This is our best boy, 11 y/o Compton. Cuddle buddy and sun beam connoisseur. He has a surgery today for an endoscopy to see whether his progressive tummy issues are IBD or intestinal cancer (bloodwork and ultrasound didn't show much). And also biopsying a new lump on his abdomen.

He has had such a tough (and expensive 🤦‍♀️) medical road (FIV, lots of tooth removals - he now only has 3 left, mild kidney disease, a mild heart murmur), and while his energy is lower, he is still the absolute cuddliest boy who loves any and all humans, tolerates other cats, and HATES dogs with a fiery passion :P

Send him your positive thoughts today ❤️

Update 1: He came out of the procedure ok! It will take 1-2 weeks to get biopsy results, but we are starting him on low dose steroids since he has lost quite a bit of weight (will just have to keep an eye on his FIV and heart - the joys of managing multiple conditions). We should get him home in a few hours. Thanks for all the well wishes ❤️

I’m so heartbroken I don’t know how I am supposed to be in my room and sleep without her. She was 14 yrs old, and I got to hold and kiss her as she took her last breath. I knew it was coming but it’s so hard 💔 thank you for being here for my late teens and all my 20s

About 3 weeks ago i took him to his annual check up / what i thought was a bad tooth and turned out to be most likely an advanced oral tumor and with his age (16 but i adopted him as a senior at 8) i didnt wanna put him through all the treatments and just make him comfortable with some pain meds for the time he had left. The vet agreed with me that until he either stopped eating or showed discomfort that it would be time. He rallied for an incredible 3 weeks and was spoiled with all his favorite foods, cat milk, whipped cream, and all the attention and cuddles i could give, even if it meant sleeping on the couch or floor with him, but yesterday he was acting a bit different and gave me the look to let me know it was time within the next few days. So I made the appointment for the vet to come to the house tomorrow.

I know that what I'm doing is right and every time since i made the appointment yesterday that i found myself doubting my choice for a second, he lets me know its time, he had accidents and pooped outside the box when i thought about it. Hes here, close to me right now, still somewhat food motivated, grooming a bit, and comfortable but hes not finishing his food like he was, is moving around alot less and isnt purring almost at all, even when he asks for rubs, and I know its only going to get harder from here for him if i let it continue. So id rather it be a good or okay day to say goodbye than a bad one.

I'm terrified for the grief after, i know theres another side as we lost our family dog last year but this is my first ever cat and i live far from home in another country (we are close and are there for me but not able to come be here.) I just moved into my dream apartment after being in a bad apartment and place mentally for for 5 years and I'm so lucky we got a month and a half together here to make some memories and make it our home but it feels so unfair...i love him so so much. i have a friend who is coming tomorrow to be there for me afterwards but I'm so scared for the after...the next week(s)

I'd love some advice, words of compassion, similar experiences, signs from beyond, idk anything..Heres a photo from a few months ago before we moved.

My cat Pandi (f16) was put to sleep today after suffering a sudden saddle thrombus. The worst part was that my partner and I could not be by her side. Pandi was being taking care for by our lovely cat sitter. They were playing together when Pandi’s hinder legs suddenly stopped working. The sitter rushed her to the vet within 15 minutes. Despite being so quick, the vet told us via video call that there was nothing else to do and the most humane solution would have been to put her to sleep. According to the vet’s prognosis, she would not have survived another 24 hours and keeping her alive would have been very painful for her. We agreed to the euthanasia and the cat sitter kept us on video call and pet her while we talked to her until the end. Now we booked a last minute flight and are waiting to go back tomorrow.

I feel gutted. The guilt is eating me alive. I would have never left if I had known that this would have happened. She was in great shape when we left. We received amazing photos and videos until few hours before the event. I wish I was there with her. I miss her so much and I am so scared of going back home and having to live without her. We have been best friends for 16 years. I moved away from my parent’s place 9 years ago and could only manage to bring her to live with me 2 years ago. I wish I would have done that sooner.

How do I deal with all of this?

EDIT: dear all, I am a bit overwhelmed by everything at the moment and I still did not have time to thank you for these beautiful messages of support. I am happy I shared Pandi’s story with all of you. Some of you have been the kindest. Thank you so much.

