Caring for Licorice @ 17 yrs.

[lorrilee]

He was born right next to my bed, It was him ,his mom( she died many yrs ago) me for all his early years, I imprinted him soon as he was born we touched noses, I live out in the country ,We do have not everything but I think its pretty good out here .For a about a month now , Licorice looks " lost sometimes" he's not hearing things, I startled him the other day just walking up to him, I did some reading & I'm thinking he is getting dementia senile, its kinda of thrown me, we rescued a 3 yr bengal, a few spats but back to my dealing with my best friend licorice, I'm keeping to his old routine , I comb him more. When I see he is not sure what to do, I get him to play a little bit, I help get him up in his window seat, sorry but I'm pretty emotional about all this, I just keep thinking He will let me know when its time, thanks for listening, any tips on this please tell me, Very sad losing my very best friend I have to keep him comfortable,thanks again im just sad

 

[nurseangel]

Bless you and Licorice. I made a promise to my cat Redman that I would take care of him until the end. We would let him out in the fenced backyard and sometimes he would walk right to the wall, instead of the door, meowing to be let in. I was right there to escort him inside. I held my promise and took care of him until we had to have him PTS. I still have wonderful memories of him, like how he was the only creature on earth that liked to hear me sing. I worked in the county jail at the time, and it took me the longest to admit to the inmates that Redman was no longer with us. They would ask about him, and I would lie and say he was fine. That sounds awful, as I generally try not to lie, but they had come to know him through me. I just couldn't bring myself to tell them.

I think you are a wonderful person, a great friend to Licorice, and that your heart will tell you what to do. As long as he is eating, not in pain, and has you, I think everything will be fine.

It's nice to meet you, and I am sorry it has to be under these circumstances. I hope you will stay with our friendly little community. And please keep us updated. We are always here for you.

 

[lorrilee]

Bless you and Licorice. I made a promise to my cat Redman that I would take care of him until the end. We would let him out in the fenced backyard and sometimes he would walk right to the wall, instead of the door, meowing to be let in. I was right there to escort him inside. I held my promise and took care of him until we had to have him PTS. I still have wonderful memories of him, like how he was the only creature on earth that liked to hear me sing. I worked in the county jail at the time, and it took me the longest to admit to the inmates that Redman was no longer with us. They would ask about him, and I would lie and say he was fine. That sounds awful, as I generally try not to lie, but they had come to know him through me. I just couldn't bring myself to tell them.

I think you are a wonderful person, a great friend to Licorice, and that your heart will tell you what to do. As long as he is eating, not in pain, and has you, I think everything will be fine.

It's nice to meet you, and I am sorry it has to be under these circumstances. I hope you will stay with our friendly little community. And please keep us updated. We are always here for you.

Thank you :-)

 

[FeebysOwner]

It is somewhat sad, yes. But, cherishing all the time you have spent together, and the time still left, is something to think about to help ward off sadness when it hits.

Feeby is 18+ yo and probably has some level of dementia as well as hearing loss - in addition to several health issues. I make sure I approach her from the front so as not to startle her. Before, I was walking up to her from behind and if I touched her she would jump a mile. We sometimes help her make a decision if it appears that she is struggling to figure out what she wants to do next. We may not always be 'right', but it does stop the 'frozen in position' stance she sometimes takes, and then she is off on her merry way again. She likes routines - most cats do - so that helps us determine what it is that we might help her decide to do next when she appears to be a bit confused.

I've watched her world become smaller and smaller in terms of things she used to do that she no longer attempts. But she is my girl and as long as she eats/drinks fairly well and appears to be content overall, I will follow her lead.

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

Here is an article on aging cats that could be helpful as you see changes in your precious Licorice:

What To Expect As Your Cat Ages - TheCatSite

Discover how your cat ages and the changes they go through as they enter their senior years. This guide provides valuable insights for cat owners on what to expect and how to make the senior stage of your cat's life easier.

thecatsite.com

 

[Tobermory]

Iris will be 19 in May, and she's showing many of the same behaviors that you describe in your beloved Licorice. Besides what others have mentioned and the excellent article on cats and aging, I wanted to add that I have to be so careful not to step on Iris. She's developed a bad habit of slowly following me from room to room and lying down behind me. I have to remember to always look before I move. My husband and I give each other a heads up if she's behind one of of us or if she's lying down next to our feet with her tail in the way. She just doesn't seem to have any awareness any more of the danger of human feet, and she doesn't always seem to know where she is. And she can't move quickly so she's not able to get out of the way. It's scary. I walked out of the bedroom in the dark the other night and didn't see her. Fortunately, I only kicked her lightly and she wasn't hurt (although she gave me SUCH a hurt look ), but now I always use my cellphone to light my way at night.

Licorice will find comfort being with you--and you with him.

 

[lorrilee]

Here's my boy, he's big 20 lbs. Thank you all , You're helping so much

 

[cmshap]

I have nothing to add except general support. I'm sorry you and your cat are going through this. My cat (and my best friend) is about 10 and healthy, but I am dreading when the day comes. Not dreading it enough to prevent me from cherishing the time we have now... but I am not looking forward to that time when it comes.

I've been through this process with dogs when I was growing up, who were my best friends as a kid. So I already know how it feels.

I hope your cat can have a content life for however much time he has left.

