Old cat - what shall i do

by Paula

I have a 14 yr old cat, he sleeps constantly, always cold (under the bed covers) and has been loosing weight over the past few months. Within the past few days he sneezes a lot (with clear discharge) and has watery eyes. His self grooming has declined.

The dog growls at him if he approaches (the two were pals and playmates for many years)

I realize he is older, and I may be delaying the inevitable. The Vet wants to put him on several meds, but I really do not want to let him suffer and have no quality of life on meds.

Any advice would be appreciated. Thank you.

Answer by Kate
Hi
Just because he is 14 doesn't mean that he is at the end of his life, it just means that he may need a little more help to get by every day, just like us humans. My own cat is ovber 14 and revcently started to lose a lot of weight and was very unhappy, we took her to the vets who diagnosed a thyroid problem which he sorted out and now my cat is back to her happy self.
The reason why he has stopped grooming is probably because he feels ill and that is why the vet has recommended some meds, these will help and he could well bounce back to his normal self, you must give him a chance and if the vet thinks that the meds will be useful, then i do not see anything for you to worry about. He won't be suffering he will feel better. A good vet would never recommend meds if he thought that it would prolong a cats suffering.

So don't worry Paula, by looking after your cat this way and providing him with proper medical care you are doing everything a good cat owner should. :) Best wishes

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