Trying to decide what’s best for my cat

[Anne Marie]

Hello, it’s been a while since I posted in the Cat Site, unfortunately I tend to post when I’m desperate, my apologies.

my Mickey is 17 years old, just over a year ago his blood tests revealed very high WBC and the vet put him on a low dose of prednisolone. He was able to reduce the dose to 2.5 mg every 48 hours. One day he stopped eating again and since then the dosage has increased to 5mg daily this week.

He spends a lot of time on his feet following me around, usually wanting to eat but doesn’t eat much. This morning he was upstairs when he heard that I was up. He also spends time with his head on the rim of his water bowl. He sometimes pees outside of his litter tray.

when I see him with his head over his water bowl, I think “it’s time” then when I see him quickly walk to the laundry where I feed all my pets, I think “perhaps not”.

your thoughts would be very much appreciated. Thank you.

 

[white shadow]

.
Hi Anne Marie.

First, what was going on a year ago that caused you to go to the Vet? (the results are there, but not the circumstances leading up/ the reasons for the appointment)

When did he start urinating outside the box?

There are a few clues in what you have posted already, but also those few question marks.

I know it's normal that we become extra sensitive about age and time at some point and more especially so when we see 'things going sideways'. However, while it's important to pick up on/identify changes, it's even more important to base any decisions on accurate diagnosis and determination of what's really going on.
.

 

[Krienze]

I remember being in your shoes with my dog, Jack. The constant feeling of "it's time" then a burst of energy making you doubt it.

Is he able to get into the box okay? I know some older cats have aches and pains. Maybe he's going outside the box because it's hard to climb in? They do have litter boxes with like a floor opening for your cat so that they don't have to climb in.

My heart goes out to you though! I'm thinking about you for sure! I know how stressful the back and forth feeling can be.

 

[Anne Marie]

Thanks for your responses. The first time I took him to the vet last year was because he had stopped eating. Shortly after, I took him to the vet again because I noticed another couple of problems - he started having neuro (if that’s what I can call it) symptoms, usually when he got a little excited e.g just before being fed, he’d start walking around in circles, he hardly does it nowadays. Also, which was really strange, he’d make a crunching noise when eating soft food. I switched him completely to soft food but he still made the noise, just a little bit less.

The vet did x-rays, blood tests and put him to sleep to do more observations but couldn’t find the problem. He said that he’d never come across a cat like him. Another vet also saw him.

I’ve just called another vet to come see Mickey at home because if I have to put him to sleep I don’t want it done at a clinic.

 

[Anne Marie]

I remember being in your shoes with my dog, Jack. The constant feeling of "it's time" then a burst of energy making you doubt it.

Is he able to get into the box okay? I know some older cats have aches and pains. Maybe he's going outside the box because it's hard to climb in? They do have litter boxes with like a floor opening for your cat so that they don't have to climb in.

My heart goes out to you though! I'm thinking about you for sure! I know how stressful the back and forth feeling can be.

Thank you for your kind words. Sorry to hear about Jack. I had to put down my little Yorkie, Lucy, last year In February. I miss her terribly.

Mickey sometimes gets into his litter tray, he does do it slowly though. I’ve put pee pads around the trays and these past two days has been using them. I’ve never seen trays like you mentioned but it’s good to know about them.

 

[Anne Marie]

White Shadow, in reply to your question about Mickey urinating outside the box - around four days ago.

 

[Krienze]

Thank you for your kind words. Sorry to hear about Jack. I had to put down my little Yorkie, Lucy, last year In February. I miss her terribly.

Mickey sometimes gets into his litter tray, he does do it slowly though. I’ve put pee pads around the trays and these past two days has been using them. I’ve never seen trays like you mentioned but it’s good to know about them.

They have enclosures, which is what we have for ours. It stops the dogs from being able to get in!

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi. Have you had Mickey's WBC checked again? I know he is older, but unless I am missing something, it seems a bit premature to think he needs to be put to sleep. How much is he eating? Have you tried other types of food to see if you can 'jump start' him to eat more (see link below to a TCS article about foods to try)? Why did the vet think he needed Pred to resolve a high WBC - and, then again later to resolve inappetence?

The urinating outside of the litter box that only started a few days ago could mean he has a urinary tract infection, which is very treatable. If he has trouble getting in and out of the box, he could have been holding his urine which can lead to an infection. So, I would definitely have his urine checked. If you could actually catch it yourself in a sterile container, most vets will test it without having to see the cat.

If he is not the kind of cat that pees over the top of litter boxes, you might want to consider a lower sided one for him to use. And, I would guess it to be likely that he does have some arthritis, so you might ask your vet about what he could take to help with that - glucosamine, chondroitin, etc.

