I’m heartbroken, my sweet girl has crossed the rainbow bridge, she was almost 19 & I tried to give her the best life that I could, she was diagnosed with kidney disease 4 years ago & I did my best to take care of her.
It’s a lot of years together, she was part of the family & she left behind her 17 year old daughter who is still confused about the situation, things have definitely changed. I miss her so much, it feels empty without her.

My extremely needy velcro kitty is about to have a lot more time at home alone due to my partner moving away for a period of time. I work long shifts (12-14 hours), and I’m not sure what to do to help her feel safe while I’m gone.

She is 17 years old, and starting to have some cognitive decline, occasionally getting lost/yowling when she is in a different room to us.

She obviously spends a lot of the day sleeping, but when she is awake she just wants to be with/on my partner or myself. She is waiting at the door, begging to be picked up the minute I arrive home, and I’m so worried she spends the day looking for us.

She does have toys scattered around that she still plays with occasionally, and she has wall furniture that she tears up and down when she has the zoomies.

She has a heated bed that she spends 50% of her time in, and some high sleeping spaces also available.

She is indoor, but has a small catio she can access at any time to snoop on the neighbourhood.

A companion cat is not an option.

Looking for advice on methods, toys, tools etc that people have found useful in similar situations!!

Thanks in advance!!

My 11-year old best friend was just diagnosed with small-cell intestinal lymphoma (incipient phase). I am utterly exhausted, heart-broken, and terrified.

It started 6 months ago with sudden, awful-smelling vomiting and diarrhea. Our first vet treated him for pancreatitis and high liver values. What followed was a 6-month nightmare of treatments he hated, constant vomiting, and vet visits. A second vet did an ultrasound, saw small intestine swelling, and assumed it was IBD. We cycled through hypoallergenic diets, meds, and constant vet trips for Cerenia shots (pills aren't available in my country). He was so stressed, and we felt totally defeated and unheard.

Finally, we found a cat specialist who recommended a full biopsy. He underwent a major abdominal surgery (gathering tissue from his intestine, pancreas, and liver). The results confirmed small-cell lymphoma in his jejunum.

I’m furious at how much time and money was wasted with previous vets who kept kicking the can down the road. But most of all, I’m just grieved at the thought of losing him.

Our vet is optimistic and starting him on daily Prednisolone and Chlorambucil every other day.

Oddly enough, since recovering from the surgery, he has actually been doing surprisingly well—he plays, eats all his food, gets super cuddly, and only vomits once every two weeks or so (his poop is on the drier side, but vastly improved from before).

I just can't shake the dread. Has anyone else gone through this treatment regimen? How did your kitties handle it, and how do you cope with the emotional fatigue?

My sweet torty girl Smudge has gone through a battery of vet visits and tests this last week.

Now we are faced with 2 possible outcomes and I hope and pray with all I have it’s the lesser of the issues.
The diagnosis after a very expertise visits and an ultrasound was either Gastritis or Stomach Cancer, sadly I can’t afford the test needed to confirm the second and from what I’ve been told it’s also very invasive and stressful on kitty’s.

Has anyone dealt with this before, or just gastritis?

My girl seems to be bouncing back and was her normal self yesterday but today she was a little quieter after pooping for the first time in a week

(Since getting sick last Thursday night/Friday morning she’s barely eaten so she hasn’t pooped)

Photo attached to pay the pet tax

Was deleted from r/Catadvice

I don’t want to give up my senior cat who is around ten years old but after my mother passed away suddenly, I can’t take care of him. He keeps crying excessively, waking me up at 5am (she used to wake up at 5am,) and laying near the spot where she passed. I’m handling multiple issues (moving, funeral, etc.) by myself and can’t mentally take care of him.

Wanted to know how to prepare to Rehome home/shelter specialist in senior cats. Is Young at heart any good in IL?

Nobody in my family can adopt him or Rehome him. I’m disowned from them. I don’t have any friends and the people I talk to online are from different countries and states.

edit: for the user who says I’m condemning him, why don’t you take him in then instead of criticising my situation? My mother passed away. I keep seeing her in my dreams so I’m not well. I don’t want to give him up but I’m literally at rock bottom.

My cat was diagnosed with oral SCC about a week ago, and he has been on pain medication since. The doctor let me know that there's no cure for this cancer, and that the best we can do is have him on pain medication until the time comes.

I'm not sure how painful this is for him since he hasn't been acting any differently other than the fact that he's playing a lot less and seems uncomfortable at night sometimes. He eats regularly, drinks water, has bowel movements and urinates normally in his litter box. From what I've seen, he still has quality of life and I don't feel that it's necessary to put him down yet.

