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The litter tray

Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

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Original poster

I think this might be FABCat's last thread

766 replies

JustFabulous · 03/08/2012 13:11

This morning she was coughing and has also had a sloppy bowel accident outside. She wasn't interested in breakfast even though I didn't come down until after 9 and she wasn't about when DH left at 7. He normally feeds her before he goes. I had to put the plate under her nose to get her to come and ear.

Her back legs are a bit wobbly and I will take her for a jab on Monday to hopefully get some relief. She didn't wee over night so that is postiive but when I was comforting her when she was coughing it really hit me that she is very old and isn't my baby anymore .

She has lasted for DD's birthday but I am not sure she will make her own .

I have just put a towel on the sofa for her to sit on, just in case, but she wasn't impressed and has jumped down on to the floor.

My cat is getting to the end of her life and I am not sure I will ever get over it .

She means the world to me, is the only thing in the world that is 100% mine, and I will miss her so much.

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Original poster

JustFabulous · 16/09/2012 16:41

Coming back for some help before I take FABCat to the vet on Tuesday for her routine jab.

This morning a poo was discovered on the floor. I think FABCat wouldn't have done it right there on purpose so assume it just happened and she was oblivious. This isn't a good sign, is it? .

Please can anyone reassure me?

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cozietoesie · 16/09/2012 16:52

So she was caught short. Cozieseniorboy did the same occasionally before he got his arthritis meds. He uses his tray now.

It's not a great sign - but you knew that, didn't you?

How is she doing apart from that?

Original poster

JustFabulous · 16/09/2012 17:07

She is the cleanest cat ever and would never do this on purpose but what does it actually mean in terms of where we go from here?

She is back to ripping up paper but also still plays. Sleeping at the moment.

I have made a list of all her accidents and when they happened in case it helps the vet with the plan for her care in the future.

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cozietoesie · 16/09/2012 18:14

JustFabulous

Forgive me if I don't go back over the thread. Cozieseniorboy is of an age with your girl and he started pooing in strange places forbye he was previously so very clean.

The vet (who positively fawned over him (he does have the most wonderful baby blues)) reckoned he had some arthritis. She thought that the effort/pain of doing the 'high squat' was putting him off so he was holding it in - and it was drying out in the colon leading to constipation ...... and so on and so on.

Anyway. He's now on arthritis pain meds and also some gentle laxative twice daily. (He has them in his Gourmet glop. I didn't think he would take them in food but he does.) All seems sorted. He does a large soft poo every day or two (in his tray) and the arthritis meds seem to have helped his general approach to life. He leaps around and grooms better than he did.

Original poster

JustFabulous · 16/09/2012 18:26

FABCat definitely has arthritis and it is causing her the most trouble out of all her illnesses. She is napping again .

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cozietoesie · 16/09/2012 18:33

Is she on meds for it?

Original poster

JustFabulous · 16/09/2012 18:40

Oh yes. She has been for a while. She has seroquin and as well as regular anti-inflammatory injections.

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cozietoesie · 16/09/2012 19:27

Ah well. All I can suggest is that she gets some laxative. Cozieseniorboy gets some stuff called (forgive me if I dive to the kitchen) lactulose. (Known in the family as 'lactopoop, Lactosludge... you name it.) It tastes disgusting to me but there you go.

Original poster

JustFabulous · 28/09/2012 20:35

FABCat update.

Had to have 2 injections. Flinched for the first time ever at the second one .

She has weed a few times in the wrong place .

She also has PICA now but haven't told the vet yet (searched on Google but haven't worked out what I need to do next yet).

Still plays some times, still ripping up paper, scratched me the other day and bit me for stroking her on her head.

Doesn't like M&S food but will eat it grudgingly when nothing else is forth coming. Prefers Waitrose food .

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cozietoesie · 28/09/2012 21:10

I thought it might be PICA. Well - she's an old girl, JustFabulous. An old, old girl. (I have to say I agree with her about M&S. Their food has definitely gone downhill in recent years!)

Original poster

JustFabulous · 29/09/2012 07:37

LOL about the food. Just gave her Waitrose and she has tucked in. DS2 about to try and catch her while she jumps on the sofa. She struggles sometimes .

Do I need to tell the vet? Shop for weird foods for her ?

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cozietoesie · 29/09/2012 07:54

You caught me up already. (Had to come down to put the central heating on - for the old boy of course!)

I can't comment on the food, really. Cozieseniorboy has upped the ante (as I think I said before) to Gourmet cat food. The only other thing he'll eat is, strangely enough, Coop own brand pouches which are (for pouches) dirt cheap. (That's apart from little taste treats of ham and tuna which is to be expected.)

