Senior cat meowing and yowling

Pearly

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Hey guys, this will be long but perhaps another cat lover who's had similar experience and can offer some ideas/advise. I have 3 indoor cats. 2 senior females that have been together in my household for 13 years and adult male who's been with us last 5 years. Everybody is altered. One of the "old ladies" has been having behavioral issues since my twin boys started toddling around the house. It was about this same time when I had to have my 2 original cats put down. ImageUploadedByTortoise Forum1457284302.449522.jpg the white and gray are my boys who had died, and the all gray is Shari (my problem child) ImageUploadedByTortoise Forum1457284488.523703.jpg here is my Mom petting Shari and the one in forefront is Toffi (another old lady, 15) she's a tortoiseshell. Shari's age can only be estimated as she was about 4 when she wandered up to us and never left. We had no info of her prior life. She's around 17 now. ImageUploadedByTortoise Forum1457284791.409417.jpghere is Shari today. She had started peeing/pooping on my hardwood floor despite litter boxes all over the place. I tried everything! Catnip stuff, pheromone diffusers, enzymatic cleaners, you name it. Finally I had a cat shrink (for real!) come to the house and he put her on Prozac which did help. She'd still have issues on and off though but only on occasion. About a year after all this started I had a new cat join our family. Maxi. ImageUploadedByTortoise Forum1457285039.501199.jpg got him off craigslist from family who'd spent 850$ for him as kitten few months prior and then couldn't stand the "white hair everywhere". I was missing that "white hair", crying daily after my two boys died, so I took Maxi. Maxi is very "alpha", and wanted to play which I know didn't help Shari's behavior. Last few months though things were ok. She's been sleeping in her bed under a chair in my living/music room with her food/water bowl on one side and litter box on the other, as it has been for few years now. She's been ok, just getting OLD. Last few days she started meowing and yowling at night. Her appetite is great and she uses her littler box. Nothing else is out of ordinary except lack of grooming that recently has become very obvious with matted coat (she does not tolerate being brushed any more so I only do it gently when she lets me). Last night she was calling out again and since it was a saturday night I had little time to experiment. I went to her and just sat with her. She would calm down. As soon as I left her she started "calling" again... I can't afford vet visit now (husband still looking for a job). Does anyone have experience with similar to this? I feel like I should take her to the vet but would have to borrow $$$ for that. I know with urine and blood work it's not gonna be lower than 250-300$ which I just don't have laying around. She's had UTI in a past but I can tell by the way she smells with UTI. She's had URI as well, but it's not that either. Her breathing is fine, eyes not watery like she gets when allergies hit her... Is it common for elderly cats to get ... Confused? And just need to be comforted?...
 

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Yvonne G

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I had an older cat who suffered from kidney problems as the end neared. It was quite painful for her and she yowled a lot. It was comforting to her when I held her and pet her, but the pain was obvious. She died after only a day of yowling.
 

Pearly

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I had an older cat who suffered from kidney problems as the end neared. It was quite painful for her and she yowled a lot. It was comforting to her when I held her and pet her, but the pain was obvious. She died after only a day of yowling.
Thank you Yvonne. I know she's old and her time is getting near. Had her vet visit not to long ago and her thyroid/kidneys were ok. She just calmed down, put her next to me and she's frozen in this same position softly purringImageUploadedByTortoise Forum1457290350.075328.jpgImageUploadedByTortoise Forum1457290379.188092.jpgmy little sweet old lady! I just don't want her to suffer. Death doesn't scare me (well, maybe just a little, due to the "unknown" factor) I've seen plenty. Every human and animal should be crossing over surrounded by love and serenity
 

Rue

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You have my sympathies. I am in a similar boat. We lost one 'granny cat' last year (also to kidney issues), and our second is turning 14 next week. (We also have a 3 year old brother/sister pair).

I think, at this age, do what you feel is right. It will be right.
 

ToritheTortoise

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So sorry about your beloved cat, I had an elderly cat that seems to have had the same problems that you are having. When I took her to the vet she did have a UTI and even after it cleared up she was the same. We just conforted and tried our best to keep her safe, warm and happy.
 

MPRC

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Some older cats get a little senile and get 'lost' and scream. That or if she's really matted she could be irritated by the pulling of her fur. Or she could be sore from arthritis. It is impossible to say. She may just be being needy seeing as how she stops when you come to her.

Is she urinating more than normal (quantity-wise)? That is usually a sign of the kidney issues so many people have mentioned because the organs no longer concentrate the urine properly.

I'm dealing with a matted kitty right now. She blew her entire winter coat at once and didn't manage to groom it away so I have been cutting the mats in half and covertly picking at them when she's being snuggly.
 

Pearly

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You have my sympathies. I am in a similar boat. We lost one 'granny cat' last year (also to kidney issues), and our second is turning 14 next week. (We also have a 3 year old brother/sister pair).

