Well I gave a friend of mine a lift home today after she got off work. No big deal there, since I'm her ride into work as well since she doesn't drive, and my work schedule is very flexible.
I got home to let my roommate's dogs out, and to check on my own critters. Found out one of my guinea pigs died about two hours before I got home. She was cool to the touch, but still kind of floppy so rigor hadn't set in yet. So bummed about that, but easily understandable since rodents don't live that long in general. She was about 4 or 5 years old so on the young side of an old guinea pig since they usually live 7 to 8 years.
What really upset me is my 14 year old cat Hitch had been having issues. Back in June/July it looked like he had heat stroke. We got him through that. Then about a month or so later he had another issue controling is bowel movements, and he had explosive diereah all over my bed. Again 14 years old so other than being sick from the smell of it I don't blame him for it. A few weeks after that looked like he had heat stroke again. Found him hiding in the bathroom drooling.
Well today I couldn't find him, and he's normally the first cat to meow a greating to me. I looked in all his hidy spots, checked where he hid the first time he had heat stroke due to it being nice dark and cool. Couldn't find him, then I decide to check my bathroom. He was doing the loaf (if you have cats you know the loaf look they have) position drooling on the toilet mat. He had accidents on the bathmats in front of the shower, the toilet, on a cat bed when I went to double check his accident areas, and in the shower itself.
So I put food and water in the bathroom for him, a clean cat bed with his favorite snuggle toy, and began washing things. He's going to be staying in there overnight just so the other cats don't bother him, and I don't have to hunt him down to check on him during the night. The good news is my roommate is off work tomorrow so she can check on him on a regular basis.
We're going to have to keep an eye on him for a few days until I get my paycheck or the check my roommate got from selling her car clears. Then he's going to the vet. I'm just hoping its something we can manage and get him better. He's still eating, drinking, and enjoying life. However these issues he's been having are getting closer and closer. I don't know if he's having seizures, heat stroke issues, kidney failure, or if he has cancer.
I really don't want to put him down, but with these issues coming up more and more with him, if after a vet check it may come to that if we can't get things under control. Since he's 14 going on 15 I don't want to risk putting him under if he has cancer or is going into kidney failure, due to the fact the anestetic might kill him outright.
I've resigned myself to the fact I may have to put him down if he doesn't go out on his own terms. I want him going out on his terms surrounded by his furry brother and sisters, and well me and my roommate instead of in a vet's office since he has always hated the vet. I know if I have to put him down, I'll stay with him if the vet will let me stay with him. I honestly don't want his last moments of him being alone, scared, and wondering where I'm at.
Clear and Calm