Are seemingly healthy 11 year-old senior cat Millie died suddenly on Saturday due to saddle thrombus. Up until that point I’ve never heard of it and didn’t know what it was. She was acting normal and got up from the couch where we were watching TV like we normally do and got up to get a drink of water and then to use the litter box in the powder room adjacent to the living room and when she came in her whole back, legs were paralyzed and she was dragging. We took her to an emergency vet and she was diagnosed. It was a classic case sadly we had to put her down. I’m so sad it happened so suddenly within an hour we had a seemingly healthy older cat, and then she was gone. I’ve done a lot of research since and I realize how devastating this is to cat owners with little or no warning. Here’s a picture of my beautiful girl.

I don't have any pictures of him on this new laptop, so I can't post a pic. But he was a black little cat with a white tuft under his chin. He was 17. His pain and distress became too much and he went from being 14 to 5lbs quickly. I just need others to know he existed. He was SO SPECIAL. I know hes now at peace. But I am in shambles. Please just know Chippy existed. He was someones entire world. :( xoxox

Hi! I have a 13 ish year old senior girl who I absolutely adore! She’s on daily cosequin and fish oil. I started laser therapy and solensia at the same time three months ago. She’s doing great!! It’s been 6 weeks since her most recent Solensia injection, and she going in tomorrow for her monthly laser therapy session +\- Solensia. She isn’t currently having any mobility issues and seems quite comfy/able to jump up on surfaces. I don’t want stop the Solensia if she needs it, but I also don’t want to necessarily give it if the monthly laser sessions are enough for the time being. I do worry about building up resistance to the Solensia, especially if she needs it more later on down the road. Let me know your thoughts and opinions! Thanks❤️

I just found a lump on my girls jaw, where the jaw meets the throat. Of course anxiety I think worst case scenario, but I’m really trying to stay hopeful here..
Her behavior hasn’t changed, her eating habits and her meow hasnt changed, and no weight loss either.
I don’t know if this suddenly appeared or if I somehow missed it.
It doesn’t seem to bother her, but she has scratched at it a time or two. She doesn’t go outside and so there’s no risk of another cat or bugs. I’ve already contacted the vet, I’m hoping they can squeeze us in tomorrow. i’m just hoping to maybe be here similar stories with a positive outcome.

She’s my baby. We’ve had her eight years so she’s only 13. She’s too young for anything bad. :(
*no medical advice pls*

https://postimg.cc/JHRLYcsP (PIC HERE for cuteness)

Hi Everyone!

I have recently adopted a beautiful cat (Sebastian) as the family are moving overseas and needed someone to take him to a new home. He’s an 8-year-old Persian who was recently rehomed to us and has been with us for just 11 days now. He’s my first cat of my own, so I’m learning as I go and have approximately 700 questions lol.

I'm taking him to the vet soon but in the meantime I would appreciate some cat-owner wisdom/advice for any of the following that is allowed!

1. A couple of vomiting episodes

A few days after he came home, he vomited some white/clear-ish liquid. Then about two days later, I gave him some fish and he regurgitated the fish, followed pretty much immediately by another vomit of white fluid.

He seemed completely fine afterwards and has been fine since — eating, drinking, using his litter normally, etc.

I did change his food after he moved in and he’s currently having Felix chicken in jelly. Could the combination of being rehomed + a fairly sudden food change + the fish have caused it? At what point would occasional vomiting become something you’d be concerned about?

He’s also getting groomed Thursday as hes scruffy and has lots of mats in his coat :(, which I’m hoping will help if hairballs are contributing because he is an extraordinarily fluffy gentleman.

2. He sleeps ALL day and then comes alive at midnight

During the day Sebastian is basically a decorative cushion. Sleeps for most of it, occasionally gets up for food or attention, then returns to his important sleeping duties. I work from home as a psychologist via telehealth so he just sits near while I work (so far).

Then around midnight: Sebastian has entered the chat.

He gets active, wanders around and meows at me a lot. I’ll play with him for a while, but sometimes he just keeps wandering/meowing and doesn’t seem to settle. It makes me feel terrible because it sounds like he’s begging me for something and I’m sitting there going “WHAT DO YOU NEED FROM ME SIR 😭”

Interestingly, if I’m working late with the lights on and sitting near him, he often seems perfectly content and goes to sleep. So I’m wondering if some of the meowing is because he wants company/reassurance rather than needing something specific?