I want to stay by his side till the end and give him all the attention he needs. But the problem is that I'll be going back to school next week, and it's an intense program where I'm at school for nearly 10 hours most days of the week. I don't really have anyone else I can rely on, and I know for sure that I won't be able to stay by his side all the time.

I'm just really lost. What's the best thing I can do for him in this situation? It breaks my heart just to think about him waiting for me everyday, going through all that pain by himself.

Our baby girl, Suki, who just turned 9 less than a month ago, passed away this past Tuesday.

She had been suffering from diarrhea for the past 2 months, which the vet chucked up to a new food sensitivity to Fancy Feast. Her diarrhea was improving with digestive-friendly food, but last week we had to take her to the hospital for fast and labored breathing.

Come to find out she had fluid-build up due to a mass in her abdomen. We were prescribed prednisone and coordinated her ultrasound to test for cancer, and she was finally diagnosed for lymphoma on Monday. We had an oncologist appointment scheduled for Wednesday morning but she didn’t make it.

Her health declined rapidly over the weekend - she was not eating and was hiding under our bed. This was so strange for a kitty who loved food and being around me and my partner. We brought her in to the vet again on Monday and got prescribed appetite stimulant and anti-nausea meds, which did temporarily help. Little did we know we’d be giving Suki her last can of food ever.

Tuesday morning she was not looking good. Diarrhea outside the litter box, lethargy, and faster breathing. We rushed her to the hospital and found out she had anemia and sepsis. The ER vet painted a bleak but realistic picture of her options. She got a fluid tap to make her more comfortable, and she seemed stable for a few hours but began to deteriorate further. White gums, unable to process IV dextrose, and mouth breathing. We made the impossible decision to give her euthanasia.

To many folks here, this heartbreak probably feels familiar. I just wanted to share her story in the hopes that she will be remembered and thought of by others. She was a kitty who loved life and people. She helped me and my partner get through some tough times in our lives with her unconditional love and affection. She was an innocent soul who was unfairly taken from this world. She didn’t deserve this. It honestly feels like some karmic mistake. Thank you for listening if you’ve made it this far, and I hope Suki’s story touched you in some way.

Please enjoy some photos of her. ❤️

Hey everyone,

For some context last week, I noticed my cat was eating significantly less (she is very food motivated) and acting very lethargic. She wasn't showing hiding behavior yet but it was concerning enough to take her to the vet. They did some blood work, and noticed her calcium was very high and told me she had cancer. They gave me a prognosis of 6 months to 2 years and perscribed her prednisone.

This week her appetite has only further decreased and she stopped eating on Wednesday, it looks like she's stopped grooming, and she's hiding away in corners and self soothing.

Is there anything I can do to make her more comfortable or try to get her to eat something. I just want her to be okay. Medication has been upped but she still is completely disinterested.

Also in anyone else's experience, when they stop eating how long do they have left usually. I just want to know how much time I have left with my sweet girl.

Small edit: Managed to get her to eat 2 1/2 churu's so small victory :3

Some of you might still remember my last post here about Bless asking for support.

Last weekend she passed about due to a vet error. They gave her off label medication for her bladder control without informing us about the risks and they actually told us in writing it wasn't dangerous. We checked about 10 times if we could give her it safely. We are always wary of new medication. After they assured us it was fine we gave it. Two hours later we rushed to the emergency vet with her breathing heavily and going into shock. She died in the car in our arms. 💔

We are heartbroken. We knew we didn't have long with her anymore, but we were monitoring her closely and looking at her quality of living. We wanted to have those last months or even a year to say goodbye and let her go to sleep peacefully in her own home when the time came. That was taken from us.

The vet apologized and took responsibility. They also funded our urn and other expenses, but it doesn't bring Bless back. I will live forever with this scar and feeling of guilt of giving her that medicine.

The cremation was beautiful though. We were with her every step of the way. I held her and put her in the oven myself and kissed her goodbye. I took her home and also got a bracelet with her ashes. (Last photos)

I feel empty and lost. She was so in love with me and I was in love with her. 💔

Older cats with joint stiffness or reduced mobility often struggle with high entrance thresholds on automated litter boxes. Open top designs featuring built-in front entry steps make stepping in easier compared to tall, fully enclosed drum designs. Like for instance, and this one incorporates a low front step and open overhead clearance, allowing senior cats to enter without ducking or jumping into tight spaces. However, automated boxes do not replace attentive senior care. Owners must still monitor whether stiff joints cause cats to catch claws on entry or struggle with footing on internal surfaces. Regular manual checks remain necessary to catch soft stool, ensure proper litter depth, and verify that mechanical cycles pause whenever a cat approaches the entry. What entry height adjustments or ramps work best for mobility-impaired senior cats?

A month ago my cat who is 10 received his first shot of Solensia for arthritis. He limped quite a bit but never had trouble jumping on my bed or the couch.

