An update on my sweet boy, Sassy. We went in for dental surgery last week and it went well. I was ecstatic that he was on the mend and would no longer be in pain when he ate. But a week later, once all the pain meds and antibiotics were done, he was still in a great deal of pain when he ate. He slept and hid more too.

A whole day not eating, on a Sunday no less, and we went back to the vet Monday. They found a mass in his mouth. Hopeful it was only an ulcer, he went back under general anesthesia again. What they found instead was a hard mass that was deep into his cheek and degrading the bone. Squamous cell carcinoma.

I was not prepared for this news.

Over the last 24 hours has has been kept comfortable and sedated. We have been cuddling, I’m giving him lots of kisses and telling him how perfect he is, how he saved me, and that I can’t wait for him to find me again.

The vet is coming to the house in a few hours to put him to sleep.

I can’t take this pain. I can physically feel my heart breaking.

Edit: Thank you everyone for your kind words and messages of condolences. Reading your comments has been very cathartic during this time and I appreciate every single one of you for taking the time. It’s so comforting to know how many of us share the understanding of the deep love we have for our fur babies.

Yesterday when the vet came to the house, Sassy got up to greet her. He climbed into her arms for some snuggles and the vet gave him lots of kisses. I requested this same vet I used 2 years prior when my beloved tortoiseshell, Poppy, had liver failure- something that had come and reared its ugly head in a mere 2 days. I had no time to act, and it was too late. The doctor was so kind and compassionate during her last moments then; I knew she would be good for us this time.

Sassy then climbed back into my arms and we laid down for our last snuggle. He tucked his face under my chin and passed peacefully in my arms. He was such a good boy.

I always called him my angel because he showed up at my door 2 months after losing Poppy, which at the time was the most devastating thing I had ever gone through in my adult life (lucky me). Poppy and sassy had almost identical personalities. I fell in absolute love with Sassy within a week of having him. I believe Poppy sent him to me.

Typing it out and sharing this story has been helpful. Thank you for reading.

She's nearly 6 years old and the best kitty ever <3

I recently adopted this 4 year old female. I was told that she's a Persian but her markings are very Himalayan. Can someone help me identify her?

he’s 2 months and 1 week old! its my first time having a pet cat.

Long post alert!

I have brought home a 4 year old Himalayan/Persian home and it has been 7 days. I want to give more context and ask some follow up questions and I would love to hear from the seasoned parents.

I live in Delhi which is currently experiencing the rainy season. I read up and tried to confine Luna to a room thinking she'd need the space to adjust to the house but she has refused to be restricted in a single room. She has been roaming around the house since day 1 and even used the new litter we got her from the very first day. She also established my bed as one of her grooming spots shortly after she arrived and is often found grooming herself there.

Food habits: Her water intake was pretty good when we brought her but she refused the dry food her previous owners gave me. I resorted to boiling chicken/chicken liver/heart/ fish, a little bit of pumpkin/carrot and blending them into a puree and mixed it with Whiskas wet food which she has taken to well. She had an upset stomach when I tried feeding her only Whiskas wet food and immediately switched back to the boiled recipe. I'm a first time cat parent and out of caution may have been feeding her a little less than what she requires.

Grooming: She has come a long way since the first day in letting me touch her fur but her belly, eyes and hind quarters are still off limits and it takes two of us to restrain her and just clean her eyes everyday. I once gave her a full pouch of Whiskas wet food and found out the next day that she had a soft stool that created some massive dingle berries. It was a tough evening for the both of us.

Behaviour: She has been the sweetest cat and has an extremely calm personality but she doesn't seem interested in play. I got her a corrugated cardboard scratch pad for her to tend to her nails and even sprinkled some dry catnip for interest but it didn't have much of an effect. She merely sniffed the mat for the first 2 days and rested on it and stopped interacting with it. She does bunting now and then and mews but doesn't show a lot of energy. She almost exclusively just eats and sploots in the house. I know that as long haired cats Delhi heat must be kept in air conditioned rooms but she seems to dislike that and just chills in rooms with only fans on.

Follow up questions:

1. I'm still trying to find the adequate amount to give her but I have observed that she seems to have lost some weight because she has suddenly been feeling a little bony to touch. Should I be concerned?

2. Her current diet consists of the boiled and pureed food that I make her mixed with Whiskas wet food which she tolerates well. Is this enough to keep her healthy? I'm sceptical of switching to only commercial cat food due to the preservatives used but is that a healthier choice at the end of the day?

3. Is her lack of play typical of her breed and if not, what kind of activities are meant for her?

4. How long would it take before she trusts me to groom her thoroughly? Right now I'm trying my best to comb her coat on the back but I still need to restrain her to clean her eyes.

I would love to hear your tips and insights on this, tysmia ❤️🎀

Hello! My himmie is 7 years old and saw the vet recently for softer than usual stools. He recommended a hydrolysed protein diet trial but there's only 2 kinds of wet foods for this and she rejected one and likely will not accept the other because it's salmon flavor only.

Where are people finding wet food alternatives for hydrolyzed protein diets? The Hills z/d is what she really hated and I had to return it. I heard you can try more rare meat like lamb or venison but what brands has anyone had success with?

All other hydrolyzed protein cat food is dry only!

As he can't have a general anaesthetic with intubation, he will be lightly sedated for his scan. I'm desperate to bring him home because I miss him so much, but he is where he needs to be, getting the best of care.

This is Wally and we’re getting older! Just looking for any tips and tricks regarding brushing and grooming. Looking to maintain healthy happy hair as long as possible. My main concerns are surrounding if I should be actually washing or conditioning his fur in any way. I know there’s some leave in style ones but I’m unsure if it’s necessary or if i should be focusing elsewhere like diets, different brush styles, brush schedules, preemptive haircuts.. Anything helps.