My Cat Needs Help :(

Hi,

My cat's name is Chloe, and she is close to 22 years old.  She has never ever been to the vet, she did get her kitten shots and what not. She is starting to breathe hard, you can see her lungs trying to get air, but she still acts like a old cat.

She also has had problems going to the bathroom over the last year. I know 22 years is a long time, but I am scared if I take here to the vet it might kill her because of the stress on her. She does not seem to be in any pain, she eats and has her same routine, but at the same time she is 3 years from being the oldest cat in the USA!

So we are lucky to have her for this long of time, but I do not want to introduce drugs, taking her to the vet for the first time, or have her stressed out in any way. This will create heavier breathing and maybe death for her. She did have a stoke about two years ago as well.

Having said that she is purring, eating and going to the bathroom. She is old and hanging in there, but the heavy noticeable breathing has got me concerned. Her tongue is not out our anything like that, but it is very scary.

I know we will lose her one day, but any advise will help a great deal.

Thanks,

Bryan

Is there any one in your area that might be able to come see her? I was pleasantly surprised to find a mobile vet near me through a mutual friend, she was able to come and treat one of my recently adopted semi feral cats and it was such a help. Maybe there is something like that in your area?

I agree, a mobile vet might be just the thing. Or, a vet that has a freestanding practice but who also does house calls.

As for the oldest cat in the United States-- that would be Scooter, a 30 year old Siamese from Texas. Not only is Scooter the oldest living cat in the USA, but he's the oldest living cat in the world!

Scooter isn’t Guinness’ oldest cat of all time, though. That mark belongs to Crème Puff from Austin, who lived 38 years 3 days or 168 in cat years (more than double the average life expectancy of the species).

Texas must be good for cats-- they sure live a LONG time here! I personally knew a 26 year old Siamese, a clinic cat named Zephyr. He was still going when i left he clinic. I heard he made it to almost 28! I can only vouch for how old he was when I saw him for the last time.

http://kxan.com/2016/05/10/30-year-old-texas-cat-named-worlds-oldest-living-cat/