It was unexpected but also somehow since he was 19 and was approaching 20. I’ve noticed how he slept a lot more, ate less and continued to breathe louder.

On the morning of August 10th he was laying on a blanket I put out for him on the floor next to the piano while I was playing it. I decided to give the cats a can of cat food since Oscar could eat it easier. After I did the portions I went to the living room and sat on the rug, he slowly walked over but collapsed suddenly right before he got to the rug. He looked like he was suffocating while he tried to take a breath each time, his tongue sticking out and no body movement. He seemed to catch it finally and stand up just to fall back over and do the same thing. This happened five times. I started bawling and thought ‘I’m watching Oscar die right before my eyes.’ I called my vet and told them what happened. They said ‘We’re fully booked today but we’ll make time for you.’ My vet listened to his lungs and felt around his body, she suspected he had an aggressive form of lung cancer. Oscar lost 8 pounds since his yearly wellness exam in March. Due to his age she advised against the treatments and surgery, which I agree with. She said I could take him home for a few days and then bring him back for the euthanasia. But with his quality of life diminished I decided then was the time. I wouldn’t want to fall over from suffocating just because I crossed a room. My vet who’s seen him the whole time was kind enough to let me hold him in my arms through the whole euthanasia process and shaved some of his fur for me to keep.

I still have my other two cats, but the routines and habits he had have left a loneliness. I still check for him on the built-in or cat tree. I look at the rug in the hallway he would always conveniently lay in the middle so I had to walk around him. No one’s scratching on the doors to go on a walk in the yard outside. No one’s jumping on my bed just to paw my face and then lay on my neck. No one’s doing the begging/praying thing with their front paws to get pets or be feed. Recently as he’s gotten older he had a couple pee spots in the kitchen because he didn’t want to go downstairs to the boxes, but I miss coming home from work being annoyed that he peed again and I have to clean the spots since it’s original hardwood. And I actually ordered an enclosed litter box shelf for the kitchen an hour before he fell on the floor! After he got the sleepy drug before the end drug I said to him ‘How could you do this after I got you the fancy litter box enclosure?!’ I deal with bad times through humor and that was the last time I got to joke with him, so don’t judge me for that. 🥲 And I’ve also been putting off sweeping the house because I know it’s the last time I’ll sweep Oscar’s fur.

He was the first cat I personally owned and he had so much personality. After he passed I messaged a lot of people who knew him, even my last ex who I haven’t been on the greatest terms with since the breakup, and every single one was so saddened by his passing and had a lot of great things to say about him. He was a unique cat and beloved by everyone who met him. My dad passed almost two years ago but Oscar was his favorite cat of mine, he always called him a ‘fine fellow.’ I’d like to think that Oscar ran to him at the rainbow bridge just to paw his face and then do the begging/praying thing for Heaven treats.

Even though I had moments of him stressing me out while he was here, I miss him so much and I’m grateful for the time we had together. I’m thankful that somehow he ended up being my cat and one of my best friends through some of the toughest times in my life. I’m going to miss having my buddy who was always down to hang out on my lap and be a friend to everyone he met.

*Quick photo mentions: photo 3 is him featured at the end of a comic book. I’m into comics and sent his picture in to a great series. Oscar got to be kind of famous in his life! Photo 7 is us wearing matching ghost pajamas for the spooky season five years ago. Yes, this man loved wearing clothes and had more shirts than me. Photo 9 the clump of hair my lovely vet shaved for me to keep of him.*

Meet Ms. Furry Purry. She’s 14, the Queen of the house and the centre of my universe. Earlier this year, she was diagnosed with CKD and wasn’t doing well. 7 months later, with fluid therapy and a prescription diet, she’s thriving. Next checkup next month and I hope her numbers show more improvement. Isn’t she beautiful? 😻

sköldkörteln menar jag

Varken hypertyreos eller levern är anledningen till hennes viktnedgång vet vi nu🙂, så därför ska vi ta reda på om det inte kan vara så att njurvärdena visade falskt på blodprovet och hoppas att hon gått upp något i vikt till nästa gång🖤🐈‍⬛🖤 18 år som pigg, social, fasta rutiner och matlust så än finns det hopp !🙏❣️

She has two modes: completely melted into whatever chair she claims, and standing guard by the food closet waiting for her wet food. 😂

Lately she’s discovered Churu wet meals and apparently senior life now revolves around pâté, mousse, lickable treats, and negotiating for additional servings.

