You are viewing this article in the AnnArbor.com archives. For the latest breaking news and updates in Ann Arbor and the surrounding area, see MLive.com/ann-arbor
Posted on Tue, Oct 11, 2011 : 8:15 p.m.

Success Story: Family chooses to give Nini the 17-year-old cat one more wonderful summer

By Ann Arbor Animal Hospital

Ann-Arbor-Animal-Hospital-2011-Nini

A feisty 17-year-old on the back porch looking through a screen for "mom" during this last "favorite summer"

Photo by the Farsakian family

End of life decisions are, sadly, a part of owning a pet. To euthanize or not to euthanize due to medical problems, quality of life, and (unfortunately) the cost of extreme medical care are all issues which must be weighed by responsible pet owners. Also, whether an owner decides to euthanize a beloved pet or opt for medical care, we should be careful not judge them for the choices they make.

In an ongoing series regarding end of life decisions, we will be discussing individual cases that will include success stories, some examples of grieving families who made a compassionate decision to euthanize, as well as ways many have come to terms with the loss of a beloved pet. It is our hope that there are lessons we can learn about the importance of pets in our lives, as well as ways we can nurture the animals we love, whether it be extensive medical intervention or a compassionate and caring end in the arms of someone who loved them.

This is the story of a family that went to extreme measures to extend the life of their beloved pet. For them, it was just not yet time for her to go. Although they recognize they extended their cat’s life for a short period of time (after all, Nini was more than 17 years old), they opted for a surgical removal of a tumor to improve quality of life, if even temporarily.

A well-loved 17-year-old cat
Nini the cat has been a valued member of the Farsakian family for 17 years. Nini was a young, but full grown, cat when Stuart picked her as the family pet for his second birthday present (Stuart is 19 now).

Like too many animals, prior to her adoption by the Farsakians, Nini had been abandoned or was feral, and had spent the first winter of her life out in the cold, even losing part of her ear to frostbite. According to mom, Melissa Farsakian, due to such rough beginnings, Nini has “never forgotten where she came from and has made sure that we understand that she has appreciated every day that she has spent with our family.”

Bad news from the vet
So, of course it was with heavy hearts the Farsakian family received a poor prognosis from their veterinarian, Dr. Janet Figarra: “Nini was a 17-year-old domestic shorthair that presented during her examination as very pale and weak with an enormous mass palpable in her cranial abdomen.”

While the family requested the Ann Arbor Animal Hospital to remove the mass with the hope it would extend Nini’s quality of life, Dr. Figarra was skeptical as to whether Nini’s mass could be removed and was also questioning whether Nini would survive surgery in her frail condition.

According to Dr. Figarra, “We decided to have an abdominal ultrasound performed to try to determine degree of organ involvement. We also took digital radiographs of her thorax to look for evidence of metastasis (the spread of a disease-producing agency, such as cancer cells, from the initial or primary site of disease to another part of the body). The ultrasound suggested that the mass was exclusive to one liver lobe. We then discussed pros and cons of surgery before electing to proceed.

"For Nini, specific indications to pursue surgery were many. Although she could only take small meals, she continued to be interested in food. Her shortness of breath and her reduced mobility appeared to be directly related to the tumor. She was profoundly anemic but she was continuing to make new red blood cells (a regenerative anemia) suggesting that she would be able to normalize red cell numbers once the source of bleeding was removed.

"If the tumor was in a single liver lobe as it appeared on ultrasound, liver lobectomy could increase Nini’s length and quality of life,” Dr. Figarra added.

A family’s decision
Reasons to pursue hospice rather than surgery were also considered. Nini was fairly comfortable and surgery would mean a period of increased discomfort during recovery.

There were high risks with anesthesia in such a debilitated cat. She would need a blood transfusion and careful monitoring of heart rate, respirations and blood pressure during surgery.

