Caregiver's cats behaving badly.

Nearing the end of a week where mom has been loony and defiant to the Nth degree.

I get her in the car for dialysis and tell her to put on her seatbelt. She starts playing with the window.

"What are you doing mom?"

"I'm...trying to open the door."

"Why are you opening the window then?"

"I don't know."

"Ok," I say, activating the window child lock. "Use the black handle on the door."

She pushes the window switch a few more times, then eventually finds her way along the door to the handle, pulls at her coat (which wasn't actually stuck), and tries to use the door opener to close the door.

Of course it doesn't close that way.

"Mom, use the other handle. No, the other handle. No, the other handle. Not the window. Go down. No, down. Now to your right. Your other right. Further. No, not that handle, the other one. The other one. The other handle, mom. Look below that one. See that handle? It's the same colour as the door, can you see it now? See how it indents?"

She pulls on the door. It doesn't click all the way shut. I tell her. She opens it and tries again. It doesn't click shut. Finally I lean over and open/close it properly.

"Ok, now put on your seatbelt."

Mom starts playing with the window button.

Ok, well you can imagine how it all went from there.

After that and about a half dozen other scenarios of things going off the rails, I finally leave her in the hands of the hospital porter for dialysis. I get in the car. Start it up.

The radio starts playing Ozzy Osbourne's "Crazy Train."

"I'm going off the rails on a crazy train......."

I rest my head on the steering wheel.

Sorry for changing tense, here, but....I have to. I can't live like that's the present anymore! Lol.

I gave up on my errands halfway through this afternoon. I sat in the parking lot at Safeway and, instead of going in, I said, "Screw this, I'm going to start my day again and go hug my kitten."

And then I got in the door, and Bruce was already coming towards me. I put on my excited voice and said "Hello Bruce! Hello my boy!" And he was all fluffy and happy. He lifted his front paws to be picked up. We cuddled hard and then I ruffled his fur a few times. I could hear the deep rumble in his chest.

I just had to post this because.....aren't animals awesome? Aren't they really just the best thing on earth? I think so, anyway.

So sorry for your loss, Susan.

Pam, I wish cremations were that cheap here. It's a lot more, and goes by size of the animal. Or to go cheaper, you can have them cremated with a bunch of other animals and get ashes back that are a mixture of a bunch of animals, not just your dog. No thanks. I like the idea of having him buried here in the yard, where I can make a nice spot for him between the trees where he liked to be when he was outside. I don't know why, but something was just telling me to get ready a couple of weeks before he died, and since it was winter, I knew that meant having to "store" his body until spring. I hate the idea, but it was the only option I had.
(Note: if anyone else finds themselves in this position, there are Ebay sellers that offer bags just for this purpose.)

Good to know MsMadge.
My year has already gone to the dogs.

It's lunar new year
Year of the dog

Hey Susan, nice to see a post from you, but sad circumstances. Sorry about your doggy. When you have a pet that long, I'm sure it feels very sad to lose him.

SusanA43, my heartfelt sympathy to you and your family. It is so tough to lose a fur baby. Oh, if only we could have them for much longer.

Caregiver2020, if you find your cat turns up her nose to the diet food, one thing I noticed between the wet/dry diet food and the regular off the shelf wet/dry food is that the Protein is way lower in the diet food. Thanks, Dorianne for pointing that out :))

I plan to check Chewy.com and see what regular off the shelf wet cat food has lower protein. Has to be 5% or 6% compared to 12% or whatever. Dry food is like, yikes, 30% protein compared to 20% diet. Much easier using Chewy as the website shows the ingredients, then standing in PetSmart for two hours trying to read the tiny print on all the cat food cans :P

There is a variety of new cat soups that is out that I noticed has low protein. My cat just slurps up the juice and leave the fish or chicken behind for the other cat to eat.

