Ooh great idea! Mosi is 19 (and a quarter). He’s still dafter than a box of frogs and loves to play and run around.

He has arthritis in his hips, early CKD and is mostly deaf but you’d never know it.

@lorilu. I don’t think elevated kidney values is a problem for solensia. In fact I seem to recall it being promoted as suitable for cats with kidney disease when it first came out, as an alternative to Metacam. Mosi has been having solensia injections for 2 and a half years with elevated kidney values which have only increased very slightly over that time period.

 

I do keep trying to interest Queen Eva in her old Games. Sometimes she gives indication that she wants to play one, by crouching next to her tunnel for example, but when I try to get her started she just watches. I tell myself well watching is better than nothing, but...I don't know. I've never had a cat lose interest in play ever, right up until their last day they would show some interest. But of course memory fades with time, and I don't remember exactly how much.

Not all of my cats got to be old after all, but if they did have a fatal illness that took them early, still they would still want a game, even if only going through the motions.

So I try to pay close attention, and any time she shows the slightest indication of interest in a Game I respond, like I said, even if it's just her watching me wiggle the peasant feather.

This morning she batted at her feather for a few seconds. Mostly she just wants to be patted with the fly swatter on the bed while she flops on and rubs her face on her Yeow fruits.

All her stuff is left out and about just where it belongs. I have this friend who lives with a deeply pessimistic attitude all her days. When her previous cat became elderly and ill, and yes, dying, she asked me to come over and teach her how to do the sub q the vet recommended. I went over and looked around and didn't see any of his beds or toys anywhere. I said "Where's all his stuff" and she said "he doesn't use any of it any more so I got rid of it". I was very upset and told her so. I said even if he doesn't use it, it's still his stuff and having it around him would have given him some comfort and feeling of well being.

She said it just reminded her what he doesn't do anymore. I said, well it's not about you is it? She said "she never thought of it that way".

So I say, leave their stuff out. Even if they aren't using it anymore. Cats like familiarity. They like their stuff to be where it belongs. Don't put their lives away, before they are done with it.

 

CATNIP! lol I've just had one of those self discovery learning moments. After my unkind comment about my friend I gave it more thought. I looked around to make sure I hadn't put anything of Queen Eva's away, no matter how inadvertently...and I did see that her Flap Box Fort now lives behind the chair and there isn't a catnip box.

I immediately rectified both these situations, though it took a couple of tries to find the right box for catnip. I mean, one that Herself approved of. But when I did, she jumped right in and imbibed joyfully and then played active running jumping games with her crumpled paper balls, something she hasn't done in some time!

After a few minutes I started thinking I would stop, because I didn't want her to overdo but just then she stopped herself, by flopping down over a lemon and asking for the fly swatter. About 10 minutes later, she got in the box again. This time I got a feather and she chased it around the edges, then leaped out and dove into the Flap Box Fort. Once inside she played with the feather for over a minute. (I poke the feather into the holes or under the edge)

So I have learned a lesson about making sure I've tried everything.

Anyone else have any tips and ideas and stories, on how they kept their seniors moving?

The box picture was taken today, the other one wasn't but it shows Queen Eva's playground on the bed lol

 

Oh here, this one shows the Flap Box Fort, in case anyone is wondering what it is

Movement and mental interest is so important to our oldies, hope to see more stories in this thread about that as time goes on.

 

there must be more oldies!

I have a bit of a dilemma with Mosi. He needs a dental. I really am not comfortable with the idea of a 19 year old cat having a general anaesthetic. But i can’t leave him with a sore mouth. It’s not as though he has a terminal illness and it’s just a case of keeping him comfortable for a while. He could keep going for years. He has a broken tooth and the root really needs to be removed. Sometimes I think he finds the act of eating uncomfortable then other times I’m not so sure. I know they will look after him well but I think it’s the post recovery period i worry about. The getting over the anaesthetic.

I’ve also booked a short holiday for October. I have no idea what things will be like come October and I don’t like leaving him in a cattery anyway - although they are very good with him - so I’ll just have to see how he is come September. I have a flexible booking that can be rearranged if need be. He’s fine now but he won’t be fine forever and it’s hard to think that far ahead when you have an oldie.

 

. I know they will look after him well but I think it’s the post recovery period i worry about. The getting over the anaesthetic.

