My Senior Cat Had a Stroke

 On Friday my husband decided to groom our senior cat since she wasn’t grooming herself. Our veterinarian gave us medication to relax her and we followed the instructions that were provided.  Our cat had no problem with the grooming, in fact, she was such a good girl purring when my husband used the hair mat remover tool. When the grooming was completed, she went to lie in her bed and overnight she must have had a stroke.

My cat Sally (Calico) takes care of Franny

The following morning my cat did not come to greet me, she normally will sit on my chest when I am sleeping and make a vocal sound that sounds like “nip”.  If I don’t respond she will tap me on my nose with her paw.  This method of waking me up in the morning is adorable. But on this morning she did not do it, I slept in and awoke wondering where my cat was.

Both my husband and I looked for her and finally found her in the laundry room.  Something was wrong as she tried to come to us but her back legs were not working.  It was frightening to see my cat not being able to walk, she had a stupor look on her face, and every time she tried to come to me she fell over to her side and her head looked tilted.

 

Sally my calico cat will not leave Franny, Sally is so caring

I told my husband that our 18-year-old rescued cat was having a stroke.  Normally we would rush her to the veterinarian but since none were open on the weekend and the closest ER vet was two hours away. We put her in her heated bed, I gave her fluids and we hoped for the best.

 

In the past, my other rescued senior cat had a stroke and I knew that there was no specific treatment for strokes in cats and dogs.  At the time I had called my veterinarian at his home and he told me to keep my cat comfortable and that most pets tend to recover in a few weeks.  Unfortunately, he was no longer my veterinarian so I had to take care of our cat from what I knew from experience with previous cats.

I confined Franny to our guest bathroom, as it is a room that she likes.  I provided her with a litter box, her heated bed, food, and water.  I gave her fluids through a syringe and put wet senior cat food on the plate for her to eat.  Our cat was still eating and drinking and by Sunday she regained her feeling in her legs and used her litter box. Before Sunday she was going on a wee wee pad that we bought at Pet Smart and I was cleaning her.

 

Franny is coming out of a stroke and has the will to live.  But her eyes look different to me and her gait is not the same.  I know that she is past her life expectancy as the average lifespan for a cat is age (13 to 15).  My cat seems to be extraordinary as she is age 18 with only slight arthritis and cataracts before her stroke.

We plan to take her to the veterinarian first thing on Monday morning. Until then I will continue to take care of my cat by providing her with privacy away from other cats and the dog, and I will sit with her, talk to her, and pet her.  Also, make sure that she is getting enough fluids and wet food to eat.

 

** Franny was abandoned by her people when she was approximately 15 years old. We found her sitting in the rain in our side yard.  She had cataracts on her eyes and seemed disoriented, no collar, and no chip we took her in and cared for her.  Both my husband and I wanted to give her a good end-of-life experience.  

End of Life Care for Senior Cat

 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.

at age 18 our senior kitty loves to eat

 Know that when it comes to the end of life care for a senior cat that there is no right answer.   You choose the option that is best for you and your cat. My husband and I had a difference in opinion and we discussed our opinions with our veterinarian she said that when the time was right that she would come to the house to administer the euthanasia and thus the cat would pass peacefully in my arms.