Little Charlie not feeling well

My 13 year old cat, Charlie isn't feeling very well. She's very quiet and not eating but a bite here and there, and her belly is distended. I'm taking her to the vet first thing in the AM and they'll run tests, etc. She was okay a couple days ago and then this AM she seemed uncomfortable. I gave her some broth and she drank a tiny bit. Tonight, took a couple bites of food. 

This is a cat that usually keeps to herself and tonight she's nearby. I sure hope it isn't something like cancer. Her mother died from a stomach tumor. It may just be constipation. At least she is mellow at the vet.
 

Thirteen seems young to me, but I understand she's an older kitty now. Seems like yesterday she was a little kitten.

laura mae I'm hoping that something simple is going on with your Charlie. It's so hard to no let your mind wander to the worst case senario especially when they can't tell you what doesn't feel good.
I'm keeping you and Charlie in my thoughts and prayers. [emoji]128591[/emoji][emoji]127995[/emoji]
Please let us know how his vet visit goes and how you both are doing [emoji]10084[/emoji]️

I hope Charlie feels better soon! My kitten has had a bit of a problem with occasional constipation so hopefully this is all it is. Let us know what you find out!!

Thanks! I sure will post an update. I hope it's just constipation. Seems like she never eats enough for that to be an issue. Her litter mate Jeffery is a bit of a bully toward her and so it could have affected her willingness to take the time to use the litter box. She's so cute and always a sweet little friend. She also has asthma but it's been really not an issue for her for the past few months. I named her Charlie because she was so tiny and underweight as a kitten, I imagined the name would make her more scrappy and strong. :-)

Unfortunately the vet said she has a tumor in her abdomen and the reason she is somewhat constipated is because it involves her intestines.  Two days ago, Charlie was hopping up on things and playing and being her usual self, but then she didn't feel well. Has fluid accumulation in her her abdomen now too.

I'm going to pick her up from the vet, who will be providing pain med and spend a day with her. I promised her in the ride over that the vet would help her feel better and reminded her that she liked them. She purred the whole time they were doing the ultrasound.

Oh I'm so very sorry to hear this sad news. So very sorry. I had been so hoping that your worries for your sweet Charlie would prove to be unfounded.

So very sorry to hear this about sweet Charlie!

The pain medication is giving her a couple of days of feeling somewhat normal. She ate a little tonight (which she hadn't been doing) and did so this AM as well. She also managed a bowel movement, which has to feel a little better. To me it seemed like the distension in her belly has gone down a little. It doesn't change the outcome, but it was an evening of purrs and kitty kisses. She's on her favorite soft cat bed in the alcove she chose in a bedroom. She doesn't really like having me put the medication inside her cheek but it is making a difference. I figure the best thing to do is for it to be a normal day with me checking up on her once in a while to give her pets. She likes it when I slightly fluff up he hair on her head. She nodded off to sleep when I did that.  A picture of her in better days.

Oh what a sweet little muffin your little Charlie is [emoji]128571[/emoji] I'm glad the pain medication is doing its thing and helping her feel better and allowing her to be able to enjoy her time with you. An evening of purrs and kitty kisses sounds lovely. Just what you both needed. [emoji]10084[/emoji]️[emoji]10084[/emoji]️[emoji]10084[/emoji]️
How are you doing laura mae ? You and Charlie have been in my thoughts[emoji]128591[/emoji][emoji]127995[/emoji]

Thanks. She is a sweetie. At this point I'm wondering when is the right time. It's not the first kitty for whom I have had to make that decision. She eats a bit. The way she has always eaten was to scoop the food in her little paw and then use her paw like a spoon. Charlie is a very clean kitty and doesn't care for the food on her face. When she did this last night it was lovely to see. This morning she was the Charlie we always have known.

However, a lick and scoop of food isn't really enough. She came up stairs to drink water even though I have a cup for her by her chosen den. The distention in her belly is way down today. I hadn't anticipated that. While the vet and I didn't specifically discuss the reasons for the fluid accumulation, I assumed it was the result of the cancer and that this would continue until the end. The choice of time would be to avoid the inevitable effect this would have on her breathing. But so far, breathing calm like a cat who feels pretty good. Her eyes are clear and her pupils are not large. Today is another good day so far.

I'm sad about her. I also have two of her litter mates, a boy Jeffery and a girl, Etta. Etta has started to look boney in her haunches and along her spine. Jeffery looks great. Etta needs "reminders" to eat and I have to sit with her for her to eagerly engage. Both she and Charlie have never been canned food aficionados. So part of my worry is wondering if the same weird thing is going on with Etta but just at a different stage.

Her momma showed up at our house with all her kittens in tow and no one in the neighborhood admitted to the momma being their cat. So we took them in. Eventually her momma had exactly the same thing Charlie does now, and passed away last year.

I don't want her to suffer and at the same time she still seems interested in being here. So perhaps today is not the day.