I've read that if they have a drip up during a GA recovery is much easier and better.

 

Milo turned 17 last week. He's always been an indoor boy (as have all of mine) but he has escaped a few times. He loves being outside and as he's got older and more "earth-bound" we have let him in the garden with us when we're outside. Yesterday he was pootling around the perimeter of the garden, mostly hedgerow, having a sniff and he was on the opposite side of the garden from us. We were sat on the patio furniture and he stood stock still, crouched down and then did this huge sprint at full pelt all the way down the garden and path. You would never think it looking at him that he has arthritis, he was so fast!

Round the house he sort of totters/plods but he does have a bit of rough and tumble and chases round with the twins (now 2). The vast majority of the time he's sleeping either at the top of the cat tree, on my bed or somewhere in a sun puddle.

He was diagnosed with Hyperthyroidsm in October last year, but we are managing ok for now with Thyronorm twice daily, which he has in a Lick e Lix. His next bloods are due in a couple of weeks, I tend to do them at least every 6 months so we are on top of his condition. Solensia has been brilliant for Milo, I also give him a joint supplement alongside. Milo is another that could probably do with a dental as his teeth aren't the best, but until we had the thyroid issue, the worry was about his weight and being a senior and heavy boy at 6.5 kg.

Nice to see a thread for our oldies

 

Solensia has been brilliant for Milo, I also give him a joint supplement alongside.

Which supplement? I've got solensia on the list to talk about with my vet at Queen Eva's six month appointment. April 29.

Just now, this morning, I heard her at the water bowl, which sent a cold chill into my guts. She never goes near the water bowls.

I did notice she is peeing more often, twice a day, smaller pees, instead of her usual massive pees once every 24 hours or so. However, that is a normal pattern for her, she fluctuates between the 24 hour massive pees, and then will start peeing twice a day, or sometimes even 3 times, then go back to the 24 hour massive pees. So at first I wasn't worrying TOO much about it.

Now I am. I wonder. Could sleeping on the heating pad cause her to feel thirsty? My vet said no, when I asked her about that when Mazy cat started at the water bowl. With Mazy cat, she left me 9 months later (after starting to drink)

 

HI @lorilu I give Milo Seraquin for cats. He wouldn't entertain any of the YouMove ones
It contains glucosamine, chrondrotin and turmeric. It took a few weeks to see a difference, in fact I stopped for a while because I didn't think it was working, and that's when I noticed the difference.

Has Queen Eva lost weight at all or changed her eating? Milo started drinking a lot last year and I had no idea this was a symptom of the HT. It was really excessive, especially because he's fed almost exclusively wet.

 

HI @lorilu I give Milo Seraquin for cats. He wouldn't entertain any of the YouMove ones
It contains glucosamine, chrondrotin and turmeric. It took a few weeks to see a difference, in fact I stopped for a while because I didn't think it was working, and that's when I noticed the difference.

Has Queen Eva lost weight at all or changed her eating? Milo started drinking a lot last year and I had no idea this was a symptom of the HT. It was really excessive, especially because he's fed almost exclusively wet.

Queen Eva's weight is not changed, but her diet has, by necessity due to the avian flu issue. I have another thread on that. The latest issue is she has suddenly started drinking. She never drinks, has not gone near the water bowl in 13 years, until now. There is a separate thread for that too. I didn't want to put those specific issues here, and derail this thread.

She's playing more, now that I had that revelation and am paying more attention and reviving old Games she hasn't played in a long while.

 

Mosi is the same - he has seraquin which he loves and gobbles up greedily after supper every day. He wouldn’t entertain the thought of Yumove either.

 

Is it Seraquin Omega that you use? Mr Frosty is leaving his food with Yumove in it so I'm looking for other options.

 

I have thought of a way to inspire Queen Eva to more Game playing. I'm going back and watching old videos of all the Games she has played and invented over the years, and reintroducing some that have been forgotten. It's working! I have new video, along with old video, for these games now, some of them anyway. But it takes time to sort them and get them ready for posting.

But I am very happy about the way her play activity has increased.

 

The hardest thing, or one of the hardest anyway, is trying not to grieve the loss of what they once were. I mean, they are still here with us, still our precious loved ones, but if you start thinking about all the things they used to do, and don't do now, you could drown in the sadness of it.

