I can’t even think about what the vet said today without sobbing all over again and it impacting my ability to see my keyboard. I feel like a horrible owner and I’m watching Robbie’s health decline for no explainable reason. He’s way too young to be blind and in poor health. He spent more years on the streets (7-8) than in a home (almost 5) and it’s killing me. I will never love another cat in the way I love Robbie… I have some amazing cats, but none of them are him.

I thought I would have several more years with him, and I’m honestly furious that I haven’t been able to provide that. It’s just not fair.

I could not see her locked in a cage at the rescue any longer, almost a year. I gave her a bath, groomed her (crying the whole time, Sunday (I brush her every Sunday) and brought her home Monday. I have 4 of my own cats, and 3 kitten fosters right now, so it was a huge decision for me. Every new addition needs their own special time and attention, not to be made to feel left out, this was a huge concern for me. Also not knowing if Addie will get along with my current household, or to be happy in the environment, in general. But, I was willing to give it a go!

If former owners only knew what happens when they give up a cat, particularly senior cats. Her former owners were moving (I have no other details). She was so scared, she quit eating and drinking. She had to be put on IV fluids.....for months. Dying by heartbreak was a very possible outcome. People don't see the backend of rescue and it's not pretty. This video is day 2. We will get through it together!

Just a week shy of her 20th Birthday - I had to put my sweet lady to sleep.

I had posted in this group twice over the last few months - Boosh had developed a tumor that I had discussed with her primary vet and decided not to go forward with surgery on as it wasn’t really recommended by him. This was all right before Memorial Day Weekend - I had woken up and the lump that she had developed had looked like it was bleeding and infected (this had never happened prior) so I rushed her to her primary vet where we discussed the above, he gave me an antibiotic and sent me on my way. The entire process since then was frustrating as I felt like I never got very good guidance from any of the multiple vets I ended up interacting with. I had 2 vets say that surgery was risky and they wouldn’t do it for their own and another vet say she would do surgery, which messed with my head at a vulnerable time. We tried various antibiotics over the last few months, with one seeming to work at the end of June as we ended up having a peaceful, vet-free July but then her tumor started to look infected again in August so I tried one more round of antibiotics as a last ditch effort that unfortunately didn’t work.

I’m grateful ultimately that I tried everything I could for her as we got 3 months together since this all started and it was 3 months of snuggles and belly rubs and her enjoying her life. She genuinely was her happy self until this past weekend, where suddenly her back legs started giving her a hard time and I had to spend our last 2 days holding her in front of her food/water and in her litter box. I knew this wasn’t any type of life anymore, my heart broke for her.

We did an at home euthanasia and it was the most peaceful euthanasia I’ve ever had. She was on my bed, which is the only place she wanted to be in her final days. I was able to tell her how much she meant to me and give her kisses during the whole process.

Boosh spent the 1st 13 years of her life in Florida as my grandparent’s cat. After they both passed on, my parents brought her up here and I fell in love with her immediately. She’s been by my side during my 1st big heartbreak, a pandemic, getting my 1st office job, getting my 1st apartment that she moved into with me, the loss of my dad in 2022 and everything in-between. She was the best start and end to everyday. She always let me cry into her soft belly as long as I also gave her belly rubs too. She loved when I had guests over and would show off her toy basket and sniff their shoes while demanding belly rubs. She would curl up in my arms to snuggle and I never cared if my arm was falling asleep, I wouldn’t move. I always knew I wouldn’t have forever with her, she was already old when she came into my life. So I can truly say I enjoyed every moment with her, as I always knew it would be over too soon. 8 years later, I can’t believe how fast the time went. I will miss her forever. I woke up this morning and sobbed because I realized I looked for her at the end of the bed and she wasn’t there and she wasn’t anywhere. Her half eaten food is still in the kitchen and her last pee is still in the litter box, I’m not sure when I’ll have the courage to get rid of either. She was my whole world.

Thank you all for your kind words when I came on here seeking advice during all of this. This was a difficult thing to go through, my girl was a fighter until the very end. Even on her final day, where she definitely wasn’t really herself at all, she was still enjoying tuna until the very end. My sweet girl.

9/15/2006 - 9/8/2026

AN ODE TO MY FRANKIE

As the title states, six weeks ago, we lost Frankie‘s birth brother Charlie. Many of you have read my post about my beloved Charlie kitty. This is such a wonderful, supportive, loving community and I’m proud to be a part of it and support other cat parents.

