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What is the life span of a Cat?
I have a cat, well my MIL now has my cat that is 11 years old. I had this cat from birth on and when we moved he refused to come along. He would find a way out of the house and return to the old house which is right next door to my MIL so for the past 4 years she has kept him. I go down there and help her bath him and give him medication when he needs it.
The problem is he is looking so old and fragile. He stays with an eye infection that me and the vet can't clear up. Mainly because he has very bad allergies. He is also loosing weight even though he gets fed three times a day with can cat food mixed with dry cat food and believe me it is the expensive stuff I get from the vet. He is no longer grooming himself and I think he may be blind now.
Is all this happening because of his age? Should I uthenize him to end all this suffering or is it just me suffering seeing him this way?
The problem is he is looking so old and fragile. He stays with an eye infection that me and the vet can't clear up. Mainly because he has very bad allergies. He is also loosing weight even though he gets fed three times a day with can cat food mixed with dry cat food and believe me it is the expensive stuff I get from the vet. He is no longer grooming himself and I think he may be blind now.
Is all this happening because of his age? Should I uthenize him to end all this suffering or is it just me suffering seeing him this way?
No she is eating dry food and can food without a problem and is old enough not to need the milk so I am not feeding her milk. She just has the instincts and want to, to continue sucking. I think it is cool.
Lonelymom: That happened to me too. When my 18 yr. young cat never came home, I cried my eyes out, I had re-occuring dreams of her lOOking for me, nightly. Then, after searching for her and placing an ad on t.v. one of our neighbors 4 blks away called and said she had the lost cat. It was her. We gave the woman a reward. She said my cat had been going to drink water, from a barrel in her neighbor's yard every morning at around the same time every morning w/the German Shepherd that owned it. I went by, as the nice-lady suggested, and lo & behold, there was Zig~Zag.
My sister brought me an abandoned cat, a yr later, from NM, she found crying behind a mound of rocks. She said once I saw the face, I thought Zig~Zag! Once I saw this kitten, I said, it's od how her face resembles Zig~Zag, but her body is calico, not tabby blk/grey. THat's all I could see in my dreams...just the face. Zsi~Zsi is the spitting-image of the 18 yr young cat that never came bck & I feel she knows it too. I call her Ziggy come back!
Ru feeding your new-kitty kitty-milk? DH & I call "kneading-dough" Kitty-Massage(s). They don't poke us at all and the massages are way better than from any professional. :))))
HelpinUtah: Sorry to hear about your cat. I will pray for Daisy's peace. O:-)
I've never heard of "Feline AIDS" WeiRd!!!
Yeah, I agree! I hate losing and furry friends, or friends in general. :....(
My sister brought me an abandoned cat, a yr later, from NM, she found crying behind a mound of rocks. She said once I saw the face, I thought Zig~Zag! Once I saw this kitten, I said, it's od how her face resembles Zig~Zag, but her body is calico, not tabby blk/grey. THat's all I could see in my dreams...just the face. Zsi~Zsi is the spitting-image of the 18 yr young cat that never came bck & I feel she knows it too. I call her Ziggy come back!
Ru feeding your new-kitty kitty-milk? DH & I call "kneading-dough" Kitty-Massage(s). They don't poke us at all and the massages are way better than from any professional. :))))
HelpinUtah: Sorry to hear about your cat. I will pray for Daisy's peace. O:-)
I've never heard of "Feline AIDS" WeiRd!!!
Yeah, I agree! I hate losing and furry friends, or friends in general. :....(
Sorry to hear about your baby.
My niece had a cat she adored but it contacted Feline AIDS and was put down early because of it. He was only a year old too. It is sad when we loose one of our furry friends. They really do help put a smile on our faces when we have had a rough day.
My niece had a cat she adored but it contacted Feline AIDS and was put down early because of it. He was only a year old too. It is sad when we loose one of our furry friends. They really do help put a smile on our faces when we have had a rough day.