I know what you mean about dog years not being what they used to.. I was astounded that our 9 year old chi is considered a geriatric dog! They say they live to almost 20! But Bella is acting older these days. And she is not really taking to the puppy,, we hoped it would perk her up. Cremations here are about $40... then they take the remains to a cemetary that has a pet area. No special place per pet, but quite nice. It is in an area near us.

Thank you everyone - I sure do miss him. I knew it was coming, but didn't realize how soon. He was an old guy - large breed and age 12, so the equivalent of over 100 human years. That old "7 human years for every dog year" isn't the case - large breeds age faster.
I guess I subconsciously knew more than I'd like to admit, because 2 weeks before he died, he had a strange episode that had me ready to run him to the vet, but he recovered, other than being a little lethargic for a couple of days. I thought maybe he just had a bug. But something was telling me to get ready, so I ordered what was needed to take care of him until I can make a place for him in the yard. (I can't afford to cremate him and can't bury him - ground is frozen.) I guess my intuition was right.

I think he had a series of strokes in a very short span of time. It was terrible to watch. I had someone coming to help me get him to the vet, because he's a large dog and weighed about 100lbs - no way could I carry him out to the van - but they didn't make it in time and he died at home. I knew the vet couldn't help him, but I wanted them to end his suffering. He just went too fast. I guess that was a hard lesson learned - if I have another dog, it needs to be one that I can carry myself. :-(

I think I've had enough loss and death for a while. I'm glad he didn't pass away any sooner - like right after Mom passed. At least he was here with me for a while and was a comfort during that process.

Sorry, too, Susan; my big dog went to 14, with almost no trouble, but deafness, then a stroke.... that they managed to get old helps, but it still hurts. I'm glad you still have one baby left....

Susan, I am so sorry, it is never easy.

Susan,
So nice to see you posting today.
I am very sorry about your losing the old guy.
It is never easy to lose our pets, when they have become our family.
Condolences.

I am down to just my cat now. :-( Lost my dog about 10 days ago. Sure miss the old guy.

FrequentFlyer-thanks again:)...we took our Callie in (she is also 17 years old) and she does have kidney disease. Thanks to you we caught it early. The vet said that with diet, we should be able to keep it from progressing. So today she starts on Science Diet-wish us luck:)...thank you because of your post we did catch it in the early stage. Other than that she is a very healthy and active cat and hopefully we can keep her that way for awhile longer! Thanks! I have learned so much on this forum and am so grateful for it.

The sad thing is; we really are! I am amazed at the stuff vets suggest, do - if you don't ask before they do it - and the prices they charge. Years ago I found out you can feed a cat (usually males) tuna. beef, or chicken juice or milk, mixed with warm water 2-3 times in a day or two (about 1/2 c each time) if they get the urine blocking thing (like cystitis), caused by crystals from dry cat foods or mineral water, like we have here. The symptoms are going into the cat box often, not doing much, or anything, and going back in. At some point they may cry when trying to urinate. The vet will hydrate them and charge $150+ and it could have to be done again in 2-4 months. I have managed 3 cats with the juice/warm water therapy instead, and one lived to 16, one 11, and my current one is around 12 so far.... well worth trying if you ever have this problem.

Well, after the disaster with our elder feral Farrah a few weeks ago, now our 5 year old feral Ebony had to the vet for a huge abcess on her face. Seems he got a puncture wound and it displaced his fang and some other teeth. He swelled up like a golf ball overnight, and hubs found him in the yard, rushed him to the vet and they said he would have died if we had not brought him in. Fever of 105, jailed in the garage for the time being, just got him home,, all sleepy and drunk. And I really don't want to think about the bill hubs charged.. LOL ( not really LOL). So a few more days of detention and we can let him out of the garage. Giving these drugs is fun with a feral, but now all the shots are done. Thank God we don't have any others!! Between the puppy and this I am putting the vets kids through college!