The veterinary staff was concerned that they may not be able to remove enough of the tumor to significantly improve Nini’s quality of life due to adhesions or spread of the tumor to nearby organs. Finally, the cost of surgery was also weighed versus the potential benefits.

Nini already had reduced quality of life and, without intervention, her veterinarian’s best hope was for a couple more weeks. Her family was committed to doing everything possible to extend Nini’s life. They decided for surgery.

The outcome
Nini’s surgery went well, and she recovered from the anesthesia nicely. Tissue samples were submitted for analysis to determine the type of tumor and the prognosis. Moving ahead with the surgery was very rewarding for all involved, and the Animal Hospital, like any other veterinary clinic, was thrilled to have made such a positive impact on Nini and her family.

According to Melissa, “We understand that the tumor has come back from histology about as bad as it could be and that at best we may have bought her a little time. That’s okay; we knew before we did this that this outcome was a possibility, and it was important to us to at least make her as comfortable as possible. We had no idea how far back she could come.

"I might venture to say that she was even a little sassy. She deserves to be. She has nurtured our son Stuart and our whole family, she has raised two dogs and several kittens (the most recent of which came feral from the ditch in front of our house), and we knew she was not ready to go yet. She has paid her dues many times over. Watching her sun herself on the deck and run out to, much less run in from the woods, proves to us we made the right decision.”

“Our family is so humbled to have Nini back with us in the condition she is in. I looked up today to see her running toward the house from the woods in our back yard. She was confident, strong and unbelievably happy. It took me aback just to see it. Even when Nini could barely move and barely breathe she never complained, she never became short with any of us including the sprite kitten that she had to deal with. She is wise and loving, and we are a better family for having her.”

Ann-Arbor-Animal-Hospital-2011-Nini2

It is a nightly ritual to share sharp cheddar cheese with our animal family. They don't get much of it but a few tastes each. It keeps us all bonded. Molly is in the foreground. Nini is on the stool not-so-patiently waiting her turn. Beauty Girl is on my husband Steve's shoulders. Both cats ride there. Levi is in the back patiently waiting his turn for his bite. They share, nurture each other and nurture us.

Photo by the Farsakian family

“Her favorite summer”
After spending the summer doing the things she loved best (sunning in the yard, being with the family), Nini passed away peacefully at home about a month ago. Her digestive track eventually failed with the growing tumor, so the vet prescribed pain meds to keep her comfortable ,and she gently went to sleep.

Melissa says she does not regret the surgery, which gave Nini about six additional months of life. The extra time gave both Nini and the family a chance to say goodbye. “

God in his grace knows what we need,” says Melissa. Around the time Nini fell ill, “He gave us a feral kitten in a ditch who learned a lot from Nini.” While Molly (the dog) served as a mother figure to Nala (the kitten), it was the “granny,” Nini, who taught Nala the kitten how to be a cat.

"Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened. " (Anatole France).

David Caddell is the hospital director at the Ann Arbor Animal Hospital. David can be reached at 734-662-4474 or dcaddell@AnnArborAnimalHospital.com.

Comments

Jennifer

Thu, Nov 3, 2011 : 2:24 a.m.

Thank you so much for posting this story. It's so touching and sweet. I have four kitties, including three seniors. I lost another kitty two years ago now to cancer, so I can understand all these feelings the people in the feature felt. Great job on this.

Suzi

Wed, Oct 12, 2011 : 3:59 p.m.

Cheddar Cheese isn't our ritual, but our Siberian Husky gets 15 minutes of "snuggle" time every night, right before bed. Its time for him to lay in bed and get loved on by the 2 people that love him the most in this world. His ears perk up and he runs up stairs when he hears "snuggle time". He is welcome to sleep in bed and we love on him all day, but we make sure to set aside extra special time just so he is aware how loved he is. Soon we will get to share this joy with an 8 week Siberian Husky puppy :D

Elaine F. Owsley

Wed, Oct 12, 2011 : 12:53 p.m.