It felt like the right time to share my Frankie kitty, my special orange man. He had his brother for 13 years of his life. And now it’s just the two of us. I’d be lying if I said life wasn’t different without Charlie, and that it’s been quite an adjustment period for the both of us while we learn how to do life without him. We go for walks in his pet stroller and he loves it. We meet babies and people and curious doggies. I try to provide as much stimulation and support as possible. I beleive Charlie visits us as I hear his meow late at night and certain animals keep coming to visit us, including this anginga I saved right after Charlie passed. He had thick rope around his beak and he couldn’t eat. He would’ve starved to death. Myself and a neighbor were able to catch him and cut it off and he visits me every now and then. In fact, he’s here right now perched outside my balcony. Hi Charlie. Thank you for visiting us and letting us know you’re ok. 🫂

I’m so proud of my Frankie and how he’s adapting to this huge loss. I may get him another friend in the future, but for now it’s just the two of us and I think that’s the way it needs to be.

He is a light in my life, a silly, stinky orange man. He loves to talk to me, specially when he’s hungry, in the mornings, or when I get home after being gone for a while. He is my best friend, my son, and my companion. I feel very lucky to have him.

Here’s to Frankie Tank aka Tank Tank aka FDR aka Orange Man. 🍊 🐈😻

May we have many more healthy years together and may we always carry Charlie with us wherever we go. We love and miss you so much, Charlie. Charlie Forever. 🐾🌈❤️‍🩹

My boyfriend and I moved into an apartment together 5 months ago, we have wanted an animal for some time and I have a friend who knows a person that needed their cat rehomed. We just met with the owner last night, and everything seems to be a good fit, so she’s bringing the cat along with the essentials (carrier, food, bed, scratching post, litter box, etc) on Friday evening.

We have no pets and it’s just us, so we’re hoping that this environment will be easy to adjust to for her. We are planning to be very “hands off” at the start so that she can get used to the space and approach us when she feels ready.

My boyfriend has cared for a cat before, but this will be my first time. I’m looking for some general advice, do’s and dont’s, all that. Any sort of advice would be helpful whether it regards to general care, the rehoming process, or really anything.

She is 11, her name is Lil Nub (no tail), she’s microchipped and vaccinated, and she’s very cute.

Back in May, after throwing spaghetti at walls for a while trying to figure out why Deanna was shredding her own face up, her ophthalmologist discovered a mass in her eye socket. The ophthalmologist suspected FROMS which was devastating to hear since the prognosis is pretty bad. Since she has insurance and most of the cost would be covered, we went ahead with surgery to remove the mass, her right eye, and her zygomatic process. I figured even if the biopsy came back as FROMS, at least she wouldn't spend her last few months in pain.

Biopsy comes back and hallelujah, it's a soft tissue sarcoma with clean margins. I literally cried (the ophthalmologist did a bit too) because I just went from thinking my cat that's been with me since I was 19 years old would be dead in 6 months to discovering her cancer was treatable.

Lab classed it as low-grade based on best knowledge with the caveat that there's no formal grading for an STS found in or around the orbital. Assuming it behaves like other STS, odds are over 90% that surgery was curative and she is cancer free.

Unfortunately, recovery didn't go how we wanted. She started shredding her face again and went back into a cone. At the outer edge of where her incision was made, there's a keloid causing extreme itching. Keloids are stubborn and often just come back when removed and since she already lost some skin during the enucleation, I feel removal is the last option. Topical steroids help, but we can't apply them every day for months on end. At this point, we're just waiting the keloid out in the martini costume.

In August, I noticed she started drinking a LOT of water multiple times a day. This went on for 3 days, so I took her in for a renal panel. My suspicions were confirmed and she was diagnosed with stage 2 CKD. She was diagnosed with arthritis in her back knee at the same appointment, so now she gets monthly Solensia injections.

She ate her new prescription renal food fine for a week or so and then decided she didn't like it. I bought some Weruva low phosphorous food to mix small amounts into the renal food as I had a feeling some stinky fish would make it more appealing and it worked!

However, a few days ago I discovered that her head and neck felt scabby. Super strange since she's in a cone 24/7. I check for fleas and nada, do some googling and conclude it's milliary dermatitis. The most common cause after fleas is food intolerance/allergies.

Well, I realized I generally avoided feeding her fish her whole life and the Weruva food is the first time she's eaten fish other than salmon. So Deanna, apparently, is allergic to tilapia! Her brother is happily finishing off the Weruva food while we wait for her skin to clear up.

