Really struggling with my old cat

[MummyDoIt]

She's nearly 21 and I love her dearly but I am finding her such hard going. She has become very fussy with food. She'll tuck in to one brand happily for a few days then go off it and waste bowlfuls. I keep trying to rotate different brands but she's so fickle and will turn her nose up more often than not, no matter what I feed her. Then she's hungry so she'll prowl around near her food bowl, wailing for different food.

She sleeps in my room (I know, I know - I made a rod for my own back!!) and used to curl up peacefully at the foot of the bed. Now she tramples up and down all night and won't settle so she's keeping me awake. If I shut her out, she cries and scratches at the door. Plus I'm a softy and feel guilty!

She's become very vocal generally and will wander round, wailing and miaouwing for no apparent reason. She can keep this up for hours!

The latest thing is she's become quite clumsy. Two nights in a row, she's jumped onto the coffee table and, in jumping off, has knocked a full glass of wine over. It's taken me ages to mop up the wine and make sure I've cleared up all the bits of broken glass. I can't have any sort of drink on my bedside table because she inevitably knocks that over.

She gets furballs and chucks up quite often. This didn't used to be too much of a problem as I have wooden floors so it was easily cleared up. Now, however, she spends most of her time on my bed so that's where she does her chucking up. I've just had to change my duvet cover yet again.

I do love her to bits but at the moment it feels like she's causing me more work than my two DSs put together and costing me a fortune into the bargain. I've seriously thought of having her put down but then I feel too guilty as, apart from kidney disease which is being managed, there's nothing wrong with her apart from old age.

I guess I'm not looking for an answer. I love her too much to have her put down, unless the vet advises me it's for her own good, and at the moment he keeps saying how well she does for her age!!! I guess I just want to vent a bit.

Mine is a bit like this. He's 19 and very deaf. He absolutely HOWLS because he can't hear himself so thinks nobody else can.

It sound a bit like a dementia type problem. I'm just waiting for mine to show signs. Mine also has kidney problems (extremely common in all kinds of cats) and the pacing/food/scratching etc is because maybe she's uncomfortable? I would be distraught if I had to have my lovely cat put to sleep, but I know that stage is coming. It's so hard to see them go downhill and there's nothing you can do to help.

I got special gastrointestinal food for my cat which did help settle him so he doesn't howl for different food anymore.

I hope your cat is okay, I know how hard it is to think of losing them.

Oh yes, she's quite deaf too so does howl very loudly because she can't hear herself.

She's had special diet food from the vet but guess what? She just turns her nose up at it. Costs a fortune and I end up throwing bowl after bowl away.

I think she does have dementia issues. She's become very clingy so she's always climbing on me, following me around, wrapping herself around my legs and so on which does get a little wearing after a while.

I can't imagine being without her but half the time she's driving me mad! I know it's not her fault, though, and I'm sitting here now feeling very guilty because I yelled at her and chased her out of the room when she broke the glass.

Oh, I do understand completely. Mine has also become clumbsy, sometimes he sways on his feet. I do get cross with him when he howls but I feel guilty for shouting at him too. He spends so much time asleep in his bed and tbh it's a relief sometimes as he is so clingy I can't even go to the loo on my own.

If he's awake he follows me everywhere and just stands right by my feet so I trip over him if I don't check for him first. Poor lad, he just wants some fuss and can't understand when I ignore him sometimes. I am going to feel VERY guilty when he dies.

Just picked mine up for a cuddle, he's purring so loudly.

I know what you mean. I will feel so guilty when mine goes, even though I seem to spend half my time totally exasperated with her.

I do worry that I will do the poor girl an injury one day. Because she's clingy, she hangs around my feet all the time and because she's deaf, she doesn't hear my footsteps when I'm walking around. On one occasion, I was carrying a load of washing, didn't see her, and accidentally sent her flying across the room. Thankfully she wasn't hurt but I can see an accident happening one day. If not to her, then to me as she's almost tripped me up on more than one occasion.

The vocal thing is common in older cats but worth getting thyroid and kidney function checked as oddly can exacerbate the yowling and both somewhat treatable. Also could her eyesight be failing? Might be worth mentioning to vet as can be high blood pressure related to kidneybissues which are common for older moggies.

Probably none of the above but worth checking out.

'kidney issues'

Oh and by the way, 21 is an amazing and you have nothing to feel guilty about. Must be well loved to be around this long! I get annoyed with my six year old critters!

Thanks Cervix, I have his thyroid and kidneys checked every year, so I think it's just age. I gave him extra fuss tonight because i felt so guilty.