Snowball is 17 years old. I have had the blood workup and the other senior tests and she doesn't have anything "wrong" with her; she's just old. She is almost blind and she has not been stable on her feet, although she does walk. Now she has open sores on all four of her legs and the vet says these are pressure sores because of the way she lays. I am trying to keep them clean and use ointment, but Snowball goes down to the basement. Our basement is not finished so she gets dirty. Infection concerns me. The only way we can keep her upstairs would be to barricade her in a room and we don't feel comfortable with that. Now I notice her nose is completely black. I am unsure what that is. At first I thought it was just dirt, but it won't come off and feels rough, kind of like a scab. Snowball does still eat and almost always is anxious for her meals. She still uses the litterbox, although she sometimes "misses." She seems to me to spend more and more time in the basement by herself. I am wondering if the time is drawing near to help her to the bridge, but I am not sure. My daughter thinks I am just being silly and Snowball is technically her cat. However, she lives in another state and can't see what I am seeing, a decrease in health. I think I am waiting for a sign, like for a vital function to stop working, or Snowball to "tell me" or the vet to say it's time, something. But I'm afraid there isn't going to be one.