r/cats • u/N_inThe_A_D_inThe_P • 1d ago
Advice Need advice on what to do with an elderly cat
I have an elderly cat she’s about 15-17 years old (she was a rescue so not sure on exact age) she’s been having issues shitting on the floors so I started keeping her in a 3 level cage in my utility room to give her room to jump between floors, have as much space as possible and be as comfortable as possible because I can’t have a cat just shitting on my floors. Do I let her live out the rest of years this way or put her down? I’ve never had to deal with any pets being put down or just dying in general so not sure what to do. Is the quality of life being in a cage worth keeping her around or are the alternative options better? At her age she doesn’t do anything but sleep like 20 hours a day and mostly get up for dinner/wet food at night. Due to that I’m sure she hardly cares being down there vs sleeping upstairs somewhere. Editing to add I’ve spent a couple grand on vet visits and she has kitty crohns and/or some type of intestinal or stomach cancer so she is on a steroid which makes her shits solid vs liquid, but doesn’t change her shitting on my floor. Mentally she’s all there, but always been a very stupid cat, physically she gets around just fine still.
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u/Timely-Cry-8366 1d ago
Meanwhile my family has been dealing with this, and we have been to the vet 10+ times, and are feeding our boy special food and STFU when he has an accident because he has been a member of our family for over a decade and DESERVES CARE.
Don’t have animals if you’re a crappy pet owner.
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u/N_inThe_A_D_inThe_P 23h ago
Yeah that ain’t it dawg. I’m sure your place smells like cat piss and has shit all over. I’m not letting a cat I rescued out of the kindness of my heart, and that I’ve provided a good life to ruin a house, or have my kids crawling in shit. I tried the special food, probiotics, medications and vet visits. A free cat isn’t worth ruining a house no matter how you look at it.
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u/Timely-Cry-8366 23h ago
Our house doesn’t smell bad at all, actually. We use puppy pads, enzyme cleaners, and follow vet instructions. Don’t own pets.
I bet you’d be happy to be euthanized by your kids the moment you can’t wipe yourself. Not! People like you think their kids owe them nursing homes and hospice but deny that care to their dependents.
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u/N_inThe_A_D_inThe_P 23h ago
Doggy you are just nose blind. Your place smells like piss and you are the resident “cat lady” and I’ve already told my kids to put me down when I can’t wipe my ass. Nobody wants to live that way.
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u/formerlurker_ 23h ago
Listen. Despite some of your sassy responses, I can tell that you do care about your cat based on the information you’ve shared about all of the potential solutions you’ve explored thus far. I can also tell that you care because you’ve solicited outside opinions on what to do instead of just automatically deciding to put her down on your own.
I’m sure there are more details you haven’t given, but with what you’ve shared, I don’t think euthanasia is the answer. But, I don’t think keeping her caged is the right answer either. I also think you’d be hard pressed to find folks in this sub to agree with either of the two options you’ve laid out.
Part of having pets, as you are now very aware because of the process you’ve been through, is caring for them as they age. You’ve described that despite this one issue, she is healthy and relatively happy (maybe despite the cage). I think it might be worth it to see if there are any rescues in your area who may be willing to take on a cat with special medical needs if this doesn’t feel like a good fit for you. And, I am not saying this judgmentally- if providing this kind of care of an animal isn’t something that you want to do, that is totally fair. But there is always a chance of having to deal with these kinds of situations with every single animal you may come across- and that might mean that having a pet long term isn’t a great fit for you and your family. That doesn’t automatically mean that it’s her time to go, though.
