx

[Tilly2]

Did you explain to the cattery just how poorly she was when you took her in, crisper? Were they aware of her tumour?

[excelsior-1]

just got in - been out all day

crisper, my deepest sympathies on the loss of your beloved moggie

i get the impression from your text above that you had reservations about leaving her at the cattery, and your fears have manifested

i would suggest that if you indeed feel they have been negligent, then certainly find a way to hold them to account

once again, my thoughts.....

[boxtops]

I'm so sad to hear your news, crisper - I know myself how horrible it is.

We had something similar happen many many years back, when diagnostics weren't nearly as good as they are now. One of my then cats was clearly unwell - losing weight, scrawny - but the vets just didn't know what it was. It turned out to be kidney failure (which they can treat well now, but 30 years ago they couldn't.....) - but the vets clearly were out of their comfort zone. They kept him in - I rang up to see how he was, only to be told that he'd died in the night. They didn't ring me.....

The trouble with cats, as I found recently with Black Spot, is that no matter how ill they are, they don't tell you until they are really in a bad way - by which time it may be too late :-(

Please don't feel you left her to suffer - but did you explain to the cattery about her state of health when you left her there? They could genuinely have thought otherwise that the heat was affecting her (as it does).

You could complain (as I could have done), but I was so devastated that I didn't, and not venting my spleen wouldn't change things. I just didn't go back to that vets with my remaining cat at that time. Cat 2 needed a lot of comforting, he knew his brother was gone - cats know these things....

[wolf63]

I totally agree with Boxtop - cats will hide any weakness, even from their humans, and you normally don't notice that they are ill until they are very ill.

[crisper]

Tilly.. thanks for the answer.. we had no idea that puss was poorly when she went to the cattery.. Excelsior.. no reservations.. the cattery has always been good.... Boxy & Wolfy.. thankyou too... Our girly would always show when she wasn't well.. she had health problems from when she was a baby.. kitten..lol... and as I said.. the outcome would have been the same..if the cattery people had taken her to the vets earlier... the tumour she had was attatched to her Spleen..Liver.. you get the picture.. but its the suffering she went through.. the duration of the cats stay was 12 nights.. the vet said.. in her opinion.. she would have shown signs of being uncomfortable.. very unwell for at least a week !.. we'd have lost her anyway.. I'm just upset the the cattery people would have clearly seen the signs (vets opinion..not mine) and they didn't act.. we'd awaays said.. during a stay.. if the ctrs were very unwell.. no treatment would help.. then they should be put out of thier suffering....! I dunno... I feel guilty.. 'praps its an over reaction on my part!.. thanks again you guys!..Mrs C xx

[Tilly2]

Even if the cattery had noticed and had taken her to the vets, the outcome would have been the same.

Don't blame anyone, least of all yourself.. It was an inevitable ending.

[boxtops]

I agree with tilly - whatever happened, you would be feeling bad that you weren't there when she was feeling unwell. Nothing you can do, crisper - bigs hugs (()).

[lankeela]

I believe that if the cattery had been aware of her illness they would have acted sooner, but because they had no idea then its not surprising they put it down to the heat. Most cats in a cattery are very lazy and will just lie around and sleep, so probably they didn't realise. If they took every cat to the vet who was lazing around then their vet would be a very rich man.