Feeby (15+ yo) had a mysterious higher WBC about a year ago that lowered on its own - no one knows what caused it. She has also has arthritic issues and I give her Glyco Flex Plus to help with that. I have also noticed her - more recently - resting her head on the side of one of her water dishes (she doesn't do it with her other dishes), enough to wet the side of her face. It seems to happen late at night. She has also been known to lay down beside one of her water dishes and scoop water out with her paw to drink. She was having bouts of not eating as well, but that seems to have been resolved with me feeding her Fancy Feast pates.

I think some of her behavior is attributable to just plain old age. Maybe some of Mickey's is for the same reason too? Are you sure he still needs to be on that much Pred?

How To Get Your Cat To Start Eating Again

 

[Anne Marie]

Hi. Have you had Mickey's WBC checked again? I know he is older, but unless I am missing something, it seems a bit premature to think he needs to be put to sleep. How much is he eating? Have you tried other types of food to see if you can 'jump start' him to eat more (see link below to a TCS article about foods to try)? Why did the vet think he needed Pred to resolve a high WBC - and, then again later to resolve inappetence?

The urinating outside of the litter box that only started a few days ago could mean he has a urinary tract infection, which is very treatable. If he has trouble getting in and out of the box, he could have been holding his urine which can lead to an infection. So, I would definitely have his urine checked. If you could actually catch it yourself in a sterile container, most vets will test it without having to see the cat.

If he is not the kind of cat that pees over the top of litter boxes, you might want to consider a lower sided one for him to use. And, I would guess it to be likely that he does have some arthritis, so you might ask your vet about what he could take to help with that - glucosamine, chondroitin, etc.

Feeby (15+ yo) had a mysterious higher WBC about a year ago that lowered on its own - no one knows what caused it. She has also has arthritic issues and I give her Glyco Flex Plus to help with that. I have also noticed her - more recently - resting her head on the side of one of her water dishes (she doesn't do it with her other dishes), enough to wet the side of her face. It seems to happen late at night. She has also been known to lay down beside one of her water dishes and scoop water out with her paw to drink. She was having bouts of not eating as well, but that seems to have been resolved with me feeding her Fancy Feast pates.

I think some of her behavior is attributable to just plain old age. Maybe some of Mickey's is for the same reason too? Are you sure he still needs to be on that much Pred?

How To Get Your Cat To Start Eating Again

Thank you for your response, you’ve given me a lot to think about.

I've had Mickey‘s blood tests done three times in the last year but not very recently. The WBC was extremely high the first and third times, the second time it was slightly better. The two vets who saw Mickey both felt he had Leukaemia. I was taking him for checkups etc. every three months but due to the pandemic I have been indoors for a long time. Both my husband and I are in the vulnerable group.

Mickey has lost a lot of weight. About four weeks ago he was eating over 300g of food, now he’s down to around 150g. He was on soft food for a mature cat, I used to alternate brands, one of the brands was a Recovery food. I tried to ‘jump start’ him by offering different types of food but he didn’t like anything, the only thing he seemed to like was fresh beef mince and he will eat a little of that, although I would prefer he ate the Recovery food which sems to be nutrious.

i will try to catch some of his urine for testing. I was thinking that perhaps it’s the side effect of the Pred. causing the urine problem. I’m only giving it to him since the vet prescribed it for him. I’m hoping the ’new’ vet will help, she will visit tomorrow or Monday.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Have you tried Fancy Feast Classic pates? Maybe even mix it with the Recovery food? (I do that with Feeby's urinary care food.) FF pates are actually pretty good food nutritionally- and, some members on this site call it "kitty crack'! I know it jump started Feeby to eating better again, and I still give it to her now. Good question to ask the vet about the Pred and the urine issue! Ask the vet about another way to test for leukemia - there has got to be some more definitive test for that?!?!

The funny thing is just around the time Feeby's WBC was high, she had too lost a fair amount of weight. And, after that, it slowed down. She once weighed over 17 pounds, and the next thing I knew she weighed less than 16. She has since lost more weight, and is now teetering around 14 pounds. Of course, she had weight to 'spare', obviously. But, I feel like the only thing keeping her from going down more (so far) is my feeding her the FF. Her eating seems to be more 'regular' with FF. She does need a geriatric check-up (was due in April), so there might be more going on than I know.

Keep us posted, please!!! And, when you feel like it, share a pic of Mickey.

 

[Anne Marie]

Have you tried Fancy Feast Classic pates? Maybe even mix it with the Recovery food? (I do that with Feeby's urinary care food.) FF pates are actually pretty good food nutritionally- and, some members on this site call it "kitty crack'! I know it jump started Feeby to eating better again, and I still give it to her now. Good question to ask the vet about the Pred and the urine issue! Ask the vet about another way to test for leukemia - there has got to be some more definitive test for that?!?!