I'm glad you are enjoying the new kitten. She sounds adorable! And, sounds like she was taken from Mommy too young. Keep on spoiling her! :)
It's funny you mention that about the similarities. When I had my cat, Magnum, put down in June of 2004, we got Daisy a month later and she reminded me of him so much in her personality and I thought the same thing - but she was born before he passed. Unfortunately, we're going to lose her young. As you probably know, we just found out she has terminal cancer. It's so difficult! But, I'm enjoying my time with her while I can! She's being spoiled rotten (not that she wasn't before this - LOL!!!).
It's funny you mention that about the similarities. When I had my cat, Magnum, put down in June of 2004, we got Daisy a month later and she reminded me of him so much in her personality and I thought the same thing - but she was born before he passed. Unfortunately, we're going to lose her young. As you probably know, we just found out she has terminal cancer. It's so difficult! But, I'm enjoying my time with her while I can! She's being spoiled rotten (not that she wasn't before this - LOL!!!).
Thank you and yes I am doing better now. I am glad that he is in a better place now.
The new kitten reminds me so much of him. If she was a he and had a tail I would think he was reincarnated. Only problem is this is a she with no tail and she is about 8 weeks old so to old to have been him reincarnated. lol She does act just like him in a lot of ways. She will follow me around the house when I get home and as soon as I sit she is on my lap doing the pawing thing. My DH calls it kneading the dough. She also like to suck on my clothes which I am guessing she was probably taken away from mommy kitty to young. She is healthy and spoiled rotten already.
The new kitten reminds me so much of him. If she was a he and had a tail I would think he was reincarnated. Only problem is this is a she with no tail and she is about 8 weeks old so to old to have been him reincarnated. lol She does act just like him in a lot of ways. She will follow me around the house when I get home and as soon as I sit she is on my lap doing the pawing thing. My DH calls it kneading the dough. She also like to suck on my clothes which I am guessing she was probably taken away from mommy kitty to young. She is healthy and spoiled rotten already.
I'm so sorry about your baby, but how wonderful that another kitten found you the same day. How sweet! My heart breaks for you and I hope you are doing okay now and enjoying the new kitten.
I have been told my several vets that the average age of a cat is 13 to 14 years and if they live longer than that they are being taken great care of by their owners (I call us there "slaves." LOL!!!!) I know many cats who have lived much longer than that!!!
I have been told my several vets that the average age of a cat is 13 to 14 years and if they live longer than that they are being taken great care of by their owners (I call us there "slaves." LOL!!!!) I know many cats who have lived much longer than that!!!
My present cat will be 13 yrs young in Sept. I had a cat, previous to the present cat, that lived w/our fam. for 18 yrs. then she disappeared and never came home. :...(
I am really surprised my baby lived that long not because i didn't care for him but because he seemed to stay sick from birth. That is what happens when the mother kitties don't get vacinated and then have kittens. All the kittens of that litter were either born unformed or were born dead he was the only survivor of the litter and that is why we kept him. We also took his mother in and had her fixed. We had her for quite a while until my nephew let her out of the house and a dog got her.
She could not defend herself from him because she was deformed and did not have a fourth leg. She had three normal legs and then her right front leg was deformed. I can't even really describe what she looked like. She was also rescued as a stray.
She could not defend herself from him because she was deformed and did not have a fourth leg. She had three normal legs and then her right front leg was deformed. I can't even really describe what she looked like. She was also rescued as a stray.
Sorry to hear about your cat :'( I have had my first cat since she was 2-3 years old (stray) and now she is 17-18 and I also have a 3 year old now. My first cat (Smokey) has never been sick a day in her life, except for my arthuritis now since she was 10 that cleared up with 2 years of zuke's hip action treats and if only now getting stiff (partially because the kitten reacted to the only brands of cat food with glucsoamine in it!! gawr).
I ignore that "cats are senior by age 7" that is like saying we are considered senior by age 40, which is not true. Most of the cats I know/have heard about live to be roughly 15-22 years depending on the health of the individual. My kitten (Boomer) is probably not going to live as long as Smokey because he got FHV (the herpes upper respiratory virus) when he was 7 weeks old and it ruined his tear ducts.
