Eldest Feline Update

[lagilman]

EKG came back "mostly clear." There is some minor ventricle leakage which is causing the heart murmur, but not enough to actively deal with (no valve replacement surgery). Her BP is a little high, which may be causing the cornea constructions/headaches, but they're not convinced it's enough to justify putting her on meds, with their own issues/problems. We're monitoring the situation. Bloodwork's otherwise "boring," which is a good thing. There was talk of doing an ultrasound to see if there are any organ issues to consider, but at this point and based on the boring bloodwork, the vet thinks it's highly unlikely. So we're going to hold off for a bit. But the behavioral issues are noted and significant.


Tl;Dr version: she's 13-going-on-14 and some things are starting to break down, but nothing major. This leads us back to my original tentative diagnosis of FCD (feline cognitive dysfunction, or early-onset senility). She's still alert, aware, and affectionate, the three essentials. All that can really be done right now is keeping her on a regular schedule, seeing if Feliway does any good, and not introducing upset into her routine.

So long as she's still using the litter box (she is), we can all adjust.

EtA: as I'm sure most of you can understand, "oh, 13's not so old" is a horribly unhelpful comment, not to mention being untrue (YOUR cat may have lived happily to 25. The average lifespan of an American shorthair is closer to 16)

Comments

[http://users.livejournal.com/la_marquise_de_/]

I'm glad to hear she has no major physical issues. Older cats do get clingy and anxious, and, as you say, routines and lots of fuss is often the best way to go. In his last months, Caspian (the cat in my icon, and our Official Best Ever Cat( sometimes became very anxious in the middle of the night and would wander around shouting in alarm until he woke me up and got some attention, whereupon he was perfectly happy again.

[lagilman]

Yeah, part of what's been going on is Pandora waking me up at 3am for an hour or so of "mom? mom! Mom, I'm not HAPPY." It's been like having a colicky baby, except not. And the sleep dep hasn't been helping either of us.... (esp considering my own medical stuff)

[http://users.livejournal.com/la_marquise_de_/]

They worry that we're left them, as far as I can tell. We had some success with putting an old, worn jumper of the marquis's in one of Caspian's favourite sleeping places, but he preferred the fuss.

[lagilman]

They worry that we're left them, as far as I can tell.

*snort* Pandora's preferred sleeping space, when available, is scrunched up against my hip.

[stellatangdele.livejournal.com]

Our 17 year old cat was waking us up at 4am for a while for no apparent reason, until we realized it was to let us know that the other cat wanted in.

[wolfsilveroak.livejournal.com]

Aries has started doing that more and more. Max, no so much.

[chickwriter.livejournal.com]

{{{{hugs}}}}

[jhetley.livejournal.com]

Scritches.

[wolfsilveroak.livejournal.com]

Max and Aries are both 13. While neither are showing any signs of slowing down (a 3 year old kitten helps), I know it'll be happening sooner rather than later.

Speaking of Aries... he's now upstairs yeowling his head off because, omgs, no one is paying attention to me. *headdesk*

[seachanges.livejournal.com]

HUGS to you both.

[brownkitty.livejournal.com]

I've got a couple of 13-going-on-14 myself, and they're definitely getting into Elder Statescat territory. Davie in particular wants attention (Cedric just wants warm comfy places to sleep, which are more frequently but not always involving human body heat).

I don't know if this will help for your household, but it sometimes does for ours. If you can manage to sleep on your back, get Pandora to lie down on your chest, tuck you both under a blanket, and entwine your hands on top of her so she feels held. She may be content with that and may let both of you get some sleep.

Cedric's prefer method of being covered is to climb into my lap and nudge me until I put my shirt over his head. At least he lets me type then, and he'll sleep like that for an hour or so quite contentedly.

I hope things go as easily for you all as they may.

[sillylilly-bird.livejournal.com]

My family has had cats at various ages develop cognitive issues - whether senility or insanity. I'm not being facetious using the word insanity either; the consensus of those living with her was that Chickie "just lost it". My old man is going to be 13 in a couple weeks and he's had some fairly serious medical stuff over the years, including a blood clot last winter, and is currently in need of his second dental as there's a tooth that needs extraction.
Good luck!

[joycemocha.livejournal.com]

I figure elder critters just get croctchety and deserve a certain amount of loving and spoiling due to age and infirmity. That said, 13 is as old as any of my cats ever got. Hunter Cat died from gut cancer at that age, and we had started giving him extra loves, attention and special food for a couple of years before then. But he was alert, attentive and still very close to His Special Boy (he adopted our son as His Person once DS hit the age of 1 year, even though we'd had Hunter for several years previous to DS's and he was very affectionate. The son was His Person, and he'd clearly been waiting for His Person to be born, to the point where he cuddled and purred at my pregnant gut) up until his last hours.

As for people commenting on critter age? ! One can't extrapolate like that based exclusively on one's own experience. While someone may have had cats that lived into their 20s, those cats also may have come from very hardy stock. Animals with health issues (Hunter had a significant heart murmur all of his life but it only showed up as significant trembling at times for no obvious reasons) often have shorter lifespans, and not every health issue is a factor of how the critter is managed. I've seen horses who are clearly over-the-hill and used up by their mid-teens (and weren't used that heavily) and others that still eagerly performed schoolhorse tasks up into their late 20s. We have one old pensioner at the barn who is in her late 30s. She's retired but still pretty lively and social. I keep wondering which winter will be her last, but ol'Shekina still has a lively look in her eye.

[isabeau.livejournal.com]

*hugs you and petscritches Pandora*

(I still remember when you GOT HER has it really been 13 years? sheesh.)

[diannelamerc.livejournal.com]

Matisse was always high strung...at about about Pandora's age we discovered the Feliway and it helped a lot. (We just called it his Kitty Prozac.) So I recommend it.

Also, the 2yo does the 3am "Mom?!?!?!" thing too. I figure she's just woken up from a nightmare where she lived in The World With No Mommies. We groan and then call out to her that we're here. In our bed. Where we always are. And where she always finds us. She eventually follows our voices, finds us, hops up, and starts purring like mad. (After that, I don't know--I'm back to sleep. :)

[neadods.livejournal.com]

Hugs to you and skritches to her.

[dianora2.livejournal.com]

My kitty is about the same age so I know what it's like. :( Will continue to keep thinking good thoughts for her.

[naienko.livejournal.com]

Her's a precious kitty, her is! Yes! Who's teh meerkat's sweetest kitteh? Is a you! /message from Montreve, Household of Cats