I make custom paintings of animals 💜

A month ago, I posted a “Sad Happy Birthday” for my kitty, Mr. Milky Paws. After a few days, he bounced back especially once I started adding rotisserie chicken to his regular food. About a week and a half ago, his bedding felt wet, so I placed wee wee pads on his bed again and he had at least 3 episodes of peeing on them. Then I noticed he was on partially walking into the litter box, so I placed pads there as well. I figured he was achy and it was hard for him. I put a litter box closer to his bed with pads underneath and the same thing happened. Friday a new, low entry litter box came… same thing happened. I just figured this was going to be our new norm for a bit. Saturday he seemed tired in the morning but perked up as the day progressed. While in the kitchen for a snack, he wouldn’t move, so I picked him up to return to his bed in the living room. He had a little bit of spit up around midnight, but at 1:15am, there was that very distinct meow. His breathing changed and I knew this was the end. I told him there are many waiting for him on the other side of the bridge and it was ok to go. He was having a rough time. I sang “Sleepy Man” to him twice and when I was finished, he was at rest.

By 6:30am after wrapping him up with 2 old toys, I dropped him off at the vet. But returning home was hard. This is the first time my apartment has been empty since 1996. Whenever a fur-baby has passed, I was able to distract myself by caring for the remaining siblings. But now there’s no one left. I walk through the apartment like a zombie. Looking at the litter boxes and food bowls still on the floor. This pain definitely is harder, especially since I’m struggling with health issues which is going to make cleaning up difficult.

The smell not thing I could accomplish today was making a list of everything I can donate to a shelter or give to the few people I know who are pet parents. My sister said I should sell the brand new items, but I’m not sure about asking my friends for money. I’m open to suggestions.

unfortunately he went missing few days ago and not having the best of hopes viewing his age . Never posted on anything cat related on reddit . Treating this as a goodbye post to my little child .

Tl;dr: I made my cat a euthanasia appt and now she's doing a bit better, I swear just to mess with me

Pima is my (at least) 14 year old sassy tabby. I found her in 2018, dumped on the side of the road. Originally I didn't want her, and even made an appt to surrender her at my local Humane Society. But she wormed her way in, and has just been the best darn cat.

Unfortunately, she was declawed on all four feet before I got her, and it was done poorly. I had to have a revision done a couple years after she came to me. And now, she has pretty significant arthritis in every joint of her legs and up into her lower spine. Solensia didn't work, so I started her on routine meloxicam and considered her "hospice." While yeah, the meloxicam might tank her kidneys, I'd rather give her a couple good months vs possibly years of discomfort.

She's done super well on the meds, but two months ago she started coughing a lot, and after having some chest films done, was diagnosed with a very large lung mass. We don't know what it is, because it's not in a place where it can be easily biopsied, and at her age and with her other issues, a full on lobectomy (removal of part of the lung) seems unethical.

In the last week or so, she's slowed down. She's not suffering, but she's definitely starting to struggle. She stopped eating dry food (which she loves), and only picks at her wet food. I want to let her go before she gets to the suffering point, so I made her an appt for this coming Thursday to be let go peacefully here at home with me.

This morning, this damn cat walked up and just crunched away on her dry food like she hasn't been acting weird for the last week, and then went and happily laid down in her favorite sun spot to watch birds.

So now I am wavering on my decision. She's never going to get "better" than she currently is. Any actual treatment I could offer would be incredibly painful and invasive - removing part of her lung, or in the case of her arthritis, going in and essentially grinding down in her joints to remove some of the scar tissue build up. But she suddenly seems pretty content again, because of course she does.

I had a cat previously that I waited a bit too long to let go, and it still haunts me (and he wasn't even really that miserable). I'm terrified of her crumping on me at like 9pm on a Wednesday and having to take her somewhere unfamiliar and say goodbye suddenly. But I'm also wracked with guilt at the idea of giving up too soon.