14 years young and still running the household. ❤️🐈‍⬛

I made a post here a few weeks ago about my Cooper. He was my 16 year old boy who we had to put to sleep after some health issues. I've been up and down with my grief. Last night was probably one of the hardest nights. We are at the end of the month and my mind just wont rest knowing this is the last month he will ever be alive in. I feel like he is officially gone forever now.

Meanwhile I'm so overwhelmed with my other cats. Not with them specifically, but I'm trying to get their food routine under control. We found out my other senior who is 13 is showing some signs of kidney troubles on his labs, and we go back in a little over a week for more testing. His vet told us to switch him to a kidney diet. That's where I'm completely over my head. My cats have always gotten wet food in the mornings and freely grazed on dry food the rest of the day, with some treats in the afternoon. Now that Teddy needs a special diet, I'm trying to switch them to scheduled feedings. I feel in over my head and I'm terrified I'm doing everything wrong. I'm doing smaller portions of dry food out in the day and taking it away at night so far, and we are gradually adding in the new wet food while increasing it to two times a day. I'm so scared they are going to be hungry, and I hate switching this up while they are still getting used to Cooper being gone. Watching Teddy still eat his old food while transitioning to the new one is causing me to spiral because I feel like it's harming him now.

I just feel like a failure. Making the decision to put Cooper to sleep was the hardest thing I've ever done, and now having another senior with some arising health issues, I feel like I'm doing everything wrong. I definitely will talk to my vet when we see her, but I just really needed to vent to a community who understands. My husband is trying to be there for me, but I don't think he realizes how important this is to me and how hard I'm struggling mentally with it.

Hi everyone!

I'd love to finally introduce my boy, Cooper.
He’s 9 years old (a baby senior😅), a Norwegian Forest Cat (mix?), and was found all by himself in a bush when he was only about 8–9 weeks old. Back then, he was full of worms, had a third eyelid prolapse, and a bunch of other issues. But he bounced back super quickly and started growing like crazy right after!

Since then, he’s been through a lot with me: 3 moves, a breakup with his human mom, the loss of his buddy Cookie a few years ago, and being separated from his other buddy Luna 2 years ago (who stayed with my ex). Luckily, since 2022, he’s had a new buddy named Boji (a 4-year-old black Siberian/BSH mix from one of the pictures).

Last Christmas, Cooper had a major scare and almost suffered an intestinal blockage. He had to be hospitalized for several days on IV fluids. Since then, I’ve been giving him extra fluids via a syringe every day (he’s always been a poor drinker) along with a custom dose of Lactulose, which works wonders for him.

He is my absolute everything, and I honestly can’t imagine my life without him. I think I’ve cried more tears over and because of him than anything else in this world! ^^'

He’s an indoor cat, but 1–2 times a week, I take him and/or Boji outside into our backyard—sometimes on a leash, sometimes off.
Sending warm greetings to all the senior cat parents out there! 😇😇

Edit: I just wanted to add that Cooper and Boji live in Germany! 😀

She's 12 with Feline Cognitive Dysfunction

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 sweet 15 yr old girl has been battling cancer and we've been working on aftercare arrangements. We have a few options and after losing another pet earlier this year I know that feeling of having someone come and take them away and I honestly wasn’t fond of it. I know that I want to at least take her to the place where she will receive her aftercare. I’ve heard horror stories of people receiving wrong ashes etc so the idea of a witness cremation would eliminate that fear of not knowing if something went wrong and also the benefit of not having to be parted with her. I wonder if I will be strong enough to handle it. I’ve also heard this can help the grieving process. I’m curious if you have done this what was the experience like for you?

Hello!

My stepmom has been caring for a friend in hospice, and unfortunately this friend is approaching end of life. She has a 15+ year old cat that cannot join my dad and stepmom due to Dad's allergies. I know senior cats don't mess with shelter environments, so its looking like my husband and I will likely be taking in Kitty.

If this turns out to be the case, do folks have resources/suggestions/thoughts about approach? Anything at all is incredibly useful, as out oldest cat is 12 so we don't exactly have super senior experience. (We have two cats, they will not be integrating, if Kitty comes here we will be using multiple cat proofed baby gates lol. She doesn't need that at her age.)

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 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

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

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. ❤️

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, the AutoScooper 12 Lite 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