Instead I just try to be grateful for all the years and memories, grateful to know I gave her such a happy life so far, and accept that she is STILL my own precious girl, even though she doesn't do all the things she once did. Her personality is still there, and with effort and gentle coaxing, she still does play ( I got her to play two games this morning, modified versions of games she played when she was younger).

 

It is hard sometimes to love the cat you have and not the cat you had. Mosi is still very much Mosi but the one thing I find hard is that he’s now deaf. He’s been deaf for a couple of years now. Doesn’t bother him at all but I miss being able to chat to him and feel sad that he will never hear my voice again. We used to have our special song and he always came when he heard me sing it. He can hear a few sounds and tbh I still chat to him as though he can hear - I think he knows I am talking to him when he’s close - so I suppose we’ve both adapted. I do sometimes forget that he can’t hear me approaching and I startle him if he’s looking the other way.

 

I notice the oldie dog thread is pinned at the top of dog chat. Could we do that with this one? @SusieRainbow thanks

 

done

 

The play thing. Queen Eva is my biggest challenge yet, when it comes to oldie play. I have to be hyper alert to any indication she gives me that she might want to play, and act on it.

Whenever I do see an indication that she wants to play an old Game, I then worry about how many "I want to play" signs I might be missing.

Sometimes she'll say she wants to play a certain Game and I'll start it, but while she seems eager, it fizzles out before it even gets started.

The one Game I can always count on is Fly Swatter on the bed with the yeeow fruits, especially her tomatoes.

 

After writing that, I tried again. This time instead of trying to instigate the old game, I paid closer attention and let her invent the Game. And she did! She played her new version of the old game, making up the rules as she went along, for almost 5 minutes.

It's wasn't a highly active game, just batting her paw at, or grabbing with her teeth, the old half dead feather stalks. She would indicate by her posture or where she looked, where she wanted me to put the feather.

But the important part is engagement and mental stimulation. She doesn't fling her body around like she used to do, but she is still interested, and as long as she is interested I will continue to attempt to find the best ways to keep her playing.
She is sleeping A LOT, but then it's been raining again for days. Days of dark and wet do tend to take us old folks a bit dozy lol.

Fortunately company coming tomorrow. Having a much loved friend over for a few hours should perk us both up.

 

Every day I offer Queen Eva various Games. I don't try to reproduce her old way of playing, I just start things off with a feather or string or crumpled paper ball or puff or a fort and let her decide how to play with it, if at all. This is keeping her active , interested and engaged. Often she only bats couple of times, other time the Game will take off and she'll play a good 5 minutes.

I also pay close attention to make sure I don't miss times she might be requesting a Game. Her MO is to go and sit by whatever she wants to play, and when she sees me looking, reach her paws out to it. Even then, sometimes once I respond, she just hohums and walks away.

I am so grateful I can be home and not stressed about work all the time for her golden years, especially because it's just her and me now, no other cats to help keep her interested and engaged.

One Game she never tires of is her Fly Swatter Games. That was Jennie's Game, which she took over after Jennie left us. And it was Bibbs' Game before Jennie. Jennie never met Bibbs, but Bibbs sent us Jennie, so I wasn't surprised when she showed affinity for the fly swatter.

 

Today, well last night actually, I am ruminating on then vs now things.

It started as Queen Eva was having her usual Fly Swatter on the bed session. Queen Eva has this really incredible range of chirps and trills she uses when she's happy. Sometimes she goes into realms of sound I just can't even imagine how she makes them, or what they mean other than what I want them to mean which is "I am super super happy and I love you and what we are doing here so much"....

Anyway, when she was a tiny kitten just rescued and brought home, she began making these sorts of sounds right away. She chirped and sang to herself when curling up to go to sleep in a favorite bed, she chirped and trilled as she pounded on me before curling up, her range and the emotion she imparts to these sounds just is so astounding.

When it was time for her spay there was a complication and she had to be in hospital for over a week. And after she came home she had to be on cage rest for another two weeks.

I worried about her blossoming personality and if she would lose all those special funny habits she was developing, during her stay at the vet, and having to be caged up when she was home.

But I worried for naught, she was, and still is exactly the same, she still makes all those funny special sounds and I am still being slayed by them.

