Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

The litter tray

Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

Old cats and neurological issue. I don't think DCat is going to make it

2 replies

IToldYouIWasFreaky · 14/12/2021 21:10

Our lovely old boy (16 years old) started bobbing/swaying his head in his sleep late last week. It was a very weird movement so we took him to the vet who said it was probably neurological as he has no problem with his ears. He's acted mildly confused for a while, staring into space and yowling so it was not a huge surprise. They said they could do a brain scan but he'd need sedation and they wouldn't want to risk that at his age. They gave him some steroid tablets which they said might slow it down and he's had those for a couple of days.
But, I've just got home and he's was doing an odd thing with his back leg...stretching it out fully, then twitching it back uncontrollably. It was not pleasant to watch him but he didn't seem distressed or in pain. I took him to his food bowl and he ate and drank , then I gave him a big cuddle as being held seemed to ease the twitching. He walked himself back to his food bowl and has now gone upstairs for a nap. We'll phone the vet in the morning to update them but it's not good is it? There's nothing else they can do for him and if symptoms like this carry on we'll have to let him go. Sad
Has anyone else had experience of this and how quickly he might deteriorate?

OP posts:
TheCreamCaker · 14/12/2021 21:15

Poor old boy Sad. How is he moving arong? Wobbling?

One of my cats, a few years ago, had similar symptoms and it was a stroke (as a carer of 20 + years, I'd seen it in humans often enough) but the vet didn't recognise it as such - they'd never seen a stroke in a cat before - and I allowed the vet to try various treatments (all in vain, I had to have her PTS at 16 yrs old). Please do what you know is right for your boy x

IToldYouIWasFreaky · 14/12/2021 21:36

He's a little wobbly and his back leg looks a little odd but he could walk.
We'll do the right thing. I didn't want to rush him to the vets tonight as he gets distressed in the car and I don't see what else they can do anyway. We'll keep a close eye on him tonight and phone in the morning.
Part of me is hoping this was just a weird one off but most of me knows it probably wasn't. I just hope he hangs on until Christmas for DS's sake but we won't prolong things if he's suffering. Thankfully he doesn't seem to be at the moment, even when his leg was going, it didn't seem to bother him.

OP posts:
New posts on this thread. Refresh page