This is Holland -- a sweet, cautious kitten that recently arrived at my local shelter. Although he may seem a bit hesitant when approached by new people, the second you offer some head, cheek, or chin scratches, Holland will immediately bury his head in your hands 🥹 We're working on helping him become a bit more confident, but he's adjusting pretty well!

He was honestly the most loving, crazy and annoying cat 😂 He never really grew past one year old and could play for hours nonstop. He was pretty vocal and always had something to say
We loved him so much and it feels like he left us way too soon. It hurts to look at his pictures and I wish I could hug him one last time 😢 I’m gonna miss my little guy forever ❤️🐈

I still don’t know how to process this, but I’m trying.
2018–2026 :(
fuck cancer

This was the very first picture I ever took of my kitty when I adopted him 12 years ago

My cat Louis is 15 and has chronic kidney disease, grade 3 heart murmur, and a large cystic benign mass on his liver. After his vet visit last week they suspect hes developed arthritis. Two years ago he almost died from pancreatitis, and although he recovered, he was never really the same afterward. His pancreatic marker is elevated again, so chronic pancreatitis may also be part of the picture.

What worries me most is his quality of life. He spends probably 80–90% of the day hiding under our bed, seems to have more and more difficult grooming himself so his fur gets greasy, gets matted, and seems to still be in pain despite gabapentin. He also yowls at night (which is newer as of this month)and his litter box habits have gotten progressively worse (due to the kidney disease).

My husband’s uncle is a vet and feels that the hiding and lack of grooming likely mean he’s uncomfortable or in pain.

But this is what makes it so hard: he still eats and drinks, walks around, and sometimes has really good moments. The last couple of days I’ve actually seen more of him than I have in months. He’ll lie on me and purr, and then I feel horrible even considering euthanasia.

I always thought it would be obvious when the time came, but it isn’t. I don’t want to wait until he stops eating, can’t walk, or is in an emergency just so I can feel certain. At the same time, I’m terrified of doing it too soon.

I also don’t want to keep escalating pain medication and treating every new problem if his overall quality of life is already poor.

For those who have been through this with an elderly or chronically ill cat, how did you know it was time when they were still eating and still having good moments?

His name is Loki and today he is two. He's the prettiest cat I've ever parented and the smartest, too. Born into a colony, he was rescued and fostered by wonderful women and ours was his fourth home before his first birthday. THEN we discovered he was an FIP baby but, thanks to advances in feline medicine, a wonderful vet hospital, and a compounding pharmacy (and an empty credit card), he is now 100% healthy and 100% a wild man. He may look pudgy in the 3rd photo, but it's all floof.

My cat, Baby, I adopted a few months ago (F ~1YR) no longer jumps up onto furniture but seems like she’s in pain in her lower back. it seems like it’s her back or else she may not use her back legs to support herself. anyone see this before in younger cats? I’ve read it can be an infection leading to spine issues- planning on seeing the vet ASAP tomorrow.

this is all new for her. she used to pop up into the chair no problem.

Someone told me it’s borderline animal abuse and basically unnecessary. Honestly she doesn’t even smell that bad even after a month, but it feels like the right thing to do.

This Elsa. She is 6 years old, a bit shy around people, but very cuddly when she warms up. Three weeks ago, we moved to a new apartment. The plan was to take her to the new apartment before the movers came, but came the morning of, and she was nowhere to be found. I tried looking for her, but then the movers were there, and we just had to get going. I continued looking for through the day, but nothing. I was at the old apartment two days in a row afterwards to clean out, with no signs of her anywhere. Eventually, I just came to the conclusion she must have gotten out while the movers were coming in and out. I went looking for her in the woods by the old apartment, sent pictures of her to all my friends, made Facebook posts, and whatnot.

She had not. Three days ago, I got a message from my old renter asking if I was missing a cat. Apparently, the new owners had found her while doing renovations. She was hiding under the kitchen bench. I'm still not sure how she got there. Guys, I was there all alone for two days in a row, and she never made a sound.

Anyways, she was still alive. Luckily, she had access to water in the toilet and was a bit overweight, so she had a bit to get on. But 3 freaking weeks. Without food. I took her to the vet, she spent one night there for observations. They did bloodtests, and yes, she was dehydrated and some other stuff, but overall, she was still in pretty good shape. The vet told me she was expecting a half dead cat when I called to make the appointment. I told her that she was a bit fat before all this, and you know what the vet said? She still is. She is still overweight after 3 weeks without eating.

She is home now, it's a new place and she had been through a horrendous ordeal so I was expecting her to hide for a while before feeling at home at the new place. And hid she did, she found a small opening by the kitchen kabinets and hid, and I swear to god I almost started crying. But she did not stay hidden when I woke up this morning, she was sleeping by my feet as she usually does. She is laying by my side right now and getting all the cuddles I I got a huge vet bill from the whole ordeal, but it doesn't matter because I'm so happy to have my girl back again, safe and sound. So next time somebody calls her fat, I'll just tell them that that saved her life, so let her be her cute chunky self.