Veronica - I had that philosophy too until my beloved George got cancer. Then it was a question of finding something that would tempt him to eat at all. After he died, my girl Carmella (also an SPCA cat) fell into a very deep depression, and refused to eat ANYTHING for a MONTH. She was literally wasting away. I kept trying different things until she finally succumbed to the SMELLIEST of fish flavours from Fancy Feast. Eventually (after about 2 or 3 months) she became willing to eat other flavours. But she is still so skinny, I'd prefer to let her be picky than see her refuse to eat.  

So that's how that happens, sometimes.

Young Bruce would eat anything, but I'm still accommodating my girl. She is going to be 14 this year, and lost her lifelong best friend/companion only a year ago (and since mine are indoor cats, it's not like she had any other cat friends).....she's probably earned the right to eat nothing but pate.

Kidney disease - as I've learned from my mom and her kidney disease - can be somewhat managed (or managed for a time) with diet. My mom managed to maintain her kidney function at a static level - and thus avoid dialysis - for 10 extra years just by following the dietician's guidelines to the letter.

You're right; at 17 I would let him have what he likes...

Caregiver2020, the jury is still out on the Royal Canin wet food. On round one he liked the "D" favor. I will need to buy some more small cans from the Vet [not a case full] to try round 2 of the experiment to see if we have a winner.

So far he has refused any and all special diet dry food. It's a tough call, as the cat is on the thin side and I rather see him eat whatever he likes then loose weight. The cat is 17 years old, similar to an elder parent, you just give up and let them have ice cream for breakfast :P

freqflyer, thank you so much for this information on kidney disease in older cats. I suspect our Callie may have this and we are taking her in tomorrow to get her checked. Is Charlie still eating the Royal Canin? Thank You:)

Mally1, it was Charlie's blood test for his Senior Wellness Exam. The Vet said the test showed an elevation of whatever for his kidneys. Otherwise the only noticeable symptom is when you scoop out the urinary clump from the litter box and the clump is super large, then that is telling us the cat is drinking a lot of water for some reason.

I think the special diet promotes the cat to drink even more water. The secret of more water is to place numerous water bowls around the house.

FF, just curious; why is your Charlie (I have a "Charlie", too) having to be on prescription food? What were his symptoms? I have a reason for asking....

Cats that refuse food in my house tend to get a little hungry. When we had the farm and several cats everyone gulped their dish down before someone else took it. No leaving some for later. My current cat has never refused anything either, guess that comes from spending time in the SPCA.
Kidney failure is very common in older cats in fact my Vet daughter says most get it sooner or later.

Oh FF, that's going to be tricky. Poor Charlie.  That's the problem with the kidneys, is they have to go low protein....which is probably why wet food is out.   Tricky for cats, too, since they are obligate carnivores.  The only other option is probably to make his meals yourself....which is a lot of work!

My best guy friend faithfully feeds Royal Canin from the time they are kittens. His cats now are only 4 (siblings), so it's too soon to tell.....but the two he had before them lived to 19 and 21, respectively. I'm skeptical of prescription diets, but there must be something good in the Royal Canin! That is, if Charlie will eat it......

Edit:  I have a bunch of canned food my cats have done the exact same thing with!  I was thinking I would take them to the SPCA next week, along with the 2 lovely, soft, not-so-cheap beds I bought just before I brought Bruce home, that neither of them will use.  Or I might take them to the pet food bank....they just opened up last year.  You might have a pet food bank in your area, too.  Or even the regular food banks will accept and distribute pet food.  (I think you call them food pantries in the US?) 

Well, this is going to be interesting, "Charlie" really needs to be on a special kidney diet. Oh great, I remember trying special diet prescription with him last year and he would try to cover it up... yep, that was his opinion of THAT food.

Yesterday the Vet gave me Royal Canin to try as I hadn't tried that brand before. Say what? Charlie was actually eating the wet food. I hope tomorrow he does the same thing... you know how cats can be.... you find something they like to eat, order a case of it, and they totally ignore the 2nd can.... [sign].