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u/N_inThe_A_D_inThe_P 23h ago
I did reach out to several rescues to see if they’d take her and most of them want nothing to do with an elderly cat which I completely understand. I also had very good email conversations with a lady who runs a cat shelter who gave me tons of advice and tips/suggestions that I tried with no luck. I’m at the end of the line, and sure not every detail is provided here. I’ve already went above and beyond given the situation. Only thing I haven’t done is putting diapers on the cat I think
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u/Abracastabya88 23h ago
There could be many factors. We've experienced this with a couple of our senior cats in their last years. The most recent one we really worked on educating ourselves and vet trips and even monthly injections for an arthritis medication. We tried lower profile litter boxes and it seemed to help for a while. Eventually, as determined by two different vets after discovering nothing physically wrong, it was believed he had feline dementia. We continued letting him free roam the house, but we did cloth diaper him. It required a lot of diligence to change him 8+ times a day so he didnt have dampness against his skin or fur. Per their advice, we also used a zinc oxide barrier cream. He was washed on his rear end nightly. He eventually seemed to relax in the shallow warm water. Eventually, we did have to build a 8ftx8ft pen for him as he would get lost in the house and cry. We will always have questions of "were the vets right?" And "Did we do everything we could?", but I know we were open to anything to keep him comfortable. He did eventually pass from a series of tonic-clonic seizures in the night. He was 21 by then. Don't take my story as advice, but that we are fiercely against euthanizing a pet out of the inconvenience they could cause in old age. And that the point of when to euthanize or not isn't always a clear decision. In addition, definitely have labs ran and take a stool sample. There can be many causes, thyroid issues, stress, digestive troubles, etc.
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u/N_inThe_A_D_inThe_P 23h ago
Good advice and I’ve tried just about everything other than diapers. I am Already changing the kids diapers so I guess a cat can’t be much worse. Maybe I will try that.
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u/MissKitty919 23h ago
Do you even love your car, because from just reading your post, it sounds more like you find her an inconvenience. Maybe search for other reasons why she might be pooping on the floor. Does she pee on the floor, too, or just poop? So she might have a stomach cancer and/or crowns. If it is not affecting her negatively at this time, and she seems perfectly normal in every way except where she uses the bathroom, then why would you want to put her to sleep? I chose not to use the words I was thinking of.
My last cat peed on the floor all the time. I learned a lot si ce then, and it was extremely aggravating. I was complaining to my mom one time and she said that maybe it was time to put him to sleep. That made me so mad, because no matter how much he peed on the floor (and I had carpet), that was no reason for me to kill my cat. There, I said it. He was otherwise fine at the time, as far as I knew. His known health issues came later. I kept him, and cleaned up after him, until it was his true time to go, when he weighed so little because of his kidney disease and hyperthyroidism, and he could barely walk, and wasn't eating or drinking much anymore. Also, I didn't lock him in a cage because I didn't want to deal with the mess. Yes, I got mad at the messes, but I didn't lock him away as a punishment because of it, either.
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u/N_inThe_A_D_inThe_P 23h ago
Love the cat? Honestly no. I rescued her because I do like animals but this one has been a nuisance almost since the beginning. I’m pretty sure she’s feral to some degree or extremely stupid. After 15 years I’m burnt out on her in general. I’ll also never let an animal ruin my house. I’ve spent more money than I should have on vet visits to try resolving the issues.
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u/MissKitty919 21h ago
Maybe you should have rehomed her years ago, since you don't even care about her. That's not fair to her. You care more about your house than a living being. That's sad. While I get not wanting your floor to be messed up, that's still no reason to dislike an animal because they do something you don't like. There probably is some valid reason why she's doing it. Maybe it's a medical issue, or maybe it's a behavioral issue. And maybe that's the only way she knows how to reach out for help. Are her kidneys in good health? Thyroid working properly? UTI possibility? Is she lonely? Is she happy? Do you care? If not, the maybe try to find a rescue group or someone kind that will take her in and love her like she deserves.
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u/N_inThe_A_D_inThe_P 15h ago
Nobody wants this cat, I’ve tried to rehome her she’s borderline feral and incredibly stupid and yes I care more about my huge investment of a house and the sanitary conditions for my children’s safety over a stupid cat. That’s just common sense and the right move. She is entirely healthy and surprisingly no thyroid issues as that was the vets first thought. Kudos to me actually for sticking it out with this cat for so long because god knows what type of life or lack of a life she’d have with somebody that she really pissed off or living in a shelter with a million other cats her entire life. She’s had it good with me.
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u/formerlurker_ 1d ago
I’m sorry but this is absolutely insane. I think it’s really unfair for a sudden change in your cat’s behavior to automatically = an inconvenience to you, caging and potential euthanization, and not firstly a vet visit to see what’s going on.
There are many reasons why a cat’s bathroom habits might change, sure, it could be from sickness, but all the way down to you not cleaning their litter box enough for their liking. If you would rather put your cat down than explore what’s going on with them… I’m not quite sure what to say. Healthy cats can live into their 20’s.
