I Really Need To Vent... Life With Our Elderly Cat

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basschick

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I think you'll be happy with it. If for no other reason you won't have to guess when the food is the right temperature. It always will be. FYI, I use only 3 ounce cans even when Casper was around because him and Cocoa had different tastes/needs and larger ones would just be a waste. I can easily fit about 15 cans in that unit at a time. So, several days worth of meals. I also use single serve pouches but I'm careful not to let them touch the sides of the unit *just in case* - I slikde them between the stacks of cans.
we only use 3 oz cans, so that sounds perfect :)
 
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basschick

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yesterday afternoon, HK was unable to stand or walk. this isn't surprising as he's been very wobbly for some time, and his thighs are so wasted that when the vet saw him two weeks ago, she was surprised he could walk then.

to get around now, he lets himself drop to the floor off the ottoman, then rests, pulls himself forward a bit, rests and so on. i try to carry him where he wants to go, although i'm not always right about it. if i'm in the other room - or for the three hours i slept last night - i can hear him gabumping on the floor, trying to pull himself to his feet and i run to him to help. my husband isn't much help because he came home feeling ill, and has only gotten out of bed in the past 16 hours to help give HK his sub-qs and to give him his pred and methimazole.

HK seems less happy overall, not that i blame him, and he's eating less, perhaps partly because he can't get to the food but he's obviously a little nauseous even with his cerenia. i'm taking him plates to the couch and holding them if he eats them, but he'll only eat the perfect flavor - otherwise he fluffs up his cheeks and turns away. this morning he's had an ounce of salmon, and as always he's thrilled to get his potassium in juice from a can of whitefish and tuna.

this is into the grey area for us. we don't want him to suffer, and he's already only half his healthy body weight. i can't ask him how he's doing, and i can't fully tell, although i've always been able to before. we're in new territory, and i suspect we only have days to go, although i'd give anything to be wrong about that. but we won't make him suffer just because we want him with us, either.

for now, i'm staying close to him - luckily i work at home - sleeping little. i went to bed, only to wake up 3 hours later as HK managed to get to the ottoman that has been his step to the bed but couldn't stand, so there was the galumping noise as he tried to push up and fail, so i put him on the bed. he fell over, and he did eat. and i have been crying most of the time as i pet him and talk to him.

it's so painful that i don't know the words to express it - but then lots of you here know that.

thanks for "listening".
 

betsygee

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I'm so sorry to read your update. It's awful trying to gauge when the scale has tipped into the 'no quality of life' stage. My thoughts are with you. :hugs:
 

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I'm so sorry to read this update. It really sounds there is very little quality of life left, but I understand the difficulty of making the hard decision of letting go. Thinking of all of you :vibes:
 
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basschick

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wow, he perked up and just ate the most food in a single serving he's ever eaten in his life - and with gusto! he lay down and chowed down on chunky turkey, chomping away, flinging food everywhere, then stopping to eat some off the towel. i had to open a second can. over 4 1/2 ounces in 20 minutes. he did a little grooming, and now daddy is petting him and he's purring.

the changes are coming so fast - it's like a roller coaster ride. i know he's still old with all those problems, but at the moment i feel such relief, love and gratitude.
 

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yesterday afternoon, HK was unable to stand or walk. this isn't surprising as he's been very wobbly for some time, and his thighs are so wasted that when the vet saw him two weeks ago, she was surprised he could walk then.

to get around now, he lets himself drop to the floor off the ottoman, then rests, pulls himself forward a bit, rests and so on. i try to carry him where he wants to go, although i'm not always right about it. if i'm in the other room - or for the three hours i slept last night - i can hear him gabumping on the floor, trying to pull himself to his feet and i run to him to help. my husband isn't much help because he came home feeling ill, and has only gotten out of bed in the past 16 hours to help give HK his sub-qs and to give him his pred and methimazole.

HK seems less happy overall, not that i blame him, and he's eating less, perhaps partly because he can't get to the food but he's obviously a little nauseous even with his cerenia. i'm taking him plates to the couch and holding them if he eats them, but he'll only eat the perfect flavor - otherwise he fluffs up his cheeks and turns away. this morning he's had an ounce of salmon, and as always he's thrilled to get his potassium in juice from a can of whitefish and tuna.

this is into the grey area for us. we don't want him to suffer, and he's already only half his healthy body weight. i can't ask him how he's doing, and i can't fully tell, although i've always been able to before. we're in new territory, and i suspect we only have days to go, although i'd give anything to be wrong about that. but we won't make him suffer just because we want him with us, either.

for now, i'm staying close to him - luckily i work at home - sleeping little. i went to bed, only to wake up 3 hours later as HK managed to get to the ottoman that has been his step to the bed but couldn't stand, so there was the galumping noise as he tried to push up and fail, so i put him on the bed. he fell over, and he did eat. and i have been crying most of the time as i pet him and talk to him.

it's so painful that i don't know the words to express it - but then lots of you here know that.

thanks for "listening".

