# Senile incontinent cat - what to do



## jane1234

I really need some advice: I have a lovely 16 year old moggie, he has been a wonderful cat but in the last few months has started having toileting problems, to the point that now he urinates and/or poos on the floor every single day. My vet has given him a thorough check and bloods and urine test are fine, he says he has feline senility and there is nothing that can be done.
I have confined him to the kitchen where the tiled floor makes cleaning up easier, but this is really starting to get me down.
I have provided a litter box, he has a cat flap, and I escort him into the garden 3 times a day to encourage him to relieve himself outside but it has had very little effect.
I now come home from work everyday with a sense of dread : often he has not only weed and pooed but has walked through it all several times, leaving a real mess all over the floor which takes ages to clean properly.
I cannot invite people over as I am afraid of how stressful it will be if he has an accident whilst I am cooking dinner, etc.
I try to spend lots of time with him but he sometimes relieves himself whilst I am with him, he just doesn't seem to know what he is doing.
He has arthritis which is being treated with Metacam so this doesn't seem to cause him too much pain, he still has an appetite and recognises me but spends most of his time either asleep or walking round and round the kitchen like he is in a daze.
I have reached the point of considering putting him to sleep but I feel so guilty, as I feel I would be doing it for my own convenience, and not for him, as he still seems to have some quality of life.

I would be grateful for advice on what to do, as I am at my wits end.


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## Sled dog hotel

jane1234 said:


> I really need some advice: I have a lovely 16 year old moggie, he has been a wonderful cat but in the last few months has started having toileting problems, to the point that now he urinates and/or poos on the floor every single day. My vet has given him a thorough check and bloods and urine test are fine, he says he has feline senility and there is nothing that can be done.
> I have confined him to the kitchen where the tiled floor makes cleaning up easier, but this is really starting to get me down.
> I have provided a litter box, he has a cat flap, and I escort him into the garden 3 times a day to encourage him to relieve himself outside but it has had very little effect.
> I now come home from work everyday with a sense of dread : often he has not only weed and pooed but has walked through it all several times, leaving a real mess all over the floor which takes ages to clean properly.
> I cannot invite people over as I am afraid of how stressful it will be if he has an accident whilst I am cooking dinner, etc.
> I try to spend lots of time with him but he sometimes relieves himself whilst I am with him, he just doesn't seem to know what he is doing.
> He has arthritis which is being treated with Metacam so this doesn't seem to cause him too much pain, he still has an appetite and recognises me but spends most of his time either asleep or walking round and round the kitchen like he is in a daze.
> I have reached the point of considering putting him to sleep but I feel so guilty, as I feel I would be doing it for my own convenience, and not for him, as he still seems to have some quality of life.
> 
> I would be grateful for advice on what to do, as I am at my wits end.


There is a neutracuetical called Aktivait which helps with optimum brain function in older dogs who have cognitive dysfunction syndrome, and has had really good affects, they also do a cat version too, although I dont know if it works the same in cats, but dont see why not, might be worth a look, more details in the link.

http://www.vetplus.co.uk/PDF/LEAF/aktivait_cat_leaflet.pdf

You can get it from vets, but usually cheaper from on line vet pharmacies and you dont need a prescription.


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## Paddypaws

First of all, I would like to say how brave I think you are in broaching this subject so honestly in public.....I am sure you have agonised over the situation for long enough on your own.
Well, it is a very difficult situation and not one I envy at all. I had to make the final decision for 2 of my cats last year and it was incredibly painful both times, but at least I had the certainty that there was no other option. 
In your case it is not so clear cut but it does sound as if the cat you have loved and cherished for so many years is now just existing rather than leading a full and happy life. Cats are naturally very clean so I feel this loss of continence to be a major indicator of loss of quality of life, and I don't in all honesty know if I would want one of my own cats to be continuing like that....both for my sake (yes, slightly selfishly) but also for theirs.
Sorry I cannot give you a clear answer as to what exactly you should do, but I did want to express my sympathy for the situation you are in.


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## Lulus mum

I can recommend Aktivait as it gave our dog Buster 2 more yrs of life-we sadly lost him last month-he was 15.

