cat advice please

[Carlos & Siran]

Sirans cat Luna is about 14yo, she's always been....well, I call her Hitlers cat , she bites the dog, scratches the kids and intimidates the other animals as much as she can, but shes our cat and we're used to her ways.

About 3 weeks ago however we noticed a dramatic change in her personality, she became very cuddly and clingy, and she stopped eating as well as she used to, though she's obviously hungry, she's lost a lot of weight now to the extent she's just all skin and bone where she used to be a fat cat.

So we took her to the vet about 3 weeks ago who did blood tests and they found nothing wrong except elevated renal function. But the vet said she felt it was most likely stomach cancer, we took her home as the vet said at the moment she felt she wasn't in any pain, but that would change and as cats have a high pain threshold it would be difficult to tell when she is in pain.

In the last 3 weeks her odd behavior has gotten worse, she won't eat at all now and we've stopped feeding her as much as it's just a waste, but now she's bringing rats and mice into the house (though she does not eat them, never has) and wandering around at night yowling to be fed.

We feel it's time to put her down but we've had so much death in our family lately, we just feel terrible about it.

Other than her odd behavior and being so skinny she doesn't seem unhappy or sick, so it's a rather tough decision to make.

How do you guys feel?

[Matto]

sorry guys but it might be better to get her put down before she is in pain

[Silverwolf]

It coming up winter so cat behaviuor does change. If she is bringing prey then she cant be that unwell. She may need a diet change that increases the amount of fat intake so that she puts on some condition this is a problem with older animals

[Insect Direct]

Sounds like old age....In saying that though a bit weird shes catching things. My uncle used to feed rabbits to his cats on the farm. Reckons they wouldnt eat anything else after that. Maybe shes got a taste for something and has just become really fussy.

Good luck, sorry i cant be of more help.

[Caryl]

Put her down. It is hard but kinder than letting her suffer and I think she is. We had to do the same with our cat and I think we let her suffer longer than she should have because we kept telling ourselves she wasn't as bad as we though

She doesn't sound like she has quality of life any more.

[Zev]

Fourteen isn't a bad stretch for a cat, and I know it is hard to let them go, but sometimes it is the best thing to do.

My boss just had the same thing a few months ago her 15 year old cat had stomach tumor, the cat got awfully cuddly and just liked to sit on anyone who would be in the chair long enough to perch on, get a scratch under the chin and purr her guts out, something she would not normally do. She had the brother to this cat as well, and had to have him put down due to renal failure a few years earlier. She said that they feel now that they let him linger too long before doing so and were not going to let this happen again.

[SamH]

Other than her odd behavior and being so skinny she doesn't seem unhappy or sick, so it's a rather tough decision to make.

Usually you'd euthanize something because it's in obvious pain and/or suffering. Because she doesn't seem unhappy or sick I don't see the problem here? At the end of the day it's all down to a yours and the vets opinion, I'd recommend getting Luna checked out to see if there's anything physically wrong with her.

HTH

[oneeyedfrog]

Did the vet check her thyroid function and teeth? And is she going to the toilet ok?

Have had experience with vets not checking the obvious. They are human too!

I have a half wild cat of similar age- same deal losing loads of weight- vet said kidneys (pretty usual for age). I wormed her couple of extra times which helped- they seem to need it more when older. But her main problem seemed to be stress. I sorted her space of her own where she could live and eat without being bothered and she’s put on quite abit of weight.

If she’s not eating – feeding her something smelly (fish etc) and warm – roll it into balls in your fingers before offering it to her might help stimulate her appetite. Even putting it into her mouth if she will let you. Try other types of food. Sometimes its just a case of getting them to take those first few meals. Our cats love rabbit too.

Make sure she always has access to water as with kidney problems they drink heaps.

Has your cat experienced a change lately- loss /gain of another member in the family?

She may be stressed and needing reassurance/company.

.

As they get older and eyesight and hearing diminishes they can become disoriented and that makes them cry.

Things I have heard that have helped are:

Letting the cat have access to owners at night- only ok if she doesn’t come in and jump on your face then pee under your bed LOL!

Leaving on a night light/radio for her

Sorting out a safe comfy place for cat that she can call hers-place to sleep with access to food, water, litter tray – my 20 yr old blind cat spent most of her time in a play pen (she could get out if she wanted) on an electric blanket. She’d yowl if she ran out of food but seemed content- just like an older person- happy to sit.

Rescue remedy in her water.

I hope you manage to find something that helps.

It‘s a hard decision. She possibly can’t be too bad if she is out hunting. But endless sleepless nights are not good for your family either. Mostly I find they seem to tell you when it is time. If she’s happy she could just be getting senile.

You know her the best and can best judge whether you feel she has quality of life.

She is lucky she has owners who care enough to spare her suffering. Go with your gut feeling. Good luck

[Carlos & Siran]

Hi one eyed frog

The vet did all the blood tests they could do, her thyroid was fine, her teeth were fine other than a bit of plaque, her renal function was slightly elevated, but we don't see her drinking and their water bowl is always full.

The dog and cat were wormed not that long ago, and I have changed the food from one type to another and it doesn't seem to have made a difference.

She can still hear well, as I can call her and she will come, her eyesight seems okay as well.

The vet was pretty thorough, and she did say although she could give us drugs (steroids or antibiotics) she felt it would not make a difference and would just end up costing us more.

I guess we will just see how it goes in the next few days and decide what to do.

Thanks

[sunrise001]

well i suggest watch her eat everyday 2 a day wen u cuddle her make sure she is not dribbling if she does it could be a tooth problem also new cats in the nabourhood could also cause problems she may be jelous of another cat she has seen near u

pls list her symtyms as i have a book on cat symtoms and diseases

[sunrise001]

oh and 1 more thing 99% of the time vets are wrong i live on a farm so i no this well

[Carlos & Siran]

Thanks very much for your advice sunrise.