Am I making the right decision to continue with saying goodbye? Or am I doing a terrible thing?

I adopted Chucky when he was just a tiny little kitten 19 years ago. He’s been with me through almost my entire adult life, through so many different chapters and changes. It’s hard to imagine my life without him, and it honestly feels like losing a part of myself.

He’s one of the quirkiest and most loving cats I’ve ever known. I’ll never forget all of his little habits and the silly things that made him who he was. He was always so affectionate, and for so many years I’d wake up to find him curled up beside me, waiting for his morning pets and scratches.

Watching him decline so quickly has been incredibly difficult. Over the last few weeks, he’s lost so much weight and slowly stopped being able to do the things he used to, like jumping onto the couch or my bed to cuddle. Over the last few days, he’s struggled even more to walk, stopped using his litter box properly, and started hiding for most of the day. That’s when I realized it was time to make that phone call that I had been dreading.

Nineteen years still doesn’t feel like enough.

I’ll miss you more than I could ever put into words, Chucky. Thank you for growing old with me ❤️

after a scary diabetic crash, leaf had to go to the vet and get iv dextrose. he's feeling better now, but before we picked him up the iv got offset and the dextrose got under his skin, which required a hearty saline rinse. so now his arm is so itchy he couldn't stop licking it, which means on top of it all he unfortunately needed the cone. 4 hours at the vet, just to be restrained when he gets home! outrage he cries!! nobody knows how hard he's got it!!!

...oh well. atleast he was able to find a comfy spot when he got home. and there weren't any cats scheduled for surgery today, so he got all the nurses attention alllllll to himself (easily his favourite part of the vet)

(leaf is 13 and a half!)

Hello, I am looking for advice on how to help my senior cat adjust to new pets in the home. For the record he has always been a grumpy cat, haha. He is very strong physically, eats and drinks very well, and gets monthly Solencia shots for arthritis, because he had both knees replaced after tearing the ACL on both legs around 2020 (unknown how he did this!).

My town is overrun with stray animals. We have a large transient population who get work here in the oilfield and then get laid off. They adopt pets when times are good, but have to leave suddenly when they get laid off. I always say, when things get hard for people in my town, they get hard for pets. Some will drop animals in nice neighborhoods on their way out, hoping that a family will adopt them, some leave them with animal control, some just leave them with family or friends. The end result is a lot of suffering strays and not enough animal rescues to help. This is how we found ourselves with two new dogs last year (dropped in our neighborhood, one with heartworms who has made full recovery), and one blind kitten this year (walked in front of us while we were walking the dogs, total horror show with a terrible eye infection). No one else could take them, and they would have died or been put down without us.

I never wanted this many animals. In total we have six! Four cats and two dogs. My senior cat got along well enough with the first two cats we brought in around 2017 and 2021. The two dogs that came next were a challenge, but he managed to maintain his “authority” in the home. This new little kitten who is blind has been tough for him though. He pulls out his fur and can’t get settled. He loves sitting on our laps in the morning, but if any animal moves or makes a noise, he growls and jumps to the floor. Then he will just stand and stare, unsure of where to go and angry.

We have gabapentin for him to help him calm down a bit, but it hasn’t helped the way we hoped. We got fences to put around the dogs in the bedroom at night so he can come and go as he pleases, and a fence to put around the couch where he likes to sit with us in the evening. He is starting to set boundaries with the blind kitten, and there are times that the two of them will be sitting together in a room peacefully. I am hoping our old boy can adjust to one last new pet. The kitten will be neutered in two months, and hopefully he will initiate play a little less with my senior cat when that happens. The kitten isn’t aggressive, just playful, and my senior seems to recognize that he is blind, and doesn’t fight him the way I know he could. He’s just annoyed that things are different and wants his routine the way it once was. We are doing everything we can to maintain that for him, but perfection is not possible.

