My cat is dying of terminal cancer (mammary carcinoma in case it is relevant) and I am unsure what is the best course of action. Could use educated advice and possibly reassurance.
Background:
She has an appointment scheduled for euthanasia on Friday. However, in the past day she has rapidly declined and I believe she is actively in the process of dying. We had gone to the vet recently (end of last week) and they gave some supportive medicine (buprenorphine) to help keep her comfortable until the end of life appointment. With the meds she seemed at first like her symptoms were being fairly well managed as she was eating, drinking, taking interest in her favorite things, hanging out with the family, etc. In retrospect I believe this may have been the "last hurrah" that people and pets sometimes get before passing on.
Current situation:
Starting refusing food yesterday, barely drinking, more withdrawn. When I got home from work today she was struggling to move and did not seem "present" so I moved her to a comfy blanket. Soon she couldn't move at all and her limbs would twitch randomly but then transitioned to rhythmic movement almost like she is trying to knead but can't. Her limbs are stiff and her eyes are mostly fixed but sometimes she half blinks, not sure if intentional or random. Her breathing is slow and doesn't seem labored (yet).
My question:
I am feeling guilty that I did not schedule the euthanasia appointment for earlier as I am afraid she is suffering. But at the same time I wonder if she is even "with us" to feel anything at this point. Could you advise on whether an emergency vet is kinder at this time? My goal was to have a provider come to the house because she has always been terrified of the vet and the car, and I didn't want her to go out that way. I also wanted the other cats to be able to sniff her afterwards because some people say that let's them understand what happened. Could use some advice on how to handle this from people that understand this process as this is my first time navigating this. Thank you