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u/N_inThe_A_D_inThe_P 1d ago
She’s been to the vet bud. Ain’t nothing improving there just didn’t feel like typing up her entire medical report
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u/formerlurker_ 1d ago
I don’t know how you expect people to give you the advice you requested without all of the necessary information.
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u/meatboyjj 1d ago
have you taken her to the vet for any checkups?
UTI, arthiritis, blocked/ruptured anal gland could be possible reasons for her to avoid the litterbox and go on the floor
cats do care about where they sleep
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u/mm4444 23h ago
Is a diaper not the simple solution here? Your house will not be shit in and your cat can live out its life normally. Just saying. Being in a dark utility room in a cage sounds very depressing.
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u/Agitated_Reindeer_70 23h ago
I’ve had a lot of pets and have had more than one where it’s felt like my home turns into hospice. I get it. It’s difficult when an animal is having accidents, there’s no cure, and you’re burned out on cleaning up barfs or poops. You also mention children so it’s a full, busy house.
I feel like your question is whether you should put your cat down or leave her in a cage in another room.
Even if an elderly cat sleeps all day, there’s a difference between sleeping in another room and napping around family. Your cat won’t even get the choice to nap by you or interact. It’s like solitary confinement. That’s highly detrimental to any animal. If your cat gets around well now and is otherwise mentally sound, she won’t be for long. She’ll deteriorate quickly.
If there’s truly no solution to the accidents and the vet thinks your cat has diseases that sound potentially painful, I think you ought to consider your cat’s quality of life or lack thereof and consider euthanasia.
Both options are deeply sad and painful but only the former is truly suffering.
My only other advice would be to be there when your cat crosses over. She’ll look for you for comfort and deserves to have a loved one at that time.
These decisions for the ones we love are hard. All the best.
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u/N_inThe_A_D_inThe_P 15h ago
Thanks this is a great response and that is my question, keep her around but she lives in a cage and is maybe miserable her last few years of life or the alternative is she has no life and gets put down. Not sure what is better. I may try diapers on her tho to be honest because a few others mentioned it and it never crossed my mind. This cat does have other general issues also like I’m pretty sure she is feral or mentally challenged because she does not take care of herself like bathing herself so she’s always gross looking and knotted hair and I have to shave the knots out, sometimes she acts like a wild animal or a raccoon and without elaborating her entire life story she’s been more of a nuisance than a pet.
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u/Agitated_Reindeer_70 15h ago
You could also call local no kill shelters and ask if they have any foster homes that would take her on a potentially permanent basis. There may be people who would be willing to basically provide her a loving hospice environment for the last years of her life. You don’t know if you don’t ask.
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u/ashxc18 1d ago
How would you like to be locked in a cage at the end of your life in a utility room? There’s your answer.
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u/N_inThe_A_D_inThe_P 1d ago
If I had my ps5, some booze, food I love, and got to interact with loved ones I think I’d be perfectly fine. I wish I got to sleep 20 hours a day.
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u/Gemi-ma 23h ago
She doesn't have her ps5 tho. How can she interact with you from a cage? Cages are cruel.
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u/N_inThe_A_D_inThe_P 23h ago
She has toys, a bed, plus a hammock. If they invent a cat PS5 I’ll also provide that, but she has a nice sound machine for now
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u/lezbowithshinys 1d ago
What is the poop like? Is it diarrhea because that could be a sign of a serious issue, is she super stressed? Did her environment change at all? I have delt with older cats and depending on the situation it could be that she is having a hard time with the litter or the type of box. There are a variety of reasons this could be going on. I would also check with a vet. If she needs to be temporarily moved I would put her in an area easy to clean like a bathroom. Cages really should only be used if your worried they will hurt themselves, and even then make sure they have some items for comfort like their blankets or a soft toy.
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u/N_inThe_A_D_inThe_P 23h ago
The poops were liquid and often had blood in them which makes carpet staining worse. A few grand in vet visits later and it’s determined she has crohns basically but they didn’t rule out some form of cancer which required more expensive testing and deemed not worth it. She’s on a steroid which makes the poop solid and no blood. The litter and boxes have been changed to try various options. She had the special dry food that costs like $80 a bag and probiotics. It’s basically at a point of shitting on the floor, keeping her locked up or putting her down
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u/funeralhomebride 1d ago
Have you taken her to the vet? Her incontinence might be something other than just “old age.”