I think it's just - if you find something they like, go with it. (But buy individual pouches if they have them rather than boxes. I made the mistake of trying boxes and the 'Starving Cats' box (CPL) down at the local supermarket has benefited greatly. Still - no harm, no foul there. )

Original poster

JustFabulous · 29/09/2012 08:00

She likes to let us know that she likes a certain food and waits until we have stocked up before going off it . I spend so long trying to remember what she will and won't eat. She is eating the essentials range but won't eat the normal Waitrose range. Is on some really posh stuff as well as that atm. She is only allowed half a pouch though as she needs weight off. She has done pretty well but I wonder if that is why she has developed pica.

DS1 has built her a Duplo step so use to get on the sofa. Her back end must be failing. She weed on the floor again yesterday and I was not impressed to see DH had put her out in the rain. She told tales when I got back and I let her in. He was all who let her in? .

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cozietoesie · 29/09/2012 08:13

He let her out in the cold nasty rain - with arthritis? Sheezz!

Only other thing I can suggest is a heating pad/electric blanket. (Cozieseniorboy has now joined me at the computer as the heating has come on so excuse any typing errors.)

Your house may seem perfectly warm to you but I know that the boy loves his electric blanket and sleeps there (on top of the bedspread and under the fleece throw with the Setting One heat coming up from below) out of preference to pretty well anywhere else apart from my lap in the evening. (I tend to read upstairs during the day so he gets a 'twofer' there.) The extra heat seems to be good for his arthritis.

I don't know whether you can get a waterproof one - luckily, the boy isn't having liquid accidents at the moment so I don't have to worry about that. Maybe they have them?

Original poster

JustFabulous · 29/09/2012 08:16

I know. He put her out as he caught her peeing so that she could pee outside. Thankfully for him she was sheltering but no way was I not letting her back in.

I will definitely look for a heat pad for her. I had put the blanket on the sofa to catch any dribbles but she didn't sit on it but surely she wouldn't be able to resist a heated cushion?!

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cozietoesie · 29/09/2012 08:21

I would see if you can get one. The great advantage of an electric blanket is that it does a double job (my bed!) but the boy definitely chooses that in preference to anywhere else. The peeing mistakes are a bit of a concern for you with electricity but I'm sure there's something on the market which might suit.

Best of luck.

cozietoesie · 29/09/2012 08:26

PS - sorry, forgot to mention. I think what's helped as much as anything is that his sleeping arrangement (as I said, on top of - it's the duvet actually - and under the fleece throw with heat coming up from beneath) means that he can sleep flat out extended so doesn't need to curl up to conserve warmth. Maybe, therefore, the fleece throw on top is a big contributor against drafts. It certainly seems to help his stiffness - which is largely gone what with the meds and all.

Original poster

JustFabulous · 29/09/2012 08:59

Most of the day FABCat sleeps on my side on the sofa but at night she has some thing similar to [[http://www.petsathome.com/shop/black-and-white-igloo-bed-by-pets-at-home-81253 this

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Original poster

JustFabulous · 29/09/2012 09:00

this

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cozietoesie · 29/09/2012 09:50

Looks excellent. Cozieseniorboy is a Siamese, though, so will only sleep in bed with me at night. It's what I've been used to for these many years so I rather like it in fact.

Original poster

JustFabulous · 29/09/2012 14:47

FABCat also always slept on my bed until the night we found out we were expecting DS1 and I had read cats shoudln't be in the room. I made up for it by buying her lovely beds and beanbags so she has always had nice sleeping places. She used to sneak on to my bed when the sun was streaming in but can't get up on to it now . I deny all accusations of leaving an upturned basket nearby for her to step up on to to get on the bed

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cozietoesie · 29/09/2012 17:23

Sadly, cozieseniorboy would go into decline if he wasn't allowed to sleep with me. All my boys have regarded exclusion from bed as a serious punishment! (Which is very useful to have up your sleeve if they do a seriously bad thing but would be a bit of a pain in the event of incontinence or something. I've just been lucky there, I guess.)

Original poster

JustFabulous · 29/09/2012 17:49

You know what? FABCat is so naughty, won't sit on my lap. often bites me and scratches me, sits behind me when I am cooking/using the oven and starts demanding tea at 2.30pm but there is nothing I would not do for her and when she dies I will be an emotional wreck and totally embarrassed about it. How can a ball of fur who does all the above mean so much? I know I love her too much and are too attached but I can't help it.

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cozietoesie · 29/09/2012 18:31

It's because she's your FABCat that's why! And there's no need to be embarrassed about it at all.

Original poster

JustFabulous · 04/10/2012 09:46

FABCat was a bit stroppy yesterday. She was sniffing around in the corner outside so I gently prodded her and asked her what she was doing. She turned round, bared her teeth and hissed at me.

She has been weeing overnight in her room and in the daytime in the lounge nearly every day this week too.

She walks so gingerly at times too.

I came home and she wasn't about. I looked outside and saw my piggies. One was very very still and the other sat near her. I thought the worse so opened the door as quick as I could and she popped her head up. Must have been napping. Told her she had to tell me in future if playing sleeping logs.

Eventually found the cat sunbathing. I sometimes think the animals are more stressful than the kids!

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