The end of life for your senior kitty is never easy because your cat will have behavior changes that you are not accustomed to because like humans senior cats experience cognitive dysfunction which is like dementia in humans.
Some senior kitties
will have dementia similar to humans and some senior kitties become more
affectionate and want to be next to their people at all times. A once calm and quiet cat may become vocal
and some senior kitties will walk around the house at night as if they are lost.
Know that my senior cat is experiencing all of the above
and also health issues such as ear infections and mobility decline. But she has a hearty appetite and still purrs when we pet her.
Our eldest cat is 18 years
old, and her behavior has changed and is that of a dementia kitty. She tends to wander around the house at night
and will meow loudly. She will also meow
loudly because she is thirsty and wants me to turn on the bathroom or kitchen
faucet. Sometimes she cannot find her
food bowl and this will cause her to become cranky. I will put it in front of her and she will
eat happily. Other times she has no
problem finding her food bowl. Every day
is a new experience in the life of a senior cat.
Know that her body has slowed down and she now prefers to sleep in our bed. Her preferable sleeping area is up by the pillow between my husband and I. She sleeps at all times and is only awake to eat, drink, and use her litter box.
Normally our cat enjoyed
being groomed but recently we noticed that she pulls away from the brush. My thinking is that her skin is more
sensitive to the brush and that it's not enjoyable for her. So, we stopped brushing her and now use
nature's miracle cat wipes to clean her fur and we pet her often. Our senior cat still enjoys being petted.
Occasionally our senior cat
will play with her catnip-filled mouse.
She used to love her mouse but overall she is disinterested in it and I
suspect it's due to her fading sense of smell. Our kitty loves to still look at
the birds that are outdoors and she loves cuddling with us and our dog. She still
enjoys her favorite catnip-flavored treats and still purrs when we pet her so
she has not lost all interest and still enjoys specific things.
My husband and I have
discussed our cat's condition and if we should euthanize it when the time is
right. My husband hopes that she passes
peacefully in her sleep and he wants her to pass naturally at home. He tells me that death is a part of living
and it is nature. I am the one who spends
the most time with our senior cat and would prefer euthanasia when the time is
right.
Today we had a scare when
our senior kitty could not stand to pee or poo.
It looked like she hurt her right hind leg. She could not stand, she
would try but would fall down and then roll over.
We took this as a sign that her passing was soon.
Our veterinarian squeezed us
in by staying late and I asked if she would examine our senior cat before euthanasia
as we needed to know if there was a specific ailment or if it was her time to
pass.
My veterinarian examined her
and told her that it was not time for our senior cat to pass away, that she was
very alert, and that her ears needed to be cleaned, When her ears were cleaned we found out that
she had an inner ear infection and that this was probably why she had
difficulty walking and standing.
Treatment was administered;
antibiotics, and steroids, and she was given fluids due to slight dehydration. We were told to crate her or confine her to a
bathroom, to put down puppy pads, a cat bed food, and water.
Within 8 hours our senior
cat showed signs of better mobility, she was able to use the litter box and also
drank and ate from her bowls.
