What to do about 20 y/o kitty?

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Cathlete
Hello everybody, I am desperate. I have a 20 y/o blind kitty. She is constantly meowing all the time. Her meows are loud and sharp. She stops meowing when I pick her up. I had to confine her to one room because she was peeing all over my house - sofa, recliner, kitchen, living/dining room!! Anyway, both my husband and I have not had a "quiet" evening for a very, very long time. She meows in the middle of the night, I give her some food, she stops for 1-2 hours and starts up again - so we get up two to three times per night! Our home has the sound of constant meowing with 1-2 hour breaks in between. I don't know what else to do. I can't afford to take her to the vet because my husband is laid-off and the vet costs between $200-$500 - I took her in about 1 1/2 year ago and the bill was $485!!! I feel bad that I can't take her in and I love my kitty very much but it's driving us crazy. She doesn't seem like she's in pain - she eats, drinks water and does sleep when she stops meowing. What should I do? Help!!
 
workout said:
Hello everybody, I am desperate. I have a 20 y/o blind kitty. She is constantly meowing all the time. Her meows are loud and sharp. She stops meowing when I pick her up. I had to confine her to one room because she was peeing all over my house - sofa, recliner, kitchen, living/dining room!! Anyway, both my husband and I have not had a "quiet" evening for a very, very long time. She meows in the middle of the night, I give her some food, she stops for 1-2 hours and starts up again - so we get up two to three times per night! Our home has the sound of constant meowing with 1-2 hour breaks in between. I don't know what else to do. I can't afford to take her to the vet because my husband is laid-off and the vet costs between $200-$500 - I took her in about 1 1/2 year ago and the bill was $485!!! I feel bad that I can't take her in and I love my kitty very much but it's driving us crazy. She doesn't seem like she's in pain - she eats, drinks water and does sleep when she stops meowing. What should I do? Help!!
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Goodness, that's a long time to live for a cat!! She probably feels mis-oriented and can't come down. I am so sorry that you are in tough financial situation - that probably makes you feel more helpless. Try reaching out to a local cat rescue for help. You can also post for help on craigslist.com.... not sure! Its a tough one.
 
Thanks Daria, yes it's a tough one. At times, because of the frustration, I want to put her down BUT I CAN'T DO THAT, it's just too hard for me to put an animal down if it's not suffering. It seems like my husband and I just going too have to continue to cope with my kitty - I can't think of any other option. UGH!
 
She's def disoriented and may even be partially deaf, so that she's not sure where she is or maybe even where you are. We had two cats who lived to a ripe old age (one 19, the other 18 1/2) and I can tell you from experience that your kitty is suffering from old age. There may be other medical factors such as parathyroid problems or renal failure, but your cat is simply old, with everything that goes along with that. If she's in renal failure, you can keep her going for a while longer with ringers (saline). It keeps the kidneys working when they can't do the job alone anymore.

But I would say you need to find a vet or a shelter or whoever you can to help. Myabe they'd give you a price break.

When our cats starting losing their quality of life, with tears streaming down our faces at the vet's, we "helped" them along. They were our little babies, but we finally had to let them go. It's not always pain that's the reason to euthanize, sometimes it's a quality of life issue. I wish we had this option for the people we love!

I won't tell you it's time to help her this way, because that's completely up to you. But I would get a professional's opinion before you make any more decisions.

Please let us know how it goes.

All the Best,

Annie
 
She might have a tooth ache. I just cat sit for an adult 2 year old who was meowing the whole time, i thought it was cause she was in heat, turns out she had two abscess teeth even though she ate the whole time. Maybe being blind is scary and she doesn't know if anybody is there or not.
 
Hi Annie, thank you so much for your information. I agree with you, she may not be in pain, but her quality of life is definitely not like it use to be. When I pick her up to give her TLC, she just loves it and that's what so hard. I am being torn apart by this issue of my kitty, I have no children but her (I do one another kitty, Sophie, she's OK for now, she's 13 years old), she's my baby and I most definitely need to consult a professional but to be honest, I'm fearful of the advice they are going to give. I even get teary-eyed just typing this. But I do understand.
 
