I had an unfortunate "crash course" in CHF when my cat Sheba was diagnosed this past October. When she was doing well, she did fantastic. Way better than anyone could expect an 18 year old cat with heart failure and kidney failure to do.
She'd still beat up our 2 year old fat cat Gracie, who weighed almost three times as much as Sheba at that point. She ate well. She purred and loved affection. She came to bed with me every night. Even played with a catnip mouse. No problem jumping up on furniture, and never any problems with the litterbox.
It's normal to feel iffy about euthanasia. It's scary. You don't know if you're doing the right thing or not. Nobody
wants to do it. But when the meds are no longer working, and you've exhausted every possibility, it's the most caring, unselfish thing to do. Sheba got to that point on Thanksgiving, and it was the hardest decision I ever had to make. But like Dogged says, seeing them gasp for air is heartbreaking. As much as I hated having to say goodbye, it was a relief to see her at peace. It seems weird to say it, but grieving for Sheba was/is much, much easier than the worry, uncertainty and helplessness of her being sick.
Luckily, it sounds as though Speedy is going quite well, so you don't have to make that decision right away.
As long as he's happy and comfortable, enjoy being with him.