I feel horrible. I didn’t want to take on any more animals and it has been an expensive task. My heart was bigger than my head and I have caused my old boy stress. All our animals are sweet in disposition except for this senior cat, he’s always been a grump but this is a little different. He sees the vet monthly and all bloodwork is clean, and we work from home so we are always here to monitor the animals interactions. He isn’t getting bullied, he’s actually the “boss”. He just doesn’t like all these animals around.

Have you had any luck soothing an older cat during a time of change?

Ole boy is mad 😠

Hi there !

Today is a special day because it’s the birthday of my Siberian cat, Louang. I call her a cat, but she is so much more than that to me. She is my ray of sunshine, my soul cat. She is always by my side when I’m not feeling well. At night, we fall asleep side by side; I reach out my hand and feel her paw. I need her, and I treat her like the princess she is.

I think about—and dread more than anything—the day when she won't be here anymore. I hope to celebrate many more birthdays with her. That is what I want most of all, because I know I’ll never share such a special bond with another animal. It brings tears to my eyes just thinking about it. But I cherish the time I have with her, and for now, everything is going well. She sees the vet often because she has been asthmatic since she was very young and is being treated for it.

Anyway, I wanted to share this with you because it makes me feel good knowing that others are aware of her existence.

I love you so much, Louang, happy birthday my girl !

Tomorrow, my 15-year-old cat is going to the vet for his first blood test, which is needed to see if he can get his first vaccination. I’m really worried and scared that he won’t be easy to handle. I’m already stressing out about it. 😿

How do your “difficult” cats usually behave during blood draws?

Pepperoni, Kitty Kitty, Rambo, Ramboni, Rambi, Bubba, Buddy, Rams, Ram, Baby Kitty. These are all names for the cat that I adopted at 29, my best friend. He would answer to all of them, though some he liked more than others. “Baby kitty” was sure to start a wrestling match, but “Kitty Kitty!” would have him running to me from anywhere in the house.

I unfortunately had to put down my first born fur baby yesterday. Rambo was around 3 years old when I adopted him in 2014, and has been through most of my big life changes with me, 5 homes, 4 moves, living without me while I did travel nursing assignments, BSN, MSN, working from home, and he was always there. A year ago he was diagnosed with lymphoma, hyperthyroidism, and possible tumors in his sinus/ear canal. The prognosis wasn’t good, and information online said they usually got 6 months. I didn’t want to give up on him yet.

We knew he was terminal, his ear had ruptured, he had lost 5 pounds, and was unrecognizable. So we made the decision to not force him to take meds, not force-feed him, and let him live his best life on Prednisolone, methimazole, and Prozac as long as he would take them. Until he was ready. For a year I went through countless treat types finding the ones he would eat without finding the pills inside and sometimes even breaking them in half to put the pills in the middle and Frankensteining them with pill paste. If he caught on, he wouldn’t eat those treats ever again. That was his way. The only way.

Rambo was different. He wasn’t like most cats you meet that are happy to be there and were ok with going with the flow, no, not him. He demanded attention, took space where he wanted it, and when it was time to eat, he let you know. But he wasn’t mean, he was kind, gentle, and loved people. He was somewhere between cat and human, like he understood more than you’d give him credit for, but he also couldn’t help chasing a hair tie. He was a once-in-a-lifetime cat.

12 years ago on September 21st, 2014, I walked into a PetSmart to look for an orange male cat. I didn’t find any orange cats, but I did see a back paw and tail hanging off of one side of a cat tree and a front paw and head hanging off the other side. I remember thinking “there’s no way that’s one cat, it HAS to be two cats sharing that half pipe.” I read the sign, “Pepperoni.” “No way,” I thought.

