Terrified of losing my old lady :-(

[Clarence15]

I've had my cat for 14 years. Her age was uncertain at the time but the Cats Protection said she was 'about 4' then so she could be anything upwards of about 16-18 now.

She's always been skinny, and we've had her thyroid checked out in the past but it's been fine. The vet said she's just naturally thin.

Recently though, she's been getting thinner and is now starting to look very old and scraggy, poor thing. She's not eating much at all (currently give her oscars dried senior food) so I've tried her with a senior pouch this week that she seems to have enjoyed and has actually got a bit of a roundness to her belly again.

Yesterday though, she seems to be having trouble with her back legs. She keeps sitting down in the middle of the floor with her legs over to the side and is very very slow and weak on her hind legs. I've monitored her today and she's not used the litter tray all day despite eating a drinking :-( which is making
me very worried.

I've not actually taken her to the vet for years, as she's always been very happy with no health problems. So now I'm terrified that I'll take her to get checked out and they'll tell me that she's really ill and will suggest that she be put to sleep. I know rationally they won't actually say that but I'm really scared to take her. I know the day has been coming and she's probably on borrowed time but I just can't face it.

She's sleeping a lot and doesn't appear to be in pain (I can hear her purring across the room right now) Please can you tell me what tests the vet might do if I take her? I'm really worried about her legs and the fact that she's not used the tray today. It sounds so serious.

[cjbartlett]

I'm so sorry
But you really need to take her to the vet tomorrow
It sounds like she's in pain to me
A peaceful end is better than a painful one, really it is

[Clarence15]

Thanks I really don't think she's in pain at the moment though, she's very alert when I stroke her and is purring away and pushing my hand for a stroke. I know I've got to take her, but if it's bad news will the vet let me bring her home if she's not in pain? I can't bear to face it but I know I have to prepare myself for this. I've had cats all my life but never had to face their old age by myself as an adult before. It was something my mum and dad did while I sobbed as a little girl for my lost pets. I feel like that little girl again

[tabulahrasa]

Vets very rarely tell you to put a pet down, they wait for you to be ready for it if it's at that stage - and unless she was in an obviously very distressed state, there's no way they'll want to do it there and then.

Take her to the vets, it might well be something easily treated and if it's not they should be able to do something to give you a few days to prepare for it.

[Clarence15]

Thanks. I watched her closely last night and she's used the litter tray again now (wee and poo) and this morning she was pestering me for food again. She ate a pouch and then went for a sleep, and I've not seen her do the sitting down thing again yet either.

I had a sudden thought - I treated both cats with frontline the other day. Could she have had a reaction to that? I hadn't de-flea ed them for ages (a few years actually) and remembered that you're supposed to check their weight aren't you? I used to get frontline from the vets but this time I just got it from pets at home who didn't ask me about weight and I didn't read the instructions because I'd used it before.

I'm going to take her for a check up anyway, if just to ask about food etc. Hopefully they'll put my mind at ease a bit.

[peggotty]

I doubt it's a reaction to frontline tbh. The only reaction ive heard of is excessive salivation if they nange to lick amy of it She's just an old lady who will have some wobbly bad days and then some better days. The fact she's got a lot thinner fairly quickly suggests something might be going on - the vet might offer you a blood test iirc old cats livers and/or kidneys can tend to start packing in. Thyroid problems can also make them lose weight. It's better to perhaps start preparing yourself for the fact that she's a really old girl who may be starting to go downhill. I totally understand what you mean about the fear of losing your first cat as an adult owner rather than a child. I have an old boy, still pretty hale and hearty at nearly 15 but I can see him ageing quite rapidly now . I also had a cat just disappear 2 years ago, which was heartbreaking too.

[peggotty]

Excessive salivation if they manage to lick any of it. Sorry about those terrible typos!!

[4c4good]

I can totally empathise. I have an older girlie dog who is my soul mate and I can't bear to think of losing her. She needs an operation and anaesthetic and I'm scared out of my wits - but she needs it doing, so it will be done...

No vet will recommend euthansia just like that. They will want to find out what's going on with her, I'm sure. You do owe it to her to get her looked at though. I don't mean to scare you unduly, and it's good that she is alert and pushing your hand to stroke her but don't forget that purring can be a sign of pain. Labouring mother cats often purr.

Let us know how it goes.

[Clarence15]

Well yesterday and today she seems much brighter so hopefully it's nothing serious. She's eating normally again and using the tray again. She's still slow on her legs but she's putting weight on the back ones again now and I've not seen her sit down like she was doing. She's pretty much back to how she was again which is a big relief. I'm taking her to the vets anyway just for a check but hopefully it was just a bit of a bug or something. The worry!

[hiddenhome]

Do you worm her? Perhaps she needs worming as they can cause ill health and weight loss.