I understand and feel your pain my friend. I have been going through my own ordeal with Skye as his nasal noise came back yet again. Not to mention that I thought he became blocked again as he has Urinary Tract Infection. A nightmare of this rollercoaster ride and lack of sleep! I commute to work and the dread of leaving him alone makes me worry too. We are making it through another day as he did pee and the noise settled down too. He continues to adapt to his blindness. He is so full of life, of course not like before but still has too much punch to give up..meanwhile, I try my best to keep my hope and sanity. Thinking of you and your baby. Best of Luck!
 

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wow, he perked up and just ate the most food in a single serving he's ever eaten in his life - and with gusto! he lay down and chowed down on chunky turkey, chomping away, flinging food everywhere, then stopping to eat some off the towel. i had to open a second can. over 4 1/2 ounces in 20 minutes. he did a little grooming, and now daddy is petting him and he's purring.

the changes are coming so fast - it's like a roller coaster ride. i know he's still old with all those problems, but at the moment i feel such relief, love and gratitude.
Your sweet boy is a fighter!! When I thought my Kirsten's time was near I had another 6 months with her, then she went into her favorite cabinet and fell asleep and didn't awake.

I hope HK is on the mend. Maybe he was feeling unwell from feeling nauseated and the food seemed to help for sure. He sounds like a little sweetheart and you and your husband are taking such good care of him.

Hugs,

Mia
 

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wow, he perked up and just ate the most food in a single serving he's ever eaten in his life - and with gusto! he lay down and chowed down on chunky turkey, chomping away, flinging food everywhere, then stopping to eat some off the towel. i had to open a second can. over 4 1/2 ounces in 20 minutes. he did a little grooming, and now daddy is petting him and he's purring.

the changes are coming so fast - it's like a roller coaster ride. i know he's still old with all those problems, but at the moment i feel such relief, love and gratitude.
Meanwhile, we do all we can, pamper them and indulge them with anything they want.
Take it a day at a time, or even an hour or minute at a time. Enjoy him.
Did you say he's 20? Dang. That's pretty outstanding :wave3:
 
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basschick

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I understand and feel your pain my friend. I have been going through my own ordeal with Skye as his nasal noise came back yet again. Not to mention that I thought he became blocked again as he has Urinary Tract Infection. A nightmare of this rollercoaster ride and lack of sleep! I commute to work and the dread of leaving him alone makes me worry too. We are making it through another day as he did pee and the noise settled down too. He continues to adapt to his blindness. He is so full of life, of course not like before but still has too much punch to give up..meanwhile, I try my best to keep my hope and sanity. Thinking of you and your baby. Best of Luck!
thank you - you sound like you're doing an amazing job. our best wishes, and best of luck to you and Skye!

Your sweet boy is a fighter!! When I thought my Kirsten's time was near I had another 6 months with her, then she went into her favorite cabinet and fell asleep and didn't awake.

I hope HK is on the mend. Maybe he was feeling unwell from feeling nauseated and the food seemed to help for sure. He sounds like a little sweetheart and you and your husband are taking such good care of him.

Hugs,

Mia
6 more months and passing peacefully - we should all be so lucky.

at 20 years old with all his health issues, i'm not sure how mended he can get, but he is a sweetie, and we do everything we can! thank you for posting - it helps me to know i'm not alone.

Meanwhile, we do all we can, pamper them and indulge them with anything they want.
Take it a day at a time, or even an hour or minute at a time. Enjoy him.
Did you say he's 20? Dang. That's pretty outstanding :wave3:
we try to pamper him - we always have - and indulge him. and from my two posts in this thread today, it appears taking it every minute or hour at a time is the only way to go.

he turned 20 last november, and considering he's had kidney issues, thyroid issues and IBS for over 5 years and arthritis and some other things from more recently, he's been doing pretty well.
 

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thank you - you sound like you're doing an amazing job. our best wishes, and best of luck to you and Skye!



6 more months and passing peacefully - we should all be so lucky.

at 20 years old with all his health issues, i'm not sure how mended he can get, but he is a sweetie, and we do everything we can! thank you for posting - it helps me to know i'm not alone.



we try to pamper him - we always have - and indulge him. and from my two posts in this thread today, it appears taking it every minute or hour at a time is the only way to go.

he turned 20 last november, and considering he's had kidney issues, thyroid issues and IBS for over 5 years and arthritis and some other things from more recently, he's been doing pretty well.
We had a little cat live 22 years with arthritis and what I assume now was IBS because she threw up all the time. She never went into distress, she just slowed down, wound down, and died in front of the fireplace in her sleep.
Taking it by the day or hour or minute is good for them, but it's good for us too. It gives us more personal time together with them.
 
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basschick

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we got a few more wonderful days with HK where he was walking, eating, talking to us and involved. we're both so grateful to spend those days with him.

as of wednesday night he's not eating, can't walk, pees and poops all over himself - which we don't mind cleaning him but it upsets him. he's lost even more weight. he softly cries. we've made the hard decision. trying to find a vet to come tonight so HK won't suffer through another night - he had a hard time last night.

thank you for all your support. it made such a difference to me and to HK and my husband.
 

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I know your pain so well. My boy SKYE was laid to rest last Sunday here at home. I used Lap of Love. God Bless all these wonderful companions!
 

betsygee

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So very sorry to read the news about Honeykat. We'll close the thread now out of respect for your loss, and we invite you to post a tribute to your sweet kitty in our Crossing the Bridge forum.
 
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