older kitty

[2ketzels]

what should i expect from a 12 year old kitty? for 2 days she has pooped on the floor next to my very cleaned cat litters. she never did this before. the Vet did a test where she was deficient in potassium. apart from that, she has always been very clean. is this what happens to older kitties? any advice would be welcome. louise

 

[Maria Bayote]

She is already a senior and may be suffering from arthritis which is common in aging cats, and climbing in and out of deep or covered litter boxes may become increasingly difficult.

 

[ArtNJ]

Just being a senior cat doesn't necessarily mean you will see any problems with litter box behavior. Just like in humans, some lead shockingly high quality lives well into their senior years!

Something like arthritis is a separate issue. Unfortunately, being seriously medically and/or terminally ill, can sometimes make a cat's final months a challenge for their humans, but this too is a separate issue from mere aging. Its always good when a senior cat having these problems doesn't have any serious issues on a blood test, I am very happy for you; you can quite possibly solve this by exploring the possibility of arthritis.

 

[2ketzels]

i see. i've never had an older kitty before - myself, i am 70 now. Miss Kitty (Luna) is very clean and 'particular' or. at least she has been. how can i tell if she has arthritis? at times she seems wobbly & has fallen into the stairwell; i took her to the Vet &, after tests he said her potassium was low. ???

 

[rubysmama]

what should i expect from a 12 year old kitty? for 2 days she has pooped on the floor next to my very cleaned cat litters. she never did this before.

Was the poop normal? Or dry (constipated) or more like diarrhea. Cats sometimes poop outside of the litter box when it hurts them to go.

is this what happens to older kitties? any advice would be welcome. louise

Here's a TCS article that might be helpful.

What To Expect As Your Cat Ages – Cat Articles

 

[ArtNJ]

Did he do a senior blood panel? Because the most common cause of low potassium is apparently kidney failure . . . which we are all unfortunately very familiar with, as it is perhaps *the* problem of aging cats. Low Blood Potassium in Cats

Kidney failure does not get better, it only gets worse, and it will eventually kill a cat indirectly, by increasing the chance of other problems. However, kidney failure can be managed, and when managed, cats can live a long time. Or not. If the level of failure is severe, your cat is in the process of actively dying. So with low potassium, the first question that needs answering is -- is this kidney failure, and if so, how severe? If not, the second question is - what the heck is the cause?

Anyways, what I took from the link above is that a vet can't just say "low potassium ho hum" -- such a vet would be an idiot. Not saying that is all yours did, but you didn't mention anything else. Rather, they need to talk to you about the cause of the condition, and recommend a full senior blood test if that hasn't already been done.

 

[2ketzels]

Did he do a senior blood panel? Because the most common cause of low potassium is apparently kidney failure . . . which we are all unfortunately very familiar with, as it is perhaps *the* problem of aging cats. Low Blood Potassium in Cats

Kidney failure does not get better, it only gets worse, and it will eventually kill a cat indirectly, by increasing the chance of other problems. However, kidney failure can be managed, and when managed, cats can live a long time. Or not. If the level of failure is severe, your cat is in the process of actively dying. So with low potassium, the first question that needs answering is -- is this kidney failure, and if so, how severe? If not, the second question is - what the heck is the cause?

Anyways, what I took from the link above is that a vet can't just say "low potassium ho hum" -- such a vet would be an idiot. Not saying that is all yours did, but you didn't mention anything else. Rather, they need to talk to you about the cause of the condition, and recommend a full senior blood test if that hasn't already been done.

thank you again for your advice. i did go back to the clinic & spoke to another, more senior Vet & he clarified matters. he said Luna's potassium level was at a 6 - i think 10 would be abnormal? i cannot quite remember now. so we agreed they would do a follow-up test for electrolytes in February.

 

[2ketzels]

Was the poop normal? Or dry (constipated) or more like diarrhea. Cats sometimes poop outside of the litter box when it hurts them to go.



Here's a TCS article that might be helpful.

What To Expect As Your Cat Ages – Cat Articles

thank you for the article!

the poop issue is only with Luna - it was her firm 'tootsie roll' next to the box in the middle of the floor which i stepped into (twice in 2 days). Luna has always been very fussy about toilette issues altho' she doesn't groom often. i have stepped up my cleaning to twice a day (2 boxes). Boy, on the other hand, is quite a vain groomer (in his tuxedo) & dominates everything from toys to kitty houses to scratching posts to food and to litter; he is quite the MCP..(laugh laugh) i was told, when i adopted them at the age of 3 that they were siblings. louise

 

[rubysmama]

How many litter boxes do you have? It is continues, maybe another one might help.

 

[di and bob]

Yes, your other cat may be bullying her. You can't have enough boxes. He can't guard them all!
Have you changed litters or boxes lately? Some cats do this when they don't like the change. Make sure she is getting a good diet, goats milk would be good, NOT cows milk which causes stomach upset after they are grown. Milk, tuna, and sardines are both high in Potassium. Low potassium would make her weak and shaky. Getting rid of too much fluid from her body like with throwing up or a urinary tract infection can cause it too. I hope you find out the cause so you can remedy it!

 

[susanm9006]

She might be a little constipated which is causing her to poop out of the box. It sort of just gets stuck until the cat moves. You might try mixing a teaspoon of pure canned pumpkin into her wet food, it will soften her poop up. And also keep an eye in her water intake as she may not be getting enough.

 

[rubysmama]

You might try mixing a teaspoon of pure canned pumpkin into her wet food, it will soften her poop up.

Even just a teaspoon of water mixed into wet food can help, if there's constipation tendencies.

 

[2ketzels]

Yes, your other cat may be bullying her. You can't have enough boxes. He can't guard them all!
Have you changed litters or boxes lately? Some cats do this when they don't like the change. Make sure she is getting a good diet, goats milk would be good, NOT cows milk which causes stomach upset after they are grown. Milk, tuna, and sardines are both high in Potassium. Low potassium would make her weak and shaky. Getting rid of too much fluid from her body like with throwing up or a urinary tract infection can cause it too. I hope you find out the cause so you can remedy it!

I see! i love goat's milk (i lived in greece for a while, in the 70's). Luna's diet focusses on tuna & salmon (Fancy Feast) - she won't eat anything else. 'Boy' is a bully, it's true, but i ward him off with a 'tssssh & Luna uses her hiss. no, i haven't changed litter boxes or type of litter - she's been good again lately. i have 2 of everything because, as you said, even 'Boy' cannot guard 2 things at once altho he long ago took over all the play mousies & other toys. i have written down your advice on potassium; she is due for another test in Feb. thank you once again for your valuable insights. louise

 

[2ketzels]

She might be a little constipated which is causing her to poop out of the box. It sort of just gets stuck until the cat moves. You might try mixing a teaspoon of pure canned pumpkin into her wet food, it will soften her poop up. And also keep an eye in her water intake as she may not be getting enough.

no, she isn't constipated i don't think. her poop is firm not dry. i understand what you mean about her water intake but all her food is wet; she drinks sometimes at the fountain and...i asked the vet about her water level &, after testing, they said she was ok on that issue. thanks for writing; i'll remember that about pumpkin louise