Long time MN user but name-changed. Need some advice - possibly a hand-hold too.
The situation is as follows.
- Elderly moggy (20 yrs old) - rescue cat, had her for 6 years. Was indoor all her life (and indoor now)
- I am a first time cat owner.
- since I got her, she has been diagnosed with diabetes, idiopathic epilepsy (seizure once a year - no underlying reasons) and an overactive thyroid.
- it sounds like a lot and she has been on various meds but she has been purry, affectionate, lively, playful, mad keen on food etc. for years. The vets could never believe her age given her behaviour.
-...until recently. 3 seizures in a fortnight meant that she was put on anti-epilepsy meds.
- This has (as I was warned) weakened her back legs to the point now that she is only successful in jumping on or off anywhere 40/50% of the time. She no longer urinates in her litter tray, but just outside.
Tbh, I don't give a f**k about the mess/urination from a convenience point of view (puppy pads are amazing). But my heart breaks when I pop out of the room and I hear a bang and she has fallen on the floor again trying to jump on/off.
Her legs get wobblier daily. Her appetite is decent but less than it was. I put her on my lap and she purrs away but can't arrange herself into a comfortable position at all - she just flops where she is.
I have called the vet to discuss options and am waiting for a ring back. She only had her last lot of tests a week ago and no UTI or anything, but her kidneys were bad. I have been reading eg CPL guidance on how to tell that it is time but grateful for help from wise MN-ers.
I am petrified that as a first time cat owner, I will leave it too late because I won't know what to look for. Am also worried that I might be suggesting PTS too early: just before each diagnosis above I have thought "this is it, the end" and mentally prepared myself. And she has always pulled through.
Am in tears writing this. She means so much to me and DH simply doesn't get it.
Sorry for length!