Renal failure in senior adopted cat (long, sorry)

[Bumshkawahwah]

We adopted a 14 year old cat from an animal shelter in January. She is a lovely cat, but very skittish and shy and hates being picked up. We knew when we adopted her that we were possibly not going to have her long and were prepared for medical issues.

Last month she stopped eating and was constipated and the vet told us her kidneys were failing and we’d need to give her subcutaneous fluids every few days. The problem is, she hates it. Not so much the fluids part but the being picked up and held while it gets done. We give her treats while or after giving the fluids but it doesn’t really help.

She is now petrified of my husband (as chief fluid giver) and hides ever time he’s anywhere near her. She discovered the outside a few weeks ago and was really happy, stalking bunnies and sunbathing, but at one point refused to come in and hid under the deck so we couldn’t get her. She refused to con in even for food. I’d be fine if she just wanted to be outdoors all the time, but she needs these fluids. Also where we live there are coyotes (not UK), so people don’t let their cats stay out all night. It’s not safe :(

We’ve managed to get her indoors but she just sits at the back doors and meows to get out or squeezes herself into tiny spaces that n the hope of evading capture.

To top it off, we found out last month that we are moving back to the UK again. I can’t even imagine how stressful that will be for her.

I just feel awful for her. She had a lovely, shelter-free life for a few months, but now I feel like she’s miserable. I don’t honestly know what is the best thing for her :(

[thecatneuterer]

I think the best thing is to PTS. As you say, she's had a nice few months, thanks to you. Her life expectancy, even with treatment, isn't going to be very long, and there's no point stressing her massively just to make it a little bit longer. It's never an easy decision but she's miserable and so are you.

[Toddlerteaplease]

I agree that PTS would probably be for the best. TBH, I wouldn't want to be doing things like sub cut fluids in a cat anyway. You've given her a lovely last few months. Being loved and not In a shelter.

[VimFuego101]

I assume there is no reversing the kidney failure, so she will eventually go downhill. I would spoil her and make her comfortable and plan to PTS in the near ish future. Cats are very good at hiding pain, so I wouldn't wait for her to decline too far.

[Bumshkawahwah]

Thanks, everyone. I kind of knew that’s what needs to be done, but it’s hard as she’s still chasing bunnies and eating like a horse, but she’s really just going to decline. I just needed someone to say it’s ok, I think.

I had to have my last cat put to sleep - she had cancer, and we’d had her for 12 years - and I held out too long before having her PTS, which I really regret.

Thanks for letting me get that out. She’s such a little sweetheart, she headbutts me when she wants attention, she sits on my hip when I’m sleeping on my side and she loves to finish my yoghurts. I wish I could give her more time of being happy and healthy and spoiled.

[agnurse]

She sounds lovely.

I'm sorry. It sounds as if her quality of life is poor due to her dislike of the treatment. The best option may indeed be PTS.