This is a hard post to write. Our 15 year old male Fenway (we think he is 15 - he might be closer to 16) seems to really be declining over the past 48 hours. He has been slowly declining over the past year - but has been active and engaged. I took him to the vet and nothing in particular was found - just that he's getting old and feeling the ravages of age.
I noticed something felt off this past weekend. I was home alone (kids with their mom and girlfriend out of town) so I let the cats (we have 4) spend the night not confined to the kitchen/basement. We generally do this because they keep us (especially the kids) up at night, but often when I'm home alone I'll let them out.
Fenway is generally the most obnoxious. He'll crawl all over me and whenever I move or get up he'll ask for food. He seemed like his normal self on Friday night, but on Saturday night he did not climb into bed with me.
I had not noticed anything too amiss during the day on Saturday. He just seemed like his old self.
Sunday was when I really started thinking something did not feel right. He just seemed very lethargic and while he was not hiding, he wasn't as active as normal.
I worried about him all day on Monday and when I came home from work he was there to greet me at the door - which is normal. I took this as a positive sign and I fed him and he appeared to eat. We went to a baseball game and when we came home, he did not greet us. I found him in the basement. He was awake and alert, but looked uncomfortable. He was not in pain, but he looked sluggish.
He did come upstairs and immediately went into the bathroom and curled up on the bathroom rug. He really hasn't left there since last night. I left him out of the kitchen last night. He did move out of the bathroom to use the box I left for him (a little urine) and at one point I could hear him scratching his paws on the box fan in our room. He was drinking water, but not sure if he's eaten anything.
He's awake and alert. He'll meow when you walk into the room and lift up his head. He'll get up and move if you're getting out of the shower because he doesn't want to get dripped on, but he seems to just not have much energy. He does not appear to be in pain or distress and actually seems to be at peace.
I've gone through this before as a lifelong cat owner. I know I'll make the right decision when I need to make it, but I really don't know what to do at this point. I could take him in, but not sure what could be done for him. He's old and has been on the decline for at least a year. I'm a single dad and money is tight enough that I need to factor it in. If he was clearly fading away and/or in pain and distress it would be no question - I would take him in. My thought is to wait and see how he is when I get home from work and then make a decision.
I noticed something felt off this past weekend. I was home alone (kids with their mom and girlfriend out of town) so I let the cats (we have 4) spend the night not confined to the kitchen/basement. We generally do this because they keep us (especially the kids) up at night, but often when I'm home alone I'll let them out.
Fenway is generally the most obnoxious. He'll crawl all over me and whenever I move or get up he'll ask for food. He seemed like his normal self on Friday night, but on Saturday night he did not climb into bed with me.
I had not noticed anything too amiss during the day on Saturday. He just seemed like his old self.
Sunday was when I really started thinking something did not feel right. He just seemed very lethargic and while he was not hiding, he wasn't as active as normal.
I worried about him all day on Monday and when I came home from work he was there to greet me at the door - which is normal. I took this as a positive sign and I fed him and he appeared to eat. We went to a baseball game and when we came home, he did not greet us. I found him in the basement. He was awake and alert, but looked uncomfortable. He was not in pain, but he looked sluggish.
He did come upstairs and immediately went into the bathroom and curled up on the bathroom rug. He really hasn't left there since last night. I left him out of the kitchen last night. He did move out of the bathroom to use the box I left for him (a little urine) and at one point I could hear him scratching his paws on the box fan in our room. He was drinking water, but not sure if he's eaten anything.
He's awake and alert. He'll meow when you walk into the room and lift up his head. He'll get up and move if you're getting out of the shower because he doesn't want to get dripped on, but he seems to just not have much energy. He does not appear to be in pain or distress and actually seems to be at peace.
I've gone through this before as a lifelong cat owner. I know I'll make the right decision when I need to make it, but I really don't know what to do at this point. I could take him in, but not sure what could be done for him. He's old and has been on the decline for at least a year. I'm a single dad and money is tight enough that I need to factor it in. If he was clearly fading away and/or in pain and distress it would be no question - I would take him in. My thought is to wait and see how he is when I get home from work and then make a decision.