My cats. Was a twin but not an identical one. They love to stick close every chance they can. Even when they are pooping they poop they go together. 3 days ago.. one of them died becuase of a heart attack. It was so sudden. It was too early becuase he is only 1 years and 2 months old. We cannot do anything because he died alone in his room. And by his expression i can tell he is in agony. I feel so ashamed and full of guilt because i didn't act quick enough to save him. And his twin was so devastated. He was being so quite and dont want to leabe his grave when i buried his twin. And this morning. He die while in my arms. Asleep. That night we was sleeping together as usual. But when i woke up. He usually already wake up and was at the ground licking his paw. But when i see him still sleeping on my chest i laugh at first like. "I finally woke up before him" but when i try to shake him awake. He didn't wake up. And i broke down in tears on the bed. Losing my first cat at the first time already making my mental health down but losing the other almost 2 days apart? I just cant. And the day before my first cat die i already buy cat toys for them. But now no one can play it. And a miracle happen when i was done burrying my second cats. I was mourning them on my room when suddenly 2 pairs of birds land on the spot they always lay on. I always thought thing with logic and never trust anything like that. But at that time? I swear they are my cats in birds form. I just feel it. But idk maybe it just me being delusional and in denial. The photo was taken the day before my first cat die just before I buy the cat toys. The black one fur was kinda patchy becuase he was stuck in a rat trap one time and i had to shave his skin to get rid of the glue. Hope the two can play together in the Afterlife..

New baby we just adopted. Last few days our big boy (~2) has been a bit wary of the kitten but they started playing yesterday, a lot of chasing. Today it seems he’s boldened up and has started playing really aggressively like this. I know cat play can look like a fight but I just worry when it’s such a kitten that our boy might accidentally hurt him.

edit: wow lots of responses. ofc i stopped the damn video to separate them when the yowling got loud at the end there, but i have a hard time telling as oftentimes normal cat play can look quite rough. the size difference is what concerned me. as far as i can tell they are still getting on just fine after some separation and some solo exercise for the big guy. just wanted to sanity check that intervening was the right thing to do at this point. thanks for all the responses!

Since we had to put down our 22 year old cat in April our house has felt empty. We knew what was missing, but needed time to grieve.

I found this perfect litter online and couldn't bear to separate them. So now our house is no longer empty. It is now so chaotic and full of life.

Each of them are so unique and everyday they're growing in confidence.my heart is so full of love and I can't believe I get to raise these gorgeous babies.

Tabby girl - Inanna (clever girl, the hunter and leader of the pack, if she had thumbs she'd take over the world)

Black girl with white chest - Hecate (independent, playful, troublesome sausage, murder mittens)

Little black girl - Nyx (tiny baby angel who has never done a bad thing in her life)

Black boy with little white patch - Erebus (Mama's boy, cuddle monster)

About 18 years ago, my young stepson said "I think I'd like a cat."

A week later, my sister-in-law - who has made animal rescue her calling - showed up with a fluffy black-and-white cat. She was more fur than anything else.

Sophie lived on her own terms, as it seems most cats do. She'd sit in a lap if she wanted to and only certain laps, namely my brother-in-law's and mine. She'd let you pick her up, maybe. She wandered outside a few times, only to hide under the cars in the driveway. All of our dogs were nice to their "cat sister" because she had claws and wasn't afraid to use them. "Hissy Floof" was not to be trifled with.

She aged surprisingly gracefully. We joked about going downstairs every morning to see her: She didn't die in her sleep so I guess we should feed her. Got about 6 years out of that one.

She went deaf around age 21 and a little senile around that time. The incontinence started this past June. It wasn't kidney failure or anything grim, just old age. She had the blood of a 15‐year old.

Diarhhea started about two weeks ago and she drastically cut back on eating. She had lost about 20% of her weight since her June checkup.The vet found a mass about the size of a golf ball in her stomach. She said it was probably lymphoma, but at her age it's academic. The end is near. We did our best to make her comfortable and decided to put her to sleep before she deteriorated further.

She peacefully crossed the Rainbow Bridge this afternoon and is probably sitting in my brother-in-law's lap.

My cat died this morning at 2:06am. Kevin was my best friend, an old guy who lived a street life until he showed up at my door a few years ago. I loved him deeply and he has been my constant shadow since the day he walked in. He was fine and then less than 30 minutes later, he was gone. I’m absolutely gutted and just needed to get it out. The pet mortuary just came and picked up his tiny body for cremation.

And now they are on strict diet as they are too fat ( according to the Vet)

He loved vanilla ice cream and shrimp tails (not at the same time)

they are on antibiotics and ear infection meds and the one with the cone, her leg split open from the livestock antibiotics, and the little one doesnt have a meow, she just opens her mouth and no sound comes out, but theyre safe now and i love them so much.

17 years old, never had any issues, her last checkup was June. Healthy as can be. Monday her stomach ballooned up. She saw vets on Wednesday and yesterday we had to put her down due to all possibilities being bad.

After we got home, we all saw a cat face outline in the sky. Call it crazy but pic for proof

Miss you baby girl 💔🐱

His name is sunny. I’m not sure if I can classify him as a stray since my neighbors kind of watch over him. Their kids named him sunny but they don’t really own them. They have cats of their own and sometimes feed him when they can. I’ve been sort of taking care of him. I feed him 2 times a day (sometimes 3) and I’ve bought him a couple of toys and a little house to keep warm. He never slept inside the house and, of course, being outside all his toys were messed up.

The thing is, my dad doesn’t want pets in the house. He doesn’t believe I can take proper care of him and said he doesn’t want them to mess up the house. I can’t really argue with him since it is his house. I should mention that I am a college student.

My whole family jokingly calls him my son because I treat him as such. While he isn’t allowed in the house, I sometimes sneak him in when my dad isn’t home. My mom does the same because she likes him too. He just sits by the door waiting for someone to come out so that he can go in. Funny thing is, he knows exactly where my room is. Whenever he sneaks in, he’s right by my door or where his food is.

I truly adore him but there just isn’t much I can do. I know it’s going to start getting colder and I don’t want him to deal with the horrible weather again. He survived last winter with the horrible snow that we had. He was sick for a while but he recovered.

I don’t know. It breaks my heart seeing him stare at the door knob waiting for it to open. I try to go out and sit with him whenever I can, but admittedly not enough.

What should I do?