Support Topic for those with elderly or ill cats?

[QueenOfAccidentalDeathStares]

Is there any interest in a topic for those with elderly or ill cats?

GrumpyOldCat is 19.5y, and is currently fighting to get over suspected stress(christmas)-induced cystitis. (on top of his other acquired issues - hyperthyroidism, blindness, arthritis, bad teeth).

He is so skinny now, but now on pain-meds, he seems to be comfortable and back to being inquisitive (and happy?) again. His appetite has completely returned.

Every time he is ill, i start thinking "is this it?" "are we being cruel?", but then he starts to cat about like normal. And being his normal (albeit slower) inquisitive cheeky self. And now i feel mean for even considering it.

I suspect this is his last year (though I have said that for the last 4 years ......).

@tryingtobethebestica
and so sorry @Orlandsundry

OldGrumpy is doing well, but he needs to be on metacam all the time now. He has also advanced to stage 2 kidney disease so is on more pills to help reduce the damage. I know that the metacam may make his kidneys worse, but he is just a happier cat on a low dose of the pain killers. So even though it may shorten his life, hopefully he will be happier for longer.

May I join? I started the multipet thread above that caused the stir yesterday. Anyone that wants to see our pets fb page, let me know and I'll pm it to you so you can see the reality if a house with 19 cats and a menagerie!

Our 21/22 year old cat was diagnosed with a heart murder last night and is being tested for diabetes and thyroid. Results due soon. She's always been a barrel but has lost some weight recently. She lost her 18 year old son a couple of months ago and misses him

My 9 year old little dog has severe heart failure. She's having an ultrasound on Thursday to see if her heart is so enlarged it's pressing on her trachea. She's in good spirits thorough.

My 14 year old cat with mild brain damage fell off the bed and destroyed her leg. It was amputated yesterday and she's still at the vets. We already have four three legged cats so are experience and the house is being adapted for our Old and broken pets, but we're still gutted about Katie's fall. We're going to sleep on the floor with her for the first few nights once she's home before we start letting her sleep on the bed with us again.

Wow - autocorrect really had it in for me there!

Just that's very upsetting news. I hope they'll all be ok. They all have a lovely home with you - it all sounds amazing. I'd love to see all your lovely pets, but I'm not on Facebook. Good luck

Owning so many pets means constant ill or elderly pets as well as bouncy healthy young ones. But I have so much to learn each time one presents with something new to us, people here may have experience and advice. I'll help anyone else with anything that I've got knowledge of. Tripod cats and deaf cats are my particular areas of knowledge if I can help anyone x

It was a combination of both, but she didn't improve at all after op 🙁

My lovely cat has perked up a bit, has left the sanctuary of under the bed, and has been lazing on our beds as she did in the old days. She does have a slightly batty air about her: sits in odd places staring at the wall, has 'forgotten' where her litter tray is, but still demands feeding with gusto!

I have discovered Cat Soup which she loves thank goodness, as she needs to keep her strength up. It's stressfull trying to tempt them to eat when it feels like it is a matter of life and death. I emailed Purina to thank them for this miracle food and they sent me some vouchers! They actually addressed the letter to our cat, but I opened it on her behalf. I thought it was lovely of them.

Good luck to you Justanamechange, and @QueenOfAccidentalDeathStares and hope everything is getting a little easier for you @tryingtobethebestican. I always think of my passed away pets being spoilt rotten my by grandmother in heaven.

Thanks @Orlandsundry I just hope that He is with his sister who we lost when she was only 3 (car driver.) I imagine them making up for lost time and having all the fun in the world. We were adding the cat soup to his food because he really liked that too! I'm so glad your cat has perked up and come out of his hiding place, he must be feeling better 😊

Sorry she, not he.

Our lovely cat passed away in the night last night, curled up on DDs bed (her favourite place). She was such a lovely affectionate giving cat, we will all miss her terribly.
Thanks for your support everyone
Orlandsundry/SarfE4ticated xx

SarfE4sticated sorry for your loss. Had she been ill? She'll always be with you

Yes she had cancer of the spleen that had spread to her lungs, so she was getting weaker and weaker. She had been purring and asking for food up until the last day, and then passed away in her sleep that night. It couldn't have happened in a better way really, but it's just sad without her. :(

Poor grumpy is sitting next to me, pawing at me for food. He is nill-by-mouth ahead of a much needed blood test. Poor thing.he has lost more weight, and refused the needle last week. So this time a little gas maybe needed. Wish us (and the vet)luck.

So sorry Orlandsundry

Feed me!

blood successfully taken, but Grumpy should his discontent by peeing bloody urine.......

..... another urine sample it will be then.....

Poor old Grumpy. Now for a lovely treat

Have many of you noticed your old cats sleep really deeply, not aware of what's going on around them? I've been noticing this with DCat for a while, but especially lately. I also have two young cats she doesn't normally like but when she's asleep, young boy can walk right up to her or jump all around the room and she has no idea. She also doesn't react if I walk into the room. And she sleeps lots - only awake for food and litter tray visits really. She's about 16, not sure as she was a rescue.

My Lisa is 18 next month. She has a skin condition and has been on meds for several years. She now has problems with walking and does a few steps then a bunny hop. We’ve tried laser treatment but that didn’t work. We were going to try acupuncture but don’t know if that would work either. Has anybody tried it? They gave her a blood test recently and she has kidney problems so is now on a renal diet. She sleeps a lot of the time and snores. Now she is older she sits next to me a lot and pats my arm for attention. I think she has also gone back to thinking like a kitten and keeps trying to play with my knitting needles while I’m knitting. Mind you she only does it while she is laying down and only for a couple of minutes before she is toO tired LOL

Aww, lovely Lisa. Sounds like she's still good company.

I'm so sorry for your loss @Orlandsundry it's so hard when we lose them isn't it, hope you are ok

Thank you trying we miss her such a lot :( At least she is in a better place now.

(I've namechanged by the way)

still waiting for the t4 results....... i'm sure he his hyper again. Really think the vidalta dose needs increasing. He is eating like crazy, has diarrhoea (always in the litter tray though) and is unsettled.

How long before you get the results? Here’s another pic of Lisa today

Lisa is a beauty !
Do you have to brush her? Grumpy is very bad at grooming himself now, but he is shorthair so not so bad. though i have to tease his "dreadlocks" sometimes.

hopefully we will get them today. otherwise it might not be till after easter .

it is usually 1-3 days...