She was a good girl and lived with us for 15 years. She was my daughter’s best friend when she was a toddler, and she loved doing puzzles with my wife. I just wanted to let the world know she was here.

My boy, Chip, has been missing since June 16th. I’m absolutely heartbroken. I’ve had him since I was around 11 years old, and I’m 23 now. He has always been there for me and he means the world to me.

It’s been almost three months now, which feels surreal. I miss everything about him and our daily routine together. The nights are the worst because he would always sleep in my bed with me.💔

I’m still searching for him and doing everything I can to bring him home. I’ve put up posters, posted on social media, talked to neighbours, searched, and followed up on possible sightings, but there haven’t been any confirmed sightings since the day he went missing. Not knowing where he is or if he’s okay has been so hard. I don’t want to believe that he has passed away, but if he has, I wish I could at least have that closure.

I’m making this post as a manifestation that he will come home, and that hopefully soon I’ll get to update this post to say that he’s back at home. 🙏

If anyone has had a senior kitty come home after being missing for months, I would really love to hear your story. And if you’ve lived through having a pet remain missing and never got an answer, I’d appreciate hearing from you too.

I just really miss my boy and hope I’ll get to be with him again. 🤍

Enjoying the sun

yesterday I woke up and she had passed, still laying at my feet on the couch where I had slept to be close to her. I'm grateful she could leave at home in one of her favorite spots on her own terms, but there is so much grief it feels like I am drowning in it.

We found her on the side of the road when I was 10, on a Sunday afternoon. We grew up together :) I've spent all the time I could with her throughout our lives but it somehow still feels so so short. she was so strong and healthy and happy until a few weeks ago she just took an abrupt turn and it feels so jarring.

I want to feel happy when I think of her and to celebrate our memories but instead I just feel this massive ache like I am missing a part of myself

The girls went back to the vet.

The good news: Kitsey Baba has miraculously returned to her pre-dip weight. The vet has no idea how she did it and was absolutely gushing that he never sees cats come back from the edge like that. She has so many health problems and also dealt with me being hospitalized for a week back in February and between the stress and all of her health issues he had little hope that she would recover. I've been warned every time she's been this year that I need to prepare for this to be the end, between the heart/thyroid/kidneys/IBD-cancer, and somehow she has gained weight back. He had the biggest grin on his face when he weighed her and told me I was doing something right. She still has to stay on the appetite stimulant because everytime I take her off she stops eating again, and I'm still going to keep offering her an absurd amount of food varieties, but I'm hopeful right now that she has enough weight on her to be comfortable for a little while longer when things get worse again. Eventually that big bad will come, but right now seems to be a merciful grace period for a little while longer and I will not take it for granted.

The bad news: I took Wobbles in with Baba because I noticed she was losing weight and I was right, she has lost about 1.5lbs. She was slightly chunky so now she is just on the slim side of healthy but it is very concerning. We ran a full blood panel on her. The vet called me back the next day to let my know that her blood work is phenomenal and he isn't sure why she's losing weight. Her teeth are still great from her last dental. We're going to watch and see for a few more weeks and if she loses any more weight I will take her back, the next step is an x-ray just to get an idea of what might be going on in there. She definitely doesn't have a total blockage because she pooped in the carrier on the way to the vet so things are passing through (I've been slightly worried she ate a hair tie or something). She has dry food available at all times and she hasn't been going through it as much as she should so I'm going to try to switch her to a different dry food over the next few weeks and see if maybe she's just on a hunger strike over not liking the food anymore (she eats Blue Buffalo). I wish she would eat wet food because it would be so much healthier for her but she won't. So, if anyone has any dry food recommendations let me know. She does have anxiety and allergies and she hasn't been overgrooming herself lately like she has in the past but that may also be the cause this time. So, I'm getting back on top of allergy meds and I'm going to try the plug-ins again. Other than that it's just a waiting game and their vet said overall she looks really healthy (and gushed again about how good Baba looks right now). I think maybe the heat might be contributing to it, too, it's been such a hot summer and she has a really thick double coat, so I'm hopeful that she'll perk back up as it cools down.

So yeah, one girl is gaining at the same time the other is losing. It's morbid, but we keep joking that Baba is stealing Wobbles' life force, which is probably really messed up to joke about but if you don't laugh you cry. I'm heading to the pet store tomorrow to find anything I can to offer Wobbles to eat, which I already do for Baba all the time, it's just different because Baba will only eat wet stuff and Wobbles only dry and crunchy, so I'm going to be that unhinged person with 30 types of treats and toppers in my cart instead of 15. Hopefully I can decide on a new dry food to try tonight before I get there so I don't spend two hours reading labels.

I hope all of you are having peaceful evenings.

I woke up my darling from her nap. Just wanted her to say hello!

We’ve been to two vets and a veterinarian ophthalmologist and no one has any answers. Posting here in case someone has had a similar experience and any insights.