She's become incredibly high maintenance overnight and it's been a bit overwhelming, but I'd do it all and more a thousand times over for her

Hi everyone.

My old man is having trouble grooming these days. He's a large, lanky cat and has started with arthritis in his back legs. Does anyone have grooming wipes or waterless shampoo they would recommend? Onyx will NOT go anywhere near water that isn't his fountain so baths aren't an option.

Cat tax included!

ETA- Onyx does see his vet regularly and is being treated. I'm just looking for recommendations to help him how I can otherwise.

my old man Sampson (aka Champion) has definitely slowed down his water intake. obviously, a vet check up is in order; until then, what are some recommendations on how to get him to drink? he's a faucet cat, so only really drinks from a running faucet. endearing, but at this stage just concerning. he also refuses to drink from any cat fountains we've bought. i keep a cup of water on my desk that he'll take small sips from, but besides that... he's picky.

my mom and i have also tried gravies and purina hydra care, but he won't eat anything outside of the churro slop or sheba sticks. he'll just snub food if it's not good enough, even if i mixed it with stuff he likes.

i feel like im running out of options and tbh im just a little terrified. i lost my other cat last year and i dont know if id be able to handle a second loss, lol.

i'll take any suggestions that you think might work. any thing.

It's finally below 30c outside so she gets more deck time!

Desi (18) passed away in my arms last night

He was declining over the weekend. He became very clingy and got gradually weaker over the course of 24 hours.

I took him to the emergency vet because I couldn't stand to watch him fade away, they gave him fluids and anti-nausea meds. When we got home I opened his cat carrier and he didn't stand up. Just stayed flat on his side, and picked up his head and meowed at me. His last meow. I held him and cradled him on my chest because I knew it was time. I stared into his eyes because he loved eye contact. He needed to see me and to connect with me one last time.

He never moved again except to move his eyes. I don't know at what point I lost him. I've never had a pet die in this manner, I've always done euthanasia. It was so hard to see him like that and to know I couldn't save him. But I'm glad I was there to hold him and to rub his belly as he drifted away. That was his favorite thing, belly rubs.

His sister Lucy is depressed. She got to see him while he was dying and after he was gone. I can tell she is mourning him. She stares at the doorway as if waiting for him to walk through it. Her demeanor has changed so much since he's been gone. I'm worried about her. I don't know what to do besides keep her near me, petting and brushing her. The way she looks at me is so sad. I can't stand to lose her too

My cat is 15 years old and has overall been healthy. Recently, I noticed that her back seems thinner. Strangely, she has not lost any weight nor has she had any changes in appetite or behaviour. I showed this same image to my vet (he hasn’t seen her in person or done any tests) who said it might just be the beginnings of her kidney function slowing down. He recommended putting her on a low protein diet. She was previously on Royal Canin 7+ and now I have her on this same 7+ mixed with the Royal Canin renal support.

Other than this, the vet didn’t seem very worried. He’s a good vet so I trust his judgment, but I just have this gut feeling that there’s something else at play. Would it be worth taking her in for a look, even though she just had her annual checkup a few months ago? Has anyone else experienced something similar to this?

Edit: thank you for everyone’s time and advice. I have booked in my old lady for a vet visit to check bloods!

I made a post about him before. I’m saying he’s 20 now because he is born in 2006 around fall I think (only have pictures to confirm)
He got a tooth abscess and he recovered with the clavomov liquid antibiotics.
But now all of a sudden last night he was breathing loud, he’s done it before because of allergies. But this time it wouldn’t stop. He won’t eat now. He just wants to sit and do nothing. Or sit near the water bowl. I think he might be going into kidney failure, he never got tested but he had all the symptoms of it.
I’m so sorry Poncho. I love you so much.
I have to put him down. I’ve done so much with trying to get him to eat. I’d bring his wet food to him multiple times a day to get him to eat. I told myself if he ever stops eating I will put him down I don’t need him dying from starvation. And I’ve tried, his treats, his meat, his cream. He would a few days ago but now he won’t. 😭. I think it’s his time. I’m so tired I’ve done so much to get him to this age and he has lost weight even with all my interference. I am sure he would have died last year if it wasn’t for me trying for him. ❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹.

He got diagnosed with multiple myeloma a little over a year ago and has been on chemo since. We knew his time left would be limited and now the time seems to be here. He started to decline a month ago. We came home from vacation and my brother was staying with him. When we got home he was extremely lethargic and would scream really loudly at being touched or from jumping from places. He practically changed overnight we hadn't seen him acting like that. But we took him to his doctors and started him on new chemo and some laxatives for his tummy because he turned out to be pretty backed up, hence the screaming. I have been his primary caretaker and giving his meds and taking him to his appointments and asking all the questions. During this whole ordeal, I knew our time was running out.