I can so understand what you said about feeling that if you did have him P.T.S you would feel that it had been for your convenience.
Senility is such a distressing thing to see and deal with in a pet-I can remember Buster pacing for hours and wandering round like he was lost.
In July I posted that he had no physical symptoms -was eating ,clean in the house,enjoyed his walks etc but then he went downhill very quickly and began to wee in the house.
I didnt mind cleaning the carpet and his bed every day but it was so sad to see him try to stand up and not being able to and he would just wee where he was.

It was then that I began to think it was "time" as he was losing all his dignity .

I would have a chat with your vet re
Aktivait ,but personally I would worry about the distress than the incontinence is giving him and would not want that to continue.

I think your words -that he has "some" quality of life say a lot-
he seems-like my Buster to have little quality of life .

I chose to bring the vet to our house to help Buster to be free from his pain and his confusion as I was very worried that if I didnt the day might come where he would have deteriorated to the point where his passing would have been very traumatic-for him and for me-
perhaps in a vets surgery-perhaps as an emergency with a vet he didnt know

When I cuddled him for the last time I could really feel that he was saying thank you to me and his passing was so peaceful and dignified

Sorry this has been a bit of a ramble .
Whatever you decision we are all here for you
Maureen


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## jane1234

Thank you all for your kind words and suggestions. Re Aktivait, he has been on this for 2 months and has just got worse over that time, so it does not seem to be working for the poor old boy at all. My vet did say not to expect too much as she had not seen many successful cases in cats, so it is heartening to hear that it has helped some pets.
Although Merlin is a very changed moggie from his old self I am not sure that his quality of life, as he perceives it, is so bad. He certainly doesn't realise when he repeatedly walks through his own excrement, and he seems so unaware of everything around him, he is just in a little world of his own. Even when he sits vacantly staring at the wall for long periods he shows no signs of distress, just a zombie-like glazed over stare. It is heart-rending to watch, and makes me feel so powerless to help him.
This is what makes me feel so bad for contemplating having him PTS. In my heart I am not sure it is his quality of life I am seeking to improve but my own.
I think I will just have to see how things go, there seems no alternative at the moment.


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## Lulus mum

Hi Jane
As you know I can so understand where you are coming from -
how you feel powerless to help him 
and how heart- rending it is to watch as he stares into space in a zombie like state.
I had all that with Buster and it broke my heart.Its not something that anyone who has a cat/dog suffering from a physical illness can probably relate to .

But i feel the condition Merlin has is one where he probably will NOT show any signs of distress,as he IS unaware of everything around him.

My decision to let Buster go with dignity was taken after lots of soul searching.
As with Merlin ,Buster seemed to show no distress and my O.H used to say"hes happy enough" even when he began to just stand there and wee wherever he was
That wasnt my lovely boy and I couldnt let him do it-to wake up every morning with his bed soaking -that wasnt kindness.
I just knew then that it was time and SO DID HE.
He wasnt distressed in his last moments,but left seeing my face and hearing my voice.

Like I said its so difficult as they dont seem to be in pain,are not vomitting or having seizures or breathing problems or any of the many physical things which could affect them-its just that the animal they once were is slowly disappearing .

My thoughts and prayers are with you 
God bless
Maureen


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## rose

Hi and understand where you are coming from. I had my 18 year old cat PTS 3 months ago. For 17 years he was a very clean, feisty, fight anything very independant cat. The last year of his life he became confused, never stopped eating, starting pooing in wardrobes, under beds etc. He also used to sit and stare and was a bit wobbly. He used to constantly want food and then have very runny poo. I had litter trays everywhere and a cat door which he still used
a good few times a day, but would then forget!! I like you found it a bit embarrassing incase it happened when I had people round! After about a year I looked at this thin bewildered little old man of a cat and decided he had had enough. It was very quick, and although sad I dont regret it. I have lost two baby cats on the road which was worse, he had had a very long and independant life and a peaceful pain free end. If you and your vet think the time is right, then perhaps it is. Good luck in your soul searching. x


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## carly87

On a practical level though, I'd suggest a few things.

1. Buy human incontinence pads, big ones, and put them all over your kitchen floor. They will soak up wee and help dry out poo, so may provide him and you some relief.