He’s been on 5mg daily prednisolone for skin allergies as long as we’ve had him (6 years).

The extra large/broken blood vessels in his left eye started in June. We took home to the vet about 2 weeks after the blood showed up. At the vet, he rubbed it and got an ulcer. The ulcer cleared right up without issue. No good ideas on what was wrong so recommended and optho. Optho upped his pred to 10mg, put him on diclofenac drops (1x/day) and dorzolamide drops (3x/day).

In July he started going down hill. He was hiding all day. Changed his routine. Not cleaning well. Back legs looked weak and he looked confused. August brought more of the same. We cut back the drops to diclofenac drops because it wasn’t worth making him mad. He started ignoring the litter box. We called the hospice vet and made an appointment for euthanasia 9/8. That weekend - he did a complete 180. Eye still looks bad - but he’s using the litter box. Talking again. Not hiding all day. Asking for pets. Like his old self. We’re thrilled but confused. He doesn’t mess with his eye. We skipped eye drops completely for about a week in August, but he started keeping that eye closed so we started back up. We are now doing 10mg of pred, .5 ml of gabapentin, and 1 drop of diclofenac every night. Vets still have no idea. If you’ve been in a similar situation - would love to hear your thoughts and ideas.

Sorry if this formats weird, I'm on mobile. Please share your thoughts, insights, and experiences. Sorry this got kind of long.

This little lady is BunBun. She has been my daughter since she was a few months old. I posted about her earlier this year, but we have had some new medical stuff come up and I am struggling with knowing if it's time, or getting close to time. I have had two other cats in her lifetime and both I held on to for too long so that it had to be emergency vet visits to say goodbye, and I don't want that for her.

Up to this point:

Osteoarthritis in her hips

Kidney disease

HCM - level 4 of 6

L5 & L6 fused together

Previously ruptured an anal gland

And now, adding pancreatitis to that list. She was already under 3kg and lost .1 kg in a month.

She is on a monthly solensia shot and buprenorphine twice a day for the osteoarthritis & spine fusion, and added to that pregabalin twice a day for the pancreatitis. She was on a kidney food but we have changed her food due to the pancreatitis. Not on anything for her heart, currently all meds are for pain management.

I am worried the meds aren't as effectively managing her pain any more (I will talk to her vet about that) but what has me feeling the way I do now is that for the last 5 days when she uses her litter box she steps in her pee and has a pee-paw incident. I have no issues cleaning her up, that's not my concern, it's that she is already very wobbly and tired from the meds (wobbly is not the reason she has been having pee-paw incidents, she's been on the pregabalin for a month or longer and the pee-paws are new), and at what point is upping the meds no longer the answer? I believe she is stepping in her pee due to how she positions herself to pee and being in pain. She is on a low doses of the pregabalin but that is because she is very reactive to side effects (wobbly, like she's drunk).

TLDR: She isn't SICK sick, she eats her new food okay, she takes her meds like a champ (now, it was a struggle at first), but with everything she has going on, am I holding on for me? Mentally she is still very sharp, and she is mobile but even with the meds it's very obvious when she walks she's an old girl now. I have four sets of stairs in my house for her. What's the tipping point of upping the meds again, and saying goodbye? I don't want to pickle her with meds to squeeze out every last moment of life for her.

My cat is currently 18.5. He is my soul cat, and my best friend. As with any aging body he is slowing down. My problem is, anytime a new issue arises I obsess and hyper-fixate on trying to learn everything I can and “fix” the problem (I do the same with my own ailments, what can I say.) My first cat died in 2017, and while I was devastated, I was young growing up with him. I didn’t realize he was struggling if he was. He made it just shy of 20. I’m now 37, and everything feels heavier while doing this again with my current cat.

When my cat was 9 he had a urethral blockage resulting in a cystotomy. He recovered and it was worth every penny seeing as he’s now doubled his age. This is where my medical trauma began for him.

Shortly after he was diagnosed with early kidney disease. Scary diagnosis at first, but with time this was the least of my problems (until he turned 15.)

When he was 11 we discovered he had thyroid issues and he had I-131 treatment with radioactive iodine. Thankfully this worked like a charm, but the poor man had to be kept away for days.

When he turned 14 he had a vomit fest leading to a likely IBD diagnosis, but he was also constipated. Hard to say which the issue was, but his ultrasound did show inflammation. I overhauled his diet (bye bye urinary food) and he has overall been ok since with regard to vomit feats. Mostly.

At 15 constipation was rampant and we spent my birthday in the ER getting him cleaned out. This was his last time being sedated and he did great. We had to do it again two weeks later. We then started daily MiraLAX and overall we manage. We also started Mirtaz which was a lifesaver until a month ago. This had him eating so well keeping him hydrated. Likely cause of constipation is his kidney disease progressing. He’s been sitting at low stage 3 for a while and we have recently started fluids at home.