I ignore that "cats are senior by age 7" that is like saying we are considered senior by age 40, which is not true. Most of the cats I know/have heard about live to be roughly 15-22 years depending on the health of the individual. My kitten (Boomer) is probably not going to live as long as Smokey because he got FHV (the herpes upper respiratory virus) when he was 7 weeks old and it ruined his tear ducts.
omg i am so sorry for your loss. i have a 5 month old kitten and i wish i could give my kitten even half the love it seems u have given your cat
Well I have sad news for my baby. He had a severe upper respitory infection. The vet put him on antibiotics and gave him two shots of different antibiotics to help him but we found him the next morning curled up under my bed dead. I am very saddened by our loss!!
The ironic thing is we were burring him and all of a sudden I hear this cat meowing, so I start looking for my other cats and found a kitten in my yard running towards me like she knew me. I picked her up and she was covered in sticker burs. I took her to my moms house and we groomed her up bathed her and then I called my vet and he was able to squize her in for shots. She now has been wormed shots and cleaned up!! The ironic thing is she looks just like my baby except she doesn't have a tail. I am very sad over loosing my baby but this kitten is really trying to steal my heart.
My husband said I really am becoming the crazy cat lady.
The ironic thing is we were burring him and all of a sudden I hear this cat meowing, so I start looking for my other cats and found a kitten in my yard running towards me like she knew me. I picked her up and she was covered in sticker burs. I took her to my moms house and we groomed her up bathed her and then I called my vet and he was able to squize her in for shots. She now has been wormed shots and cleaned up!! The ironic thing is she looks just like my baby except she doesn't have a tail. I am very sad over loosing my baby but this kitten is really trying to steal my heart.
My husband said I really am becoming the crazy cat lady.
My Dad's cat made it to 25yrs when she lost her battle with cancer. my brother's cat made it to 4yr. my cats are 20yr, 15yr, and 13yr. I lost Suzy at the age of 18yr last year.
If I remember right, the 1st year (our years) = 15 years to cats. after that every year = 4 years for cats. So a 11year old (our yrs) would be 55years old in cat years
If I remember right, the 1st year (our years) = 15 years to cats. after that every year = 4 years for cats. So a 11year old (our yrs) would be 55years old in cat years
So S is considered a senior cat??!!! I wonder if he knows that!!!!!
What did the vet say??
What did the vet say??
lol lonely i'm the SAME way. any stray i find i take him/her home (have since i was a kid) i usually do end up finding them homes but on the occasion i do keep one or 2. actually now that i think about it...every cat i've ever had has been a stray i found. except venus she was a barn kitten who was dying. and my huge animal loving heart took the sickly little monster in. lol. isn't it amazing how they can go from being such sweet, loving little kittens into divas practically over night?
Oh yeah and if I don't stop bringing in cats people in my neighborhood is going to start calling me the crazy cat lady.
The vet is very used to the new ones I bring in and usually starts out with "okay what is the story on this one" " where did you find him? "
He also gives me a good rate because I take in so many strays and even though I say I will find homes I end up keeping them.
The vet is very used to the new ones I bring in and usually starts out with "okay what is the story on this one" " where did you find him? "
He also gives me a good rate because I take in so many strays and even though I say I will find homes I end up keeping them.
I am very much ready to take him in tomorrow!! He is just laying around but he will look up at me and meow and when I pick him up and hold him he will lay in my lap and purrrr.
He is my baby like I said before I help deliver this cat and have had him ever since. He has seen the vet as he has needed. I hope the vet gives me good news and it is something easy to fix and he will be okay!
Thank you for all your help!!
He is my baby like I said before I help deliver this cat and have had him ever since. He has seen the vet as he has needed. I hope the vet gives me good news and it is something easy to fix and he will be okay!
Thank you for all your help!!
My boyfriends cat is almost 18 years old. She is deaf due to ear mites that ate away her hearing. She is not as active as she use to be, but still for an old cat is sometimes fiesty! My 1st cat Tiger was about 22 years old when she finally did die. And then my next cat only lived for about 5 or 6 years because she had to be put to sleep due to having a half dollar sized tumor on her lung.
my mil's kitty died a few months ago (he had so many health issues his vet doesn't know how he lived as long as he did) he did end up loosing weight the last 2-3 years of his life. he was 18 when he passed.