The pilling of the antibiotic clavacillin is going okay, though this morning (4th pill) it seems she is finally on to me, and while she let me catch her, she did skulk around first. I tell her it's important, she'll feel so much better from these pills, and I want her trilling and chirping to stay around for a very long time to come.

 

I was observing Queen Eva and how much more social and out and about she has become again, after the course of clavacillin for UTI. I had noticed over the past months that she was staying in bed more, not getting up on the counter to watch me make breakfast, not even coming into the kitchen at all, and I was attributing it to aging, not illness.

But now, UTI diagnosed, treated, with an increase of the sleeping and disinterest for the duration of the meds, a week later I am finding she is back to many of her previous activities!

My point being when you notice changes, even very slight changes, don't just assume it's "old age" catching up to your senior cat. Take them to the vet for a check up, to make sure something else isn't going on. Get the blood work, get the urinalysis. Because remember that cats hide illness and pain, even our oldies.

Some of it might be aging, but we want them to be as comfortable as we can make them, and sometimes that means 10 days of antibiotics and the discomfort that brings, and another trip to the vet, and the stress that brings, but in the longer term, it can improve their quality of life.

 

I was observing Queen Eva and how much more social and out and about she has become again, after the course of clavacillin for UTI. I had noticed over the past months that she was staying in bed more, not getting up on the counter to watch me make breakfast, not even coming into the kitchen at all, and I was attributing it to aging, not illness.

She is in the kitchen again all the time now, getting up on the counter and all. I'm so glad to see her resuming her old behaviors. And I was attributing that to old age, not illness. One reason why I always do the senior blood work and urinalysis during her check ups.

Today was recheck time!

Oh happy day, full bladder at the right time on the right day! We had to wait a bit, but I got her in and she's had the cystocentesis. I opted for the full culture this time. It's very expensive, but it will resolve any lingering questions, and I like getting the full picture.

Queen Eva is such an easy patient, according to the techs and vet. When the tech took her I said (apologizing while I said it) I know you are all very careful but I feel compelled to remind you that she has arthritis and is very fragile. The tech said it was fine to remind her and then added that the vet had reminded her too, so I was glad to know that behind the scenes, people are paying attention and making sure she isn't held too hard. But they say she is so good, they barely need to hold her at all.

 

More ruminations on our senior lovelies:

In another thread I posted some pictures of Queen Eva being fed in bed. I posted those pictures in a closed FB group also, all that's left of my original "home" pet forum that I joined in 1996 when I first went on line.

I took some heat in that group, someone called Queen Eva "spoiled". I realize that not everyone reacts to the word "spoiled" in a negative way, but to me, "spoiled" is a negative, if not derogatory, term, when applied in this way.

Feeding a cat where she is, instead of insisting she get up and go to her designated meal spot, is not spoiling. I've always done it, when a cat is ill (in those cases, in my experience, they always go back to their meal spot after they are no longer ill, of their own accord) or when a cat gets elderly and eating enough is the main subject of the day.

At this time in their lives, it is most important that they eat. And Queen Eva has given me 15 years of love and joy, and if feeding her in her bed-bed or Sun Beam bed encourages her to take in more, by gosh I'm going to do it.

She still comes out and eats at her bench when she feels like it. But I see no spoiling here. Just loving accommodation. I will do anything I can think of to keep her comfortable and happy and well. Including, if she chooses not to get up, feeding her where she happens to be, at any given meal time.

 

Queen Eva has been playing this Bed Time Burrow Tail Chasing Game all her life. I finally got video of it! Her pounce may not be as lively as when she was younger, but she's still playing her Games at 15 years old so I'm happy.

 

Here's something else people may find helpful. I'd forgotten, that as Mazy cat got older she showed a preference for a flat saucer as opposed to the shallow dessert dishes I normally use. Recently when Queen Eva was on the clavacillin and struggling to eat I remembered this, and so started Feeding Queen Eva on the flat saucer.

This has made a big difference for her. I prepare the meal in the usual dish, because often I am only feeding her half a meal at a time, plus there is water to be mixed in, but once it's all mixed together, I measure out the serving portion on the flat plate.