 

I agree with you that Charlie is still interested in being here.  Right now it sounds like her pain is being managed and she is still comfortable.  Enjoy the time you have left with Charlie and continue to love her as you have always done.  Even though this is a difficult time for both of you it seems like you know what to watch for to make sure she is not suffering.  I know it is always painful to say goodbye no matter if you have been through it before. It really sounds like you are very in tune with your cat's health.  One thing that helped me when my seniors started slowing down was to make a quality of life list.  Hubby and I sat down and did this together for both our boys.  We had an agreement that we would never allow our babies to suffer if they became ill and there was nothing the vet could do to fix things.  It was really hard to write out the list but it really helped us a lot to see things on paper. Both my boys had stroke and had to be put to sleep because they were clearly suffering and their quality of life was gone.  Writing things down like that ahead of time really made the decision to say goodbye when it was time easier.  It still hurt like hell when the time came but I knew I was making the right decision.

Hugs to you and Charlie during this difficult time.

She still seems to be perky and engaged. Interestingly the abdominal fluid build up seems to be disappearing. The vet didn't drain it, I assume because she was also dehydrated, but she did do some sub-q fluid for Charlie. The ultrasound showed some liver involvement but the tumor was definitely outside of the organs. With the decrease in fluid, she has shown some interest in food but what she eats is so small it isn't enough to nourish her.

Today she hopped up into the window to get some fresh air and imagine chasing birds. She seemed so normal and so happy for parts of the day. Sleeps in her chosen cave other parts of the day and comes upstairs to hang out in the hallway by us for parts of the day. I gave her some baby food today and she ate a bit. The not eating part makes me think I shouldn't avoid the inevitable for much longer.  I have two more days of buprenorphine left for her.

I think if she was purring and sweet when they give her the sedative before the solution that ends her life, that will haunt me. One day at a time.

One day at a time. I agree. Try to live in the present with Charlie as much as possible.

I'm so glad that Charlie is comfortable and enjoying some of her normal kitty pleasures.

[emoji]10084[/emoji]️[emoji]10084[/emoji]️[emoji]10084[/emoji]️Lots of love and hugs for you both [emoji]10084[/emoji]️[emoji]10084[/emoji]️[emoji]10084[/emoji]️

Update: so today's the day. It was inevitable and no easier to face more than a week later. I'm glad to say that her fluid build up went away in her abdomen, which allowed her to eat and drink and be more comfortable. The pain medication helped a lot. We even tried prednisone to see if it would give her a few more weeks of quality time. Unfortunately, she's not eating enough for it not to make her nauseous. We 1/2d the dose yesterday morning and she was really not well afterwards. 

She's stopped bathing and walks very slowly. I gave her a warm towel bath this AM but even that is much too much stimulation. She's in our bedroom right now--which is an entirely different spot. It is where she can see us and the other cats but she doesn't want any interaction. She purred when she licked the gravy off of her food this AM, so that's a good experience.

She's had a week to be near us, sit in the window and enjoy the fresh air, pretend to chase birds and get kitty kisses from my hellion but her buddy,  Simone.  Even her litter mates Etta and Jeffery hung out with her for a while and they all usually pass by one another ignoring each others' presence.

I think it's safe to say Charlie is tired of the struggle and wants to be free. It makes me so sad to say good-bye. It was hard to get her in but the vet's office made room in a couple of hours. That's fine. She likes them. My fella has a terrible awful time facing this part of the life with pets. I'm always the one who has to take them and be with them. I wouldn't not be there for them. I want them to know I'm right there until the end. He's even left the house (in tears).  The more generous side of me recognizes that people grieve in different ways.

I'm so sorry. My heart and thoughts are with you and Charlie today. I'm so glad you all had a wonderful week together [emoji]10084[/emoji]️

I'm so sorry it is Charlie's time  to cross the Rainbow Bridge; sending prayers for a peaceful crossing for her.

It was peaceful. There was a nice room, and they gave her a sedative. She fell deeply asleep while I stroked her neck. It was the right time. The struggle is over and I'm at peace with that even if I'm sad. every day this past week, I was so worried about how she felt, if she was in pain, if she was having a good day. There were good days. The last two less so. The hardest part for me was waiting after I made the call and the sense that I am betraying them when I take them knowing they aren't coming back right away.

There's a service that will cremate her and I'll get her remains back a few days.

I was out looking at a mock orange I had planted in 2003. It was the yea my 19 year old kitty Hazel died and the year Charlie was born. Her full name was Charlie Too Cute. She was purring but drooling terribly while we waited. She appreciated me dabbing and wiping her chin. Charlie was a pristine bather. The other kitties are all napping. Thanks for all your thoughts. I sure appreciate it.

I'm very sorry to read about little Charlie.  On behalf of the TCS Team, we offer our condolences.  We'll lock the thread now out of respect for your loss, and we invite you to post a tribute to your friend in our Crossing the Bridge forum.