Elderly cat and toilet issues

[pooroldgirl]

I’d love some advice please

My elderly cat (coming on 19 now!) has a variety of health issues - but is seemingly happy enough mood wise. (We have been to the vet most recently around 8 weeks ago).

The last week or so she has started weeing on the kitchen side, it’s honestly disgusting, and then this morning she’s done a (sorry TMI) very runny poo on the side. It’s soul destroying, I have kids and I’m disinfecting the sides multiple times a day/throwing away anything nearby.

Our last vet visit said that as long as she seemed happy and was eating (she is - although she weighs about half of what an adult cat should!!) she’s fine just to see how she goes. But no matter what I’ve tried she keeps soiling - not using a litter tray, putting her out multiple times a day etc. it’s really getting me down.

Is it time to let her go? I feel so guilty for doing so but I don’t see another way around this and we obviously can’t live like this 😔

I think you need to see your vet, and see if there is a treatable issue that means she is soiling. I suspect there is some physical pathology, it may be treatable, it may not. In the meantime, get some puppy pee pads--no disinfection needed.

@CallItLoneliness she has multiple issues poor thing - thyroid issues, heart problems, deaf, possible diabetes - this accounts for her behaviour, the weeing (not on the side until recently) but elsewhere in the house is what prompted the vet visit just before Christmas.

Due to her age/overall condition were not actively treating her - more just keeping her warm and happy. The heart murmur means any stress or anything could cause her to go instantly basically so doing our best not to over stress her so back and forth to the vets isn’t necessarily the best thing for her.

I just feel so torn, I’ve had her since childhood and don’t want to stress her/make any wrong choices.

Will your vet do a house call? Or a telephone consultation? How long has this new habit been happening? Has something else in her environment changed?

@CallItLoneliness they might do a phone consultation actually I’ll ring and ask, thanks.

Nothing changed in the couple of weeks that this has been happening no. We got a dog a few months ago, and whilst she doesn’t particularly like him she just avoids him and it hasn’t seemed to have caused any issues in the first couple of months he was here so I don’t think this new habit is likely to be related, they rarely cross paths tbh. She’s generally quite a resilient thing 😅even in her old age.

Poor old girl.
I get the low intervention approach at this age.
Have a look at a quality of life index - our vet recommended this when our old dog similarly had multiple and increasing issues. It made the decisions about what to do easier to take.
Personally I think when continence goes (alongside multiple other issues in a senior pet) it's not unreasonable to start thinking about whether it's time to let them go.
Big hugs.

When my old fella started this it was a sign he had (an unfortunately very aggressive) oral cancer. He didn't last very long after it started, sadly :(.

@Beamur i will have a look at that, thank you ❤

@CallItLoneliness sorry to hear that - poor thing.

She’s always been a bit grumpy and aloof but still very lovable!!

Ultimately this was the reason we had our 20 year old boycat put down five odd years ago. Incontinence I could cope with, but when the poor thing started soiling himself in his sleep it was definitely time to let him go.