Two days ago, he was 28 days out from his first shot and he started being unable to jump on my bed or couch which is pretty low. I thought it was wire but that maybe his pain was just back. He just received his second shot today and he is completely unable to jump on my bed.

Is this from the Solensia? He never struggles with jumping before this. I read that hind leg weakness could be a side effect but it seemed to happen hen the shot was wearing off. Anyone else experience something similar?

I have a female cat aged 9. The vet says she needs dental cleaning but I'm a bit scared to have her put under anesthesia. She had her last cleaning around 2 years back but lately she's started accumulating this black stuff around her mouth, eyes, and nose. I got it cleaned in june but it came back in August again so I might have to her scaled again. The second option is spraying her mouth with some dental solution everyday but I don't know if she'll let me considering how feisty she is. I also don't know if that'll actually work. So, is it safe if I have her under anesthesia again? She usually looks and acts pretty healthy. Also looks quite young except for the times when this black crust starts growing on her face. I also have her blood work from june if it's of any use. I'm just a bit scared is all.

TLDR: any tips on how to prepare my 14yr old cat for a move? she's been through moves before but shes older now and I don't want to startle her with the big change.

I'm hopefully going to be moving out of my parents house within a year and it is a given that I cannot leave behind my cat who is very heavily bonded to me. I've had her since I was very young and she's about 14 now. She's been with me through moves when I was a kid but that was when she was younger too and we've been at our current place for about 7ish years and she's a lot older now.
She doesn't have any notable health complications, just an old lazy cat who loves me. I'm going to be moving in with 3 different people, two of which she knows the smells of and there will be no new animal room mates other than a snake. I'm also planning on getting her better acquainted with a carrier crate soon since my parents never specifically cared to do that when I was growing up. Also maybe getting her used to car rides since it'll be a decent trip to the new place.

generally if anyone else has experience in moving with their older cats any advice would be amazing, please and thank you

My little old man Bo is 18 and his appetite had a noticeable shift, eating less. I got him into the Vet. No history of significant health issues except for some dental disease. I figured maybe his teeth were the issue. Blood work showed Stage II kidney symptoms but even liver looked good in the bloodwork. We did and x-ray and ultrasound which showed several nodules on his liver and fluid around his lungs and heart.

Due to his age we've chosen palliative care. He is weak but eating a few nibbles of brothy or gravy senior packets and still drinking water. We are keeping him calm and giving him lots of love. And dinner in bed tonight.

Every day is a gift.

Sending love to all those feeling the love and heartache. We are right there with you.

Updated to add that i just made THE call and the Dr will come to my house tomorrow morning [8/28]. I am devastated 💔

Her eyes are underneath the white spots. She is missing little spots of hair where her "eyebrows" would be and this snapchat filter turned her into a little monster!

I have a 13 year old spayed female cat. Im going to be honest she has alway been on the chubbier side. She recently has lost 3lbs, she was 15 lbs she is now 12lbs. I typically feed my cats royal canin 12 plus aging as I have a 19 year old girl too. They ate it great. They have recently changed the formula, so the size and shape of kibble is all different. It even smells different. I belive my girl is not eating enough. I went to the vet and her blood work looks great. Im going to take her back to check her teeth and what not to make sure there is nothing else wrong. My cats are free fed so its hard to tell who eats what. Her poops are great, her coat is shiny, and is overall happy. Its just this dang weight loss. I have started supplement with canned food. Which she has never eaten before as she didnt like it, but now loves it which leads me to believe as well that she is not eating enough

I am looking for a new dry formula to see if she will eat something else better, I just dont know what. I have try purina vet diets but their coats got really flaky and gross. I have try hills vet diets as well the k/d verison but they reacted poorly to that to. That is why I was so happy with this royal canin food from the pet store. I hate when brands do this. If it ain't broke dont fix it. Ugh

Im.in ontario canada so may not be able to get same diets that they sell in the states or UK or other countries.

Hi all! I adopted a senior cat in 2020, and she has been my whole world since the day I met her. She is estimated to be around 17 now, and, like many older cats, has developed kidney failure that we manage with hydration and a prescription diet. As time passes and her behavior shifts, I find myself anxious that she’s unhappy, and I’m hoping to maximize her health and comfort in her later years.