I too live on a farm, I manage one in fact and my experience is vets are generally right about 90 % of the time.

[sunrise001]

well i hope ur cats gunna b ok

[Jennifer]

Firstly, elevated kidney enzymes are a serious thing in cats. Often you only see this when 75% of kidney function has been lost. By the time you detect it, it is a case of managing the disease. With careful management, a cat can live at least a couple of very good years. Management includes special diets, medications and often administration of fluids.

There are several different types of kidney disease, some will result in excess drinking and urination, and some will not. Often cats with elevated kidney enzymes will have a complete urinalysis done to see how well the kidneys are concentrating urine. If there is any sign of dilute urine, or urinary infection then action is taken to remove toxins from the body (which helps to minimise nausea) and to 'flush out the kidneys' so they don't sustain further damage. Kidney disease is very common, stomach cancer is not so common (intestinal lymphoma is fairly common and is diagnosed by a blood test and often abdominal radiographs).

Cats with kidney disease will often be too nauseated to eat but will cry out in hunger. Some will vomit. Their breath often smells bad and their mouth can become ulcerated and very sore. They will lose weight and stop grooming so their fur looks 'spikey.' Prolonged periods of not eating can result in 'hepatic lipidosis' which is fatty liver and this can lead to liver failure. Management includes addressing the fluids imbalance to reduce nausea, administering medication to help the kidneys function and help the stomach to heal (the stomach can become ulcerated as well as the mouth making eating totally unappealing) and force feeding (by stomach tube if necessary). Often they will need antibiotics as well to address urinary infections that commonly occur.

What I am trying to say is that quick action can prevent so many problems and give you a lot more time with your cat. If you wanted to give her a chance you seek a second opinion with a vet who might definitively diagnose the problem and act quickly to get her on the right track. Even if she also has lymphoma, she could be managed with steroids and potentially live happily for many more months.

Don't be dismayed by this information, kidney disease is not an immediate death sentence and neither is lymphoma. Both can be treated and prolong life very comfortably for some time. Euthanasia of a family pet can be a very hard decision and sometimes it is ok to keep your furry friend comfortable for a while and give yourself and your family more time to get used to the hard decision that may lie ahead.

HTH

[Carlos & Siran]

Thank you for this information Jennifer, we appreciate your opinion very much.

As we are farming people we're pretty upfront about this sort of thing and have decided we will euthanize her, we feel any medications and such will only delay the inevitable, best to let her go now while she's not in to much pain.

Thanks all

[sunrise001]

just remember your cat is old 14years old in cat years is 98 for this every 1 year in a cats life = 7

[Caryl]

Although it is said that 1 human year is the equivalent of 7 'cat years', this isn't so. A 1 year-old cat is far more mature than a 7 year-old child.

Experts generally agree that the first 2 years of a cat's life are roughly equal to the first 25 of a human. Thereafter, each additional year equals approximately 4 'cat years'.

Cat Years - Human Years

1 - 15

2 - 24

3 - 28

4 -32

5 - 36

6 - 40

7 - 44

8 - 48

9 - 52

10 - 56

11 - 60

12 - 64

13 - 68

14 - 72

15 - 76

16 - 80

17 - 84

18 - 88

19 - 92

20 - 96

[Sunbird73]

Sorry to hear about your cat, its hard to say goodbye to an old friend. *hugs* You could have easily spent hundreds of dollars and arrived at the same conclusion, I think I would have done the same thing.

Agree with the above - it is possible for a lucky cat with no disease issues to live to 20+ years. The oldest cat I ever saw was 23yrs old! She was pretty ancient looking tho.

[Carlos & Siran]

thanks, she went yesterday morning.

[SamH]

thanks, she went yesterday morning.

Sorry for your loss

[Southerrrngirrl]

Sorry to hear about your cat Carlos & Siran. RIP Luna.

Cats with kidney disease will often be too nauseated to eat but will cry out in hunger. Some will vomit. Their breath often smells bad and their mouth can become ulcerated and very sore. They will lose weight and stop grooming so their fur looks 'spikey.' Prolonged periods of not eating can result in 'hepatic lipidosis' which is fatty liver and this can lead to liver failure. Management includes addressing the fluids imbalance to reduce nausea, administering medication to help the kidneys function and help the stomach to heal (the stomach can become ulcerated as well as the mouth making eating totally unappealing) and force feeding (by stomach tube if necessary). Often they will need antibiotics as well to address urinary infections that commonly occur.

This sounds exactly like my Murphy! Except for the eating bit. She still eats, although it appears to cause her some pain at times. Her fur is terribly matted, I really not sure what to do with it. She's been to the vet though and they said her kidneys "feel fine" and sent her home with no diagnosis.

We have no idea how old she is, as she came to us as a stray in 2002, and at that time a vet estimated her age was 4, but I thought she could have been older than that. So other than a bit of difficulty eating, manky matted fur and excessive thirst, she appears to be a happy cat. Content to stretch out in front of the fire or at this moment curl up in a cardboard box beside the fire! She's not a cuddly lap cat though so perhaps when she does become one, we'll know its time.

[Jennifer]

I strongly encourage you to get a second opinion. The vet should check her blood and urine. They will look for excess glucose (a sign of diabetes which is easily treatable), thyroid function (hi thyroid hormone is easily controlled with a daily pill) and her blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and urine specific gravity, both indicators of kidney disease. It would be good to know which of these conditions she has so that you can potentially offer treatment.