 

Here's something else people may find helpful. I'd forgotten, that as Mazy cat got older she showed a preference for a flat saucer as opposed to the shallow dessert dishes I normally use. Recently when Queen Eva was on the clavacillin and struggling to eat I remembered this, and so started Feeding Queen Eva on the flat saucer.

This has made a big difference for her. I prepare the meal in the usual dish, because often I am only feeding her half a meal at a time, plus there is water to be mixed in, but once it's all mixed together, I measure out the serving portion on the flat plate.

good point. Mosi has a dish that is wide enough for him to get his head into but I think he is having difficulty picking up his food. Maybe I’ll try a plate

 

You could try raising the plate as well. We have always used tall water bowls that the cats tend to prefer and I feed Little off a raised platform.

 

Good idea for many cats! Mazy cat always had a little table.

Queen Eva refuses to eat from a raised dish

 

For those not on the cat chat good morning thread, Mosi has been having a bit of a crisis this past week. He has cat flu. I honestly thought I was going to lose him and he’s not out of the woods yet. He’s lost a lot of weight and he would not eat. Despite trying all sorts, including some rather underhand tactics, it’s been a struggle but thanks to some super smelly foods he is eating better now and appears brighter. He’s on steroids and ABs, and went to the vets this morning for a follow up appt and bloods (planned appt for tomorrow but his regular vet isn’t in tomorrow so I moved it to today). He has some gabapentin for pain relief. He can’t have metacam as he’s on steroids. I’m waiting for the vet to ring with his blood test results but I hope they not too bad (I am expecting his kidney disease to have progressed) and that he’s turned a corner with the flu. I don’t want to get ahead of myself but if he can regain his health and put on a bit of weight, we will then need to decide whether we want to go ahead with a dental or just manage with pain relief For as long as he has good quality of life.

Honestly, it’s been so fraught and he’s been so miserable. Every interaction with him has been trying to get him to eat or forcing tablets down him. We had a lovely cuddle on the bed earlier - just the 2 of us enjoying each other’s company. When I stopped stroking him he pawed me for more. Lovely to see him happy. Given his age, I thought it was going to be time to say goodbye but fingers crossed he really has turned a corner and the ABs are doing their job. I am just taking it one day at a time.

 

but thanks to some super smelly foods he is eating better now and appears brighter. He’s on steroids and ABs, and went to the vets this morning for a follow up appt and bloods (planned appt for tomorrow but his regular vet isn’t in tomorrow so I moved it to today). He has some gabapentin for pain relief.

How's Mosi doing now?

Honestly, it’s been so fraught and he’s been so miserable. Every interaction with him has been trying to get him to eat or forcing tablets down him. We had a lovely cuddle on the bed earlier - just the 2 of us enjoying each other’s company. When I stopped stroking him he pawed me for more. Lovely to see him happy.

I know how you feel. It's awful when you feel like they must be miserable simply because of everything we have to do to them to help them feel better. But adding in as many of those little moments as possible to balance out the bad moments can be so important and helpful!

Also, don't forget to tell Mosi what's happening, what you are doing, and why.

 

He’s doing so much better today, thanks. The vet rang on Wednesday evening and his bloods showed raised white blood cells. But we knew that would be the case as he has an infection. However, the monocytes were high and that apparently indicates it’s a chronic infection that he will have had for some time. So he needs new, stronger ABs. I picked those up yesterday and he had the first ones last night. I couldn’t believe the difference in him today. I got his breakfast ready - his usual raw - and sat on the floor ready to hand feed him. He came towards me and looked eager so I put the bowl down and he fed himself (first time in about 2 weeks). He ate every last bit. I don’t know whether the new ABs can kick in that fast or whether the other ones were working but he’s so much better today. Even after the vet rang on Wednesday and I felt optimistic that we had something new to fight this with, he then wouldn’t eat on thursday morning so it was I was worried again. But I really feel he’s turned a corner now.

His poor legs are still not good and he’s so wobbly. I realised this morning that I’ve not given him his seraquin for a while since he wasn’t eating. So he’s back on that and hopefully we can build him back up and his legs will be a bit better. The other good result of his bloods is that they showed no progression of his kidney disease. In fact his figures have gone down a bit.

How's Mosi doing now?



I know how you feel. It's awful when you feel like they must be miserable simply because of everything we have to do to them to help them feel better. But adding in as many of those little moments as possible to balance out the bad moments can be so important and helpful!