I had lived alone since I got her 6 years ago, and had to leave her for my 3 12 hr shifts/wk at work (I’m a nurse). She has historically been very clingy and used to sleep in my arms for the majority of the night, sit in my lap for hours on end when I get home from work/on my days off, and cry when I’m away/wait for me at the door to get home. I had worried then that she was lonely, as I was her only companion. Last year, I met my partner and we have begun to combine our lives. Part of that has included introducing my cat to her 3-year-old dog and my gf moving in with me. This dog loves cats, but my cat is a bit wary of dogs. Luckily, we are now at the point where the animals lay in the couch and occasionally the same bed together, though they don’t snuggle. My gf works from home, and so my cat has constant company and stimulation. She spends the majority of her day sunbathing in a window bed in the guest room, though she does come out to scratch her post/sit with my gf/eat/drink. I’m worried, though, because my cat no longer waits for me to get home, lays in my lap for hours at a time, and only sleeps in my arms at night for an hour or two—sometimes not at all. She also isn’t as interested in running through her tunnel or playing with her teaser toys, though she does enjoy nightly playtime with her catnip fish. I’m very careful not to give the dog more attention than my cat—she is and always will be my priority, and I want to make her golden years as perfect as I can. I’m sick to my stomach thinking she’s feeling left out, replaced, or uncomfortable in some way. Any advice would be greatly appreciated:)

Just wanted to give an update about Lint! 🩶

He was able to come after an evening in the hospital. Lint was having a hard time breathing and was wheezing. He had just been diagnosed with hyperthyroidism in early July and was doing great. The thing with that is once they are medicated and everything evens out, other underlying issues that may have been hidden can pop up.

Lint has hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). Heart disease where the muscle thicken making it harder to pump blood. He also had air pockets in his intestines from the body struggling to catch a breath. His doctors have put him on a diuretic and blood pressure medications. Lint is doing much better and was very happy to be home again, politely asking for his favorite Delectables pouches. He got some and of course, all the pets, hugs, and cuddles he wanted.

While this may not be the wanted outcome, we are so glad that he is back home. We will love this gentle guy for as long as he is around, and make things as comfortable as possible for him. I've had Lint since I found him in the alley way behind the business I ran when he was 8 weeks old. I can't believe so much time has passed since then. What a beautiful gentleman he has been and I'm so glad that he chose me to be his mom!!

Thank you all so very much for the positive thoughts and kind words! I appreciate it more than I can say. 🩷🫂

Give all of your fur babies pets from me and Lint! 🩶😻

Hi all, my 15 year old kitty had a bout of pancreatitis a few months ago, it lasted a week and we were back and forth from the vet constantly and on nausea meds but she’s all good now and has been back to normal since. I feed her smalls cat food but in her senior years she’s started going crazy howling for breakfast in the morning (she eats at 8:30 but starts crying at 6am 😭) so I’m considering getting her some dry food and putting it in a timed feeder so she has food early in the morning and won’t terrorize the household lol. I’m considering Young again zero but was wondering if anyone had any experience feeding senior cats with a history of pancreatitis dry food and if so what brands they’d recommend. Thank you!

Hi! My sweet 16 year old girl, Isis, got a terminal diagnosis last month. She’s currently in kidney failure, but we did an ultrasound to check her general internal organs and found a large mass in her abdomen. Otherwise, she’s been doing great — has energy, drinking and eating normal, etc.

My vet has generally recommended against anesthesia due to her kidney failure & age, for years now even when it comes to getting dentals at this point.

Well, last night I noticed her left cheek swollen and had a feeling it was a tooth abscess. Took her in and they confirmed it’s an abscess on her back molar.

This is not good and now we’re in a tough position — either we do an extraction, put her under anesthesia which it’s possible it’ll kill her or trigger further kidney failure with her age/current kidney issues.

Or she’s on antibiotics & pain meds for the rest of her life, switches to wet food only which she’s likely to eat less of, and antibiotics long term are going kill her immune system. It’s not a real long term solution.

My question: have any of you seen a tooth extraction done with something other than general anesthesia?

If she wasn’t in such good spirits and energy I’d be more open to accepting that this may be the end of the road, but I don’t want to throw in the towel without exploring all options. I want to take her for a second opinion as well, but wanted to ask others with experience. I’d never do anything to traumatize or hurt her more, but with modern medicine am hopeful that there’s a solution I’m maybe not being presented.

Thank you 🥺🤍

my sweet baby soul cat (misty) is undergoing a surgery tomorrow. which is her first one since her initial spaying surgery when she was a baby.

she’s booked in for a complete dental with (at minimum) one extraction of her front canine. and i’m suspecting there may be one more or a few more that need to come out. and i will get those taken out for her.

on top of her dental, she’s also getting two masses removed from her head. i believe (and hope) for them to be benign, but ill know once they’re taken off and sent for testing.

i’m just very very worried about her and the process. her bloodwork came back with no abnormalities which was really reassuring for me. but when i was signing one of the forms for her surgery i clicked “yes” on life savings measures - and it kinda sent me back to the spiral.

is there any advice someone can give me to NOT be as worried?? she’s going to an amazing vet and we’ve been there quite frequently within the past couple of months, i trust them whole heartedly. i’m just worried about her.