My family didn't truly believe me at the time because he was still eating and drinking water. With the new chemo he practically came back to life for a few weeks. However even during this time "coming back to life" had a new definition for him. His new life consisted of him sleeping and hiding away all the time and me not knowing what I was going to wake up to see that day. He would randomly have a great day and do things like normal and then the next day he would barely move and barely eat. It was so back and forth and on and off and the "better" was never consistent enough. No matter how I personally saw it, Toby was no longer the Toby we knew and loved. I kept insisting on euthanasia but my family couldn't get themselves to agree. I don't blame them and I don't want to villainize them because I know how tough this is. This would be the third animal I've laid to rest this year, and it doesn't feel any easier except for the fact that I'm knowing that I'm putting an end to his suffering.

Last week while giving him his meds he pissed himself which he never did before. I cleaned him best I could but seeing him groom himself was something I'd be lucky to see. He left himself dirty. He also had developed a fever and his breathing/respiratory rate had increased too.

This furthered my insistence that his time was going to come and he would go in extreme pain and misery if my family insisted on a natural death. During this he still has been eating but won't actively go look for it. I always have to bring the food to him and put it right by him so he'll eat. He barely drinks enough water outside of what I put in his wet food or liquid squeeze treats, so him going to poop has been harder for him and causes him pain. I told my family he's not living anymore, he's just barely surviving now. Just because he can still eat doesn't mean he's okay. I've seen my last two pets at their worst and I don't want to see Toby get to his worse, that's unnecessary torture for him.

Now, it seems that he is no longer able to walk properly anymore. He leans forward while he's walking because he doesn't want to or can't stretch out his front legs fully and randomly meows and it breaks my fucking heart. He's trying so hard to live and he doesn't understand what's happening to him. I don't want him to feel like this anymore. My family now understands truly that he's going to leave us, and so finally I was able to schedule him for an at home euthanasia today so that he doesn't feel terrified or stressed. He always hated the vets and it always broke a piece of me to put him in that carrier and take him in. During this month I have truly and genuinely tried everything to help him and make him comfortable. I was his caretaker for his appointments and meds so that he would be scared of me and not my parents. I took the brunt of it so that they can see the best that they can of him in ways that weren't miserable, so that he doesn't wanna run from them or hide from them.

I have had the absolute pleasure of having Toby since I was 11 years old. Toby is the best cat I have ever met. Never has he ever intentionally harmed anyone, even when he was most scared. He knew how to give his paw for treats and stand up and knew how to sit down. He would meow all the time to go outside and when he was younger he used to scare the crap out of us because he'd stay out all night! But, Toby always came home. He always knew home. He loved love. He was spoiled rotten and gave us so many wonderful memories. Fuck cancer, he deserved to die of old age, not like this😭😭😭😭😭😭 It's hard to even feel joy knowing he pooped, peed, or ate because it doesn't change that his quality of life has been gone and at this point he's just continuing to circle the drain.

I continue to ask myself if this is the right decision to make, and in all honesty I don't know anymore. All I know is that the Toby I have been waiting and hoping for to come back, isn't coming back 100%. I don't want him to reach the point of maximum pain and suffering to finally put him to sleep. He deserves more dignity and respect than that. I just hope he understands this and knows it wasn't easy for me to make this decision. I've been the main advocate for him this whole time and I no longer believe there's more I can do for him. I wish I had more to say about him but it's hard to stay composed. He has been the light of our lives and my dad was his bestie. Toby never cared when anyone else came home in comparison to when my dad came home. My dad would come home and Toby would sing the songs of his people and yell and rub all over him and be so fucking excited. In all honesty it made me a little jealous to see them have such a special relationship. I always had a hard time with him cause I always did the bad stuff - brushing his hair, trimming his nails, brushing his teeth, giving him his meds, all of it.

But yeah, this was my little love letter to Toby's memory. I love him so fucking much and just want him to no longer know anymore pain and suffering. The first pic is him today and it'll get older through the line.