Hi Rapidbreath, unfortunatley my kitty only has her front teeth so I don't think she has a toochache. They had to remove most of her "molars" years ago due to infection and abscesses - it's amazing how she still - even to this day - eats dry food - even though her main food is the wet one. She's been blind for almost two years - cataracts!
 
I'll preface this by saying that I haven't had a cat since I was a kid. But .... you don't know if she's in pain or not - petting her may simply make her feel better and that's why she quiets down. I can't believe that constant meowing is a good thing. It's time to take her to the vet - talk to them about financing - maybe they can work something out for you. But it is your responsibility to take care of her, and you clearly DO care deeply about her.
 
Hi mspina, Oh yes, I've always taken great care of her that's why she's 20 years old. I've just sent the vet an e-mail to see what they suggest regarding financial plans - it will probably put us more in a financial hole but what else can I do, I just can't leave her that way, it's bothering me immensely!!
 
It is hard to put an animal down. We had to do it and it was so tough. It was best for the cat.

I certainly hope your vet can work with you. I find more and more places are working with people due to different issues.

I hope the best for you and your cat. Usually meowing or hiding out are keys signs that something is not right.

Please let us know what happens. Praying for the best
Rhonda
 
I also would consider putting her down. It's just not a great life for her anymore, and putting her in a shelter.... no way! She'd never be adopted and they would put her down. It would be better for her if you were with her at the end. Your vet most likely will work with you - so many people are in tough situations now, and everyone is very understanding.
 
The meowing + peeing everywhere could be a sign she has a urinary tract problem.

You definitely need to get to a vet for some feedback. It's impossible for anyone to "diagnose" her condition online. It may not be as bad as you think, or it may be time for her to move on.
 
Hi MidgetDogg, thanks for your information. I would never put her in a shelter - she's my baby! Let's see what the vet says, i sent them an e-mail regarding my financial situation - maybe she can work out a payment plan for me and I can take my kitty, Basha to see the vet. It's jus soooooo hard to make the decision to put her down, very, very hard, I can't even think about it without getting teary-eyed - I've had her for 20 years!
 
Hi Kathryn, thanks for your response. The part I'm afraid is having to make a very hard decision of putting her down and I do have to take my kitty into account, if her quality of life has diminished then it wouldn't be fair to her. Wow, it's amazing how attached we get to our pets - my kitty is like my child (I don't have any children, though). Thanks.
 
Those of us with pets can TOTALLY understand your feelings about this! I can't imagine having to make that choice, I really can't. But .... you also have to honestly think about what's best for Basha, even if that ends up being the worst decision for you, personally. You know?
 
I would guess a possibility to be dementia. That is what it sounds like. Of course, it could be anything and nobody here can make a diagnosis, as has been mentioned. And I realize you didn't come here for us to tell you what is wrong with her - you just wanted some opinions. She has given you 20 good years and you owe it to her to get her to a vet to be checked. Vets are very good about discounts and only doing what is necessary if you have the right vet and they understand your financial issues. I would also hope that any vet would not put a pet down unless they felt there was no option - that they would at least let you know. I had a cat who lived to be nearly 20. She was deaf and I would suspect going partially blind. She quit using her box but I realized it was due to arthritis and not being able to get into it, so I bought her the lowest box I could find and solved that problem. She would get confused and meow very loudly. At night, I kept her confined to *her* room - the room she loved best - I just shut the door at night with the light on, her litter box and food and water in there, and her favorite sleeping spot. This seemed to make her feel safe and solved the nightly howling. I wish you the best with this. No, it is not an easy decision to make and one I had to make with Midnight but when that day arrived, she was already dying and I knew it was time. It happened overnight and I hope you have the same experience. The vet told me it was time - that he could prolong her life but she would not be living anymore, and it would only have given her a week or two at best. I think you just know when it is time.
 
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