2. Look into stud pants. They will mean that you will need to clean your little old man a little more, but if he wees, the pants will absorb that, and he can still poo over the top, so there's no worries there. Poo is so much easier to clean than wee anyway.

3. Consider changing his diet. Firmer poos are a result of good diet, and the firmer they are, the less mess they make. Do consider a raw diet as, in my experience, they tend to give the firmest poos, and they're not very frequent either. Whether to have him PTS or not is your decision, but it doesn't sound like you're ready to do that yet, and I'm all for practical solutions for problems.


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## Davejc1

"My vet has given him a thorough check and bloods and urine test are fine, he says he has feline senility and there is nothing that can be done."

I went through something similar with my German shepherd seven years ago.
It's the most gut wrenching decision ever and the one down side to owning a pet. 
Is he going to get better? If not then I know where my thoughts would lay...I've been there, I've done it, think about it most days and I'd do it again.


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## Wiz201

There's nothing wrong with ending a life when he can't even keep himself clean and his life is more restricted now as he can't even have the free run of the house and sleep anywhere he was able to go before. My mum had a cat who was going downhill like that and she weed on one of the plug extensions that was connected to two lizard tanks with heat pads. So not only her life was in danger, we could have lost two lizards too. We kept her going for a little while, but in the end it was kinder to let her go as she wasn't in our world most of the time.


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## Ianthi

jane1234 said:


> I really need some advice: I have a lovely 16 year old moggie, he has been a wonderful cat but in the last few months has started having toileting problems, to the point that now he urinates and/or poos on the floor every single day. *My vet has given him a thorough check and bloods and urine test are fine, he says he has feline senility and there is nothing that can be done.*.
> He has arthritis which is being treated with Metacam so this doesn't seem to cause him too much pain, he still has an appetite and recognises me but spends most of his time either asleep or walking round and round the kitchen like he is in a daze.


Did this include a blood pressure check? Extremely important in a cat of his age.
I'm wondering about this since you mention him walking around in a daze.

I'm often a somewhat wary when what could easily be a medical problem is dismissed as dementia - the stool consistency, for instance could well point to some inflammation which can trigger inappropriate elimination owing to discomfort associated with litter trays etc. .

Finally, how long has he been on the Metacam?


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## jane1234

I am very sad to tell you all that I have had Merlin PTS. The vet came to the house, it was very quick and peaceful, she gave him a sedative and he gently went to sleep then she administered a second injection to stop his heart.

She was very gentle and reassuring and I am sure that I have done the right thing.

I am unbelievably sad but thanks to all who have taken the time and trouble to post.


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## Paddypaws

jane1234 said:


> I am very sad to tell you all that I have had Merlin PTS. The vet came to the house, it was very quick and peaceful, she gave him a sedative and he gently went to sleep then she administered a second injection to stop his heart.
> 
> She was very gentle and reassuring and I am sure that I have done the right thing.
> 
> I am unbelievably sad but thanks to all who have taken the time and trouble to post.


Oh Jane, what a sad day, but do know that you did the best for him all through his life and even in this deed at his end.


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## chillminx

Jane : I am very sorry to hear the sad news about Merlin, but it sounded as though he had not much quality of life left, so you no doubt made the kindest decision for him. It takes courage and compassion to do that. 

Thinking of you, with sympathy.


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## Lulus mum

Jane
Sending you a big hug,you have taken such a difficult decision for the love of your beloved Merlin and I know that he will be saying thank you to his mum for putting him first .
The pain of loss is very strong I know,but I took such comfort from knowing that I was doing it out of love.
We are all here for you.
Im sure my Buster ,Lulu and Dougal,plus many others were waiting for him at Rainbow Bridge,where they have no pain and no confusion .
Maureen


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## rose

How very sad- but Im sure a relief as well, a dignified end for him, RIP Merlin.


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## Nicola76

I'm very sorry to hear what has happened. I had to face the loss of my own cat a few months back and even though I now have a new cat who is the focus of my attention, I still really miss my little girl. 

Please take the time you need to grieve and don't let anyone rush you - take the time you need to deal with what has happened. I'm really very sorry to hear of another person losing their little friend.


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## Davejc1

My thoughts and prayers are with you, I know how hard it is. Rip Merlin.


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