Our beloved dog Tigger, part shepherd, part chow; survived two episodes of cancer treatments, earning him a "Super Tigger" cape from the staff at Village Animal Clinic in Dexter. Each of those times, he rallied and returned to his "old self". He was 12 1/2 when the third event came. The animal oncologist at Michigan State gave him three months with or without treatment. He was without pain during all of this. The day finally came when Tigger looked at us with that "I can't do this any more" look that animals can give. The whole staff of the Village clinic sat on the floor with us and Tigger as he was put to sleep. We all cried. He was special. What it cost could have paid for a year's college tuition. The time we spent with Tigger was worth more than a Harvard PhD.

Hazel411

Wed, Oct 12, 2011 : 2:34 a.m.

What a beautiful story. We have a 21-year-old cat that has not been eating much at all. Your story inspired me to try cheese and she loved the small bit of shaved parmesan I gave her this morning. Thank you for sharing your heartwarming story. How lucky your pets are to have such a loving home to share.

Becky Williams Hall

Wed, Oct 12, 2011 : 2:03 a.m.

What a lovely story! Thank you for loving your pets the way you do, they do deserve it, and Nini was lucky to have such a great family to love. We too had a black and white "tuxedo" cat that we lost this summer. In the spring, she had been diagnosed with failing kidneys. We made the decision to make her life as comfortable as possible. Right after the diagnosis, our other cat Zeke suddenly died without warning. But as this family knew, we knew that Zip was not ready to go yet. She was still having fun running around outside, eating snakes. With the help of our vet, we decided to give her several different medications every day, including subcutaneous fluids every other day from an I.V. Unfortunately, we knew the day would come when we would have to decide she was ready to go, because the vet said she would not just pass away on her own without tremendous suffering. When her health began to deteriorate and she lost her sight, we knew she was telling us she was ready. It's never an easy thing to lose a pet, but we have to remember all the love they gave us, and how all the love we gave them made their lives happy ones. Sympathies to your family!

Fatkitty

Wed, Oct 12, 2011 : 1:51 a.m.

Good thoughts go to this family and their pets, so devoted to each other. Nini was one lucky cat.

treetowncartel

Wed, Oct 12, 2011 : 1:45 a.m.

We have a ferral cat that we got at about 4 weeks old. She is a massive Calico, a mouser at 4 months old and a wonderful part of the family. The decision of when a pet gets to "that point" is a hard one to make but most pet owners can tell when the quality of life is so diminished that there is no quality of life.

Lolly

Tue, Oct 11, 2011 : 3:10 p.m.

Thank you for this heartwarming story. My sincere condolences go to the family.

Ann Arbor Animal Hospital

Tue, Oct 11, 2011 : 9:46 p.m.

Hello Lolly, We're pleased to know that sharing Nini's story has touched others. We'll make sure that the Farsakian family is aware of the kind and supportive comments people have shared around their loss. Yours truly, David

Angela Todd

Tue, Oct 11, 2011 : 1:22 p.m.

I'm so glad that Nini's passing was peaceful and that she was surrounded with Love. Angela Todd, Ann Arbor resident

Ann Arbor Animal Hospital

Tue, Oct 11, 2011 : 9:41 p.m.

Hi Angela, The Farsakian family's journey with Nini touched our staff as we became bonded through this experience. We took comfort in the fact that, to your point, Nini's last days were spent with those who truly loved and cared for her. Kindest Regards, David

aawolve

Tue, Oct 11, 2011 : 11:51 a.m.

I love the cheddar ritual, it can be tough to get the whole family at the dinner table at the same time these days.

Ann Arbor Animal Hospital

Tue, Oct 11, 2011 : 9:36 p.m.

Hi AAWolve, One picture captures the essence of the human-animal bond. Hmmm, I wonder if I can use cheddar to get our teenager to sit with us at the dinner table? Take Care, David