What is quality of life?

[iluvscots]

I adopted 2 cats last May, Moe 17 and Eve 5. Eve is playful and tries to play with Moe and for awhile Moe would play back. Moe would occasionally vomit after eating but he continues to eat. Now at 18 Moe has no patience for Eve continues to vomit weekly. He has been seen by a vet and several medications food changes have been tried. Now at 18 he sleeps all day growls at Eve, continues to vomit and, with this last change, has liquid stool.
My question is: Is this good quality of life and should I let him go?

 

[Furballsmom]

Hello -what kind of food changes?

Has the vet mentioned IBD?
IBD or Cancer? – IBDKitties

This may help;
When Is It Time? - Making The Difficult Decision - TheCatSite

 

[di and bob]

Even with vomiting, he seems to still have a little life. Changes in food or cow milk products give diarrhea, any of those? I always know the end is near when they stop eating and start hiding. He just sounds like a normal grouchy old cat. Bless you for giving him a happy life right now......

 

[iluvscots]

Hello
Has the vet mentioned IBD?
IBD or Cancer? – IBDKitties

This may help;
When Is It Time? - Making The Difficult Decision - TheCatSite

His bloodwork comes back with only slight elevated kidney values. My vet gave me purina HA hydrolized dry food. Both cats vomited and had diarrhea on 1/4 the daily dose I continued the normal wet food.

 

[Furballsmom]

continued the normal wet food.

Smart.

As I understand it, IBD needs a biopsy, it doesn't show in blood tests. But, wow, at 18, that's marvelous to have such great blood tests!

Something you might try is what I did with my cat, and find an inexpensive steak in the bargain section at the grocery. Chop up a little (freeze the rest) and see if he eats it.

Or, try a probiotic. Start slowly when introducing it;
Best Probiotics for Cats of 2023 for Digestive Health

Is he on any supplement for his hips and joints, if it looks like he might be stiff?

 

[FeebysOwner]

Does he use the litter box on his own, does he seek out food/water on his own? Even if you have to take food to him, will he then eat it? If he was once a cat who liked cuddles and pets, does he still like them? Does he interact with you, even if it is at your instigation? Is he maintaining his weight?

When he throws up (before the change to the Purina food), is he vomiting undigested food in a short period of time after he has eaten? If so, that is called regurgitation and usually caused by eating too fast or too much at one time. If you have some different food rotations, the vomiting could be tied to one particular food too.

Sometimes, food and med changes can cause their own problems, especially if not the right change for the cat involved. You don't say what his health issues are and whether or not the vet thinks that his condition(s) are treatable. Also, an older cat probably won't do well when there are multiple changes made at once or within a very short period of time.

You said his blood work is only showing slight kidney elevations? That is actually pretty good for a cat his age. He could also have some arthritis, which can cause enough discomfort to stop a cat from wanting to do much but lay around and sleep.

All of these things play a role in measuring quality of life. It isn't just whether or not they want to play with another cat or want to sleep most of the time. I think at his age, sleep is likely the biggest part of many cats' day. The big issue is about the vomiting and diarrhea - both of which can be managed when the correct adjustments are made to their food - and meds. If it were me, I'd continue down that path, especially when you tell me both cats got sick with the hydrolyzed food.

I agree with di and bob - two of the primary indicators are not eating and wanting to hide. And sleeping all day is not usually considered 'hiding'.

 

[tarasgirl06]

I adopted 2 cats last May, Moe 17 and Eve 5. Eve is playful and tries to play with Moe and for awhile Moe would play back. Moe would occasionally vomit after eating but he continues to eat. Now at 18 Moe has no patience for Eve continues to vomit weekly. He has been seen by a vet and several medications food changes have been tried. Now at 18 he sleeps all day growls at Eve, continues to vomit and, with this last change, has liquid stool.
My question is: Is this good quality of life and should I let him go?

Hello @ilovescots, Moe and Eve, and welcome to TCS! THANK YOU for adopting adult and senior cats!
I agree with other posters. As long as he is eating, drinking, using litterbox and engaging in some "normal" activities, I believe he has quality of life. Many experts do not think dry food is a good diet for cats. High quality wet foods formulated for cats are what many recommend, as they have the proper balance of nutrients specific to cats' needs. The vet is supposed to be the authority and your cats' ally in dealing with their health, but they are human beings and their opinions/courses of treatment can vary widely.

 

[iluvscots]

Thank you everyone. My thoughts, related to the vomiting was that he was eating too much and have been giving him smaller amount of wet food with so so results. He and Eve came to me on Friskies dry food and I added the wet, (they prefer pate'). Moe still vomited which is why I give him small amounts at one time. I know the food isn't high quality any suggestion on a better diet?