I flagged down an employee and asked if I could meet him, she said to fill out an adoption application first, that would allow them to consider me as an option to adopt him and that there would be a 3 day waiting period and they would let me know. I filled out the paper and she led me into the holding area, explaining to me that he was very food motivated but he was extremely sweet. He had been “rescued” from the dumpster of a Pizza Hut and lived on a steady diet of pizza and wings, which earned him the name Pepperoni. She opened the door to the enclosure and said “come here kitty, want a treat?” I could not believe how big the cat that meowed, stood up and stretched, and calmly descended the tower was. He was grey with black stripes, with a white nose, chin, chest and belly. A very handsome boy.

We went into the meeting area where there was a bench and he followed. I sat down on the bench and he immediately jumped up and walked onto my lap and sat down. I sat there petting him for what seemed like forever while he made the loudest purring sounds I had ever heard and felt. “I don’t think he’s ever reacted to anyone this way before,” she said, “So I think you can take him home today if you want?”

We were inseparable. He was my first cat, he was all mine. I named him Rambo, it fit him. He wanted nothing more than to sit on me, purr, and get pets for hours and hours. He loved feeding time. He was about 18lbs when I got him, lean and mean. He was 24.5lbs at his heaviest, living in our apartment, when he stopped being allowed to go in and out as he pleased because the road was so close and the stray cats outside.

When the pandemic hit in 2020, I had to start travel nursing. I had to leave him because bringing him on the assignments in the places I was going was not an option. The world was falling apart and he needed stability. I came back to see him often and he was sad when I wasn’t there. The first few months were rough, the apartment we lived in just never fit him and he wasn’t a fan of the roommate’s dog. He was alone much of the time in my room until my girlfriend, Alyssa, came to stay the night with him and give him pets and love. He was sad but he never complained. When I came home he was over the moon, and I knew I had to change things for him.

When I bought the condo and he had his own place to himself he was king of the castle. He was so happy to have me home again, even if for just a few weeks. I had to leave again for 3 months and that meant not seeing me everyday anymore. He was sad again but he never complained.

Alyssa would spend most days and nights there taking care of him, but even though he loved her, he missed me. It was breaking him. To help him stay active, we adopted Teddy in summer of 2021. I was home between travel assignments and I knew I’d be leaving in a few months and he always wanted a kitten to love. He raised Teddy like a son. They were two peas in a pod. He never complained about sharing space or treats or attention. Even with me being gone, he was sad, but he didn’t complain. He was always there when I came home, so happy to see me. His eyes would light up when he realized it was me and he wouldn’t leave my side, sitting on me like the first day I met him.

When we moved into the house, he had even more space. I stopped travel nursing and was home full-time, so the kitties were happy. He and Teddy were so relieved to have such a big house and even bringing Alyssa’s cat into the house wasn’t a big deal because they had so much space. When Lewis, an 8-month-old kitten, showed up and never left, we brought him inside and Rambo did what he does best, he took him in and taught him how to wrestle. He showed Lewis how to annoy Teddy and Nani, how to lay in the way, and how to demand attention. All the while, he never complained.

After he got sick, last fall, he was never the same. He would isolate, was grumpy, and slept most of the day, but he would still always come when he was called and would sit and purr for hours on my lap while I pet him. He still never complained. Every so often I would sit with him and pet him wherever he was and cry and tell him to please let me know when he was ready to go. He would purr and rub my beard with his face telling me it was ok. He was comforting me like he always did. He wanted to stay longer. He hadn’t had enough pets and time in my lap purring yet.

Tuesday night he stopped eating and never turned around. His demeanor changed and he wasn’t happy anymore. He walked to his bowl and sniffed it and turned away. He stopped taking treats. He had slowly declined over the last few months and by Friday morning I could tell he was ready. He looked into my eyes and I could see that he had had enough. Even though he rubbed on my beard, it was different, he was telling me he was ready. He was still comforting me. I called and made the appointment for an in-home euthanasia. It was the toughest thing I have ever had to do.

I never wanted him to be scared or stressed and be put down in the veterinary offices he hated so much, or have to suffer through the terrifying car rides that were his only fear. He spent the last days of his life in my lap, purring, being brushed and pet.

