Time to put her down?

I have an old calico- my best guess is about 14 yrs old.

Shes gettin old and has recently been displaying some odd behavior that she never used to. First off.. she rips the fur off her legs and only her legs w/ her teeth.. they quite literally looked shaved. Shes been doing this the past 5 years. She also seems to miss the litterbox more often than shes makes it to it (i recently turned on a blacklight onto the literroom carpet, and couldnt believe it--- justabout everywhere but the box.)

And last night, she was freaking out at her own reflection in the mirror... not like playing.. but pure fear-- raised fur, bared teeth, hissing striking, growling & yowling, and she even messed herself. Shes been around mirrors her whole life and has never had a problem. She seems fine again with the mirror today.. but im starting to think her mind is gone. Is it time to start considering putting her down?

have you had her checked out by the vet? had a senior blood panel done? I think you should look into her health issues first before considering putting her to sleep.

While I agree with Danielle that you should consult your vet, you definitely have to keep your cat's "quality of life" first & foremost in your mind and heart. How sad that she was so frightened by her reflection that she soiled herself! I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers during this difficult time. Susan

Not to influense you either way because I feel you need to do what is right in your heart, but my Dazy she did that also. SHe stook in the front room and went nutz. She had the pee and poo trouble, She would shake for nothing till all she did was shake 24/7 till her last day when she just went.

kg please take your cat to a vet. As they move into double digits their organs can't always keep up. Sounds like she might have had a stroke, but really only a vet could tell you for sure.

Sometimes cats will miss the litter box due to arthritis which makes it hard for them to jump into it. Have you considered this possibility? A ramp, perhaps...

Originally Posted by hissy

kg please take your cat to a vet. As they move into double digits their organs can't always keep up. Sounds like she might have had a stroke, but really only a vet could tell you for sure.

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Excellent advice. My dazy did and the vet told me she was in no pain. I took her home and she gave me 2 more months. If she was in pain I would of stopped the suffering , but I would do anything for her. I even feed her with a plate and fork because she could barley move and I I was with having to shampoo carpets. She went when it was her time and without pain. The vet helped me decide it all.

Sounds like everyones giving some good advice to you. I am also going to say that she needs to be seen by a vet a.s.a.p.! She may have something serious going o~and needs to be seen. Please let us know what you do, and if ya find anything out. Will be thinking of you and sending {{{HUGS}}} your way, and many prayers!!

Always, always, ALWAYS get things checked by a vet before making
any drastic decisions. So many behavioral aspects of cats have
physiological origins. Please confer with your vet on this!

That said, you'll know if it's time when it is time. There just comes
that point when you know that the scales have tipped away from
good quality life to bad quality life -- and that's when you do it.
Your cat will be telling you, as well.

But -- and here's the trick -- cats will sometimes think themselves
ready because they don't understand what can be done for them.
So, as I said at the beginning of this post, ALWAYS check all
physiological things, first.

My thoughts -- and those of all my felines -- will be with you both.
Good luck.

Carol

Hi
I am awfully sorry to hear of your situation. I am going to agree with everyone so far and suggest a vet visit. I have been a veterinary techncian for 6 years now and I deal with the sad topic of euthanasia every day. I can tell you from experience that kitties as they get older not only tend to get senial but can also loose control of their elimination factors. I would say after the vet visit, depending on what they tell you, I would consider your kitty's quality of like. Is he/she having more bad days than good. Is your cat eating?? I feel that as a pet owner we share a bond with our pet's that no one will ever be able to share. You and your cat will both know when it is time for that very difficult decision to be made, your cat will let you know. I will keep you in my thoughts in this very difficult time. Please let me know if there is anything else I can do to help, and remember to always treasure the memories the two of you share together and may your kittie's pawprint always hold a special place in your heart.

Go to a local pet store and find Granny's Bitter Apple or some other similar kind of bitter spray meant for pets. It's actually designed to spray on dogs or cats to prevent them from biting themselves, so that will help her legs heal and the fur grow back. Though it could just be a bad habit, it could also be a sign of a health problem that should be investigated. Perhaps in her older age her skin has become dry and she's not producing enoguh oil to keep it moist, so she's biting to try to scratch. Perhaps she has a skin infection. Only your vet can help diagnose the problem.

As for hte mirror, her eyes may not be as well as they used to be, so perhaps she no longer recognises that the cat in the mirror is, in fact, her. Even if her eyes seem clear and bright, she may not be able to focus as well as she once did. Human eyes degrade over time, so I have no reason to believe cats would not be the same.

The problem with the food could be dietary, or perhaps a digestive problem. Even young cats can have problems where they have trouble making it to the litter box, though this problem *is* more common to occur as cats age. You should try to see if there is any trend in this problem. If you are in a multi-level home, try having a box on each level. Maybe she just doesn't have the energy and ability to "hold it" travelling all the way to the box. If you're in a bungalow or other single-level dwelling, try having two boxes in different parts (say, one in the bathroom, one in a laundry room, or something similar). It may be a way to allow her enough ability to make it to a box in time before making an accident.

My main advice is to get a bitter spray to help stop the biting in advance, and get the cat checked w/ the vet. The sooner, the better for you both.