17yr old yowling and eating a lot

[LookMaggie]

Hello all,

I had cats growing up so am aware the early morning yowling is a thing in elderly cats.

But this is the first cat I've had of my own (I live alone) and I feel like I have a newborn or an extremely demanding tamagotchi which needs constant feeding to keep it quiet! I've actually had to take to shutting her out of the bedroom recently which makes me feel sad. I work funny hours hence would ideally be in bed midnight-9am.

In terms of her behaviour, she seems well enough in herself although throwing up a bit this last few days. She very occasionally still goes outside but only for a few minutes. She has catnip toys and a scratching post, all of which she uses daily. She has Katkin litter which is supposed to go a particular colour if any kidney issues and all seems clear. But she's eating about twice as much food as Katkin recommends for her age/weight/activity level. (Albeit she's a healthy weight). She has always been pretty "food-oriented" according to the vet. (I want to avoid any more vet trips than are absolutely necessary as she always wets/poos herself in great distress)

This is her pattern:

Midnight: I give her a Katkin tray just before I go to bed to try and keep her quiet as long as possible. If I don't, she will be jumping all over my head as I'm trying to get to sleep. If she is nice and quiet on my bed after her food, when I turn out the light, I will leave her there. If she is elsewhere I will close the bedroom door to keep her out.

3am: if I've left her on my bed, this is the point at which she starts harassing me so I get her up and chuck her outside the bedroom door.

5pm: Automatic feeder gives her a Katkin tray

7am: Automatic feeder gives her a little Hills Prescription dental dry food

8-9am: She starts scratching at the bedroom door and yowling to get in. BUT here's the thing, even when I let her in, the yowling continues until I physically get out of bed. She jump on and off the bed and walk round it over and over again, agitated yowling and will pull my hair and run her claws along my eyes and lips.

Then I get up, give her another Katkin tray just for peace and she will sleep for most of the day. She might get more food about 5pm. (Whatever I'm eating or a Lik-e-Lix pouch or yet another bloody Katkin tray)

When I type it all out, I suspect this is indeed just the nature of having cats and that's she's probably just bored/lonely in the morning!

But any suggestions welcome. Thanks.

Hello all,

A wee update. Blood test results show her thyroid is now controlled. She has early stage kidney disease but at the level expected for her age.

She has had a wee tremor in her head a couple of times over the last couple of days since the blood was taken so they are going to see if they still have the blood sample in the lab and test for electrolytes as may be related to the kidneys.

She seems to have put on a very small amount of weight. And she is still happy enough albeit spending most of her time on my bed, just coming through periodically for food.

So fingers crossed she gets a bit more time yet.

The most important factor is whether this is normal for her. Is it a drastic change in behaviour? Our very healthy little Bengal (1-2 years old) basically comes in and screams ARE YOU OK at least three times a day, will screech even if you’re in the same room playing with her, loves to eat but doesn’t necessarily shout for that. It sounds like your little one might want something, it’s just hard to say what it is. Or she could be chatting with bad manners! A vet visit for a health check probably wouldn’t be a bad idea, particularly if it is a behaviour change. Just to make sure:

Oops, sorry, your post overtook mine. Sounds like you’ve been responsible.and generally very cool as a cat owner.

@CeciledeVolangesdeNouveau no worries! Aye, it's been a steep learning curve!

Further update. They still had the blood so tested it for electrolytes. Sodium is slightly elevated but not enough to cause the tremor.

Going to do another urine sample to see what else is going on with the kidneys. It must be a new thing though as the urine test from 6 weeks ago was ok.

She's becoming my wee science project!

The electrolyte test showed urine is a little too dilute and some protein. They are going to send more urine to the lab for tests to see if she should be put on blood pressure medication.

They say carry on as she's happy enough in life just now but it's likely this kidney disease will be the thing that causes her end. Apparently she may suddenly go blind. :-( and whereas some cats cope, if she doesn't, it would be time to PTS.

Kidneys are sadly the first organ that normally gives up with cats. There are good and bad sides to this - many live for a while with a good quality of life even if it’s not 100% of what they once had. Another is that it’s common so well-understood and with treatments such as kidney-friendly food available. A third, even if it doesn’t feel this way, is that you get to decide that they can stop now when they aren’t having fun any more and with kidney disease it’s fairly easy to tell. Untreated and without euthanasia available, end-stage kidney disease can be fairly nasty or just mean instant death, so it can sound scary, but your friend has got you keeping an eye on them and doing your all to keep them healthy, and there are already even medications you’ve been offered. It’s absolutely possible for a cat to have some kidney issues and still a good old age with a nice ending (as nice as possible - obviously there’s always a horrible element). It’s a bit like heart disease in a human - would be completely different in the 1800s to nowadays. Love to you and the furry one and I’m sorry they’ve started down the slope, it’s sad to hear. xx

The urine test came back from the lab - they were testing for protein and it was negative. So they've decided not to put her on blood pressure meds.