For his final meal, we ordered pizza and wings, his favorite. He had 3 or 4 bites and then he turned and let me know he had had enough. He slept at my feet one final time. In the morning he sat with me on the couch and purred weakly as I brushed him with his favorite brush. He had one final lick of Churu and that was enough for him.

The vet was amazing. She came in and listened to his story, pet him, and explained the process. She gave him plenty of time with us and asked when it was the right time. She gave him a ketamine cocktail and let us spend his last moments petting him, talking to him, and was extremely empathetic, reassuring, and kind. Not once did I feel like I was rushed. I got to pet him for a long time while he looked more peaceful than he had in years. She took a paw print and some hair clippings from wherever I wanted them for me to be able to remember him forever. Teddy gave him some final comforting licks goodbye and Lewis sniffed him and sat next to him watching calmly.

When it was time, he passed looking into my eyes while I told him I loved him, how much he meant to me, how much he was loved and would be missed by everyone, and that he was the best kitty I could have ever asked for. I thanked him for all of the time and love he gave me and I could tell that he saw me, really saw me, and was relieved I was there with him. After he passed I got to hold him one last time, tuck him in, and carry him out to the car for his final trip.

I shared his last Churu with Teddy, Nani, and Lewis in silence. One last Churu for the Council.

I am very sad and will be for a while, maybe forever, but I am also relieved that I was able to take his pain away while he was at home and surrounded by his family. Everywhere I look I see him. He was such a presence in my life for the last 12 years. I honestly could not have asked for a better way to have sent him off. It was perfect. Hug your fur babies today and think about Rambo, the kitty that always showed up for me when I needed it. He was the best kitty. My best friend.

Rambo 2011-2026

Lint made his way to the Rainbow Bridge on the 28th. His first night home went well, but on Thursday night he had a horrible coughing spell with very labored breathing. He recovered from that but he sounded the same as on Monday. I didn't want him to suffer through more of that. On Friday morning we called the veterinarian for an appointment later that day.

Lint spent his last day with us surrounded by love, with all of the pets, kisses, and treats he adored!

🩷🐾🌈

I found Lint in late spring of 2009 behind the business that I was running at the time. A fluffy and hungry little ball of a kitten, about 9 weeks old. He was so sweet and curious. After lost poster went unanswered he was quickly accepted into the family by his new cat and dog brothers and sisters. Lint was playful and extremely interested in new foods. It made it interesting at times, nothing like finding little Lint chowing down on baked beans, yogurt, or mustard when your back was turned for just a second! The boy had usual taste for a cat.

😹

We were so lucky to have Lint in our family! He was a wonderful guy, a pain in the ass to take a picture of, and a great supervisor of teeth brushing and laundry folding.

Our stealth ninja, a cat to set your clock by, with a silly little lip curl after a few teeth were removed. Handsome Lint as he was so perfectly described by a well wisher as an exotic and mysterious cat.

🩶

Thank you all that sent positive thoughts Lint's way earlier this week. We all appreciate it very much. Lint is missed so much but we know that he is feeling great and having a blast at the Rainbow Bridge with all of his brothers and sisters that have gone before him.

Goodnight sweet Lint, Lint T. Ball, my Flint Lint. I miss you, I love you, and I'll see you on the flip side at the bridge my baby kitty. 🩷🩷🩷🩷🐾🌈

It's been 9 days since we said goodbye to my Bella and everyday just feels so heavy. I have 2 young kids and a full-time job that take up most of my time, but I'm just so sad constantly. She was with me for over 17 years and my life just feels so incomplete without her, especially since I adopted her at 21 so she's been by my side my entire adult life.

I plan on taking my older daughter to a cat cafe soon, just to try to get used to the idea of a different cat(s) in our lives. I know I'll never feel ready and no cat will ever replace her, but I've never lived in a house without a cat, so it feels far too quiet (aside from my 19MO and nearly 6YO daughters).

