Moggy on his last legs - Visit the Vets vs. The Stress

mum2one

Hope puss goes on ok, I know if it is the worse case scenerio, you've given puss the best time of his life.

xx

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

Thyroid problems are horrible for the cat to suffer. They are panicky, scared, constantly hungry, unable to get comfortable, hot, itchy to the point of ripping their own flesh and fur out, desperately focused upon food, unhappy, frightened and then slowly, slowly starve to death like a concentration camp victim.


And your OH wants your cat to die like that? Like a Belsen inmate?


IF it is thyroid, try hiding the tablets in a mushed up piece of cat stick. Even a stressy, stressy thyroid cat will find it hard to turn their nose up at a bit of cat stick. And if it falls out, pick it up and put it in the next piece.

IF it is thyroid, it MAY be hiding kidney problems, which get worse as the thyroid improves. IF that's the case, the vet can help, but will be able to advise further.



When booking the vet appointment, to save puss from additional visits, don't give them anything to eat from 12 hours before, just water. That way if they want to do bloods (which is very likely), it can be done there and then. Same for a urine sample - if cat is stressy, getting it taken direct from the bladder by the vet minimises the stress of running around trying to get it arranged.


IF it's thyroid and the meds start working, you'll most likely find the cat calms down very quickly. With my old girl, on her last visit on Monday, she made a couple of miaows in the basket as we walked around, then settled down to sleep until it was time for her appointment. She even purred when the vet was draining her cysts (a diagnostic aside, she was actually there for the thyroid). This is the cat whom, if you sneezed a few months ago, would have needed surgical extraction from the ceiling.



Cats live much longer lives now. Don't deny puss this right - and certainly don't leave it to die a horrid, lingering, distressing death for fear of a puddle of wee and a sulk under the bed.

juliebunny

It's a really hard dilemna with old cats - do you drag them through loads of tests and get them treated 'at any cost'.

My sister's cat was had a stroke and was on pills but would not take them, no matter what. It became too stressful for him trying so she gave up and let him be. He passed away peacefully in his sleep about 6 months later but he was an old boy too.:(

I think the most awful thing is that we can't ask them how they feel, or what their choices would be.

valk_scot

Mrs.W wrote: »

I should add that moggy's thyroid problem was diagnosed by the OH. Mainly due to moggy starting to drink a little more water than usual and shedding a bit more hair. He's otherwise in level health, eating as usual, sleeping no more or less, hasn't lost any weight. Though he does require more grooming.

It's warmer now than it was at the start of our so called summer and my two cats have both been shedding later than normal, plus drinking more and eating less. Given that they're 4 & 5 and in all other ways perfectly normal, I just put it down to the better summer weather. So lets hope it's the same for your cat.