Playing God with pets

Never is any pet exactly like another, so the health issues will be different too.  Keeping that in mind, please know that I felt like I had to play God for my 2 kitties.  Money is sometimes a factor, suffering is often the drawing message for allowing your pet to rest in peace.  My two babies were not old.  Dooter was 11 years old and an adopted male with both front and back claws removed at kittenhood.  I never would have done that to him, but it was not my decision for that event to have taken place.  He was a large Siamese weighing 18 pounds. 

Dooter, was neutered, had a great personality and was a wonderful guard cat, keeping strays out of my yard. I always protected him while he was outdoors, since he could not survive an attack by claws from another cat.  My other two cats did not hurt him. My Mimi, a girl, shunned him for 3 years and then tolerated him after that.  Oliver, a neutered male, age 13 loved Dooter from the beginning by grooming him and initiating healthy play. Oliver had claws, however did not inject them into Dooter during play time. 

Dooter became lethargic, lost hair around his ears and had an unusual sneeze.  I took him to the vet for $250 and he seemed to improve.  Years went by without reoccurrance of those symptoms. He began  occasional spraying, in my absence even though I had a caring person look in on him in my absence. I followed him everywhere so I could clean up after his spraying as soon as it was done. He had to be confined in the bathroom when I grocery shopped and at night. If I was not able to watch him, he was in confined with food, water, bed and litter box.  He was crying most of every night since he did not want to be there without me.

I took him to the vet and came home with Dooter, some improvement in those symptoms mentioned above, but spraying increased.  I was told suggestions of changing the cat box more frequently, even though I am very clean about that.  Also the vet gave me some arthritis med to help the small spot discovered on an x-ay I insisted on taking.  I thought maybe it could show signs of why Dooter was spraying.  It showed only the small arthritis, which should not have, in the vet's mind, created the spraying.

Dooter was given a Prozac- like med. After 9 weeks he was not spraying less.  His personality changed. He no longer played with Oliver, his buddy, no longer groomed himself and slept a lot.  He became agressive toward my adult son and was not content in any way that I viewed. 

In May 2009 I allowed Dooter to go to Heaven. We battled the spraying for almost 2 years without success in the outcome. I just did not want to let him go until I tried to find a remedy to the spraying. I have now learned that some brain damage is done to cats that have claws removed.  He was a victum of that.  It was a quality of life issue that helped me see things as God would see if he were here.   Dooter did not like his life anymore with nightly confinement and drugged daytime feeling. I will miss him forever and do know a correct decision was made for my boy.

I will need to continue with Mimi later as the site is destroying my draft as I save it. Please read my post titled Mimi, I am doing the best I can.  This will tell you of my girl's story. Thank you