[Pedwardine]

We had two elderly cats brought to us following the death of their owner. Maddy is 18 and Pixie 13. Pixie was very active for her age, very very affectionate, purred at the slightest touch, liked her food but didn't ever have the best of constitutions. She has no teeth and we were told she favoured biscuits but of course she couldn't chew them first before she swallowed them which meant she brought them back up later. We discovered through trial and error that tuna and salmon were rather popular and when mashed up a bit, stayed down. She was very small and slight when she came to us and very smelly which we narrowed down to an ear infection which needs regular attention. We thought that the ear problem may have led to an odd imbalance in her gait but we are fairly sure she has had a stroke (within the last month or so) which was likely the first of a number of smaller follow up strokes. She seemed to be picking up a little and showing herself to be a plucky wee thing. She now won't eat or drink, is extremely wobbly on her pins to the point of falling over often and carries her head at an odd angle. When we try to feed her she doesn't seem to know what to do with the food. We've put it in her mouth but it just falls out again. I wonder if cannot smell or taste so well since the strokes. We've even tried Complan but it distresses her popping any food in her mouth and I feel her little heart racing as we try. As soon as we stop, the purring starts. She seems to love her cuddles still as long as our arms are securely around her, though she hasn't the control of her head to nuzzle and rub us as she used to. She still knows us and meows and tries in her wibbly wobbly way to get to us for a cuddle which we are always ready to give. I believe she's still happy as she purrs for England but she's fading to all bone and I don't know whether to take her to the vet and have the deed done or just let her fade away, at home, likely in her sleep. I know she won't get better now and I feel it can't be long but I worry that she must be experiencing the inevitable pains of hunger and thirst. Has anyone else had a similar experience with their cat having a stroke? I've made the big decision with dogs before now but not with a cat. It shouldn't be any different but somehow it feels it. I'm not one for selfishly keeping an animal going for my sake, but I feel to refrain from the vet for her.

[Bill the brew]

I had a cat that stopped eating but I did take her to the vet and she went on a drip and lived until she actually got run over  ...It is a hard decision, in some ways I would let nature take its course but then you will feel guilty not taking her to a vet to get some sort of sedative......us humans can chose to have a no reassertion clause so why not cats!!!

[Dans]

 

No one can make the decision for you but I would take her to the vet.

Thinking of you whatever your decision

Dans

[doganjo]

If she cannot eat or drink she will not live.   In my opinion you should talk to your vet for his advice on what can be done for her.  It might be to have her put to sleep, but equally it might be to put her onto a drip till she is able to drink.


Good luck whatever you decide but do be positive and take a decision, you will feel better for it, rather than just let things happen.  You will always wonder if there was something else you could have done if she dies.

[Bionic]

I agree, talk to your vet and see what they say.  I know you wouldn't want her to suffer
 
Sally

[Pedwardine]

Thanks. Kind and thoughtful words. I'll 'phone the vet tomorrow morning and at least ask for advice. Goodness you wish they could speak sometimes 

[in the hills]

Our old cat lived to the age of about 18 but had several health issues in the last few years of his life. On a couple of occasions he stopped eating or drinking. He was quite fragile looking but as you say about your mog , he continued to purr and look for affection. We took him to the vets and he had become dehydrated and was put on a drip. We feared the worst because of his general poor condition. However, on both occasions the drip really helped and he returned home and was able to eat and drink again. He also preferred dry foods and we used to cook chicken portions for him. He also liked ham and canned salmon but not wet cat foods.


I know how difficult it is but it is not necessarily the case that it is the end for your puss. The vet maybe able to help. I hoped that our old boy would pass away at home but unfortunately he was at the vets when the decision had to be made and sadly most of my dogs and cats have been.


Hope the vet can help and at least you will feel more at ease knowing that you have done all that you can. When the time was getting near for my lad the vet could tell how upset I was and said that they would make the decision when the time came and that helped me.


 

[Pedwardine]

Thanks ITH. That really helps. Pix just gives and accepts so much love. I don't want to give up on her. We've only had these two old gals since the New Year but it's like they've always been with us. They settled so well considering there were two other cats and six dogs in the equation. We love them very much.

[jaykay]

If the vet can help, with a drip, that makes her feel better and then she can eat and drink again that's a good outcome.

Another thing that can happen is that their kidneys give up. I lost a dog like this. She stopped eating and I took her to the vet who did some blood tests. When they came back and showed the damaged kidneys, he said that she would feel very sick, which is why she didn't want to eat or drink. And it couldn't be fixed, so I had to decide to have her put to sleep. It was a hard decision cos she seemed fine apart from not eating, but I had to listen to what he said.

I don't think it's ok personally to let an animal starve to death, I think it's kinder to make the decision, should that be what the prognosis is. But find out what the vet says, because it might not be the end yet. I hope not 

[Rosemary]

If you decide to have her put to sleep, the vet may come to you. We've had that done a couple of times with cats that hated the vet. It was much less stressful for all involved.

[Bill the brew]

I hate that last trip to the vet...but at least if the vet came out there would be less stress, although I had a cat run over and called the vet but who was a good few miles away and he still wanted me to take the cat in, I WAS going to but at that time had no car so even worse, the cat passed quckly thankfuly but its a hard trip with a poorly animal of any sort!!!!!

[YorkshireLass]

My personal thoughts would be to speak to the vet, go as far as drips and pain relief, but not to go down the route of medications/operations/etc.


She sounds like she's not given up. If she stops snuggling, then I'd be thinking the time had perhaps come.


All the best 

[Pedwardine]

I know this is a bit weird but, I figured that Liquid Life Aid would do pretty much the same thing as a drip would at the vets so I've been popping regular small amounts into Pixie's mouth with a pippette over the weekend. I have a few wounds for my troubles but, and I say this tentatively, Pix decided to try just the tiniest bit of tuna this evening with quite a bit of enthusiasm. It wasn't much and she's had another dose of Life Aid just now (gouge on hand to show!) just to keep her strength up but it IS something isn't it? I have a little bit of hope.

[Herdygirl]

It is a bit of hope, still some fight left in her, and you!

best wishes

Gill

[jaykay]

Sounds like she's fighting to stay (and not drink LifeAid  )