Cat dilemma

[Bossyboo]

Hoping for some wisdom please! I have a 17 year old cat who is on monthly Solensia which is amazing I must say. The problem is the expense as always. The other issue is he just doesn’t seem to be him I don’t know if he’s just old and that’s what happens or if he’s not ok. He’s eating well albeit fussier - and goes out to toilet - his poo is never brown it’s quite grey? He’s happy to sit with me meows quite a lot . Doesn’t purr really anymore although seems happy with a treat or 10!!! Has lost weight and his back end is definitely thinner. Had bloods not long ago but couldn’t do full
bloods as couldn’t get enough he wasn’t happy! Will not be having any more blood tests as it really upsets him. How will I know when he’s had enough of living or is this jsut how elderly cats are? He has no spark really and his eyes don’t look the same but I could be overthinking. Sorry for the long post!!

We knew it was time with our 18 year old cat when she stopped eating. Like yours, she'd had a good appetite and was happily eating food and treats but still getting thinner, then one day she just stopped eating altogether. The vets tried an appetite stimulant that didn't work and her blood tests showed failing kidneys, the vet also said she could feel a possible mass in her bowels but given her age and other issues it was unlikely she would pull through biopsy surgery to confirm cancer so we made the sad decision not to bring her home and have her euthanised (we were there with her when it happened) as her prognosis for quality of life was very poor. I think when they stop eating they're telling you they're ready.

As long as the cat still eats, pops out to toilet and comes to sit with you I'd make the most of what might be their last year with you. Cats often perk up in the summer. Our old cat was 19 1/2 and I like you wondered if it was time as he wasn't eating as much and was a lot quieter in general. I kept my cat under review and he perked up over the summer and had a lovely last summer sun bathing in his favourite spot in the garden. He was more active too. Then come the following November he lost his zest again and stopped eating. He went to vets who found a tumour in the back of his mouth. The vet told my DS who was 17 at the time and had had the cat his whole life that the cats best days were all behind him now and he thought the quite large growth was cancer. My DS made the decision to have his beloved cat pts to avoid it suffering pain. In your situation I'd monitor situation. See if cat would eat tuna and creamy treats. I'd plan on giving cat one last summer to see if he might perk up.

Cats do slow down as they get older. My cat slept a lot more and played less.

Download a quality of life indicator - my vets recommended this. It's an objective way of recording changes over time and makes the decision about when to PTS easier.

Thanks for the replies and yes I think in my mind I’ve been thinking let him have this summer which he always enjoys and keep monitoring and review after the summer time . He’s just so not like the cat he was it worries me I’m missing something but he is very old I guess he’s just retired!

While he's eating and pooing/urinating, enjoying treats & a fuss I'd let him enjoy this summer then review, whilst keeping a quality of life indicator thing.

my friends cat, who I looked after a lot died at 21.5 she was old but well, loved a cuddle, kept the dogs in line 🤣until she suddenly wasn't & all ended very quickly. My friend PTS because puss wouldn't have coped with the further tests required let alone any treatment.

bery very sad for us all, but best for Puss

but it was very obvious when she became unwell, until then she was just 'old' xx