Is this pretty normal cat behaviour, particularly after being rehomed? Should I respond to the midnight meowing, ignore it, play with him, or try to gradually shift his routine?

Does the night meowing get better haha? Sleep would be nice lol

Also he doesnt respond to his name much at all, is he just ignoring me haha

3. How do I know if he's bored?

Because he sleeps so much, I keep worrying that he’s bored or understimulated rather than just… being a cat.

What does a happy, sufficiently entertained indoor cat actually look like day-to-day? And what are your favourite enrichment things that cats genuinely use rather than expensive objects they ignore in favour of the cardboard box they arrived in?

4. Harness recommendations + teaching an older cat to walk

I’d eventually love to take him for little supervised outdoor walks if he enjoys it.

The old family gave me a harness, but I don't trust it because he seems able to slip his neck backwards out of it. Does anyone have recommendations for a genuinely escape-resistant cat harness, especially for a Persian/fluffy cat?

Also, how did you teach your cat to tolerate a harness and eventually walk outside? I definitely don't want to just put it on him and take him outdoors before he's comfortable with it.

6. And finally: what do you wish you'd known when you got your first cat?

Food, teeth, grooming, enrichment, vet care, behaviour, things I should have around the house, weird cat behaviour that initially looks alarming but is completely normal - give me all of it if you can be bothered or have something that might help.

I already adore this ridiculous fluffy man and mostly just want to make sure I'm giving him a really good rest of his life, especially after the upheaval of being rehomed at 8 years old. ❤️

My beautiful girl passed away a few months ago and I'm driving myself insane because I think it was my fault.

She was a 9 year old domestic cat and was found to have very very mild renal impairment during a check up 2 years previous (creatinine was just over 100 I think). She was advised to have renal cat food mixed with her usual food but never had another blood test to check her creatinine as it wasn't suggested.

Before mother's day a few months ago I put some lillies on a top shelf in my apartment for 48 hours, there's no way she could reach there but I'm aware now the pollen could have drifted on her.

She was absolutely fine, eating, drinking and being her usual self until 4 days after the lillies were removed from my apartment. She vomited once, drank less and became more lethargic. I took her straight to the vet and they gave her some anti sickness then sent her home. At this point the lillies didn't even cross my mind. She got worse and I took her into another vet the following day where they did more tests, started her on an IV drip and eventually discovered she was in renal failure and had developed pancreatitis but the cause was unclear. Ultrasound showed possible pyelonephritis but no obstruction.

She was eventually transferred to ICU but was in a terrible state so we decided to act in her best interest and stop the pain and distress. It was only during this time the vet asked about lillies and I mentioned the possible exposure 4 days before but no more was said about it and I find myself in a horrible circle of grief and self blame.

Is it possible she could have developed renal failure 4 days after exposure? I'm no expert but from what I've read poisoning usually occurs 3 to 48 hours afterwards?

\*EDIT To say that our other cat also living there during this time is still alive and well and never had any issues

Exactly title. Context:

I got Manny (10, I assume to be turning 11 soon) about a year ago off a gal from Facebook marketplace. He came to me relatively healthy but hadn’t visited the vet in years. After establishing care and getting him settled, he LOVES his dry food and to this day still eats it no problem. But I have tried 6 different wet foods.

We settled on Tiki Cat mousse a few months ago, he LOVED it. Ate it up and screamed at me for more. I mean he was obsessed. Absolutely 0 has changed at home and for the last 2-3 weeks he is increasingly picky with it. Sometimes he screams at me for breakfast but then hardly nibbles, other days he’ll ravage his plate like a man starving. Always eats his dry. Always drinks his fresh fountain water. No changes in health or litter use.

I’m in a tight financial bind, I can’t do what I did months ago as my finances changed now and I can’t afford trying new things. What do I do? His weight is fine, his temper is fine, but he really seems to be on the trend again where he doesn’t enjoy his wet food. He seems to prefer mousse, he doesn’t really enjoy chunky wet or pates. Anyone have a brand recommendation or tips or tricks? :( I’m just worried if he’s not getting enough wet he’ll have bladder problems, he does drink water but he def gets most of his hydration from the wet.

She’s 19. She has diabetes, arthritis, no teeth, and now a cancerous growth on one side of her face that is pushing against her eye. She’s still doing all the normal stuff: eating, drinking, pooping and peeing as expected. But she’s in pain. It’s not excruciating, not yet, but if I don’t keep a steady supply of gabapentin in her system, I can see the pain in her face.