Also, highly recommend doing end of life photos if you can, and using a mobile vet as well. I can't imagine having to say goodbye anywhere but our backyard. 🤍

Hey all, my 16 year old male cat has been diagnosed with SCC on his front left paw. It’s grown since its initial diagnosis and seems to be oozing a bit. Vet said 3 months comfortably and seemingly didn’t recommend amputation. I didn’t speak with the vet directly, my family did. I plan to meet with them again to find out more. Has anyone in this community experienced Digital SCC? I’ve had him since he was 1 and am REALLY struggling to accept that this could be the end. He’s been the bestest boy for his entire life. I really want to do right by him, but if I can help him live longer I’ll do that.

TLDR: 16 year old male cat has Digital SCC on his front right paw. Vet said she wouldn’t amputate, he’s comfortable on pain meds for now, but it seems to be growing fast. Any recommendations or advice?

Edit: the paw in this picture is the culprit. This was a week prior to diagnosis, 2 weeks prior to this post.

Thank you very much in advance for any advice you'll give. I'll try to keep it as short as possible. Looks like I'll have to make a decision soon.

My cat is 17.5 years old. She has always been very healthy and strong to this day.

From a vet visit about 6 months ago, I knew that, naturally, her kidney's were working less than normal adult cat. Thev vet recommended switching to a low protein diet, which we did.

She hates having her nails clipped. 8 days ago after clipping her nails and her trying to fight all the time, I saw that she couldn't step on one of her hind legs very well. It was very late at night so I took her to a 24 hour open vet clinic. They took an x-ray and made a pain relief injection. The next day, they made another injection. Then in the evening she started vomiting. The next day she vomited very dark colored and tarry.

I immediately took her to her regular vet. They said most likely wrong injections caused stomach issues and they made several injections to protect her stomach and ease her situation. This went on for 3 days. She wasn't eating great but yesterday she started eating wet food regularly again and she was drinking water. She loked very much like on her way to a full recovery, we were happy. She never vomited again but her stools were still dark colored.

Then today she seemed very withdrawn. Not doing much except eating. I tried to make her walk. She made a few howling sounds, and peed on the floor.

Another visit to her wet tonight, blood results show kidney failure and some signs of anemia.

The vet is talking about her spending 5 days at the vet and then weeks of treatment that has very little chance of making her kidneys function better. He mentioed euthanasia.

I've cried and read about this all night. Her situation is acute. Are we losing hope too early or will I cause her too much suffering if we decide to go down the long term treatment route?

Apologies for the length! I’m hoping for some for advice and personal experiences from people who have cared for elderly cats with IBD and/or intestinal lymphoma, particularly on quality of life during treatment.

My boy Loki is 16, and I’ve had him since he was weeks old. He was in almost perfect health until a year ago, when he started getting chronic diarrhoea. After a crash resulting in him spending a week in hospital, the ultrasounds and fine needle biopsy showed diffuse intestinal changes, lots of enlarged/closely positioned lymph nodes and an abnormal-looking spleen. Essentially, it could be severe IBD, it could be small cell lymphoma.

He’s been on 10mg of prednisolone since early February, and 2mg chlorambucil every other day since April. He’s been on ondansetron and cerenia almost every day, and Mirtazapine as an appetite stimulant, as well as a b12 supplement as he was very low. He’s been on a hydrolysed protein, hypoallergenic diet since mid Feb.

While the vomiting and diarrhoea has decreased a lot, we do get bad weeks. He is noticeably weaker and he is nauseated all of the time. He used to be very food orientated, but hates the diet, and so eats less than he should.

Unfortunately, the treatment itself has become part of the issue, with his bone marrow taking a bit of a hit and causing anaemia. The vet has recommended that since his bloods are relatively stable that we should start to decrease his medication. But to me, his symptoms appear to be worsening because of it.

