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Original poster

Is this the end?

41 replies

Wolfiefan · 12/07/2015 18:05

Probably about to out myself here.
Wolfiecat is 19. Arthritis and a thyroid condition. Both easily treatable. Recently we've found underfur matting and cat really does NOT want to be groomed. (Think hiss, spit, wetting self.) Still fine. Found a different grooming tool.
Friday. Ok. By today she stinks. Last night she spent shut in the kitchen as her back end was so covered in pooh we couldn't let her in the house (DH spent an hour trying to clean her up.)
Is this the end? Calling the vet tomorrow.

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Original poster
Wolfiefan · 12/07/2015 18:14

Bump.

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TheAmyrlin · 12/07/2015 18:22

It sounds similar to how my old man was at the end. He passed in his sleep, before we could get him to the vets. He was 19 too.
I'm sure Wolfiecat has had an amazing life with you. It's heartbreaking ( I'm welling up writing this- my cat died in November), but you know she's been loved and cherished with you.
Really sorry I haven't got any positive news. Maybe someone else has.Flowers

sparkysparkysparky · 12/07/2015 18:55

You have given Wolfiecat a lovely life. It is so hard to do the kindest thing - did it in March. My test for my old girl was "is she still enjoying being a cat?".

Original poster
Wolfiefan · 12/07/2015 18:56

See I'm not really expecting positive news but I've not been here before. We had her son too but he was killed by a car.
It's awful but I suppose I just had a reason. She stinks. She's not quite herself. It just doesn't seem enough really. I'm worried I'm making the decision for the wrong reasons.

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Original poster
Wolfiefan · 12/07/2015 18:57

X post sparky.
She purrs at times but acted startled earlier when I went towards her and she hit her head on the kitchen cabinet. (Bit deaf/blind?)
It's such a slow decline.
And then there's how do I tell the kids?

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cozietoesie · 12/07/2015 19:02

How old are the kids?

Original poster
Wolfiefan · 12/07/2015 19:03

Oh Cozie am I glad to see you!!
12 (he's kind of expecting it) and 5 (no experience of death and wouldn't understand put to sleep)

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cozietoesie · 12/07/2015 19:05

Is she actually having treatment for the arthritis and thyroid at the moment?

Original poster
Wolfiefan · 12/07/2015 19:07

Absolutely. Felimazole x2 a day. Tramadol x2 for arthritis (due to older stomach surgery she can't have metacam)
Saw vet a few weeks ago for jabs and blood check. Did enhanced bloods. All levels fine. Some potential iffy kidney results mentioned but no further treatment advised. She wasn't in failure.

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cozietoesie · 12/07/2015 19:22

I'm in two minds about this one. On the one hand, I'm concerned about the smell and the diarrhoea (are they related?) so I'd likely be be having her into the vet tomorrow in any case unless she reverts to normal use of tray.

On the other hand, about a year ago, I thought that Seniorboy was withdrawing and becoming a bit hunched - and I realized after a short while that his arthritis had worsened to the point that his meloxicam could no longer entirely cut it. Shortly thereafter, his vet allowed him to go on to supplemental pain meds via oral delivery as needed and he's quite the contented chap nowadays. He can't see a whole load (I think - you can't exactly submit a cat to a full eye examination in the way that you can a human) but we largely get round that by keeping things much the same physically and - as always - talking to him a lot.

I would agree with sparky in that I would be looking at whether she was still enjoying being a cat. My old lad definitely is (with the additional pain meds and the other assists we give him) but only you can tell with her and subject to the vet's views on her physical condition.

You might care to read this with regard to the kids.

Original poster
Wolfiefan · 12/07/2015 19:24

She does smell as she's messy. She has refused to use a litter tray for months. She asks to go out. She sprayed me the other day when I gave her a pill and I think the door mat too.
She smells like her son did in the weeks before he died. (He had stomach cancer before the car got him.)

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Original poster
Wolfiefan · 12/07/2015 19:26

Goodbye Mog.
There's an idea.

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cozietoesie · 12/07/2015 19:31

Does she pee outside as well?

