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  • #1

    Old cat

    Well, I've noticed the latest change in Elderly Cat.

    Her pupils are clouding over. She's getting cataracts. Poor darling. She's already partly deaf, now she's losing vision.
    She's needed to have us help groom her for years, especially when her winter fur is in. She's been needing help with keeping her eyes clean.

    The poor darling. Oh well. She's still spending enough of her day purring and loving on us that she's clearly got quality of life.
    Seshat's self-help guide:
    1. Would you rather be right, or get the result you want?
    2. If you're consistently getting results you don't want, change what you do.
    3. Deal with the situation you have now, however it occurred.
    4. Accept the consequences of your decisions.

    "All I want is a pretty girl, a decent meal, and the right to shoot lightning at fools." - Anders, Dragon Age.
    Tags: None
  • #2
    Camera studies have shown that sometimes the purring thing happens when they're in pain... but that's if it's a change. If that's her usual modus operandi, then yeah, she's fine and happy. Just try not to startle her.
    "Is it the lie that keeps you sane? Is this the lie that keeps you sane?What is it?Can it be?Ought it to exist?"
    "...and may it be that I cleave to the ugly truth, rather than the beautiful lie..."

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    • #3
      Poor kitty

      I had a deaf kitty once. Snow was totally deaf. Otherwise, she was very sweet. One thing I'd always tell visitors, is that you didn't want to startle her. If you did...she'd spaz out, and scratch the shit out of you Usually, a gentle touch on her chair was enough to let her know that you were around. She'd wake up, and allow petting
      Aerodynamics are for people who can't build engines. --Enzo Ferrari

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      • #4
        One of my MIL's cats is deaf. His favorite past time is riding on the vacuum cleaner. They have one of those upright vacuums, and Oscar will lay on the base of it while my MIL vacuums the house. He likes the heat and warmth from it, and since he can't hear, the noise doesn't scare him. He also likes to BE vacuumed. When my MIL vacuums, if she doesn't take the hand attachment thing out, put a brush end on it, and vacuum Oscar's belly, he gets grumpy!

        We've been very fortunate. Ash is 13 now and in absolutely perfect health. The first time we brought him to our new vet last year for an annual exam, the vet had to look at his chart 3 times and still didn't believe it. "How old is this cat?" "Almost 13 now." "If you had brought him in off the street and didn't know his age, I'd have estimated he was between 3-4." We had bloodwork done for him a few months ago, and again, the vet said he looks and has the bloodwork of a 4 year old cat. The only problems he has is that he gets indigestion and throws up sometimes, but not often enough that it's ever caused dehydration or any other problems.

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        • #5
          Also don't move the furniture much. We had a cat that got sick and lost her eyesight very young. Lived a very long life but ran into things if we moved the furniture.

          and the cat riding vacuum is CUTE!
          Coffee should be strong, black and chewy! It should strip paint and frighten small children.

          My blog Darkwynd's Musings

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          • #6
            Quoth Elspeth View Post
            and the cat riding vacuum is CUTE!
            I'll second that! I don't suppose you have pictures, Maggie? That would be one for You Tube!

            I'm still learning Taz's quirks, but she doesn't seem much afraid of anything.

            Sorry to hear about Elder Cat, Seshat. Cats do purr when they're in pain; it creates endorphins for them. But it could also be happy purring as well, and I think if she were really in pain, you'd know it because you know her. I could always tell when Jasmine or Stumps weren't feeling good.
            They say that God only gives us what we can handle. Apparently, God thinks I'm a bad ass.

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            • #7
              No, this is her regular purring. I'll tell the others about pain-purring and we'll watch for it.

              We're watching her quality of life fairly closely now. She still has occasional kittenish moments (my husband lets her out the back in summer and she'll run around and chase butterflies and falling leaves).

              Mad Cat Hour has ceased for her. She no longer sprints around the house, jumping on and off furniture and chasing any cat toy around just-because. We miss that.

              She snuggles. Really, really snuggles in. Pushes herself at you, sometimes. And she'll wrap a paw around you and hold you to herself.

              Give her one of her favourite treats and she'll purr while she's eating.

              In winter, she spends most of her time sleeping by the heaters or on a human. In summer, she chases sunbeams and sleeps in them.
              Seshat's self-help guide:
              1. Would you rather be right, or get the result you want?
              2. If you're consistently getting results you don't want, change what you do.
              3. Deal with the situation you have now, however it occurred.
              4. Accept the consequences of your decisions.

