Hello, my name is Ryan. I have two cats; Mindy who is 11 and Hallie who is 16. Over the past few years we have had several problems with Hallie's health. She fell of our 2nd story railing in 2014, had cancer in her lymph nodes in 2015 and now is very sick (barely moves, barely eats, and started excreting waste in places other than the litter box). We have poured thousands of dollars into Hallie's health over these years and even sent her to treatment to beat the cancer. However, Hallie is reaching a point in her life where our family has begun to realize that her time with us is coming to and end. Her blood work has come back showing nothing is wrong, but that is clearly not the case. I am posting on this forum because while Hallie's health has been on a continuing and predictable decline, as of this morning Mindy's personality has begun to change dramatically. While she is usually a very energetic and hungry cat, she has begun to refuse to move or eat. When she is picked up, she usually squirms after a bit to free herself from our arms. However, when picked up today, she laid perfectly still and made almost no movements between the time when she was picked up til the time where we set her back down (very unusual). In addition, when Mindy smells, hears, or sees us making her food, she usually comes running to eat it as quick as she can. This morning was different though. She saw us making her food (we'd been feeding them both tuna lately cause of Hallie's sickness cause it was the only thing she'd eat. They both love it) from the couch she was lying on. However, she refused to leave her perch. The only time she ate was when we placed a few treats directly beneath her chin. She hasn't left her spot on the couch for several hours. She has changed sleeping positions a few times but hasnt gotten up yet. Mindy doesn't look like she is in pain, but she has become barely responsive to us. She'll just give us the occasional stretch, stare or mumble when we pet her. Mindy will make these faint murmurs and sounds that she didn't do in the past. I am wondering what we should do about Mindy. Do you guys think she is just depressed because she is seeing her bestfriend on the verge of death, or do you think that she too may have caught a disease. If these behavioral changes continue, we will be forced to contact a vet, but I thought I'd ask you guys first since vets are expensive and we are already spending a fortune on Hallie. Also if anyone has any suggestions about the cause or treatment about what Hallie is going through please share because the vets are stumped.
Thanks in advance.
sincerely,
Ryan
Thanks in advance.
sincerely,
Ryan