Dock has had quite a good week. She seemed perkier, and was awake a lot more than I expected. She seems to be more content with the new cat Norris and maybe that is why she is doing good this week.
I re-evaluated her quality of life score, and talked it over with the vet. The link I posted I think was more for the vets, so they can judge, but both my vet and myself think there is a lot more to quality of life from an owners perspective. For example. While Dock has good mobility, I see it declining. I can tell she's weak and can't stand or sit for long. She also stumbles. She was not interested in playing with toys recently, but when I engaged her with a feathered wand toy, she batted at it for a good 5 minutes. I know she is not great, but she is not as bad as I thought, and my vet was an important part of that process.
I am a believer though that quality of life is not just the basics (eating, drinking, lying there watching the world go by). I want Dock to be happy. I would rather see us say goodbye to Dock on her terms and our terms, versus the illnesses terms. I don't want her to go through a big event such as a major seizure, or her stumbling down the stairs and breaking a leg. Those are the things that worry me. And though they are unlikely to happen, there is that possibility. For now, it's still week by week, and I'm still always second guessing myself. But that is what being a pet owner is about.
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