hi kitty,
you know there is another way to look at your cat's situation. Our animals are lucky in that they are not forced to live in pain, suffering and solitude that people are subjected to in hospitals.
You know that it is the loss of your best friend that hurts the most. And maybe "putting down" "killing" and -murder- are expressions of guilt.
I had to let my Kookie go when he was ill at 12 yrs of being there for me... he endured my two depressions and loved me without condition - even when I forced him to the Vet to be FIXED... I survived one cycle of Heat at it was enough, he was a sports model after that... He moved with me, he waited for me after school,work, and studies... He even taught my son to respect animals. So after Kookie I had to keep the house animal free for 5 years.
Now my children have Tigre-botte. that is their story.
I hope you remember that a depressed immunine system is a symptome of depression... so your flu is just another part of the whole you are. Lack of motivation is a symptome of the flu and depression. and a difficult situation with your best-friend is stressing you out.
Depression is one part environmental - what happens to us, what and how we think, and one part genetic/chemical. Anxiety is the same ... and anxiety and depression are chemical imbalances in three major brain communicators. Often, a generalized anxiety disorder is were one worries all the time about everything - and wears themself out (like me) and then fall into exhaustion ... of course when i find my energy i spend it on checking, accumulating and washing (i have OCD as well).
okay the kids are driving me fruity gotta go