Can you hold my hand? V poorly old lady

[RollerCola]

I'm sobbing because I'm fairly sure the end is near for my old lady. She's nearly 18 and I've had her since she was 6mths old.

She's been getting gradually thinner and thinner over the last year, and is just skin and bones now. She eats tiny amounts and just seems to be wasting away.

Apart from the thinness she seemed happy and healthy enough until this evening when she seems to have lost control of her bladder. She's dribbling urine and licking herself. I've just noticed there's blood in it

I'm going to take her to the vet tomorrow but I'm sure he's going to suggest putting her to sleep. My other elderly cat was the same 2 yrs ago and the vet said there was nothing he could do.

I've recently separated from my husband. I've been so brave, but this is the one thing in the whole world that I just can't cope with. Exh is going to come with me, it feels like she's our child. We got her when we were young and in love and had just got our first house together.

I've coped so well with everything. But this feels like my world has just crashed down.

Awww mate, I am holding your hand x this is a very sweet place and I hope you'll feel supported, maybe more folks along in the morning with some good advice. Whatever happens tomorrow, just keep talking and posting to help you through. You never know your cat may keep on keeping on x

Oh no, poor you, so sorry. My old cat who is nearly 17 is in the Animal Hospital overnight as we speak.

He hasn't eaten for 5 days but I am hoping that having an IV line and enema will change all that, (ever hopeful)

You have been so brave, you know that, take hope, love conquers many things, ((hugs))

Oh no. Definitely here to hold your hand. I'm afraid I've no advice but am here to hold hand, offer hugs and listen. Give that lovely old lady lots of hugs.

I'm so sorry for you and your lovely pet. I really do hope she can be helped

Thank you everyone. As I went to bed last night I couldn't find her. I looked in all her favourite places downstairs but she wasn't anywhere. I went up to my bed and she was waiting for me, snuggled up. I think she slept with me all night which she hasn't done for a long time.

She actually seems ok this morning. She's eaten, and she doesn't seem to be licking herself down there now. I put down some newspaper in the kitchen next to the litter tray because she keeps missing it. She'd weed on the paper, but she doesn't seem overly agitated like she was last night.

Maybe the vomiting made her temporarily lose bladder control? I think I'm still going to take her to the vet as her kidneys are clearly not doing too good. She drinks a lot of water.

I'm ashamed to say I've not taken her to the vet before now, even though she's clearly been going downhill. When I took our other old cat the vet pretty much took one look at her and offered to PTS. I'm terrified the same thing will happen so I guess I've put it off

Going to take her today

MaybeIwill how's your baby this morning? Thinking of you

RollerCola! He is still at the Hospital .

He is still on the IV, still not eating and no more poo after a teeny tiny one last night, so they are giving him a proper soapy water enema later and I have to ring after 4pm.

Thank you so much for asking and I hope your visit to the vet will give you some answers. Fingers crossed that she might just have a urine infection (grasps straws, been doing a lot of that this week) here's some

Thanks Maybe, I really hope your boy pulls through. It's heartbreaking isn't it? Do you have any more news?

Amazingly my girl is ok . I took her in this morning and they did a blood test and the results were pretty good! I nearly cried with relief . Her thyroid was ok and one kidney was fine - the other is starting to fail but it's not too bad yet.

The vet thought it really was prob just a urine infection which I was hoping but not daring to believe. She gave her an antibiotic injection & I have to take back a urine sample. They gave me some renal food for her to try & she loves it.

So thankfully it seems to be a false alarm. I'm going to take her back every 6 mths now for a check up but I think I've caught the kidney failure early enough to keep it manageable for a while.

Thinking of you and your lovely boy.

Roller - glad it wasn't bad news
It doesn't take much to set the oldies back a bit - until last autumn I had 2 very old cats - down to 1 now - and sometimes they would look very unwell with fairly minor illnesses, especially in winter with the cold wet weather. Today my old boy is a bit out of sorts, hoping he's just having a bad day & will be back to his normal elderly self tomorrow.

I'm so pleased for you

Roller what excellent news, so happy for you! Such a relief, they do cause some worry don't they?

Not such good news for me I'm afraid. Jasper has megacolon, which despite the name is not a great thing to have . It basically means he has gut failure.

Had he been much, much younger there is a major operation to remove the colon but my vet does not recommend it on a 17 year old cat. She is right, of course. But so devastating.

Still I have to wait for her to ring me in the morning and then I think I will ask if he can come home (condition willing) and I'll ask the vet to come here on Monday. She says he is comfortable now but will never improve or probably eat again, double .

Give your lovely old lady a big kiss from me x

Oh no Maybe I'm so sorry to hear that. I hope he can come home and be with you where he belongs. I'm heartbroken for you look after yourself and give him a big kiss back from me too x

Maybe I'm so sorry your news wasn't good. I hope your vet can make your wonderful boy comfy and he can come home for lots of cuddles. Take care x

That's really excellent news Roller, I went through the same emotions last week with our 20 year old lady when her blood test results came back with the all clear- I nearly started crying with relief.

Maybe I'm so sorry your boy isn't well. As others have said, I hope he's able to come home with you and you can spend some more time with him and have lots of cuddles.

Thank you but unfortunately it was not to be

I got a phone call from the hospital at 7.45 this morning to say Jasper was not good at all, so my sister and I went there and I did the kindest thing. The vet said he would have just collapsed into unconsciousness and maybe lingered for a number of days.

He was still awake when we arrived, so I was able to tell him what a good boy he had been, and that we would miss him dearly. He really did not look like himself, and he went off very peacefully. My sister and I were weeping wrecks, but everyone was very kind.

He is being individually cremated and I will get him back next week, bless.

Thank you for all your good wishes

Oh Maybe I'm so sorry poor old thing. He will have known you were there right to the end and you've given him a wonderful life. Remember him in happier times and try not to be sad.

I'm having a little cry for you, take care and take your time to grieve. Lots of love x