So warm and snuggly. It's also 100 degrees Pickles

Hi! Poppy is our black/white big kitty boy who just was diagnosed with early stage kidney disease. He also has hyperthyroid, which he is maintaining normal levels now on methamazole. He also has one torn ACL, (healed), and one sore knee on the other side, and 2 bottom teeth are resorbing (he is getting a dental soon).

Just got him switched to Purina NF, which he likes.

So I guess my question is in your experience with cats with kidney disease, is there an average length of time before they become very sick/reach ‘the end’? I have never had a cat with kidney disease so not sure what to expect.

He’s otherwise the same ol’ Poppy, sassy and sweet, just a little slower.

My oldest cat Misty, 15 years young, has always been a really good self-grooming kitty but lately I've noticed she's starting to slack. Which is of course understandable; she's a senior kitty and won't be as good as she was forever. I definitely do not mind helping her out in the grooming department.

I noticed some mats in her fur and was able to brush them out gently with my Furminator brush, but I would love any advice or tips you have to make this easier and more enjoyable for her!

EDIT: She's a short-hair/slightly medium fur length cat.

Ms Alice has nerve pain in her back and has stopped cleaning herself. She let's us brush her with a generic brush, but I can tell she's in pain and she always whimpers.

Are there any good brushes for kitties that are gentle for pain but can help me clean her up? I need to be brushing her daily or she gets covered in dandruff and oil on her back. Also open to any recommendations for how to help clean her outside of brushing.

I was her blanket, tomorrow.

I had to say goodbye to my beloved cat of 14 years today. Hoping I can share my story here to work through some emotions and hopefully gain a little comfort.

She had been on the decline for the past couple of years. I had bloodwork done when she first started loosing weight, her blood glucose was high, but my vet (at the time) told me she was “just nervous” and it was nothing to worry about because everything else looked ok (now wondering if that was wrong).

She was always a petite cat (higest weight was 9lbs), but she began to become skin and bones and got down to 4lbs. She hid it well with her fluffy fur, but when I would bathe her, it was alarming just how thin she was, even though she was eating. She began to have a really hard time getting around.

I took her for a couple more checkups in this timeframe (last 2 years) and the vet said she was suffering from arthritis and rotting teeth. I got her the arthritis shot but it didn’t seem to do anything. Got her teeth cleaned (a couple pulled) but her breath remained very unpleasant (her urine smelled similar too).

She started drinking copious amounts of water and urinating very large amounts. Slowly started going just outside the box. I wasn’t sure if it was due to arthritis or something else. Vet didn’t have an answer, gave antibiotics.

Over the last week she started sleeping in her litter and got covered in urine and litter. She also began falling from time to time. Saturday she started falling constantly and then couldn’t get up or stand at all, just face planting on the floor. It was scary. She lost complete control of her back legs and bladder and I had to keep her on pet pads. I couldn’t get her in with the vet until today (very far from emergency vet). Sunday she suddenly bounced back, ate, used her litter and was acting normal. Monday back to falling over and staying in her litter the entire day/ not eating.

Today I took her to a new vet and they examined her. Told me she had 0 body fat, almost no muscle mass, was dehydrated (even though she drinks tons of water) and looked to be in late stage kidney failure w/possible diabetes based off her symptoms and physical exam. That we could run lots of tests, but the results would just confirm what she already knew and there would not be many treatment options at this stage. That it was time to let her go.

I was very afraid of keeping her alive for selfish reasons and making her suffer. So I agreed. It all seemed very logical in the moment that it was time. I had watched my mom wait much too long with her dog and I didn’t want that for my precious girl. But immediately after I completely regretted my decision. My thoughts have been racing: I should’ve gotten every test, maybe there was something they could’ve done, maybe she was going to bounce back again, why didn’t my other vet catch this and treat her sooner before it got worse? Now I’m a mess. I thought I was doing the right thing but I didn’t realize how much I’d regret it.