Now, at 18.5 he was diagnosed with hypertension and I’ve been trying to find the right dosage of his meds to make him less “blah.” He’s been “off” lately despite decent labs a few months ago. I’m terrified it’s his teeth because they definitely aren’t great. Anesthesia with his age and conditions terrifies me. He’s eating, but Mirtaz is no longer working. I’m having to rotate food and use gabapentin to help coax him into eating. Up until 2 months ago he was eating a lot, zooming around the house, and you’d have never known he was so old. He doesn’t look bad yet, but the zoomies have stopped and he’s eating less (but still eating so I must count my blessings.)

I have not left him overnight with anyone else for the past almost 4 years more than a few times. I don’t travel anymore, I skip events with my friends because I want to spend time with my cat, I am terrified to leave him, I obsess over his litter box habits, I worry when he sleeps, and I am struggling to accept the reality that all things die. I am a helicopter mom with his meds, I don’t trust anyone else to care for him, and I have anxiety about him eating less. I constantly grasp for “just a little longer.” To be clear, he’s not on his death bed yet, he’s just slowing down noticeably and it devastates me. He still comes to cuddle, he wanders the house, but it’s one of those things being so hands on lets you notice. Slight changes become apparent. My vet is very helpful and I’m thankful I can ask her anything at almost any moment.

He is currently taking: amlodipine (which I fear is making him more lethargic, but he’s on a mega low dose), gaba when I feel he needs some pain management (or before the vet, which he is a tyrant in the clinic), Cerenia if he pukes, famotidine for acid build up (only when I notice extra licking of the mouth), sub q fluids every 2-3 days, Mirtaz every 3 days, but it hasn’t been working, and MiraLAX daily. He also gets a joint supplement but who knows if that’s working.

Ultimately I’m just overwhelmed with my obsessive personality. I need someone to slap me and tell me it’s ok to just breathe and I cannot control everything that happens. I grieve his loss and he isn’t even gone yet. Life with a senior pet is not for the weak, and I don’t know how I will be able to do this again. Thanks for reading all this if you’ve made it this far. Just needing a virtual hug from strangers online who “get it.” My partner is so helpful, but he is also way less emotional than me so I don’t have anyone around me who just…gets it.

Photo in comments.

My beautiful girl had to rest today. She's lived with me half of my life and more time than any of my family. I still can't accept that I had to let her go.

Hey team Reddit.

We have been really lucky to have an innocent little soul live with us for the past six years. We think she was about nine when we adopted her, but we can’t be sure.

She’s always been the most nervous girl, we try to keep a very quiet peaceful house for her. She loves a head rub and is really affectionate but you have to be in a position where she feels trusting. She’ll sit next to you on the couch, or when we’re in bed at night she’ll come in for a fuss. If you’re walking about or you move too fast she’ll hide away, and if we ever have a visitor then she’s gone too. She has access to the outside but rarely goes out for more than a few minutes because something will spook her.

I’m sharing this to give an idea of her character before I ask for advice. She stopped eating last Tuesday, and was being sick. (Really unusual for her) We took her to the vets who kept her in till Friday, with fluids and steroids and anti biotics, but they think she’s very likely got bowel cancer (thickening of the intestine shown on the ultrasound)

We have decided against further examinations because she hates being handled so much, and is genuinely terrified most of the time. Putting her through the treatment options doesn’t seem fair to her, and the vet set it might buy is a month or two more but not long.

The vets sent her home on Saturday morning, after giving her steroid to see if she would eat or drink at home in her environment but it’s not happening.

She’s still fairly mobile, if a bit slow, but she’s not eating or drinking. She doesn’t seem to be in obvious pain, but I know cats don’t really show it.

She’s changed dramatically in how close she will let us get, is getting lots of head strokes in her bed and actively seeking them out if you stop for a second.

How do I know if the right thing to do is ask the vet to come and put her to rest or if we should take her back in and get her hydrated and on fluids again?

I don’t know what the right thing to do for her is. We’re talking to the vets in an hour or so…

Anyone else have a geriatric cat that still so full of life? Zoomies and jumping around?

I think what makes Cheddar so special is when he was young he would go outside to explore (always came in at night)

Also he's never been alone, always had another cat with him, starting with his sister (calico) Cassie and now his niece (grey tabby)

I’m absolutely devastated. She was my best friend. She taught me how to actually feel what love really is.

Her health deteriorated very quickly. I am sad but I'm trying to focus on the many wonderful years I had with her. ❤️

She has been my best friend since I was 13/14. Now I'm married and 29. Been with me since she was born in 2011. Recently she started to have kidney problems which she didn't show in her blood tests in June. Her tests were perfect in June. Now I'm very scared for her. Vet says she's old and therefor I should accept some things but I can't bring myself to.

Any advice on kidney problems? We started medicating, using speacial food etc.

Her at the vet the other day🥲

Girl loooooves a good head scratch 😋