The funny thing is just around the time Feeby's WBC was high, she had too lost a fair amount of weight. And, after that, it slowed down. She once weighed over 17 pounds, and the next thing I knew she weighed less than 16. She has since lost more weight, and is now teetering around 14 pounds. Of course, she had weight to 'spare', obviously. But, I feel like the only thing keeping her from going down more (so far) is my feeding her the FF. Her eating seems to be more 'regular' with FF. She does need a geriatric check-up (was due in April), so there might be more going on than I know.

Keep us posted, please!!! And, when you feel like it, share a pic of Mickey.

thanks for your suggestions. We don’t get FFC pates here on the island of Malta. The choice isn’t too wide, I get the best I can, I have another two cats and a dog. Before I give Mickey raw fresh mince beef I always offer him another three different choices which he used to love. Failing that, I try to mix the mince with the Recovery food (Royal Canin). Today he hasn’t eaten at all, he looks weak and is spending most of the time asleep with his head over the water bowl. First thing this morning I found him halfway underneath a cabinet in the laundry.

I hope all will be well with your Feeby during her next checkup. Mickey has lasted a much longer time than anyone expected. The Pred. always brought him back but not this time. I will attach a copy of his last blood tests results taken at the very end of last year. I wanted to get them taken again but it was impossible to get out of the house and vet visits were impossible. He also seemed fine at that time. His last vet visit was two weeks ago.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Mickey is so sweet looking! Have the vets ever suggested an appetite stimulant? That is probably something you could discuss and get prescribed over the phone. I would try it, if it is possible. And, at this point, I would feed Mickey whatever he is willing to eat - just to keep up his strength. It isn't going to harm him to eat non-cat food to see if that might help him feel better and maybe prompt more interest in eating.

Whatever happened with the in-home vet visit I believe you mentioned before? I thought they might have been able to draw blood and even try to get a urine sample - all while in your home. It is likely they could even bring an appetite stimulant with them.

 

[Anne Marie]

Yes, Mickey is a lovely boy, I’ve had him since he was a kitten off the streets. I opened the front door one day and he just walked in with one of his mates. I kept both of them at home.

I’ve actually tried an appetite stimulant, I keep them for when everything fails, nothing seems to be working this time. It’s been very sad today, to see him not eating anything and he hardly did any walking. He seems too weak to walk and unhappy.

The vet didn’t turn up yesterday, she should be here tomorrow.

 

[Furballsmom]

If possible, can you handfeed him? If you put a little food into his mouth, is he still swallowing?
If so, maybe there's something here;
Any Good Tips To Get Your Cats To Eat? Share Them Here!

Also, there is this
When Is It Time? – Making The Difficult Decision

 

[Anne Marie]

If possible, can you handfeed him? If you put a little food into his mouth, is he still swallowing?
If so, maybe there's something here;
Any Good Tips To Get Your Cats To Eat? Share Them Here!

Also, there is this
When Is It Time? – Making The Difficult Decision

thanks for the excellent links, I’m going to print them out and keep them. I have tried hand feeding, he just looks away . He’s never had problems with swallowing though. Today it’s been hopeless, usually he comes to eat, even if he doesn’t end up eating, today not the slightest interest. This is why I always give him a big choice in food.

 

[Furballsmom]

I have tried hand feeding, he just looks away

It can be difficult to know if he's weak from lack of food or if he's not moving because he's mentally giving up, but if by chance he's still swallowing today, try holding his little face and gently opening his mouth (gentle pressure at the hinge of the jaw) and putting a small amount of food on his tongue, repeatedly. Sometimes the taste of food can be a reminder that food is good

 

[terestrife]

Not the healthiest choice, but have you tried a can of tuna? My cat Elsa is still young. But whenever shes scared (moving, and after her dental surgery) she will refuse to eat for a couple of days. But tuna will open up her appetite right away. Something about tuna that she really loves.

Edit: i give it to her to open up her appetite and then switch her back slowly.

 

[Anne Marie]

Hello again, I want to thank you all again for the interest you‘ve shown and advice given. Unfortunately there was nothing the vet could do for Mickey and I had to euthanise him. He’s left a hole in my heart like all my other pets who had to leave me. He won’t be forgotten for sure, it will be difficult not to call out “Mickey” as he was always following me around.

I’ve attached a photo of him in happy days with Oscar, my black and white cat, they were the best of buddies.

 

[terestrife]

I am so sorry for your loss. You did the best you could for him, and he is in a better place. This community is here for you.

 

[Norachan]

I'm so sorry to hear this Anne Marie

We always lock the threads when a cat passes away as a sign of respect, so I'll lock this one now. When you feel ready please start a thread in Micky's memory in our Crossing the Bridge forum.

Rest in Peace Mickey, you will be missed.