Elderly cat worries

[skunkatanka]

Our cat is 17 years old and has had a healthy life so far. However, in the last few months he has started urinating on carpets etc in the house (specific places rather than all over). This has never been an issue before. He is very skinny and, despite asking for food often, rarely finishes his bowl. His stomach is notably swollen. Clearly he needs to see a vet and will do but so I can mentally prepare myself and the kids, am I right in thinking we have a big issue here?

It's time to put him to sleep, I'm afraid. His quality of life is very poor and he is most definitely in pain. I would not be putting him through invasive tests which will scare and distress him. I'm sorry.

Thanks Aqua. I agree to be honest. He's had a long and happy life. I don't want to put him through tests etc.

I know very well how hard this is. I've had cats my entire life, have 5 now, and have had to put many of them to sleep due to old age coupled with a serious decline in their health. It is truly the most compassionate thing to do. Cats hide pain very well, so they are often suffering much more than may be apparent. Take comfort in knowing you gave your lovely friend a beautiful life.

I question why it's been going on for a few months, and he is is skinny with a swollen belly - but has yet to see a vet?
Many things which commonly affect geriatric cats - eg thyroid & kidney troubles - can be dramatically slowed down with veterinary attention and the right food and medicines before the problem gets too bad. Sounds like it's a bit late for this now, sadly. See the vet, get some bloods done as a starting point and see what they say.

The urinating has been going on for a while. The skinny appearance and swollen stomach is much newer. In fact, it was only tonight as he walked in front of me that I noticed his shape had changed. He's not a "sit on your lap" type of cat and is very independent, despite his old age. He has very much slowed down in recent months but we put it down to his advanced years to be honest.

This is why it's recommended cats over the age of 10 have regular check ups and ideally blood and urine tests to pick up issues early.

Kidney disease is a possibility (and very common in older cats) but it could be any number of other things too. I would prioritise to take to vet's as soon as possible - early next week ideally.

Just to update the thread, he had a tumour in his stomach, hence the enlarged stomach and weight loss. He's been put to sleep as the vet felt that the alternatives were not in his best interests given his age. It was too large to operate on and any treatment would have been to slow it slightly rather than fix it.

Very sad and the house feels so empty. He was 17 and had been with us since being a tiny kitten.

I'm so sorry for your loss; I could have written your post as exactly the same thing happened with our much-loved cat last week. He lost weight over a period of about 2-3 weeks, and stopped eating, we took him to the vet who palpated a mass in his abdomen and we sadly had to put him to sleep. He was 15. He went downhill very quickly, and by the time we had realised what was happening, it was too late. We miss him a lot, and it feels so strange that he's not there any more. I'm glad we were able to end his pain, and that I could be with him at the end. As sad as it is, I wouldn't have wanted him to pass away at home alone when we were at work. Try to take comfort in the fact that he had a good life and was loved.

Thank you for that. Like with your cat, ours went down hill so fast. Only a few months ago he was absolutely fine (or seemed so at least). It's so strange without him in the house.