I have a cat who's going on about thirteen years now...she sleeps a lot, is blind in one eye, and her fur is turning gray. recently, she's been acting weird on a couple of occasions. she acts really confused and turns her neck sideways and leaves it there...then she slowly falls asleep and wakes up pretty normal. this has happened about three times, the most recent after I gave her a bath. I have a couple questions...first, has anyone else observed this in an animal? can anyone tell me what, if anything I can do to stop or reduce it? next, for the last few months, she has enjoyed sitting with me when I'm toking up. whenever she smells it or hears a baggie crack open, she comes running. I've been told it's not too harmful (if at all) for an animal to inhale secondhand marijuana smoke, but I'm still worried. should I not allow her to be with me when I smoke? lastly....I love my cat quite a bit and I want her last time here to be as happy and comfortable as possible. I've started by letting her sleep wherever she wants (including my expensive new comforter and on top of my laptop) and letting her have three or four treats a day. is anyone else here experienced in accomodating an elderly feline?
Well, not sure about elderly cats, but we have a dog of nineteen that acts pretty much the same way as your cat...apart from the neck thing. She's deaf and nearly blind..cataracts, and gets really confused, especially when she's just woken up, takes time to get her bearings. Vet said it's something to do with poor circulation in older animals. Hope your kitty is with you a good while longer.
We had a 21 year old cat that was the same way. They are just old. They do weird things that probably can't be explained. Don't worry.
as long as she is not suffering then it sounds like you already know how to accomodate her. lots of love, attention and a little more leeway. get her to a vet tho if she has not been. senior animals should go every six months or so.
I agree with Elle- before our cat Turbo died 7 months ago, he slowed down. He wanted to sleep a lot, and we losing vision. We just let him do what he wanted. He wasn't in pain and ifhe wants to sleep, let him sleep! Turbo lived to be 18 years old. He was fussy and grouchy and very very sweet. I miss him. Love your kitties while you have them.
If you're concerned probably you should take her to the vets. Thirteen really isn't that old most cats live to be 16. Full blood work would be a good idea at that age. As far as the head turning goes maybe she's brain dead from the pot smoke.
If a little bit of smoke was going to make an animal braindead, mine would be walking into walls!!! Seriously, though, most animals, most of the time, don't want anything to do with it, so if she suddenly can't get enough, there must be a reason for it. If it was overly bad for her, it would make her feel more sick and she would leave the lap! Hope your baby gets to feelin better...
I hoe she feels well, too. Many cats, especially older ones have kidney problems due to the extremely high protein in their diets and because, well, cats just tend to have kidney problems moreso than dogs (from our experience)
That would make sense...she's developed the habit of peeing on my laundry even when the back door is open and she's completely enabled to go outside and do it, for the price of just a little extra effort. Oh well, it's my own fault for leaving the basket on the floor, I guess. She hasn't freaked out on me like that since I posted this thread, and she's actually been a little more active this week...playing on a lobster crate in my backyard and such. Right now she's sitting on my windowsill and just watching the street. Oh, and I have been looking for a good vet in my area...our old vet retired a little while ago, and I hope I can find someone just as good and reasonable as he.
I've actually heard that pot smoke makes cats weird. And I've seen it completely change a cat's personality. My friend had a really skittish cat that hated to be held for the longest time and when he and his gf split, he got the cat high once and now she's the sweetest thing. Anyway, that was just my contribution to whether or not pot smoke affects cats. But since we're on the subject, does anyone know around what age you could consider a cat to be elderly? My oldest cat is almost 9 and she still is a vibrant healthy kitty and acts like a kitten 75% of the time, lol.
Kitties over ten or so can be considered "older", especially if they are outdoor cats. Indoor cats tend to live a bit longer, I have had them live to be 18+, and my cats would all be considered "older" kitties. I will say, that if kitty has taken to whizzing in a new place for you to notice, that can be a way of letting you know they dont feel well. Cats that get to be older have often earned the right to sleep on the expensive comforter here too, and we make sure to keep extra water and food around. Also keep an eye toward them having somewhere warm/cool to hang out, as older cats seem to be more sensitive to temps. Be sure to monitor their water, if they are eating/drinking alot more or less than usual its another reason to see the good doctor! I love older cats, they are so much cooler and adjusted. Not as playful, but lots more friendly.