I think, at this age, do what you feel is right. It will be right.
Thank you so much. It's just so hard to see them in such distress
 

Pearly

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So sorry about your beloved cat, I had an elderly cat that seems to have had the same problems that you are having. When I took her to the vet she did have a UTI and even after it cleared up she was the same. We just conforted and tried our best to keep her safe, warm and happy.
My vet clinic is closed (Sunday night) so I brought her to Vet ER, they just took her blood and urine. I just want to know if it's infection or is it that her organs are shutting down. This was pretty sudden and if it's infection, I want antibiotic, if inflammation, I want her pain treated, if shutting down... I want her comfortable... But boy oh boy! 400$!!!!!
 

Pearly

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Some older cats get a little senile and get 'lost' and scream. That or if she's really matted she could be irritated by the pulling of her fur. Or she could be sore from arthritis. It is impossible to say. She may just be being needy seeing as how she stops when you come to her.

Is she urinating more than normal (quantity-wise)? That is usually a sign of the kidney issues so many people have mentioned because the organs no longer concentrate the urine properly.

I'm dealing with a matted kitty right now. She blew her entire winter coat at once and didn't manage to groom it away so I have been cutting the mats in half and covertly picking at them when she's being snuggly.
Not needy, this is totally out of character for her. My heart tells me she's in distress. ImageUploadedByTortoise Forum1457320791.261069.jpg totally calm right now on my lap. Being close to a human comforts her. ImageUploadedByTortoise Forum1457320865.948489.jpg I can tell she's feeling miserable, whatever is going on. My poor baby. As for her coat, I'm not too concerned about that. When/if she gets to feeling better, I'll cut them out. She's always looooved being brushed but even without it her coat was always gorgeous. I just can't bare the thought of her suffering
 
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Razan

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How long before you get the results back?

We all know the eventual outcome must occur but we hope that will happen later. For now we hope for improvement. I sympathetically await for the results too.
 

Pearly

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Thanks guys. The results were ready in 20 min. She has high bacteria counts in her urine, and kidney function is off. I haven't seen the report myself yet. Will get all that in am. I had to leave her at the hospital for IV antibiotics (2 different ones) and IV fluids. Really didn't want to leave her in strange place but she just looked so sick, and the vet seemed determined they had good chance to nip this thing with aggressive treatment. I had to apply for Care Credit, my vet bill will be astronomical but I saw no other options. My kitty girl was in distress, I had to get help for her. Btw, for the first time ever I had to sign a DNR order on a cat!!! DNR stands for Do Not Resuscitate. I am to pick her up at 6:30 and take her with her IV fluids to our family vet for follow up care. Guess I could have asked for more conservative care at home, but that would amount to nothing (she's always been impossible to give oral meds to) and watch her die horrible tormentuos death... Next door to our room someone was having their dog put down... Oh, the cries of that poor man! ... I just couldn't do that. Plus the vet felt this was an acute treatable illness... I'll post in am & let you guys know. Thanks for reading this thread and for your support
 

Pearly

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Hey guys, my Little Old Lady Shari just died peacefully at home in the bed that she used to love to sleep in, warm and cozy with me holding and whispering to her. She was mouth breathing so I'd drop in 3-3 drops of water and gently wipe her little mouth and nose with wet gauze. My children will be home from school in couple of hrs, I feel they need a chance to say their goodbyes. My husband is home and hopefully can help with the burial. I want her to rest in my back yard garden, which close to area where the tortoise enclosure will be going. I'll give my kids option of participating in burial in whatever way they want. This will be the first "big" death they have to deal with. Not counting a little goldfish from the carnival that died like the next day so there was no strong connection. Shari has been with them since their birth... so I'll be off now, trying to get over my crying so that I can support my children through theirs. Thank you ALL for your support
 

MPRC

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I am sorry for your loss, but you did all you could and she was able to pass on peacefully with you by her side.

Its never easy and you'll be in my thoughts.

Something my parents did when we were little and would lose a pet is we would either go fora walk and find a pretty rock for a headstone or go to the garden center and pick a plant to plant over them as a marker.
 

spud's_mum

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Rip :(
She was lucky to have you.
You gave her an amazing life and she was obviously loved dearly.
Sending warm hugs :(
 

Rue

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My condolences. It's never easy when the end comes. But she had a great life with you...and that is to be celebrated.
 

Pearly

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Hi Guys and thank you again for your support. It has meant a lot. I've been off line since that last post until now. Just needed to center my thoughts and emotions and "helicopter" over my children who have been having very hard time. They just miss her. Plain and simple. And so do I but that initial shock, denial is pretty much over, it's just sadness now. I'm trying to keep reminding the kids all the good times they had with her. We planted very pretty pink rose on the grave and the kids wanted a little sleeping kitty-angel statue to mark the grave. I found one at TJMAXX pretty cute but it's resin so won't last very long. I'll be looking for something made out of concrete to replace it. I told the kids they can make a little garden of their own there. It is just really sad for me to see how they are hurting. And I'm down to only 2 cats!!!! First time in 20 years! My "cat quota" has been 4-5!!! I may have to find me a little orange tabby Maine Coon mix kitten to bring in some youth to my household. My other 2 cats were looking for Shari for about a week but seem to have settled down now. Thought I'd give you guys little update in case some of you were curious why I have been offline this long. Again thank you All for your support
 

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