LoveToKnow Cats:AllComments

From LoveToKnow Cats

Comments

Hi Nick,

Thanks for sharing with our readers. It's good to hear that you cat is in no real pain and is enjoying that last part of his life. I hope you get some more time with him.

-- Contributed by: LoriSoard

hi ,, this is to "alew" i am no expert but my cat ,, "sproggie" is now 21 years old he is starting to slow down and is i am afraid to say it, going to leave us sooner rather than later, we have been told by our vet it is simply a case of old age which is a great blessing as he is in no pain whatsoever. things that you may notice are ,,,, slower than usual,, trouble in jumping about,,, playing ,,,, sleeps a lot more,,,, louder snoring!!!,,,(due to slight fluid on lungs, happens in old age) still wants to eat and drink but in less quantity. i wish you all the best and hope your moggie is gonna be ok,,xxx

-- Contributed by: nick

Hi Linda,

Have you tried feeding her some soft cat food? As cats age, sometimes their teeth grow softer and chewing hard food becomes difficult. The change may also entice her to eat a bit more. Other than that, I'd keep giving her medications and let her sleep as much as she'd like. It sounds like she's fairly comfortable for now.

-- Contributed by: LoriSoard

What can I do to make things more comfortable for my elderly cat. Spirit is 19, and is under vet care, on medication for heart murmur and kidney problems. She has nearly stopped eating, but still takes in plenty of fresh water and makes regular trips to the litter box, but she is nearly skeletal in appearance and sleeps a good deal of the time. I'm not ready to lose her, but do wish to keep her comfortable. Any suggestions.

-- Contributed by: Linda

Hi Laura,

There are some flavorings you can purchase from your local pet supply store that you can mix in with dry food. This may pique her interest. You could also try mixing in a small amount of canned food of different varieties. Cats have different personalities and tastes. One cat might love liver and another might be drawn to salmon flavored.

-- Contributed by: LoriSoard

I have a 17 year female cat. Her appetite is waning - any suggestions on what might interest her?

-- Contributed by: Laura

Hi Talia,

It's possible the hair pulling is stress related. Sometimes their food can cause "hot" spots too that result in this behavior. Before putting her on meds, you may want to try switching her food and trying several high quality varieties to see if it helps.

On the oopsies, she is likely just getting older and doesn't have as good of control of herself as when she was younger. You may want to try putting out a second litter box in a different location. If she can't make it to one, maybe she will to the other.

It's a good idea to keep her under veterinary care, as he can do the bloodwork and tests to find out what all might be causing her behavior.

-- Contributed by: LoriSoard

As my 13-year-old spayed female calico has aged she has slowly ac...ulated some odd incurable "querks". She has an owie on her foot that she picks at and hasn't healed for over a year. For the past few years she pulls hair out of her hind end, legs, tail until she has bald patches. And has arthritis in her hind area as well. She has been under the care of a vet, has had a blood work up and gets a monthly steroid shot for her arthritis, and that seems to help her allot.In the winter she get a heated rice sock when I can giver her one, and she LOVES this. She has also been antibiotics for the owie on her foot, and has been tested for allergies and parasites for the hair pulling, and no luck. I am considering asking the vet to prescribe psych meds for her to see if any of this is anxiety related. What are your thoughts? And another things that has worried me is that her backbone has recently begun to feel sharp through her skin and she has also started to drop little treasures around the house. Not full bowel movements, just little oopsies, but no urine. Is there anything more that I can do for my kitty that you know of? Thank you, Talia

-- Contributed by: Talia

Hi Jeanette,

I'm so glad that she's okay and that it was a minor issue that could be treated with medication. Once her teeth heal, she'll likely be her old self again. And now you know that her vital functions are all good, so you don't have to worry as much about the litter issues, which hopefully will now improve. If she continues to urinate outside the litter box, then you should follow some of our suggestions in the article Urinating in Strange Places.

-- Contributed by: LoriSoard

Thanks Lori for your advice. We took our cat to see the vet. All of her tests came back good, however, she was in dire need of dental work. She had to have most of her molars to extracted. After an over night stay at the vet she came home and has been fine. The vet thought she would be a little sluggish for a few days -- not the case. The only challenge has been getting her to take her antibiotics. She knows when to hide. Hopefully this will give us a few more years with our beloved cat.

Thanks again!

-- Contributed by: Jeanette

Hi Jeanette,

Just like people, cats sometimes revert to the behavior of their childhood as they grow older. Cats can have a bit of dementia too. My biggest concern would be the change in litter box habits. This signals that she may be dealing with issues, such as a urinary tract infection or beginning kidney failure. There are medications that will help, so I would go ahead and take her to the vet and allow him to run some simple tests that will determine how much kidney function she currently has, or see if she has an infection. Please check back and let us know that she's okay.

-- Contributed by: LoriSoard

Hi, Our 15 year old Tortise Shell cat has recently become clingy. She constantly follows us around the house and will not part from me at night. If I get up, she gets up and meows at me. This is very strange, she has never been this way. I have also noticed changes in her litter box use. A lot of times she will pee inside her litter box, get out and finish up right in front of her box. Other changes include an obsession with human food. She guards the refridgerator and meows while moving her back feet --almost like marching in place. During this behavior, her tail is standing straight up and shaking. She has also been jumping on the kitchen counters and table...has not done that since she was a kitten.

-- Contributed by: Jeanette

Hi Tracey,

Steroids do not seem to impact cats in the same way as humans, although I wouldn't recommend them as a long term solution, unless there is no other answer. Even though cats are more resistant to steroid side effects, it is important that the smallest dose possible be given. Your veterinarian should have weighed your cat in order to determine dosage.

I would switch her to a high quality diet, if you have not already. Start with 25 percent of the new food to 75 percent of the old food. After a few days to a week, switch to 50 percent and 50 percent. Continue this in 25 percent increments until she is switched to the new food. It may take a month or two before you begin to see the benefits of her new diet.

-- Contributed by: LoriSoard

Hi, My 16 year old cat, Mallory had a recent visit to the vet due to what appeared to be a raw itchy skin problem. Turns out she has a form of dermatits.. probably a reaction to a dry food I am giving her. The vet sent her away with a steroid shot and told me it should clear within a couple of weeks. I guess my question is will the steroids effect her as much as they would a person? Just getting off a regime of steroids myself (for a rash ironically enough) I know how "strange" they made me feel.. no less a cat. I look forward to your response.. Mallory does too! :) ~ Tracey

-- Contributed by: Tracey
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