I have a 2 yr old female that NEVER makes a sound (unless her brother has her in a headlock, tho it's usually the other way 'round), and a deaf from birth white female who never meows, but will shriek while she plays by herself (at night; sure is a jolt from a sound sleep!). Sometimes the shriek turns to a noise like she's afraid; I think she suddenly feels lost or alone, because if I turn on the light, she quits. She's 12 1/2 now, still looks like a kitten, and such a character! People who don't like cats have no idea....

You know what's funny....I don't actively encourage my cats to talk. George, the feline love of my life, hardly ever spoke a "word," and when he did, it was a short, sharp "MEH," usually blasted in complaint of being picked up or something. And I adored him for his silence - he talked to me with his eyes and his body language and his rumbling purr, and that worked for me! Carmella became a pretty quiet girl along the way, too.

Now Bruce, he may be a talker. He has a few sounds....the cutest one is the "chirp." Which he uses when he's feeling kittenish and lovey-dovey and is about to jump on me. I am not sure if I want to encourage this, though.

I dated this guy once....it lasted MAYBE two months. And his cats....they never, ever, EVER shut up! After it was over, I realized they were a product of his way of being....because HE never, ever, EVER shut up either! Drove me mad! It was like he constantly had to fill up any peaceful, silent space with the noise of his own voice.  Even when we weren't hanging out together, he'd be texting me all day. (I was working on a friend's ranch then, and didn't have free hands for that nonsense, never mind time to stop and reply. "Don't you have work to do?" I'd eventually text. "I'm doing it!" he'd text back from the comfort of his desk.) (Yeah, that was never gonna work out.)

My point....I realized my cats' silence is a product of my own lifestyle, which is to enjoy a lot of quiet time at home. (As a musician, I like to be able to hear the music in my head.) So I dunno if Bruce will ever become a chatty fellow.

I read somewhere that cats are actually pretty silent creatures once they become adults (except for their mating rituals), and that they developed their vocalizations solely for the purpose of communicating with humans, rather than other cats!  Which is kind of neat!

Dorianne, if Bruce can make a variety of different sounds, instead of the normal "meow" sounds that most cats make, you may have a talker on your hands.

Back in the 1970's I had a Siamese mix "Alex" that had a variety of sounds, so I tried word association with him. Just a couple of words to see if he would parrot them and understand the word usage. I used the "one word" only technique as that was easier. Like the words "Mom", "Out", "No", etc.

Eventually Alex surprised me with one sentence "I want out" in cat accent. It was clear enough sounding that when we had friends over to visit, both of them said "did that cat say what I think he said 'I want out'?" Then we started talking about it, ignoring the cat, Alex was losing patience so he then said "I want out NOW !!" Oh my gosh, we were rolling on the floor laughing, and yes, Alex went outside.

So I have been doing the word association with Charlie for the past 17 years. He has an interesting vocabulary.  Charlie would be upstairs and I would be downstairs calling for him. I start laughing whenever he would say "what?" like he is annoyed.

Cats can be so interesting :))

Hah, ff! I was in the back collecting Bruce's blankets when the thermometer incident happened. I had my back turned away from him, but he was only 6 feet away.  He YOWLED, and I swear he was saying, "JEEZ, mom, did you see that? Did you SEE what they just DID to me????" When the ladies handed him back, he grabbed onto my shoulder with all his claws and was not letting go, ever!

Bruce does NOT like the vet's office.

The up side is I'm the one who took him out of there after the thermometer incident, so he was extra lovey-dovey when we got back here, and still is. I think I'm his hero now!

Edit:  the funny thing is, everyone at the vet's office adores Bruce.  We are kind of in the "poorer" side of town.  The vet's office does a brisk business in doggies....but I think they mostly see cats when they're sick and/or at the end of life.  So even the vet himself giggles when he sees fluffy, shiny, healthy, curious Kitten-Bruce.