Also, don't forget to tell Mosi what's happening, what you are doing, and why.

 

Good news. Queen Eva has gained the lost ounces. This morning after a pee she weighed in at 6 lbs 15 1/2 ounces (much to her annoyance).

 

Mosi is almost completely recovered now. He has his last ABs today. His back legs are still very wobbly but I feel they are improving. I’ve not weighed him but he feels as though he is putting on a bit of weight - feels heavier and his spine feels a bit less prominent. He’s also back to jumping onto the bookcase for his meals. I reckon as long as he’s willing and able to do that, it’s good for his legs to get the exercise. He’s also back on his seraquin as he refused to eat those when he was poorly. Hopefully we can build him up a bit and get him back to how he was before all of this.

I think there’s a lesson here too in not assuming symptoms are due to age and that there’s nothing to be done. When I think back, I can see some signs that he wasn’t well (always easy in hindsight isn’t it). I assumed some of his faddiness around food and not finishing meals was just him getting old but I think it was actually because he had an infection. The fact that he has had a chronic infection for some time makes me think back to all the small things that could have been a symptom of that and not just signs of him getting older.

 

I think there’s a lesson here too in not assuming symptoms are due to age and that there’s nothing to be done. When I think back, I can see some signs that he wasn’t well (always easy in hindsight isn’t it). I assumed some of his faddiness around food and not finishing meals was just him getting old but I think it was actually because he had an infection. The fact that he has had a chronic infection for some time makes me think back to all the small things that could have been a symptom of that and not just signs of him getting older.

Yes!

So glad to see the happy update.

 

Mosi is no longer on the gabapentin and the difference is amazing. He’s now so lively and bouncy. Ive not seen him like this for months. He’s still eating well although I did increase the steroids from half a tablet every other day to half a tablet every day as he didn’t finish a couple of meals and I wondered whether his appetite was only due to the steroids. The vet said that’s ok. He had a vet check last week and he has regained all of the weight that he lost . I was so happy to see those scales show 3.65kg. He got down to 3.4kg and it was still a few days before he was eating properly so he may have lost a bit more before he started gaining. 3.65kg is pretty much his normal weight. 3.7 kg would be great but I wasn’t expecting him to put it all back on in one month.

The only issue now is that he still has a cough. I don’t know whether this is part of the infection he’s had or something different. The vet says he may have nodules on his lungs so it’s something we are probably going to have to investigate. Some days he doesn’t cough at all but other days he coughs a few times and it’s a very dry cough.

In general though, I’ve got my boy back and he’s determined to prove that being old doesn’t mean he’s going to just lie around all day sleeping. Oh no, he’s well enough to get told off for being a PITA at times! But I’m so glad he’s doing well. He’s having his vaccinations mid September. I like him to be up to date in case he needs to go into a cattery. Although I have booked a cat sitter for when I go away for a few days in October as I’m sure they will both be much happier in their own home.

 

Mosi is no longer on the gabapentin and the difference is amazing. He’s now so lively and bouncy. Ive not seen him like this for months. He’s still eating well although I did increase the steroids from half a tablet every other day to half a tablet every day as he didn’t finish a couple of meals and I wondered whether his appetite was only due to the steroids. The vet said that’s ok. He had a vet check last week and he has regained all of the weight that he lost . I was so happy to see those scales show 3.65kg. He got down to 3.4kg and it was still a few days before he was eating properly so he may have lost a bit more before he started gaining. 3.65kg is pretty much his normal weight. 3.7 kg would be great but I wasn’t expecting him to put it all back on in one month.

The only issue now is that he still has a cough. I don’t know whether this is part of the infection he’s had or something different. The vet says he may have nodules on his lungs so it’s something we are probably going to have to investigate. Some days he doesn’t cough at all but other days he coughs a few times and it’s a very dry cough.

In general though, I’ve got my boy back and he’s determined to prove that being old doesn’t mean he’s going to just lie around all day sleeping. Oh no, he’s well enough to get told off for being a PITA at times! But I’m so glad he’s doing well. He’s having his vaccinations mid September. I like him to be up to date in case he needs to go into a cattery. Although I have booked a cat sitter for when I go away for a few days in October as I’m sure they will both be much happier in their own home.

What a great update!