So at present, she is about 17.5yrs old with yperthyroid but on meds for that and early stage kidney disease (no treatment being given). Eating well and seems happy enough. So I've to continue just now and review in 3-6 months possibly with another blood test.

She has a slight tremor in her head so if that worsens or she loses weight, seems unhappy stops eating/toileting well we will review before then.

She will be glad to hopefully not have any more vet trips for a while (she had none for 2 years and then 3 in the space of a month!)

Just got to watch her closely and see what the future has in store for us.

Thanks to all for your advice and love to your cats too!

It doesn’t sound like it but for a good aged cat that’s fairly good news. Of course there’s cream off the top but nobody is getting profits like American companies over here and they haven’t prescribed you the entire pharmacy company so we’re fine for the moment. Keep your baby nice, fat, hyrdrated, purring, whatever is going to facilitate her favourite daily activities (someone will come after me for the fat but unless they are grotesque we’re better off a bit plump than the opposite). It could be quick, It could be slow. Velvet sends some kitten kisses and we’ll take it a day at a time x

Thanks @CeciledeVolangesdeNouveau She's 3.33kg so definitely not fat! So funny because she WAS a little fat for much of her life so I was so focused on her not OVER eating and now it's just feeding her on demand like a cluster-feeing baby! Thank goodness I WFH! And indeed, hopefully she has enjoyed me being with her essentially 24/7 these last few years since covid prompted the WFH thing.

I just hope I can time it right so she has a peaceful end and there isn't a sudden crisis even perhaps with something unexpected like a stroke or something. She definitely wouldn't be impressed right now though if you tried to have her PTS so I'm not going to cut her life short.

I want to try and enjoy her and try to put the anxiety to the back of my mind. Maybe she will live for ages yet, just to make a point!

She used to sit with me in my study or in the living room but now she's in the bedroom 99% of the time. So I've essentially moved in there whenever I'm not working to be with her.

I'm glad I took lots of photos over the years. She's so incredibly cute and perfect (I'm just watching her stretch in her sleep). Frankly, the only thing that will keep me going after she goes is to think I can help another cat and do an even better job next time with what I've learned.

All I can do is contribute my experience and limited vet knowledge(part of an Oxbridge vet med degree). You might know to the day - when our huge big boy easily twice the size of yours suddenly didn’t want food, fuss or patrolling we just knew that was the day because he’d lost half his body weight (got from a lithe and healthy seven kilos in his prime to the weight of yours in his decline and according to the vet lived two years after he should have died).

We also had a pony die at nearly fifty - I’m not lying and you didn’t misread, he was 47 - after Cushing’s disease for twenty years. There were many things which reduced his quality of life but not enough that he was actually suffering - we often speculate he was kept alive by malice! My nana is less of a strong PTS fan than I am but she looked after him and he died in his sleep one day in the field. 47 is an astonishing age for a pony and until his dying day he was happy being mean to absolutely everyone (not pain inspired, he’d been like this all his year but as he got less able the cruelty was probably all that was left to inspire him).

This is always my advice but let yourself feel grief when it’s time for your friend to go and then instead of trying to replace them, find a new awesome little furry friend! My mother has miraculously managed to do this by accident - while trying to replace a half-Bengal enormous monster who terrified grown men, we’ve got our little sparkly mini snow leopard who really tries to terrify her wool ball toy and still can’t get it. Pure Bengal. Also loves me. So if your baby is a shorthair, try a longhair or whatever a mixture of the two, if they’re playful try a sedate older individual, if they’re brave maybe you need someone you can cuddle once they come out from under the sofa.

loads of love for you.

Thanks @CeciledeVolangesdeNouveau bloody hell, you must have thought that horse was immortal!

Oh yes, all our cats have been individuals and irreplaceable. There's always room for more love though!

It’s not something which bothers me every day but the fact that he did live for that ungodly span of time while my darling, brave, scared, lovely athlete of a horse died at nine does seem unfair. And when I say it’s unfair, Dandy (old pony) spent his last years literally just knocking children down in the field for existing in there (yes horses can get this evil. Yes I was knocked down multiple times for just existing in his three acre field). Zara (young horse) spent her later years as we only realised in retrospect basically screaming MUMMY IT HURTS DON’T MAKE ME -multiple vets assured us that a horse in pain wouldn’t be able to do what she did - and then trying her hardest to mask it until the day she died far too young at nine. Life’s a real bitch. In the derogatory sense. And I’m sure life has treated many actual bitches unfairly when they deserve better. Velvet’s busy biting random inanimate objects but she’ll send her love to all of you after.