He’s still drinking and urinating normally. He isn’t vomiting at the moment, and I don’t think he’s experiencing significant pain. He still seeks us out and likes being near us, and he purrs. He still has things he enjoys, like sitting outside under his favourite tree.

He has lost a significant amount of weight and is now around 4.9kg. He’s increasingly unhappy about medication, doesn’t like being picked up, spends much more time sitting or hiding, doesn’t move around nearly as much, isn’t grooming himself as well and seems to be struggling more with things like jumping onto the bed. He also seems generally uncomfortable rather than overtly painful.

When I look at the whole picture, there seem to be more “meh” days than genuinely good ones, and I’m increasingly worried that we’re approaching the point where his life is mostly tolerable rather than enjoyable.

We absolutely don’t want to keep him going for our sake. We want to make the decision based on his quality of life, and I’m trying to work out what that actually looks like in cats who decline gradually rather than having a clear-cut crisis.
So I’d really appreciate hearing from anyone who has been through something similar.

For those of you whose cats had IBD, intestinal lymphoma, or a combination/uncertain diagnosis:
What did the later stages actually look like day-to-day?
What were the subtle signs that, in retrospect, told you their quality of life was deteriorating?
Did your cat still have good moments right up until the end?
How did you distinguish between “old and having a lot of quiet days” and “this cat is no longer enjoying life”?
Was appetite the deciding factor for you, or were there other things that mattered more?
If medication was becoming stressful or unpleasant for your cat, how did you factor that into the decision?

I’ve had my tuxedo kitty for 12 years, and picked her up from the shelter when she was only a couple weeks old. Until two years ago, she was an indoor/outdoor cat. She was cool living with medium/large dogs, chickens, and liked hanging around neighborhood cats every now and then. Only thing she seems to HATE are small highly energetic dogs. Now she lives with me in a 2 bd apartment.

Despite my best efforts to stimulate her (lots of playtime and some leash training, which she’s taking up well if a bit slowly), she does seem a bit bored. And she also seems anxious when I get home, even if I’ve been out for as little as a couple hours. Recent vet visit says she’s very healthy too.

Would she do well with a cat companion? I think she’d enjoy having a senior big dog friend most but my building doesn’t allow dogs. She has only lived with one cat before- my parents never introduced them or separated them initially so it took them about six months to tolerate one another (and simply coexist, with occasional play). The caveat here is that in this time, when I would come home from college, my cat would refuse that the new kitty get in the same room as me. My cat is very attached to me. She’s always been cool with sharing attention with the dogs. Unfortunately that younger kitty died young. And they only knew one another for about two years.

Any thoughts appreciated! People seem pretty divided on whether senior cats should have feline companions.

My 15 yo girl has been struggling with eating. She’s always been small and never really food motivated, but as she’s aged it’s been harder and harder to get her to eat enough. In her youth she was only about 8lbs, but healthy. In the last year or two she really stopped preferring to eat, and at her skinniest she was just below 6lbs which really spooked me. Took her to the vet who said she looked great for her age, but she was so picky she wouldn’t even take the free churu (she never does tbf, the vet is always surprised at that).

Well today she weighed in at 7 pounds!! All that appetite stimulant and silly meal time rituals finally paying off! I’m so proud of her

So i just took my 15yo cat Layla to the vet for her regular 6 month checkup. For the first time they detected cardiomyopathy based on her bloodwork. Just trying to find out more about what this means. Have any of you went through this with your fur babies? How long can i expect her to live? They are going to send me an estimate for imaging to do some kind of imaging to check her heart to see where we are at. So far she isn't showing any of the signs like trouble breathing or anything. Not acting differently either.

It was unexpected but also somehow since he was 19 and was approaching 20. I’ve noticed how he slept a lot more, ate less and continued to breathe louder.