              "All I want is a pretty girl, a decent meal, and the right to shoot lightning at fools." - Anders, Dragon Age.

              Comment

              • #8
                There's something very special about old cats, isn't there? (we need a kitty smiley!)

                As long as she's eating well, not drinking water excessively, litter box habits are good and she still occasionally gets kitten-ish, it sounds like she's doing well.
                When you start at zero, everything's progress.

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                • #9
                  Quoth Panacea View Post
                  I don't suppose you have pictures, Maggie? That would be one for You Tube!
                  Man, I wish I did. I haven't even seen it myself, though, I've just heard the stories from my husband and MIL. But I think we're going to be going to visit my MIL later this year, so I'll be sure to bring the camera.

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                  • #10
                    Quoth MoonCat View Post
                    There's something very special about old cats, isn't there? (we need a kitty smiley!)

                    As long as she's eating well, not drinking water excessively, litter box habits are good and she still occasionally gets kitten-ish, it sounds like she's doing well.
                    Yes, there really is.

                    And yes, she is. I'm litter-box cleaner, and I can identify hers from his (our other cat's) easily. Her health markers are fine, except that she's got the old-cat symptoms. She's got that boniness that some cats get when they're old, and a touch of arthritis. Just .. a lot of little signs that her body's going to fail her.

                    But for now, she's happy.
                    Seshat's self-help guide:
                    1. Would you rather be right, or get the result you want?
                    2. If you're consistently getting results you don't want, change what you do.
                    3. Deal with the situation you have now, however it occurred.
                    4. Accept the consequences of your decisions.

                    "All I want is a pretty girl, a decent meal, and the right to shoot lightning at fools." - Anders, Dragon Age.

                    Comment

                    • #11
                      Seshat, how old is your kitty? Mine is 19...she's doing fairly well except that she is also pretty much deaf and she has to go to the vet every other week for subcutaneous fluids since she went into kidney failure a few years ago. I have had her since she was a kitten and it is hard to watch the changes, but I'm glad she's still here. Glad yours is too.
                      "I was only LOOKING, I didn't mean to enter my card's CVV and actually ORDER! REFUND ME RIGHT NOW!!"

                      Comment

                      • #12
                        She's "only" fifteen. And right now, deeply asleep snuggled where two heaters are keeping her warm.
                        Seshat's self-help guide:
                        1. Would you rather be right, or get the result you want?
                        2. If you're consistently getting results you don't want, change what you do.
                        3. Deal with the situation you have now, however it occurred.
                        4. Accept the consequences of your decisions.

                        "All I want is a pretty girl, a decent meal, and the right to shoot lightning at fools." - Anders, Dragon Age.

                        Comment

                        • #13
                          Quoth Seshat View Post
                          She's "only" fifteen. And right now, deeply asleep snuggled where two heaters are keeping her warm.
                          Awww. I hope she can stay with you a while longer.
                          "I was only LOOKING, I didn't mean to enter my card's CVV and actually ORDER! REFUND ME RIGHT NOW!!"

                          Comment

                          • #14
                            I want her with us while her life is good - and I pray that our timing is right for that last trip to the vet. Or even better, that she goes peacefully in her sleep/has a simple heart attack/something else sudden and relatively painless.

                            We've had a good life with her, and her with us. She is loved, and she loves. Whenever it is the right time, she will go - and while I'll miss her, I don't want her to overstay and be in pain.
                            Seshat's self-help guide:
                            1. Would you rather be right, or get the result you want?
                            2. If you're consistently getting results you don't want, change what you do.
                            3. Deal with the situation you have now, however it occurred.
                            4. Accept the consequences of your decisions.

                            "All I want is a pretty girl, a decent meal, and the right to shoot lightning at fools." - Anders, Dragon Age.

                            Comment

                            • #15
                              Quoth Seshat View Post
                              I want her with us while her life is good - and I pray that our timing is right for that last trip to the vet. Or even better, that she goes peacefully in her sleep/has a simple heart attack/something else sudden and relatively painless.

                              We've had a good life with her, and her with us. She is loved, and she loves. Whenever it is the right time, she will go - and while I'll miss her, I don't want her to overstay and be in pain.
                              Exactly. While it would be very painful for me to find my cat had passed on in her sleep, I'm dreading that last vet visit myself...sigh.
                              "I was only LOOKING, I didn't mean to enter my card's CVV and actually ORDER! REFUND ME RIGHT NOW!!"

                              Comment

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