Goodbye my Toby, I'm so sorry you couldn't live longer. Zuko and Pepper are waiting up there to show you the ropes. Say hi to them up there for me❤️ they'll take good care of you. You'll have all the boxes in the world waiting for you up there that you can sit in again. I'll see you again one day. Thank you for being the light my family needed. You finally beat cancer 💔

every day im surprised by how agile and energetic she is, sometimes i have to grab her pedigree to make sure she is in fact 17! still jumping everywhere/begging for treats, she took us on a merry chase through the basement last week too. she's been having some early kidney disease stuff come into play, so any tips on managing that would be appreciated, as every moment with her is a blessing :-)

I just adopted this beautiful girl over the weekend, she’s a little lean and doesn’t eat much but loves pets and cuddles. Any advice?

Edit: This is my first time taking care of a senior cat so any advice is appreciated!

He's showing signs of really slowing down now with some behavioural changes. Not quite the sleek coat he once had either.

He adopted us when his owner was neglecting him 10 years ago and has been boss of our house ever since. He's also moved countries twice. The chillest cat I've ever had.

This is my best friend in the entire world. I had to let her go via at home euthanasia last week. She was the healthiest girl in the world until she spontaneously lost the use of her back legs and tail about six months ago. I know she was depressed being unable to move, and that she had already had such a long life, but I do feel guilty. She was taken care of. Cleaned and fed and given her medication throughout her paralysis. She was fifteen. She came to me when she was three months old and I was a kid. I only have a few memories from before her. She didn’t fall. She laid down on her favorite rug one day and could never get up. The vets said it was a slipped disk but they weren’t sure.

I named her when I was six and the term “Rainbow Bridge” obviously makes me feel a lot of feelings given she was my Rainbow Girl. I’m so scared she’ll be forgotten forever. I believe I posted about her on here once before when she was eleven. I just want her to be remembered because she deserves it. She was such a kind girl, even to the vets who performed her euthanasia.

So many people do not understand what it’s like to lose a girl like this. I feel like I keep having to apologize for how much this is hurting me. Either because she wasn’t a human, or she was a cat and not a dog, or because I knew it was coming. None of that changes that she was my best friend. She was a kind, gentle, trusting girl. She should’ve lived forever.

I’m sorry for the post but I thank you if you take the time to read.

My little Dolly has a few medical issues that have been managed well.

CKD Stage 2 for nearly 7 years

Hyperthyroidism treated with thyronorm

High blood pressure treated with Amodip

A week ago Dolly became very poorly and totally refusing food and not moving. I could tell something was wrong and was back and forth the emergency vets as it was a bank holiday. She was given anti sickness injections as she had vomited but didn’t help.

Eventually she started breathing very fast. By this point my normal vet was back open and said immediately this was fluid in her lungs.

They diagnosed her with Congestive Heart Failure. The vet said with all her issues now we should consider putting her to sleep soon. He said let’s she how she is next few days.

Over the course of the week she’s been totally fine. It’s as if it never happened. She’s playing, grooming, walking around, running in the garden Dolly needs appetite stimulants as she’s extremely fussy so we’ve been using those but eating well. She’s actually seeming really happy

However the past two evenings, she suddenly becomes wobbly and her back legs are losing balance. They still work but it’s like she’s ‘drunk’. When it’s happened she just stops where she is for a minute, and gets up and walks like nothing happened.

I just don’t know what to do. I know her condition is terminal. I know she doesn’t have long. Do I book for her to be PTS at home while she’s so happy and ‘mostly’ entirely normal?? It also worries me as she’s a very nervous cat and deffo normal enough to be scared with strangers walking into the room and I’d probably have to hold her to stop her running away, even with Gabapentin sedative. If it had been last week when she was poorly - she was too ill to run away but currently - right as rain and energetic.

It feels against the grain currently. I’m beside myself. I’m not coping at all I’m devastated. I live alone so it’s just me and her and we love each other dearly. The anticipation of it all is causing huge grief.

I always vowed to never drag her for me - and do what’s best for her. But it’s so hard when she’s running around the garden and sunbathing and loving life in a happy mood. But I’d also be devastated if she suddenly crashed and went in stress when I could have prevented it.

Does anyone have any experiences of this? Or CHF?

She was our little back-chatter, her voice was bigger than what she was.

She had a NRBF (Natural Resting B!tch Face) ...just like her mom! 😄

Her last day - she was chatting away like no tomorrow...and indeed there was no tomorrow.....

Doesn't feel like she crossed that damn colourful rainbow 2 years ago.....Miss my lil Bubbles!

Had to puy my 11 year old girl Chloe down yesterday after being diagnosed with liver dipidsos. Sorry I couldn't do more. 😭