 

[iluvscots]

Smart.

As I understand it, IBD needs a biopsy, it doesn't show in blood tests. But, wow, at 18, that's marvelous to have such great blood tests!

Something you might try is what I did with my cat, and find an inexpensive steak in the bargain section at the grocery. Chop up a little (freeze the rest) and see if he eats it.

Or, try a probiotic. Start slowly when introducing it;
Best Probiotics for Cats of 2023 for Digestive Health

Is he on any supplement for his hips and joints, if it looks like he might be stiff?

No supplements and he seems to move fine albeit slowly. He even plays a little.

 

[tarasgirl06]

Thank you everyone. My thoughts, related to the vomiting was that he was eating too much and have been giving him smaller amount of wet food with so so results. He and Eve came to me on Friskies dry food and I added the wet, (they prefer pate'). Moe still vomited which is why I give him small amounts at one time. I know the food isn't high quality any suggestion on a better diet?

One thing a lot of experts recommend is to elevate food bowls. Turn another dish upside down and put his food dish on top of that, or on top of a couple of books, a small box, anything to bring his food up a few inches. Imagine having to eat from ground level. It's not natural!
We like Blue Buffalo foods. Soulistic is another good brand, offered only through Petco and petco.com. Weruva owns Soulistic and is another good brand. For mid-priced varieties, you might try Nutro and/or Purina Pro-Plan (although I have not had good luck with the latter as my cats have thrown it up quite a bit, in the past). A lot of cats do eat fast and then regurgitate. You can tell when a cat is doing this as opposed to regular vomiting, because the food will look almost exactly like it did when you served it if he is regurgitating it, and he'll do this right away after eating, as opposed to awhile after eating.

 

[Margot Lane]

Agree w Furballsmom…I’d keep an eye out for IBD. I can tell you though one thing my old buddy increasingly likes is just having me around. He likes company. He’s currently happily wedged on me, groaning happy sighs in his sleep and deeply purring. Older cats love consistency: in being fed on time, having certain rituals (ours included hanging in the 3PM sun patch and listening to his favorite music at 8PM). Maybe it’s reassuring. And anything that relaxes him means less stress on his kidneys. Make sure he stays hydrated…maybe leave out extra saucers of clean water.

 

[tarasgirl06]

Cat fountains are great, too. We're on our second basic Drinkwell fountain. It filters the water. Cats prefer moving water, which is usually fresher in nature than standing water. We have one Drinkwell and three regular bowls of fresh water. Elvis loves his fountain!

 

[JamesCalifornia]

~ My older cat was becoming grouchy and snapping at one of the other cats. I give him CBD drops a few times a week. I see improvement.
Some say it could be dental, joint and muscle discomfort that comes with age - just like humans. Others suggest psychological - possessiveness, territorial issues etc. Whatever it is the treatment seems to help.
Good luck ...

 

[dahlia]

One of my cats regurgitated his food at least once a week. I got elevated food bowls but also started pulling his food up part way through. I watch and make sure that he is swallowing and then put it back down. It has worked wonders. He still throws up sometimes but way less often.

 

[tarasgirl06]

One of my cats regurgitated his food at least once a week. I got elevated food bowls but also started pulling his food up part way through. I watch and make sure that he is swallowing and then put it back down. It has worked wonders. He still throws up sometimes but way less often.

Good info, D dahlia !

 

[Tigger's Mum]

Another trick to stop cats eating too fast is to put a small rubber ball in the dish. They've got to move the ball to eat the food and it slows them down.

 

[tarasgirl06]

But make sure your cat does not gnaw on or try to EAT the ball! I'd use a ping-pong ball rather than a rubber ball, for that reason, Tigger's Mum

 

[Tigger's Mum]

But make sure your cat does not gnaw on or try to EAT the ball! I'd use a ping-pong ball rather than a rubber ball, for that reason, Tigger's Mum

Ping-pong ball might be too light. I was thinking more along the lines of a small Kong ball - they are made of hard rubber. My German Shepherd had a Kong toy - the one you can put paste in. He would gnaw at it but not one single piece ever came off. Sadly, the Kong outlived my lovely dog. We lost him to old age 3 years ago. He was approx 13/14 years old (a rescue hence true age not known).

 

[tarasgirl06]

Ping-pong ball might be too light. I was thinking more along the lines of a small Kong ball - they are made of hard rubber. My German Shepherd had a Kong toy - the one you can put paste in. He would gnaw at it but not one single piece ever came off. Sadly, the Kong outlived my lovely dog. We lost him to old age 3 years ago. He was approx 13/14 years old (a rescue hence true age not known).

Thanks for the clarification.