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<p>At what age do cats become “older”?</p>
<p>At what age? I would say around 5-7, but those are average numbers, in my experience. I currently have a 6 yr old cat who sleeps all the time, but I also had a pretty active kitty - her activity did not seem to go down with age. </p>
<p>Oh, a good one! Cat loving gardeners will appreciate this:</p>
<p><a href=“- YouTube”>- YouTube;
<p>:)</p>
<p>Great to have this thread for comfort. My cat is not well this morning - like seriously not well. I’ve already scheduled a vet appointment an hour from now. Keep your fingers crossed that he’s only knocking one more of his nine lives off the list and still has more to go.</p>
<p>^^^Sending you healthy cat vibes.</p>
<p>My vet called my cat a “senior” when she was 7. She is now almost 12, and she seems just as lively and perky as she ever was. Perhaps it’s all that “psycho kitty” racing around the house activity. When we play with a string or other cat toy, she still has no fear of leaping around in circles to catch the prize. Of course, she does get her fair share of beauty sleep.</p>
<p>Back from the vet: antibiotic shot, pain injection, fluid pack. No solid diagnosis. Iggy - short for Ignatius (cat, not me) definitely feels bad - lethargic, didn’t want to have his lower abdomen or hind legs examined (as in no!). The vet could find no injuries, bladder was not extended but did have bacteria - perhaps the start of a bladder infection. Rest and pain medicine tonight/tomorrow morning. If he isn’t better, we go back. But he’ll be better, I’ve decided. He always gets sick quickly and recovers quickly. I think the fluid packs are amazing - he quits eating/drinking when he feels bad. The fluid pack makes it a non issue.</p>
<p>^^^^When I get a bladder infection, I get really sick. Hoping that’s all it is and the antibiotics take care of business.</p>
<p>My point was not to let cats roam free but that people buy pets - cats, dogs, birds - and leave them in small apartments all day by themselves. If you’re around, if you provide stimulation, that’s different. Dogs tend to get out because there are dog walkers but cats may live most of their lives shut in by themselves doing nothing. That’s why I say a cat needs a cat friend, someone he or she can trust and play fight with and lie near. Birds are flock animals and they spend much of their lives alone in cages. I even see fish put in small tanks or even bowls with nothing to do but swim in circles. They need stimulation too, something I learned from a friend who had like 11 fish tanks. In our case, our yard is a haven for cats that roam our urban neighborhood. It is visited by numbers of them whether our guys are out or not. Issues only arise when a cat tries to claim the yard as primary territory. That can’t happen both because our guys are there, on the deck, watching and because too many cats use it. They work it out.</p>
<p>As for outdoors, I support efforts to neuter stray cat populations. If you want to talk about “anthropomorphizing”, I have an issue with people who refuse to neuter male cats when neutering not only prevents unwanted kittens who get killed but also reduces fighting and thus the transmission of infections and diseases. Outdoor cats can die from infections caused by cat bites, which seems perverse. </p>
<p>Iggy, I assume from the time of the post that you’re waiting on blood results. Could be a lot of things.</p>
<p>I hope Iggy gets better soon!</p>
<p>Poet - I wanted to respond to your stinky cat post. I have the stinkiest cat EVER. His nickname is “Stinky” - naturally his buddy (my other cat) is nicknamed “Barfy.” I researched the issue, it appears that the best option is canned food. Supposed to stop the stink. But I can’t stand the mess and smell of canned food so I’m not going there. I tried quite a few new foods to deal with the stink. I finally landed on Purina One Sensitive Systems. It helps with both the stink and the barfing. Helps is a keyword. Both problems persist but not as bad. I also use Cat Attract kitty litter which is the first unscented litter I have found that actually doesn’t reek. If my cat would cover his stinky business my life would be better - but when he does use the litter to cover it, it stinks less. The food is the only thing that can help with a cat who passes gas - like Stinky still does. One food to avoid at all costs is “hairball” any type of food - that will give him massive STINK.</p>