 

[iPappy]

Here's my boy, he's big 20 lbs. Thank you all , You're helping so much

What a beautiful boy! I have two all black cats as well
When I was a kid/young adult living at home, we had cats who would start to slow down at 15-16, but live into their early 20s. Most lost their hearing, and some developed arthritis. Their eyes got cloudy, and many of them lost some weight. But they were happy, eating well, and still took interest in the world around them. If he looks lost sometimes, but you've only recently noticed his hearing loss, there's a slight possibility he could be confused from his hearing loss and not necessarily suffering from dementia. At least we hope so!
I lost 3 (2 cats, 1 dog) in 13 months time. It really affected me. I have several in their teens now, and I know I'll be facing it again. I joined TCS after the loss of my two cats and having the loss of my dog staring me in the face. This community is amazing. Welcome, and I hope you'll continue to join us.

 

[Margot Lane]

What a beauty! He looks like a jaguar! My boy is getting old too. A lot more cuddly than he used to be, but always on his terms. Reassurance on all fronts seems to be key, and low, soothing conversation. It is always scary & bewildering when the parts break down, (“How come I can’t jump so high?” “Why is my poo funny?” etc.) and the #1 thing you can do is to be his best friend—- exactly what you are doing.

 

[JamesCalifornia]

~ Yes it sounds like Licorice has hearing loss and some mental confusion. Spending more time fussing with him and keeping him company is a good idea. Leaving a cat alone in that condition can be dangerous.

 

[cmshap]

It is always scary & bewildering when the parts break down, (“How come I can’t jump so high?” “Why is my poo funny?” etc.) and the #1 thing you can do is to be his best friend

I notice this starting to happen to a minor extent with Willy already at almost age 10.

I know he's not as old yet as other cats mentioned in this thread. And he's pretty healthy right now. But he's starting to miss some of his jumps sometimes. Like he will jump up onto something high, not quite make it, and slip off (clawing the hell out of it as he slides down, which is fun for me ). He looks confused after this happens.

And sometimes after he misses a jump, he quickly runs away. It reminds me of that thing people do where they trip, and then run it off like "I meant to do that"... lol.

 

[JamesCalifornia]

And sometimes after he misses a jump, he quickly runs away. It reminds me of that thing people do where they trip, and then run it off like "I meant to do that"... lol.

~ Our crazy cats ...

 

[lorrilee]

What a beautiful boy! I have two all black cats as well
When I was a kid/young adult living at home, we had cats who would start to slow down at 15-16, but live into their early 20s. Most lost their hearing, and some developed arthritis. Their eyes got cloudy, and many of them lost some weight. But they were happy, eating well, and still took interest in the world around them. If he looks lost sometimes, but you've only recently noticed his hearing loss, there's a slight possibility he could be confused from his hearing loss and not necessarily suffering from dementia. At least we hope so!
I lost 3 (2 cats, 1 dog) in 13 months time. It really affected me. I have several in their teens now, and I know I'll be facing it again. I joined TCS after the loss of my two cats and having the loss of my dog staring me in the face. This community is amazing. Welcome, and I hope you'll continue to join us.

Why thank you are a very thoughtful soul, & you're right maybe it is just his hearing loss ;-))

 

[iPappy]

I notice this starting to happen to a minor extent with Willy already at almost age 10.

I know he's not as old yet as other cats mentioned in this thread. And he's pretty healthy right now. But he's starting to miss some of his jumps sometimes. Like he will jump up onto something high, not quite make it, and slip off (clawing the hell out of it as he slides down, which is fun for me ). He looks confused after this happens.

And sometimes after he misses a jump, he quickly runs away. It reminds me of that thing people do where they trip, and then run it off like "I meant to do that"... lol.

My cats have had some failed jump attempts, and usually it's just because they slip. The poor baby gate I have to keep the dog out of the sunroom has been knocked over so many times, pieces and parts are missing and one section is held together with a zip tie. Then one day the dog heard something, went into a barking fit and ran towards the thing, and literally ran through the baby gate sending it airborne.
For any aging cat, you could always look into something like cosequin for their joints!

 

[cmshap]

My cats have had some failed jump attempts, and usually it's just because they slip. The poor baby gate I have to keep the dog out of the sunroom has been knocked over so many times, pieces and parts are missing and one section is held together with a zip tie. Then one day the dog heard something, went into a barking fit and ran towards the thing, and literally ran through the baby gate sending it airborne.
For any aging cat, you could always look into something like cosequin for their joints!

Willy was declawed before I took him in, and I wonder if that has something to do with it. I mean, age of course is likely the main factor, but I also wonder about the lack of front digits affecting his jumping as he is getting older.

A couple of weeks ago I learned from this forum that Willy may be starting to develop arthritis, not just because of age, but because he was declawed and more likely to get it in his front feet.

When he pounces on things while playing now, he sometimes stops playing immediately, leading me to believe that he may be experiencing some pain.

I wonder if jumping is being affected by this, too. If he leaps, experiences some pain, and then hesitates and slips ...

 

[JamesCalifornia]

A couple of weeks ago I learned from this forum that Willy may be starting to develop arthritis, not just because of age, but because he was declawed and more likely to get it in his front feet.

~ I read some people have good results giving older pets CBD oil ...