My cat died suddenly a week ago from a thromboembolism. He was 16. Some of you might remember the posts I made regarding his passing.

Since then life has been weird. Time is now especially a weird concept. I feel like he passed away yesterday and at the same time long ago. I feel like I'm already forgetting his behaviors, like the special way he meowed. I'm afraid of forgetting about him and forgetting my memories. But at the same time I know I could never forget him and I think about him all the time.

At first I cried a lot, like bawling my eyes out several times a day. I decided after a few days to give some of his things to a refuge, which made me feel a bit better. I kept his blanket and his cat tree and I'm waiting for the urn. I keep some of his fur on one of my pillows, where he liked to sleep when I was resting. Now I feel my eyes get misty sometimes when I think about him, but I don't cry as much. I don't know if it's because I'm slowly accepting the fact that he passed away? He was getting old and at least now he's not suffering anymore. I do think about him like a 100 times per day.

I feel guilty, like I'm taking this too lightly. I feel guilty about being able to go to work and to see friends. I feel like I should be crying all the time or else it means that I don't care, that I've never cared. I know that it's not true, but I can't help feeling this way.

Anyone else struggled with this?

I am devastated, I think that's it and I am here just crying my heart out while he sleeps near me. I have my baby since I am 10yo. I was lucky enough to have him in my life for 20 years and here I am, crying like a selfish person because I can't resign myself to let him go.

He's the sweetest thing ever, very talkative, with a joyfull soul. He's been sick with chronical kidney disease since years and has medication for it. But he also has everything all old babies have : hyperthyroidism and arthritis. He gets Solensia for the arthritis and it helped but he can't stand hyperthyroidism medication, so we gave up and we are trying since years to get along with the idea that caring means no relentlessness in pushing him hard on treatment.

But here we are. He doesn't eat, or barely, or just some things if it's new. First I thought it was one of those episode again. He even looked like he got old habits back and everything and I even told him "oh you think you're a kitty again ? You can't jump on the table since years". Then, I noticed confusion, like forgetting where the toilets are and peeing in the kitchen after looking aroung. And it striked me. He is not better, he's confused. Confusion is a symptom of advanced kidney failure. Then I noticed everything I thought "normal". His urine is becoming clearer and odorless, he just sleeps and wants to purr with us. He lost weight.

Tonight I cooked him chicken, he ate. All of what I've done. I planned an appointement to the vet, for a blood test. I actually know I won't like the answer. And I want my baby to cross the rainbow bridge at home. I feel like a monster. Not realising sooner is killing me and also the fact that him wanting pets while I am here trying to convince myself to help him go while he's just purring because I am nearby.

I am crushed that I will lose him and that I have to take this decision.

Everyone else would just tell me it's just a cat. And I have to work, trying not to think about it but always terrified something will happen while I am away.

I needed a good cry and to write about it. I am sorry.

I wish you all and your old babies the best life.

He can rest peacefully free of pain

He has been so sick since he hadhis top canine teeth pulled at the vets. He has had a sinus infection for weeks. I'm so worried about him. He is the sweetest cat. I hope the dentist can help. This will be his third time under anesthesia recently. He had his sinuses flushed a couple weeks ago and has been on antibiotics and steroids since. I thought he was getting better when he got very congested this weekend. I wish the vet had sent us to the dentist in the beginning.

Curious.
Guess he doesn't know about the old saw about curiosity and the cat.

I thought I would update after my post about Olivia my senior girl who wouldn't eat and was acting funky after her dental extractions. I've been so worried about her all week, but we really turned a corner tonight.

She's finally out from under the bed, active and loving and curious downstairs with me. She actually ate off of her food dish and had some shredded chicken. Also, it's probably a coincidence but I read on another post from a vet that calming music for cats by David Teie helps so I put that on and played it while she was under the bed. Can't explain how relieved I am that she seems to be feeling better.