Our 17 year old cat

[Slashmb]

We got Harley in 2005 and it’s been a rock and roll sort of 17 years since.

There have been many run ins with various things over the years and as a result he has no tail and is as deaf as a door post. It’s not just cat selective hearing either. He has definitely used up all of his nine lives. I reckon he’s on about 12 or 13 by now.

Trouble is now he has started using every part of our house as a toilet. So much so that now he is banished to the kitchen. He has a cat flap and he does still use it every day but today he has already pee’d on the floor twice.

I know he is getting on a bit and we are lucky to still have him after what he’s been through but I worry about his quality of life just stuck in the kitchen on his own. We can’t even trust him to be in the lounge with us as before Christmas he pee’d behind the tree while we were there.

He’s been to the vets recently and they suggested he could have diabetes. Not too sure how this would be controlled in a cat. I’m familiar with type 1 as I have it myself. He has had a purple nipple for nearly a year and the vets have said if they remove it he might not wake up from the op. Even if they take a sample for a biopsy he might not get through that either.

So, any advise out there please? The peeing and pooing everywhere is the worst thing but I suspect it’s related to the diabetes. Don’t know if I can put him through treatment this late in his life.

I’ll see if I can put a picture up of him. It it Caturday after all...

[anonymous-user]

Ours went to about 18 before going deaf and needing cat litters in the house, and then went on to 21 years before she started having seizures which went downhill. 2 of the last 3 years we were WFH so she had a great time in her dotage.

If you’re asking should you euthanise then it’s your decision, but base it on how happy your cats is, not how happy you are.

Edited by anonymous-user on Saturday 19th February 16:25

[Slashmb]

LordHaveMurci said:

Sorry to hear that.

I suspect the answer is the one you don’t want it to be. 17yrs old is getting on a bit, even for a cat, do you really want to put him through who knows what?

My thoughts exactly but he’s not in pain at all and is still eating and drinking.

I’m not convinced he’ll see Christmas with how he’s been recently but then he’ll have a good couple of days and be ok.

[LordHaveMurci]

Slashmb said:

My thoughts exactly but he’s not in pain at all and is still eating and drinking.

I’m not convinced he’ll see Christmas with how he’s been recently but then he’ll have a good couple of days and be ok.

Meant to edit, managed to delete :facepalm:

[Slashmb]

Here he is.

[usn90]

Dog cage in the lounge whilst you are watching tv perhaps,

[anonymous-user]

Slashmb said:

Here he is.

Lovely old boy.

Does he purr and eat ok?

[Simpo Two]

Slashmb said:

He’s been to the vets recently and they suggested he could have diabetes. Not too sure how this would be controlled in a cat. I’m familiar with type 1 as I have it myself.

My neighbours had a diabetic cat and there's certainly treatment for it; he lived on several years with it. If a vet suggests diabetes then I'd expect them to tell you what the treatment options are... Failing that google will tell you.

Slashmb said:

So, any advise out there please? The peeing and pooing everywhere is the worst thing but I suspect it’s related to the diabetes.

Don't see the connection myself. Maybe incontinence/muscular control? I'm not sure what else would change his habits.

[anonymous-user]

Maybe OP just needs this (from another thread)....

Trustmeimadoctor said:

bissell spot cleaner , we used to have a big upright carpet cleaner that we never used as it was too big and difficult to use for small jobs (cat upchuck)

so just bought this for £75 new (£99 - cashback)


used it twice in 2 days so far as the little thing has been on a vomit spree and its working great it stores easily in a kitchen cupboard and should be much better for use in the car etc