It sounds to me as if she's very sore for some reason. (Not absolutely necessarily the arthritis.) They don't always show pain in the way humans do but it can make an older cat narky.

I'd vet her tomorrow, I think. Maybe seek the vet's advice about supplemental pain meds if you want to give her some relief - but that's the vet's call.

Original poster
Wolfiefan · 12/07/2015 19:36

She won't use a tray at all. She does everything outside. She curls up happily on our bed or on the back of the sofa (but we can't let her on the furniture covered in poo and stinking!)
We have had weeks of her waking us up in the night to go out.
I know her arthritis is really rather advanced.

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Original poster
Wolfiefan · 12/07/2015 19:48

I will obviously phone the vet tomorrow. I'm just concerned that they will just offer lots of invasive tests. Poor old girl.

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cozietoesie · 12/07/2015 20:01

Achh. She's an old girl right enough - and I suspect too old now for anything but palliative care: making her sunset time more pleasant for her.

(That's what I've told my own vet about Seniorboy, anyway, and she's in agreement. (He has a couple of issues that in a younger cat might merit more examination but we've agreed to only treat the symptoms.)) I already give him a lot of assists anyway - eg grooming him, nipping claws, all those things that he can't really do himself anymore.

I don't know about the thyroid issue and how that might be impacting but I suspect that if the vet didn't immediately know there was something else going on, I'd try for some extra pain relief for her and see how she was with that after a limited time. (Seniorboy's meds go on his gums and are easy peasy Thank Goodness - he's a pill phobic.)

It's all about her now though so if you can't give her a good life, it may be time to let her go as a loving kindness. That's a decision that you will have to make although the vet may help you with background information.

Original poster
Wolfiefan · 12/07/2015 20:15

Bless you. I hope to make sure we know the vet we see. Pill phobic sounds a nightmare. We're on 4 a day! She's pretty good and we've got it down to a fine art! (Only time I'm thankful she's lacking teeth though!)

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cozietoesie · 12/07/2015 20:18

I wouldn't manage one a month! (And even that would probably give him a heart attack. Even his vet wouldn't attempt it these days - I think she's worried that he would pop his clogs in the surgery, almost. Smile)

Original poster
Wolfiefan · 12/07/2015 20:21

Haha! Seniorboy is a Siamese? I'd expect nothing less. She's eating at the moment but she's so skinny and bemused about why she can't sleep on our bed. I feel wicked.

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cozietoesie · 12/07/2015 20:40

Yes - a Siamese. Elegant, wise, talkative - but with a will of ruddy iron. (It's a good job I'm no milksop myself. Smile)

I'd speak to the vet, if I were you. If she only has limited vision nowadays and she's sore and being prevented - albeit with good reason - from accessing her safe zone (which means a lot to older cats in my experience) then she can't really be a happy cat I think.

PS - thin may be her thyroid condition or an age thing. Seniorboy is maintaining his weight more or less, to the amazement of his vet, but as he sleeps so much on his electric blanket, he hasn't got much in the way of calorific expenditure.

Original poster
Wolfiefan · 12/07/2015 20:47

Yes we too have an electric blanket specially for old bones. Off at the moment and she's kicking off her hand knitted blanket.
We definitely need to consult a vet.
(Grew up with Burmese so I get the noise and will of iron!)

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Original poster
Wolfiefan · 13/07/2015 09:09

She's gone. I'm sitting crying in the vet car park! She had lost even more weight and was dehydrated and clearly not happy. The vet said there wasn't a clear reason. She also wasn't really eating. She didn't want to explore the room at the vets or even have a cuddle much.
The vet was lovely. He agreed she was only going to get worse and we discussed her quality of life and lack of dignity. He was gentle and respectful.
I kissed her and thanked her for being my cat. I told her we all loved her and she was a good girl. I told her she could see her son and beat him up again! She was peaceful. Even the vet said she accepted it.
Still crying though.

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PawsandWhiskers · 13/07/2015 09:14

I'm so sorry Flowers

WinterBabyof89 · 13/07/2015 09:18

Flowers Flowers

sparkysparkysparky · 13/07/2015 09:22

I'm very sorry.Thanks