Anyone with experience of elderly cats?

[SunshineBossaNova]

I've posted before about my lovely 19 year-old tom. He has heart disease and epilepsy.

Very recently he's been experiencing problems while peeing. The vet couldn't get a scan of his full bladder (he did a protest pee) but think there's some kind of blockage. He's on metacam for the discomfort - the vet and I agreed at his age that intervention would be painful and unpleasant, and an anaesthetic would possibly kill him.

He's been up and down to the litter tray tonight :( and meowing inbetween. However, he's also scarfed down a tin of Sheba so not entirely poorly. To complicate matters, we've been away for a week and I don't know if his behaviour is a stress reaction, or illness. The cat sitter didn't see any urinary problems.

TL:DR. Does anyone have experience of this kind of problem with an elderly cat? How would you deal with this issue?

I have an older boy (18 going on 19) and the attitude his vet and I take is that we won't go for surgery anymore because of the possible effect of a GA on him - where there is a choice of treatment.

But it doesn't seem to me that it would be elective intervention in this case. If he's on some painkiller but the basic problem has not been established and treated, what choice do you have? A urinary tract blockage is painful and life threatening - in short order - and if he does indeed have that, then it might be a painful and miserable end.

I'm not a vet and I don't have knowledge of his personal condition (eg results of blood work etc) but I think you and the vet have to do something if he's in bad trouble. Even though he's elderly and has pre-existing problems, you surely can't just 'see how it goes'?

My boy has heart problems and epilepsy, so the likelihood of him surviving a GA is very poor. I gave him some painkiller last night, which helped.

My last cat had a urinary blockage, and needed a huge op where they opened his bladder and took out the crystals. He spent over a week recovering, and he was only 10 when it happened.

Oscar seems a lot perkier today and is extremely purry so I'm wondering if it is a stress reaction. He hasn't been up and down to the tray and has eaten and drunk.

Maybe it's clearing then - I'm sure you'll keep a close eye on him.

It is difficult with an older boy. My lad is lucky in his vet who is very active on age-related issues but you do know that when they get to that age, things are likely to hit them harder than a young animal.

The best of luck to him.

Thanks cozie. I'm hoping he'll have a happy life with us for a long time yet :) He's currently sleeping in front of the patio door, trying to get some sunshine.

He had an infection a month ago, which was cured. However, it's been a busy month and I notice he shows some of the infection 'behaviours' - licking his bits all the time, toing and froing to the tray - when his routine is upset. We've just come back from holiday so I wonder if that's it.

Our cat would have your arm off for some Metacam.

Purr, purr, rub, woooooo, purrr....

(Sorry, not helpful!)

:) I wonder if Metacam is a thing?

No direct experience of this, although plenty with very old cats. But I agree entirely with Cozie's first post.

Good luck. Keep a close eye on him and be guided by the vet. But if it is a blockage then it has to be treated whatever the risk.