Sara, 7 or 8 yrs old is considered a senior kitty. Good God, mine is 16 yrs old. The vet told me that she's in really good shape. =D I took her in about 2 wks ago, and the only thing they found was a bladder infection.
I think a lot of a cat's life span depends on their genes and the kind of vet care that they get. I think that a slightly paranoid owner gives their cats a huge advantage in their life span too. I take the better safe than sorry approach w/ my cats and they get brought in to the vets. Trust your intuition w/ your animals. You know them better than anyone else. You know if something seems "off" in their personality, and when you see it, you bring them in. I'd say 90% of the time, you will be right. Mother's have a big advantage here, since you used your intuition w/ your kids a lot when they were growing up. Use your intuition to your advantage and your kitty will live a whole lot longer. =D
I think a lot of a cat's life span depends on their genes and the kind of vet care that they get. I think that a slightly paranoid owner gives their cats a huge advantage in their life span too. I take the better safe than sorry approach w/ my cats and they get brought in to the vets. Trust your intuition w/ your animals. You know them better than anyone else. You know if something seems "off" in their personality, and when you see it, you bring them in. I'd say 90% of the time, you will be right. Mother's have a big advantage here, since you used your intuition w/ your kids a lot when they were growing up. Use your intuition to your advantage and your kitty will live a whole lot longer. =D
Please let us know what the vet says.........
At what age do they consider a cat a senior??
At what age do they consider a cat a senior??
My cat is 12 and although is not as active anymore she's still in good health. A cat can live 20 years or more if they're healthy. It really depends on their health, genes, etc.
I think it would be best to talk to your vet on whether your cat is experiencing any kind of pain. There may be different treatments they can try if other things haven't worked for his eye and allergies.
I do think it's normal for a senior cat to loose a little. My cat has lost some weight too but she used to be a little overweight so she's actually at her ideal weight now. I think they just slow down, just like our elderly do, and don't eat as much.
We can't decide for you when the best time to euthenize would be. I would think if he's still playing, eating (even if it's not as much) and wanting to be petted and purring, then I would assume he still wants to live and is enjoying life. Talk with your vet and see what he says. I hope things improve soon! Take care!
I think it would be best to talk to your vet on whether your cat is experiencing any kind of pain. There may be different treatments they can try if other things haven't worked for his eye and allergies.
I do think it's normal for a senior cat to loose a little. My cat has lost some weight too but she used to be a little overweight so she's actually at her ideal weight now. I think they just slow down, just like our elderly do, and don't eat as much.
We can't decide for you when the best time to euthenize would be. I would think if he's still playing, eating (even if it's not as much) and wanting to be petted and purring, then I would assume he still wants to live and is enjoying life. Talk with your vet and see what he says. I hope things improve soon! Take care!
Well, good luck at the vets on wed!! Please come back with some updates. I wish you well.
Yes he is an inside cat. The temps are reaching over 100 degres so my cats and dogs are inside!
I brought him back home again this weekend and locked him in the house. I am hoping since he can't see real well that he won't try to wonder back to my MIL house. She only lives down the road so it won't be that far to travel for him but with his eye sight either gone or severly bad I hope he won't tempt it.
I do have him a vet appointment scheduled for Wednesday. Hopefully they will determine what is causing him grief.
I brought him back home again this weekend and locked him in the house. I am hoping since he can't see real well that he won't try to wonder back to my MIL house. She only lives down the road so it won't be that far to travel for him but with his eye sight either gone or severly bad I hope he won't tempt it.
I do have him a vet appointment scheduled for Wednesday. Hopefully they will determine what is causing him grief.
I would take your cat to the vet and not assume that his condition is not fixable. There are a few conditions that cats over 7 yrs old get-diabetes, hyperthyroid disease, and kidney disease. All of these conditions are treatable and worth looking in to.
I hope that the cat is staying inside, since you think he/she's blind. That would be too dangerous to let the cat outside in that condition.
I hope that the cat is staying inside, since you think he/she's blind. That would be too dangerous to let the cat outside in that condition.
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