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What is My Cat's Life
Expectancy & Life Quality?
 What
sort of life expectancy does my cat have
with/without treatment?
Will
treatment prolong life or merely prolong
suffering?
Will
the treatment or side-effects cause distress
for either of us?
Do
my other cats risk being infected or can
they be inoculated?
Having learnt that your pet is cannot be cured
or is deteriorating, you will probably ask 'how
long has he got?' Some conditions begin slowly but
the rate of deterioration speeds up as the effects
become cumulative. Other conditions progress
rapidly after symptoms first appear. Many cats
reach an advanced stage of their condition or
illness before showing symptoms. Cats also differ
in the way they cope with illness and respond to
treatments. There may be no hard and fast forecast
about life expectancy, just general guidelines and
knowing what signs signal further deterioration.
Knowing whether the cat has days, weeks or even
years of relative health will affect your
decision.
Vets give estimates of life expectancy
depending on the normal rate of deterioration
according to textbooks and their own experiences,
the stage of illness/deterioration the cat is
currently at, the cat's age and its general
condition. They normally advise as to what sort of
quality of life the cat can expect and for how
long. I've had elderly cats live very comfortably
on "borrowed time" for 3 times the
estimate while others managed only a third of
their estimated "good quality life
expectancy".
As your cat's condition deteriorates and the
euthanasia decision gets closer; it is gets harder
because you may have nursed and bonded more
strongly. His rate and stage of deterioration can
be measured by blood, urine and stool samples,
tissue samples, X-rays and ultrasound scans
(depending on the nature of the condition). For
example, the levels of urea and creatinine in the
blood gives an accurate measure of kidney
function. The higher the levels, the worse the
problem. Dialysis, diet and drugs can slow chronic
renal failure, but not reverse or halt it. Once
urea levels reach a certain threshold, death is
inevitable and unpleasant so most vets recommend
euthanasia before that point.
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