Seekind advice on my MIL's cat

kittysback

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My mother-in-law has a cat who is about 16 yrs old, and I think he's pretty sick, but I'm not sure. She says the vet thinks he is still doing ok, so they aren't ready to put him down yet. He is blind in one eye and has lost a lot of weight. He eats a lot, but hasn't gained much weight. He is taking thyroid medicine and an antibiotic. He's long hair so he's matted and can't clean himself very well. He's pretty mangy.

Yet he's still alert and can jump up on the couch, and purrs when you pet him. He still loves to sit with her and loves the attention. He doesn't appear to be in any pain.

Should I suggest that she start thinking about putting him down? Or should I try to give him a bath and shave him a little so he's easier to clean?

Any other advice would be appreciated. Thanks.
 

the_food_lady

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Originally Posted by kittysback

My mother-in-law has a cat who is about 16 yrs old, and I think he's pretty sick, but I'm not sure. She says the vet thinks he is still doing ok, so they aren't ready to put him down yet. He is blind in one eye and has lost a lot of weight. He eats a lot, but hasn't gained much weight. He is taking thyroid medicine and an antibiotic. He's long hair so he's matted and can't clean himself very well. He's pretty mangy.

Yet he's still alert and can jump up on the couch, and purrs when you pet him. He still loves to sit with her and loves the attention. He doesn't appear to be in any pain.

Should I suggest that she start thinking about putting him down? Or should I try to give him a bath and shave him a little so he's easier to clean?

Any other advice would be appreciated. Thanks.
Just because he's older wouldn't necessarily mean it's time to put him down.

Does this cat go outside at all?

How long has it been since kitty had bloodwork done, namely to check his thyroid function? The weight loss despite good appetite might indicate he's still hyperthyroid, despite the meds he's on....meaning dose might need to be increased; only bloodwork can confirm this.

Poor thing, if he's so badly matted why on earth isn't your MIL doing something about this? Matts in the fur can become painful as they pull at the skin. Can you take him to the Vet or a groomer and have them clip the matted areas properly? I've got a couple of long haired cats who love to roll on the carpet; one gets matts a lot. Those I can't easily comb out, I'll pop her into my Vet and they'll just clip the area of fur with the mat, don't even charge me.

I would strongly advise against bathing the cat; cat's really shouldn't be bathed unless they get into something smelly. Bathing can rob their skin of the natural oils, plus it's very stressful to most cats. If you try to bath a matted cat I would imagine the matts will become worse. Just not a good idea.

Kitty might just need an adjustment of the thyroid med (Tapazole, I'm assuming).

Why is kitty on antibiotics, what for?
 
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kittysback

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No, the cat is strictly indoors. Thank God. They actually decreased the thyroid meds after the last set of bloodwork. But I know she was supposed to be giving him the meds twice a day, and she was only doing it once (if that). But since I've been here, we've been making sure he gets it twice a day.

She's normally pretty good with him, getting him vet care when needed and taking care of him, giving him meds, etc. I just think with the last few weeks and the holidays she hasn't been as good. She has a vet that comes to the house to do bloodwork and she came out a few weeks ago when the cat was vomiting and had diarrhea a bit, and the bloodwork showed an infection. So I think that's why he's taking an antibiotic.

Unfortutnately I am only in for the holidays so I can't always keep a watch to make sure she's keeping up on his meds and vet visits. But she'll listen to my husband and me, so as long as we tell her what she should be doing, I think he'll be ok.

It was just a shock to me when I saw how much weight he has lost since the last time I saw him. The vet does clip and shave his fur when she visits, but I don't think she's coming back for a few weeks (unless he needs it, and I'm going to suggest he get more bloodwork). In the meantime I'm going to try and trim some of his mattes and we have some pet wipes to clean his behind a little (after I get the mattes).

Despite how thin he is and mangy he looks, he still is very loving. Even jumped up on my lap when I was having a snack.

Thanks for the advice; I really appreciate it.
 

mews2much

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Alot of older cats tend to get thin.
My Coco used to be 10 pounds and she only weighs 5.7 pounds now.
She has CRF though and so many other problems.
 
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