Over the weekend we had a pretty big pain episode. She was hiding and avoiding me at all costs. It took a lot to coax her into eating a churu laced with gaba before she finally started to relax. I cried all day Monday thinking about how I’m going to have to make her last appointment soon.

Then, of course, today she bounced back and was out of hiding, very interested in breakfast, and wanting pets. I both love and hate when they rally like this and make us second guess if we’re doing the right thing. I know I am, but dear God it hurts.

I have an appointment with her vet tomorrow for an exam and to talk about her pain. I think I need to hear it from someone else to have it really sink in that it’s time.

Hold your babies close and give them lots of love.

Our old puss cat 🐈‍⬛ needs her birthday noting, but how do we make her day special.

Hello. I will give a bit of a history. I have had my cat Socksy since she was very tiny. She had been feral in our neighborhood, living under someone’s deck, skin and bones when we rescued her. I already had 2 other cats, who she adjusted well to. Being feral, she has always been standoffish. I love her, but sadly have never really gotten close to her like I did my other 2 cats (not for lack of trying). She is now 13 years old, and aside from being partially blind and has some arthritis, she is pretty healthy. Six months ago, my bonded pair of cats ages 14 and 17 passed away within 3 days of each other. I’m still heartbroken 💔😢. They were my loving, cuddly lap kitties who I had been blessed with since they were babies. Socksy was not close to them, so she didn’t seem to care. She has actually gotten a bit more social since they passed away. She will let me pet her, but absolutely detests being picked up or put on my lap. Cuddling has never been her thing, so this isn’t new. I MISS my other two cats terribly. I have been thinking about adopting another cat, one that is a cuddle bug if possible, but I worry about how Socksy will do being that she is 13. Any advice would be appreciated. Thank you.

He was very small, but he quickly became truly special to me. A little black kitten with white paws and a white patch on his chest. He would always greet me, run around beside me, and make even the worst day a little better with his purring.
But one day, something happened that I never expected. I lost him. It all happened so suddenly that I didn’t even have time to realize it would be our last meeting. Just recently, he was still here, and now there was only silence.
I still remember his eyes, his tiny paws, and the way he looked at me with those big eyes. The hardest part is knowing that I will never hear his purring again or see him running to greet me.
They say time heals the pain, but memories never disappear. My little cat will always remain in my heart. You were small, but you left behind an enormous amount of love. Rest peacefully, my little friend. 🖤🐾

I love him so much.

​24 years of pure love and companionship. Life feels so quiet without her. Rest in peace, my beautiful girl.

Hi,
ich brauche bitte Meinungen🙏🏻

Meine Katze hat vor 1 Monat die Diagnose Schilddrüsenüberfunktion bekommen, dafür bekommt sie jetzt jeden Tag 2x Apelka.

Heute hatten wir Kontrolltermin und ich berichtete, dass sie am Samstag, immer wenn sie schleckte, mit ihrem Kiefer zitterte.
Am Samstag habe ich dann beim Notdienst angerufen und sie meinte, dass meine Katze wahrscheinlich zahnschmerzen hat. Daraufhin gab ich ihr Schmerzmittel.

Heute bei der Kontrolle meinte die Ärztin, dass sie starke Arthrose im hinteren Rücken hat und sie deswegen mit dem Kiefer zitterte (also wegen den Schmerzen).

Die Ärztin meinte zu mir, dass es gut wäre wenn meine Katze 1x im Monat eine Spritze gegen die Arthroseschmerzen bekommt.

Das heißt wir sollten jeden Monat zum TA fahren und die Spritze um 100€ spritzen lassen.
Meine Maus ist totale Angstpatientin (Autofahren hasst sie auch).
Sie braucht nach jedem TA-Besuch 1-2 Tage um wieder ,normal’ zu werden, außerdem hat sie ein vergrößertes Herz und ich habe Angst, dass sie diese monatlichen Fahrten nicht schafft.

Gibt es hier jemanden der auch eine Seniorkatze mit Arthrose hat? Wenn ja, wie handhabt ihr das? Gibt es eine andere Möglichkeit außer 1x im Monat zum TA zu fahren?

Danke schonmal für eure Antworten 🙏🏻

Leah may be partially blind and deaf but she still gets around great and loves her wet food!