Old Sick Cat

my cat is 15 but iâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]ve only had her for a few years and she hasnâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t been well during that time. she eats a lot but is very thin. she sits out in the heat or the freezing cold. the vet prescribed some thyroid medication several months ago, but it doesnâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t seem to have helped. she is vomiting and defecating a lot. she is unable to maintain her thick coat and she has faeces in it. she smells really bad. for the last several months her personality has changed and she hasnâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t wanted to spend any time with anyone. the last 2 weeks she has gotten worse. my mum thinks she is miserable and in pain and that we should put her down. i donâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t know what to do, id like some advice. thank you.

Has she had the vet take blood and check for organ function issues??? they are common in older animals and while not cureable they are manageable and give give quality of life if treated

First off, a belated welcome to this forum!

I also want to apologize for the fact that your post has virtually been ignored on here.

I have to tell you that the story you have told so far just breaks my heart.

I'm going to be very blunt and to-the-point with you...at the same time I want you to understand that I'm not criticizing you.

First, you need to understand that your little cat, if she were human, would now be 76 years old. That's OLD.

It means that she needs more attention now than she did when she was young - and even since she came to be with you.

Now, you said she's your cat. THAT makes YOU responsible for her. You also said that your mother is somewhat involved. To be honest, it sounds like your mum has a better awareness of the cat's condition than you do.

Your cat is going to need to go back to the Veterinarian - no matter what.

No matter what...whether it's going to be for examination and further treatment...or to be put to sleep.

That's where my first question comes in. Are you financially able to get further treatment for her?

If you are not, then, judging from what you have described her condition to be, the kindest thing you could probably do would be to have her euthanised.

If you have the financial means to have her treated, then I will ask you if you are willing to do that and, if you are willing to put the time and effort into taking "better" care and concern for her than what you have done so far.

Now...remember, I said I would not be critical. So, let me explain why I said what I did just now. I cannot understand how anyone who expresses concern over their cat would allow the cat to get into a state where she smells, has feces on her hair and is allowed to go sit out in freezing cold or hot. Again, in all honesty, I'm not criticizing...I just don't "get it".

Actually, I just realized that you haven't really expressed any concern at all. In fact, all you said was

i donâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t know what to do

Click to expand...

So, for starters, let me return the question to you. Based on what I said, what are you ABLE to do and what are you WILLING to do?

You reply and I'll get into the medical stuff with you.

Did you have follow-up bloodwork done to check that the thyroid medication had brought your cats thyroid levels down to normal? I know some of my kitties with hyperthyroidism required several doseage adjustments.

I agree with Sharky that a further exam with blood work to see what else is going on would be your next step. Unless you feel your cat is past a point where you expect she could recover and enjoy life again, I'd go forward with further assessment.

I would bring her into the vet and ask what can be done for her.

If she smells than a bath would clean her up, followed by a lion cut, but then she cant go outside if it's too cold. Long haired cats generally require more grooming to begin with, her elderly age means you or your mom have to take extra care of her now. If her mouth smells bad, then she could have dental problems, that will make her not eat well and loose weight. If she cant chew her food good, that can lead to digestive issues and mabye vomiting or diarrhea. Again her age may play a part.

If she is vomiting the vet should be able to help figure out why. Could she be allergic to the food, or mabye she has alot of hairballs and not vomit that is coming up. Or it could be something serious. Either way you should make an appointment very soon.

Sometimes older animals change behavior, she may just want to sleep more.

Please take her to a vet, if something serious is wrong the vet should pick it up with an exam and bloodwork.