For thirteen years now I have had the same cat, Trinity, whom I had adopted her from the Humane Society. They had found her at the Trinity Lutheren Church, hence the name. Trinity is the nicest, calmest, sweetest cat you would ever meet and it’s crazy since she’s always been this way, even as a kitten. As one starts to age, just like humans, pets start having some problems. It seems like Trinity is losing a little bit of her sight, hearing and I believe some memory loss. When you call her name she now looks the opposite way or doesn’t recognize a voice at all. While it is quite funny at times her wandering around looking for you, it is also quite sad. I feel bad for her and I feel helpless because what am I supposed to really do about it? I am not going to put my cat down because she becomes confused here and there and is having trouble seeing and hearing at times. She obviously doesn’t speak English or any language for that matter, so when she meows how am I to know if she is in pain, is whining, etc? I don’t! I have no clue what I can do for her. However, despite all of her troubles from getting older, Trinity has started acting out and doing things kittens would do. For instance, she climbs up on the counter, searching for food, crumbs, anything she can find. She also has been caught in the sink licking dishes, including the butter dish. To me, it’s disgusting, because she gets plenty of food and she just chooses to eat and explore. Because she eats so often, and so much, you would think that this cat is 100 pounds, but no. Trinity is a whopping 5 and a half pounds of fur. She has been tested for thyroid disease; stomach disease and many more and they cannot find anything wrong with her except for the fact that she is too happy and hyper for an older cat. So, despite her tendency to walk in the other direction, not see properly, have trouble hearing and remembering where she is, Trinity is healthy and as happy as a clam . . . when the dog’s not bothering her that is. Tuesday, December 14, 2010
PET ALZHEIMERS?
For thirteen years now I have had the same cat, Trinity, whom I had adopted her from the Humane Society. They had found her at the Trinity Lutheren Church, hence the name. Trinity is the nicest, calmest, sweetest cat you would ever meet and it’s crazy since she’s always been this way, even as a kitten. As one starts to age, just like humans, pets start having some problems. It seems like Trinity is losing a little bit of her sight, hearing and I believe some memory loss. When you call her name she now looks the opposite way or doesn’t recognize a voice at all. While it is quite funny at times her wandering around looking for you, it is also quite sad. I feel bad for her and I feel helpless because what am I supposed to really do about it? I am not going to put my cat down because she becomes confused here and there and is having trouble seeing and hearing at times. She obviously doesn’t speak English or any language for that matter, so when she meows how am I to know if she is in pain, is whining, etc? I don’t! I have no clue what I can do for her. However, despite all of her troubles from getting older, Trinity has started acting out and doing things kittens would do. For instance, she climbs up on the counter, searching for food, crumbs, anything she can find. She also has been caught in the sink licking dishes, including the butter dish. To me, it’s disgusting, because she gets plenty of food and she just chooses to eat and explore. Because she eats so often, and so much, you would think that this cat is 100 pounds, but no. Trinity is a whopping 5 and a half pounds of fur. She has been tested for thyroid disease; stomach disease and many more and they cannot find anything wrong with her except for the fact that she is too happy and hyper for an older cat. So, despite her tendency to walk in the other direction, not see properly, have trouble hearing and remembering where she is, Trinity is healthy and as happy as a clam . . . when the dog’s not bothering her that is. 
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I hope you have a lot of patience with Trinity. I have had my cat Sasquach (named for his big size and huge feet- very beautiful!) for 17 years (will be 18 this October). For the last 3 months or so he has been experiencing a lot of the same symptoms. His eyesight and hearing seem to be better some days and worse some days. I know he can see and hear but things don't seem to register in his mind. We took him to the vet and, like you, they ran all kinds of tests and found nothing. They did say his potassium was low so recommended I give him a supplement made for cats. I have been giving him this for over a month now and I'm not sure it's making any difference in anything but I still give it to him because they said that's what I should do. He drinks tons of water. He is ravenous when he eats like he hasn't eaten in a week although I never let his dish get empty and I keep both dry food and canned food out. He was always a very clean cat - always grooming himself and very neat about his litter box duties. That has all changed and this is where you really need patience more than anything else. I have to hold his water bowl for him to get a drink. Even though the water bowl is the same one he always drank out of, he now can't seem to figure out how to get his tongue inside the bowl unless I hold it under him. If I don't hold it, he just licks the side of the bowl. But the biggest mess is when he eats. It's worse than cleaning up the baby's high chair and floor underneath it. He picks up his plate and dumps it. Or he will take a huge bite and rake it out on the floor. By the time he's done it's all over the floor and himself. He can't seem to distinguish exactly where the food is so he just bites at everything in a frantic manner. Sometimes if he gets too much on his feet and he smells it, he actually tries to eat his feet. It's so sad I don't know what to do but I will never consider putting him to sleep when he's not really sick. He has been a faithful companion to me for all these years giving me comfort when I needed it so I would never abandon him during his time of trouble. He also seems to have forgotten how to get inside his litter box about half of the time. He remembers where it is because he goes all the way downstairs to it and then wets on the floor right outside of it. And it's not because it's not clean. I clean it out every time it gets used because when he does use it I don't want him stepping in dirty litter because he has given up grooming himself so his feet get full of litter and it dries on. It's a LOT of extra work having him now - it's such a drastic change from how he has been all his life. He was never a lap kitty although he always liked laying up against me when he napped. Now he wants me to hold him so I do. I think it's more work than having a baby other than I don't need a sitter - YET. Sometimes he almost seems to be a danger to himself. It's very heartbreaking but he's my baby and I will be with him to the very end. I would never allow him to suffer if the time comes that he gets sick and there is no hope for recovery or if he is in extreme pain with no hope of relief. But until and unless that happens, I will make him as happy and comfortable as I can. I notice your blog was from several months ago. I hope Trinity is still doing well.
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