Old girl drinking a lot

[LuisSuarezTeeth]

My lovely old girl is 17. She has started drinking a lot of water, peeing a lot (in litter tray and elsewhere) very hungry but eating well, lost weight, sleeping a lot, very clingy. Not dehydrated though. Also making a lot of noise (she has been going deaf over a period of about 6 months). Seems desperate for cuddles and will sleep on my shoulder - that's not new but she wants it more often. Jumps up on counter, still plays like a kitten with balls, string etc.

Coat shiny, eyes bright. Obvs she needs to go to the vet but has such a violent reaction to the box and car that I'm reluctant. She goes into "panic mode" -shallow breathing, mouth wide open etc.

Any advice please? I think diabetes?

yes so do I.. she needs to go to the vet.

I think she definitely needs to see the vet sooner rather than later, in a cat of that age she will probably need to be checked out for diabetes, overactive thyroid or impaired kidneys (my elderly cat, aged 16, had very similar symptoms to your cat and was diagnosed with overactive thyroid)

Good luck

We had a dog that had very similar symptoms and was diagnosed with diabetes. She lived a number of years after, we injected her daily with insulin.

Thanks all. I just know she will have such a huge reaction to going in the car, I'm worried it might finish her off IYSWIM.

but shes suffering now though. She can't be comfortable with raging thirst
.

Sounds like classic thyroid symptoms. Our elderly cat had the same. Ring the vets for advice before you put her in the car.

Think I will do that in the morning Monsoon

You're quite right gamer I'm just being weak.

When cats starts to wee in places outside of the box its a sign that they are having troubles. I had a very young cat start to drink from anything other than his water bowl and weeing everywhere he had a very nasty bladder infection, as much as a trip to the vet was distressing (he's a big old baby) it was very much needed. I'd take your fur ball to the vet to get checked out sooner rather than later.

katie thanks x

If it's diabetes, then there's treatment, but if you leave it too long before starting treatment then it will probably be too late.

If it's kidneys then there are also tablets (such as Fortekor) which will give them probably an extra two years of symptom-free life. But then again, if you leave it too long, it will be too late.

If it's a urinary infection then the cat will be in agony and a delay of even a couple of days can be fatal.

Make that appointment.

Your welcome, I hope your little furball is soon on the road to recovery xx

She (possibly) has a thyroid problem or maybe something else or something else... Vet said she looks good, seems happy etc.

Poor baby went loopy at being taken in the car, I have an appointment for 29th for blood tests. Now wondering if I'm overreacting?

But she did that open-mouth-shallow-breathing thing and I felt awful. She has eaten and had a drink, clung to me like a limpet and now sleeping.

It's worth it. One day of stress to possibly give her extra healthy years. If it's thyroid then generally one quick operation should sort it out.

I hope so, thank you.

Merry Christmas x

She has to go, Luis -and at her age, it likely won't be the last time at all - so steel yourself.

Something to add. When he came to live with me, Seniorboy was vet-phobic (I think he'd only been two or three times in his (even then, long) life.) I just told him that this was Business, bunged him in his (luckily capacious) carrier and took him down. Plenty of conversation to him but no cooing, no love words etc - until he got back.

Now he's been a lot, he's OK about it. It's not his favourite thing but he comes home again and everything is fine. So it can be done.