<p>Lergmom - my stink problems would be solved if Stinky did his business outside. Although I suppose he would still have gas from time to time. But then he would be exposed to cat leukemia (transmitted cat to cat), cat fights, dog fights, cars, ticks, fleas, poisons, bored teenagers, raccoons, skunks, etc. I grew up with outdoor cats and one of them had a really long life (over 20 years) but many had very, very short lives. My biggest problem with it however is the fleas.</p>
<p>^^^ The vet chose not to do a blood test. If Iggy doesn’t get better within a day or two with the treatment prescribed, the vet wants him to come back for further tests.</p>
<p>Best wishes for a speedy recovery! </p>
<p>What’s a fluid pack? </p>
<p>I hope Iggy bounces back quickly. I’ve never heard of a fluid pack either but it sounds like something wonderful for a sick cat who often shun food and water. </p>
<p>Here you go - though this discusses it in terms of kidney disease: <a href=“Tanya's Comprehensive Guide to Feline Chronic Kidney Disease - Subcutaneous Fluids”>http://www.felinecrf.org/subcutaneous_fluids.htm</a></p>
<p>Great for an ill cat. I call it a fluid pack or hump because it feels similar to a squishy hump on the back. You don’t have to worry about the cat’s water intake for a couple of days. If your cat has beginning kidney disease, my vet teaches how to do it at home. Supposedly it’s not hard to do. But we live five minutes from the animal hospital and the vet does not charge much to do it … and we’ve never needed it more than once at a time. I always request it if my cat is sick because it eases my mind about fluid intake. Iggy was slightly dehydrated this morning. Problem solved.</p>
<p>My daughter has a cat that gets diarrhea and used to get really sick. Her vets - different city - never suggested this. Once she moved here and started with our vets, her cat started with the fluids when sick. Cut recovery time by half, if not more.</p>
<p>You can find all kinds of info about it online: why and how, should you want.</p>
<p>Some photos:</p>
<p><a href=“https://www.google.com/search?tbm=isch&sa=1&q=feline+subcutaneous+fluids&oq=feline+subcutaneous+fluids&gs_l=img.12...0.0.0.107257.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0..0.0....0...1c..51.img..0.0.0.qzOH3aOmYow&biw=1093&bih=505&dpr=1.25&cad=cbv&sei=Vk3qU-KEOdKAygS8xYHQDA”>https://www.google.com/search?tbm=isch&sa=1&q=feline+subcutaneous+fluids&oq=feline+subcutaneous+fluids&gs_l=img.12...0.0.0.107257.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0..0.0....0...1c..51.img..0.0.0.qzOH3aOmYow&biw=1093&bih=505&dpr=1.25&cad=cbv&sei=Vk3qU-KEOdKAygS8xYHQDA</a></p>
<p>My former cat got a fluid pack before - she died anyway (from dreaded cat cancer) but I think it did help her comfort level for awhile.</p>
<p>About outdoor cats: they need vaccinations against FIV and FLV, etc. and they need monthly treatment with something like Revolution to protect against fleas, ticks, various worms, mites, etc. One of our cats was a feral kitten - I fed and eventually trapped his mom - and his mom had FIV. We arranged for an adoption to be a strictly indoor cat to protect other cats. She was a great cat. Her boy is leaning on my arm. </p>
<p>I’m surprised a vet didn’t do blood work but I can’t comment on the situation. And sometimes if you can give shots, they’ll let you inject subcutaneous fluids (or bring the cat in for injections as needed). We did that when a long gone cat had kidney issues. </p>
<p>Oh subcutaneous saline? I did that for one of my cats for three years, also for kidney disease. </p>
<p>Update: Yesterday morning Iggy went back to the vet. He was still lethargic and hadn’t eaten or used his litter box at all the day before. The vet continued his pain medicine and gave him fluids in the morning and again before we picked him up in the evening. He also had another physical exam and an ultrasound of his bladder. We discussed blood work to pick up a secondary infection but he had already had an antibiotic shot. We decided to wait till today to give the antibiotic shot time to work. If not better by this morning he was scheduled for fluids - again - and blood work. Well, he’s back to normal today: used his litter box, vocal, walking around, tail held high. So … all’s well that at least looks well at the moment.</p>
<p>^^^^Yay! Good to hear.</p>
<p>Glad to hear that your kitty is doing better! Fingers crossed. </p>