Characteristics of very old kitties

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Martica and Fred

Martica and Fred

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Hi
As Fred is now 20y and 2 months, I'm wondering if other people notice things specific to older cats.

one thing I've noticed in recent years is that Fred's purring has changed. It's no longer a nice consitent rumble, it's very jaggedly or non consistent. Sometimes it's from his head area and sometimes I can hear it deeper, like if I put my ear on his flank. Sometimes it's loud or softer, of course, but also he seems to breathe WORSE when he purrs. I don't know if that means asthma or what...has anyone else noticed this?

Also, his claws are much thicker and much harder to clip. Also it's hard to tell if I'm cutting too deep , seems like that used to be easier. Also the claws grow much slower.

Also, his fur grows back in VERY slowly after it's shaved for blood draws.

The purring thing I've been wondering about, if it's something I should be worried a bout.

anyone else notice any weird or different things about their older cats?
 
Also, he eats little bits at a time. He tends to hand out in the kitchen now by his bowl. It used to be that he'd eat, then come out to his kitty bed and nap. Then go back and eat a few hours later. NOW, he eats a few bites and then rests by the food, then gets up and eats again. His appetite is pretty good in general, though.

His skin is also much thinner.

ALSO, this is the newest things I've noticed his black tip of a nose which you can see in the picture is now a big dark nose, not just the tip but above it...I guess fur came off and so all the dark underneath now shows. Also around his whole whisker area, he no longer has much in the way of whiskers and they are mostly short, but that whole cheek area is darker /spotten, seems like he's lost fur there, too.
 
You may notice the face changes appearance a little. The nose is a little longer, angles are much more noticable with age. The eyes sometimes get brown spots in them. Claws are a problem, the are thicker and it seems the seniors don't use the scratch posts so much so the claw can grow into the paw pad. It's happened to Tucker, Mr. Darcy and Sadie(GA). I thought I check them enough, but obviously not enough.

Skin is defintely thinner and as you mentioned, fur does not grow back as fast, if it grows in completely that would be great, but it doesn't always.

Area around the muzzle may have some grey fur too. ECID but this is what I've seen with my seniors.

I'm a huge fan of steps and ramps for seniors with or without athritis. They are more fragile and I prefer they not need to jump down from high spots, steps are there if they want them.
 
Nothing you mention really stands out. WHen is the last time Fred had a complete blood work-up and urinalysis? You must be doing dong something right for Fred to reach 20+ years.
 
Some of these symptoms sound like my Smokey, who had a throat tumor.

Painful swallowing could explain the nibbling. Cat is hungry but it hurts to eat,
so only eat a little at a time. Still hungry so go back and eat more---oops, that hurts.

Also, changes in purring can be throat, esophagus, or even lung problems.

At least call or e-mail your vet and describe the symptoms.
 
My youngest daughter's kitty, Sugar Cat, (no, she is not a diabetic - just very, very sweet), is either turning 20, or 21 years in a few months.
I cannot remember if Tiffani was 3, or 4 years old when we got Sugar Cat, but Tiffani will be 24 in February...ANYWAY

Sugar Cat has developed limited vision. She seems to have decreased hearing abilities as well.
Her muscle mass has decreased noticeably, especially in her flank area. She eats very small amounts several times per day.
She moves around a lot less, and sleeps a lot more. When she moves about, she does so rather slowly.
She suffers from head congestion and sneezes a lot more than she used to. Her coat, despite frequent brushing, is a bit rough and no longer shines.
She sheds a lot more than the younger cats. Not sure about her claws, but she does occasionally use the scratching post.

Overall, she is pretty healthy. Blood values remain consistently in the 'normal' range and her heart is only compromised a wee bit.

~M
 
Fred barely sheds at all, so interesting that Sugar Cat sheds more. Fred def. has cataracts but he can still see, he notices when I smile at him (and purrs if he's feeling well), he's not deaf either, although I think he might be forgetful. He def. has lost muscle mass around the hips and flanks and back legs, a lot in the past year.

Fred no longer jumps (hasn't jumped in maybe 2 years. I had stools for him for the last 2 years It hink to get on the bed and sofa, but past 6 months he no longer gets up and down like that since he's very unstable and falls a lot. I started giving him b12 shots about 2 months ago and that has helped his stability a lot, but he still has bouts where he falls, esp. when blood sugar is high--400s or 500s. He walks very slowly

Fred is also in diapers 24/7. At first I had pads around the litter box because he'd get in and miss--wouldn't crouch down enough, then eventually he started not making it into the box, just near it, and then farther and farther away, although he still some of the times tries to go to or towards the litter box. But whatever, the diapers are GREAT and make life a ton easier. He sleeps in bed with me every night no problem.

If anyone needs diaper info I can help. I was going to do a post about it because I think a lot of people put their cats to sleep when they start getting problems here, thinking their quality of life is affected. It's not at all. Fred doesn't really get what the diaper is for, I don't think (since he sometimes still goes to the litter box--and I keep it there as a token for him). And the diaper keeps them clean. If he's NOT wearing it and pees it ends up getting on him and he's dirty. The diaper just soaks it all up. The overnight diapers (for babies) are better since they are more absorbent)

Karen that worries me about Smokey's tumor. So what happened...did you treat it? And how? I have had these fears over the past year or so of Fred having some tumor or something in his head....all based on various fleeting symptoms--the weird purring, this tongue thing he does (that could also be a remaining bad tooth, etc. The only thing is now I'm not sure I would treat him for anything much. I'm not sure he could handle it, not even a dental. (The dental he had 3 years ago, his blood pressure dropped so low--to 40--that they had to stop it in the middle/finish up more quickly). So...I've been in a debate about whether to have him even tested for this sort of thing (MRI, etc.) Again, don't want to stress him out because of his heart disease, and also is the huge expense of all this testing worth it if I probably won't treat him if he had something like that?

I read an interesting article the other day about the issues of caring for a geriatric cat written by a vet, a published paper in an academic journal. It was discussing how humans can perceive future benefit--and therefore bear undergoing chemotheraphy, for example. But animals who seem to live in the present (from what we can tell anyway), to put them thru a painful procedure for future benefit is questionable. The article also discussed at what point do you keep them alive or help them to avoid a suffering death. From what I can tell Fred is not in 'pain, distress or suffering'....but he def has some uncomfortable moments.

anyway, my poor Fred, I wish it got better from here, but it just doesn't.
 
So Thomas is 17 1/2, and he has been diabetic for almost 10 years, ( and that is insulin dependant). He sleeps a lot more, he is so much slower walking up the stairs, he is not the jumper he once was, and he is a lot more vocal, and I guess a lot more of a curmudgeon.
I always assumed it was part of the aging process. A 20 year old cat, is like a 96 year old human, and of course they will slow down, and have lots more health issues.
Dana
 
My Blackie is 17 1/2 and diabetic on insulin for 5+ years. He can still jump, but has bad arthritis in his elbows so he walks a little bowlegged. He claws are very, very thick and I clip them to try to keep them from curling on themselves, but its not easy. Also, Blackie's fur has turned an auburn color instead of the all black it used to be. He also has black spots in the green part of his eyes, but he still has his vision and his hearing. I haven't noticed any difference in his purr and he still eats really well. I hope Fred will be around a lot longer.
 
Our civvie, Bean, is 16, and has slowed down a little (though she can still dart about when she needs to). Her purr is the same, but she purrs more oten, she has gotten cuddlier. Her eyesight is cloudy and her ear fur has thinned, and she occasionanlly sputters after eating if she eats too fast. Otherwise, she's the same little fluffy gray cat she has always been.
 
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