Elderly Cat, please help!

Hi guys!

My cat Minky is 18 years old and has been incredibly active his whole life, out all the time in all weathers and very energetic, he suffered a facial injury about 2 months ago which is on his cheek, possibly from a gun of some sort, we have regularly treated the wound, every day and it has progressively got better, however, it still pusses every now and then from the hole.

Four days ago we gave him a bath because he was very matted, a bit smelly and to de-flea him, while giving him the bath he was incredibly stressed, we dried him off thoroughly and made sure he was okay and he slowly went back to normal, some short time after that, he fell up the stairs which was very very scary, he can barely walk now without wobbling all over the place, he doesnt get up for food or to go to the toilet unless we actually pick him up and place him by his food and he pretty much just lays where you place him, up until last night he was still purring when stroked and meowed when spoke to, he does eat and drink but he has no motivation to get the food himself, he doesnt even seem to shut his eyes, he just lays there in a trance like state, it also seems he has immediately lost all of his weight, however, hes eyes are completely clear and there is no sign of his third eye lid.

Please reply as soon as possible with any sort of relevant information, ive tried to include as much detail as possible, if any more information is needed, please say!

Thanks so much in advance for any help, Minky is my mums pride and joy and i understand that he is an old man but its worrying to see him like this.

Anthony + Fiona

Hi Fiona

I'm sure you will get a lot of replies to help guide you at this very difficult time.  No one here can tell you what to do, but you will get numerous opinions of what you might need to do, but you know your cat best, and only you can make decisions about treatment and end of life care, in consultation with a vet.

Having said that, the very first thing I believe you should do is to get Minky to a Vet for an exam and consultation, and quickly.   If you have already done this please share the results with us.  If you haven't, this is a critical and urgent first step.

What we can't tell you from afar, is whether Minky can "come back from the brink" with treatment and support (because it sounds - on the face of it based on your description - that he may be near the end of his life).

Lack of motivation to eat and the trance like stare are classic signs of an animal who is reaching the end.  But this doesn't mean he is suffering, he just may be very weak and slowly "giving up".  But it also may be true that he can come back with treatment and support.

Lack of food and water is one cause of lack of energy.  You can check his hydration by gently pinching the scruff oh his neck, gently pulling it taught, and then releasing it.  It should snap back more or less like a rubber band if he is hydrated, if it slowly sinks back he is dehydrated, and if it doesn't sink back all the way he is more seriously dehydrated.

None of the above will replace a visit to the Vet.  He needs to see a vet immediately.

Good luck to you both, this is a difficult time for him, and with professional help you will be able to make the right decisions for him.

Stephen

Hello, thank you for the fast reply, he is eating and drinking and isnt dehydrated, he simply cant find it or get the motivation to find it, we are taking him down the vet this afternoon, he is purring alot aswell, thanks again for the reply

OK that's great you have a vet appointment, and I'm glad he is getting some nutrition and hydration.  Purring can be a sign of illness or distress so the fact that he's purring in the context of what you describe is a further indication that he isn't well!

Good luck and let us know what the Vet says.  I'm hopeful that with an exam, possibly some sub Q fluids, an appetite stimulant, vitamins, and who knows what else you can get him out of this!

Stephen

I'm so glad you have a vet appointment for Minky. Especially when you're dealing with an older kitty, the vet is the one who really needs to see him and tell you what's wrong. Bless you for taking him. He sounds like a real sweetie.

Please, when you get home, post back and let us know what your vet said about Minky.

If the cat is very sore or has arthritis he we will be able to or at least not easily get around so this may be something to look into. Wobbly walking, having problems going to the bathroom, lack of energy, or sensitive areas on his body could be a clear indication of pain related issues. If possible try to keep everything for him on one floor so it is easier for him to get around. If he is still having discharge from the wound it may not have healed properly and this can also cause him issue and make him feel down in the dumps.

I hope that you were able to get him to the Vet.