When Is Enough, Enough? (Cat Problem)

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Mark2spark

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Hi.

I don't know when enough is enough, I suppose I feel guilty that there doesn't appear to be anything other than 'the final solution'  :_|

Our cat, well, this one, we've got two, is about 18 & a half years old, and has gradually, over the last few months, become more and more incontinent. Even more so in the last 3 months. Basically he now does wees and poos in the house, at random spots, so much so that you now have to have eyes in the back of your head to avoid treading in it.

Hard, constipated type of poo, small nuggets really.

From looking at other sites, he's obviously got rhumetism from old age, I understand that this can be part of the problem. But the wee's are happening from him just waking along, drip drip drip, he doesn't know he's doing it. When he goes to poo - sometimes it's in the garden and we observe him - he arches his back into what looks like a really painful position, and then as the motion starts, his back legs actually give way under him, so he ends up scraping his bum along the ground. A proper 'skid mark'  :(

Is he in pain? Is it time to say goodbye? We decided to tolerate the house soiling for as long as possible but we've had enough now, can't be doing with poo on the kitchen floor and treading in it, - it also stinks the house out.

But other than this, he doesn't appear to be in any obvious, acute type of pain. He looks directly at you and miaows when we first come into the room, like he's trying to tell us something, but we obviously can't tell what.

Like I said, he's quite old, and has lost weight, and is skin and bone really compared to our other cat. No obvious lumps when you feel him over.

I'm not really prepared to embrace a costly medical treatment plan for a cat so old.

Opinions please. Thanks.

Mark.

 
If he has got arthritis then yes he is in pain, cats are just good at masking things.

You really have two options, both require you make an appointment with your vet tomorrow:

  1. Have the cat put to sleep. Something is obviously wrong
  2. Speak to the vet after they have examined the cat. There may be something that can be done, but that would likely require blood and urine tests as a minimum. I saw a 21 year old cat the other day.
What you must not do is keep the poor ****** going in pain.

 
Apache helped with our old cat a while back. 22 and still going!

It had been going in the corner of the dining room rather than use the dirt tray out in the conservatory. Figuring on joint pain we took her to the vet who prescribed anti-inflammatories but these made her drink constantly.

Now "banished" to the conservatory. I blocked up the cat flap back into the house. All she does is go from arm chair to food bowl to litter tray - never misses the tray NOW! If the very back door is open to the garden she will have a little wander but more often now doesn't bother. Gets a hot water bottle at night.

Appears in no pain but is it a life?

 
Thanks for the replies. Just thought I'd update. He didn't seem too bad on Monday when I got in from work, - no 'accidents - so just let it go again, as you do. Stroked him and felt him over for lumps later on but nothing obvious.

Tuesday however (evening) wasn't good. Puddles of wee on the kitchen floor, and a drip drip drip trail all around as well. Poo lumps on the patio, - but one had blood in it, first time I'd seen that. So made a vet appointment.

Vet listened to us and felt him over, then said that he could do blood tests and stuff but the answers back were likely to be obvious. He's showing signs of kidney failure, has a lot of muscle wastage, has sunken eyes (not sure of the relevance of that?) he couldn't feel a raised thyroid but he thought that would be involved. All in all, a poorly cat. Not in acute pain, but uncomfortable. He could go on for a little while longer, but the outlook wasn't good, and wasn't going to get any better, and he would go along with a decision that it might be best to say goodbye now before things got worse and pain started.

So we had him put to sleep :(

 
Appears in no pain but is it a life?
Well, yes, part of our dilemma as well. The muscle wastage meant that he couldn't climb fences any more, and so was therefore confined to our house and garden only - the cat flap is at the back.

 
Thanks for the replies. (What are 'scoobs'? Is it a way of saying 'thank you' for specific replies?)

Yes, the vet also said, (he could see that I was upset, didn't think I'd be outwardly upset but...) that I shouldn't torture myself, he's had a good life and I'm only saving him from future pain and discomfort.

 
Scoobs are the forum reputation system. If someone helps you or gives a good answer you agree with click the green one. If someone is an arse click the red.

I don't think normal members can see who voted, but I can, mwhahahahaha

 
I feel for you, I am not a cat person I keep dogs, but I do know how all animals become a part of the family. One of the main attributes of a good owner is the ability to let go and do the right thing at a time that matters the most. I hated my vet, but after talking to Apache I began to understand how they work. They love animals, otherwise they would never become Vets, they do two years more at Uni than a doctor would, and could keep your pet alive for years after its useful life could ever achieve, but it would come at a cost far outside our working income.A woman I knew who was very wealthy had a Siamese cat, she spent a fortune on his treatment each month. If you came in contact with the cat he smelled as if he was dead! He was a lovely cat but he should have been put to sleep years before.

In my opinion he spent at least a year in constant agony, as a pet owner I could never do that to any of my pets. I am sure you could not.

 
Very true Manator. I remember going to a customers a few years back she had a cat that could not walk on its back legs so was dragging itself around by its front legs. Now to me this is cruelty. A decent pet owner knows when to let go.

 
Thanks all. I started 'scoobing' but reached my quota 'for the day'?? Fancy only being able to say thanks about 4 times lol

Cheers all.

 
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