Dead Cat Walking

We had an appointment this morning to euthanize Haylie but I had a last-minute epiphany last night that we should try using a baking sheet as a litter box to see if she would be able to handle that. Her arthritis is so bad that she has a hard time getting into regular litter boxes. I suspect it will not help, but I figured it was worth a try. Also: now when you come to our house and taste something a little "offbeat" in the roasted carrots, you'll know what it is!

She has lost an alarming amount of weight in the last three to four months, and her arthritis is limiting her ability to move around. It looks painful much of the time. She also hasn't used the litter box much in the last six months, which has created a pee swamp in our basement. When we called to cancel the appointment today the vet suggested putting her on steroids, but we don't think that's a good permanent solution. I am thinking that if this last-ditch effort with the low-edged litter box doesn't work, we'll make an appointment for later this week to put her down. It's been a long, wonderful road, Haylie. We will miss you.