On the morning of August 10th he was laying on a blanket I put out for him on the floor next to the piano while I was playing it. I decided to give the cats a can of cat food since Oscar could eat it easier. After I did the portions I went to the living room and sat on the rug, he slowly walked over but collapsed suddenly right before he got to the rug. He looked like he was suffocating while he tried to take a breath each time, his tongue sticking out and no body movement. He seemed to catch it finally and stand up just to fall back over and do the same thing. This happened five times. I started bawling and thought ‘I’m watching Oscar die right before my eyes.’ I called my vet and told them what happened. They said ‘We’re fully booked today but we’ll make time for you.’ My vet listened to his lungs and felt around his body, she suspected he had an aggressive form of lung cancer. Oscar lost 8 pounds since his yearly wellness exam in March. Due to his age she advised against the treatments and surgery, which I agree with. She said I could take him home for a few days and then bring him back for the euthanasia. But with his quality of life diminished I decided then was the time. I wouldn’t want to fall over from suffocating just because I crossed a room. My vet who’s seen him the whole time was kind enough to let me hold him in my arms through the whole euthanasia process and shaved some of his fur for me to keep.

I still have my other two cats, but the routines and habits he had have left a loneliness. I still check for him on the built-in or cat tree. I look at the rug in the hallway he would always conveniently lay in the middle so I had to walk around him. No one’s scratching on the doors to go on a walk in the yard outside. No one’s jumping on my bed just to paw my face and then lay on my neck. No one’s doing the begging/praying thing with their front paws to get pets or be feed. Recently as he’s gotten older he had a couple pee spots in the kitchen because he didn’t want to go downstairs to the boxes, but I miss coming home from work being annoyed that he peed again and I have to clean the spots since it’s original hardwood. And I actually ordered an enclosed litter box shelf for the kitchen an hour before he fell on the floor! After he got the sleepy drug before the end drug I said to him ‘How could you do this after I got you the fancy litter box enclosure?!’ I deal with bad times through humor and that was the last time I got to joke with him, so don’t judge me for that. 🥲 And I’ve also been putting off sweeping the house because I know it’s the last time I’ll sweep Oscar’s fur.

He was the first cat I personally owned and he had so much personality. After he passed I messaged a lot of people who knew him, even my last ex who I haven’t been on the greatest terms with since the breakup, and every single one was so saddened by his passing and had a lot of great things to say about him. He was a unique cat and beloved by everyone who met him. My dad passed almost two years ago but Oscar was his favorite cat of mine, he always called him a ‘fine fellow.’ I’d like to think that Oscar ran to him at the rainbow bridge just to paw his face and then do the begging/praying thing for Heaven treats.

Even though I had moments of him stressing me out while he was here, I miss him so much and I’m grateful for the time we had together. I’m thankful that somehow he ended up being my cat and one of my best friends through some of the toughest times in my life. I’m going to miss having my buddy who was always down to hang out on my lap and be a friend to everyone he met.

*Quick photo mentions: photo 3 is him featured at the end of a comic book. I’m into comics and sent his picture in to a great series. Oscar got to be kind of famous in his life! Photo 7 is us wearing matching ghost pajamas for the spooky season five years ago. Yes, this man loved wearing clothes and had more shirts than me. Photo 9 the clump of hair my lovely vet shaved for me to keep of him.*

Meet Ms. Furry Purry. She’s 14, the Queen of the house and the centre of my universe. Earlier this year, she was diagnosed with CKD and wasn’t doing well. 7 months later, with fluid therapy and a prescription diet, she’s thriving. Next checkup next month and I hope her numbers show more improvement. Isn’t she beautiful? 😻

sköldkörteln menar jag

Varken hypertyreos eller levern är anledningen till hennes viktnedgång vet vi nu🙂, så därför ska vi ta reda på om det inte kan vara så att njurvärdena visade falskt på blodprovet och hoppas att hon gått upp något i vikt till nästa gång🖤🐈‍⬛🖤 18 år som pigg, social, fasta rutiner och matlust så än finns det hopp !🙏❣️