23 year old cat had a stroke, don’t know where to go from here

[Sootyville]

If anyone has previous advice on elderly cats and strokes I would really appreciate it!! I found my 23 year old cat Sooty on the floor last Sunday night, she couldn’t walk or stand or even hold up her head. I rushed her to the vet who told me it was most likely she’d had a stroke and she needed to go home and rest.

They called back in 48 hours, I explained she was eating and drinking and could now hold up her head, but the vet said I needed to think about whether it was her time to go.

I wasn’t ready to say goodbye then. It’s now a week later and I’m completely stuck as to what to do. She still can’t walk, but she can sit up on her own and can stand for short periods if I stand her on all 4 feet, though eventually she loses her balance. She meows when she needs the litter tray and I take her to it, although I have missed it a few times at night and she’s wet the bed. I can tell that this is upsetting for her and it breaks my heart, but otherwise she doesn’t seem to be in pain and she’s still eating well.

She is my best friend and honestly I want to do right by her. I don’t want to keep her here selfishly if she can’t walk and I don’t believe she’ll have quality of life. But equally I want to give her a chance if she’s fighting to walk. She has no other pressing health issues, although she does have some kidney damage and she did have a previous stroke back in March which she recovered from within 2 days.

Thank you for your help in advance

Any advice would be so so appreciated. I should add that I have to work away some nights, this past week I’ve cancelled work to care for her but unfortunately I can’t continue that forever. I can get somebody to stay with her while I’m gone. Which is necessary for her to eat and go to the toilet. But the thought of leaving her with somebody else is honestly so scary right now. I couldn’t live with myself for for something to happen and for her to pass away without me there, part of me thinks is it better to go painlessly with me next to her as the vet things. But also if people have recovery stories that her walking again is possible, I don’t want to give up on her.

 

[CatladyJan]

Hi Sootyville and welcome to TCS! I'm sorry you are gong through all of this. The choice is ultimately yours, but I will say she has lived an amazingly long life. Do you feel her quality of life is good enough for her to continue on and if so how much longer? As you stated, you don't want her to pass away when you are not home. People who 'recover' from strokes usually have some permanent impairment that will never improve. What do you think?

 

[Sootyville]

Hi Sootyville and welcome to TCS! I'm sorry you are gong through all of this. The choice is ultimately yours, but I will say she has lived an amazingly long life. Do you feel her quality of life is good enough for her to continue on and if so how much longer? As you stated, you don't want her to pass away when you are not home. People who 'recover' from strokes usually have some permanent impairment that will never improve. What do you think?

Thank you so much for replying so quickly

Thats true she has lived a very long life and she has sidestepped death previously after having radioactive iodine therapy for hyperthyroidism that wasn’t responding to medication at 18.

Her quality of life was good before this, but realistically I don’t know for how much longer, considering her age she surely only has a few years left. And I wouldn’t want her to go in pain.

I appreciate your reply. It’s incredibly hard feeling like I’m playing God making a life or death decision, and I just want to feel sure that I’m doing the right thing.

 

[CatladyJan]

Thank you so much for replying so quickly

Thats true she has lived a very long life and she has sidestepped death previously after having radioactive iodine therapy for hyperthyroidism that wasn’t responding to medication at 18.

Her quality of life was good before this, but realistically I don’t know for how much longer, considering her age she surely only has a few years left. And I wouldn’t want her to go in pain.

I appreciate your reply. It’s incredibly hard feeling like I’m playing God making a life or death decision, and I just want to feel sure that I’m doing the right thing.

I understand, we all go through that. Is this the only cat you've ever had? That would make this the first time you've had to make the decision. It's never easy and doesn't get any easier no matter how many times we have to go through it. I can honestly say, there are times I wish I would have made the decision earlier. Pray about it. Most people take a day to spend extra time with them and me personally I just lay with them and talk to them about their life and memories and how much they mean to me. I'll pray for you and your kitty.
Try to think of it as if it was you, would you want to continue on and die alone or with someone by your side that has loved you for a long time.

 

[verna davies]

I'm so sorry that you are having this decision to make. I have no experience with strokes but whatever you decide, you have to be comfortable with it knowing its the right one for your cat, quality of life is everything right now. I can understand your dilemma as she is eating and drinking which are positives but there are also negatives. I'm sorry I cant give you the right answer to this, its so difficult for you.

 

[Morpheus1967]

Ask yourself this. Is there any chance she improves her quality of life? Or is this how she will be from now on with no hope of improvement?

It's never an easy decision, especially after 23 years (WOW!!). I hope you find peace whatever you decide.

 

[reba]

I found this youtube video very helpful:When to Euthanize Your Pet

 

[physishe]

Hi Sootyville, I would like to share my experiences with you. My cat Toby has recently had a stroke due to hyperthyroidism. He is 15 years old.

Back in 2019 we attempted to start him on hyperthyroid medication (methimazole) but he had an adverse reaction and stopped in. In the meantime we have been just keeping an eye on it.

A couple months ago (November 2022), Toby went completely limp and couldn't move his body or even lift his head. It was determined that he had a stroke due to hyperthyroidism. He was hospitalized for about a week on an IV drip so that he would get the proper nutrients to survive. He slowly recovered and gained strength. We brought him home after a week in the hospital and he was able to walk but his use of his back legs were limited. We limited his area of the house that he could access so we could keep an eye on him. I even slept on the floor next to him so I would be aware of any movements or if he needed help using the litter box.

It has been two months since the stroke and he has recovered a lot. He is able to move around and walk (his back legs are still very stiff). We made some step stools and ramps to help him get onto things. We are still trying to figure out what meds he needs and what doses are correct but the vet says he is not in pain and he still has a good quality of life. He is having seizures due to the stroke, I hope you are not struggling with that problem though.

I have learned that strokes in animals are not nearly as bad as strokes in humans. Cats and dogs typically recover, but it could take a long time. Since you have seen signs of improvement, that is fantastic. I would say that as long as you don't think Sooty is in pain, she still has a chance to recover.

All the best!!

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi, how are things?