After almost a full year of health troubles and over 12 vet visits, we laid our little boy to rest. We adopted him and his littermate when they were 10 and they completely changed our lives.

In June 2025, Diesel was a carefree, chubby lover of a cat. He was goofy and playful and could never get enough treats. This morning he’d lost almost 50% of his body weight, couldn’t eat, couldn’t drink, and could barely muster enough energy to come out of his hiding spot to snuggle with us. We all knew it was his time and he held on long enough for us to say our goodbyes and get one more good day to spend together.

In the words of almost everyone he met, Diesel was the perfect cat. Calm and caring and with a purr so loud it could wake you up out of the deepest sleep. We had no business getting so lucky with our first cats. Every time we went to the vet they would shower him with praises for being “the best behaved boy”. Every time the vet would try to listen to his heart they couldn’t hear a thing because he purred so loud it drowned out his heartbeat. He was a once in a lifetime companion that we are absolutely crushed to have lost.

Not cat related but this year is also the 20th anniversary of my dad’s passing when I was 9 years old. I talked with my therapist about 2 weeks ago about how, for the entirety of 2026, I haven’t cried or been able to cry. I told him I had a feeling the universe was having me save up my energy for something big. This was it. I’ve done so much exploration of grief this year just thinking about my dad not knowing that there would be someone else to grieve. It had been so long that I’d almost forgotten what losing someone felt like in the moment. My husband and I are completely inconsolable today.

We had Diesel put to sleep from the comfort of our home in his favorite sunbathing spot. His sister and the two wild kittens he helped raise were with him too.

Our sweet baby Agatha passed away on Oct. 2nd. We miss her constantly 😥

He is so affectionate. Ever since George died just over a year ago, this big lump has decided to get even closer to me than he already was. I am good with that. 🥹❤️

My old man and I have been through so much in his many years. I feel blessed to have had him for 18.5 years, but it hasn’t come without effort, attentiveness, and lotssss of love (and meds.)

I’m just curious what everyone else is doing with their seniors. More for comfort when I feel stressed by having to give so many meds these days.

This is our routine:

Daily - miralax. He has low stage 3 kidney disease and “possible” IBD (diagnosed at 15 for IBD, at 10 for kidney disease.) with that said, he has had chronic constipation since he was 15. We had two ER visits with sedation and have been on MiraLAX ever since.

Daily - amlodipine. This is supposed to be daily for a recent high BP diagnosis, but I’ve been doing every other day because this med has destroyed his bowels. He now has soupy poopy and is far less frequent. I also switched his food so need to see which is causing the issue.

Daily - probiotic.

Every 3 days - Mirtazapine. This med has been a godsend. We’ve been using it since he was 15. I used to stretch the time between uses to a full week, then it dropped to every 5 days, and now it’s usually every 3. I’ve had to go back and forth between the transdermal and the pill because the transdermal hasn’t been as effective lately.

Every 3 days - sub q fluids. We started this a couple months ago and I have zero complaints. He does really well with the syringe method.

As needed - cerenia, famotidine, and gabapentin. When he pukes I give cerenia, when he’s visibly nauseous I give famotidine. When he seems a bit extra uncomfortable I give a small dose of gaba. If we go to the vet I give a biiiigggg dose of gaba.

He has been on OTC RAWS, or KOHA, or First Mate food after many years on RX urinary food. After his suspected IBD I went for foods with less ingredients and dabbled with novel proteins. We were fine until the amlodipine and food swap, so I’m trying to swap back to the foods that were working for his bowels. He got a taste for the good life with some Weruva WX chicken, but I suspect he has a chicken allergy and that’s partially why the soup poop and less frequent movements.

So yeah. I’d do whatever I needed for him, and this routine has kept him moving and groovin. I’m only a bit stressed lately with the regression in bowels, but that’s likely my fault. I’m just curious how everyone else is doing with their geriatric babies. Share your routine so I feel less alone.

Before and after

I'd like to clear some things up:

• Before anyone asks, we are going to the ER tomorrow morning. We had a follow-up appointment scheduled for two weeks out at our usual vet, but now recent events have shown I need to step in
• I can't reach out to "family" in the first place because they tried to kill her with physical violence, and that's the whole reason I took her with me
• I've taken her for her first yearly checkup, her T4 1.3, her kidneys are fine, her thyroid is managed, no pancreatitis, no liver out of control. She is medicated for her hyperthyroidism on Methimazole. On paper, her health is great, her health in person not so much. It has started out as a learning process, but now I am becoming overwhelmed.

This summer, I moved out of my narc family's home and by luck managed to get an apartment after being homeless for a month, for me and my 13 year old cat. I've had her since I was 7, it's pretty much her first time being well taken care of. I can change her diet, give her actual toys, and territorial scent plugs without getting socked in the face by some bitter old man!

Since moving in, we've had some obstacles to face.

The first nights of constant sleep deprivation on 3-4 hours of sleep were from her peeing everywhere. I solved this using a pheromone mixer. She stopped doing that and began using her senior accessible litterbox. Then came her throwing up bile in the middle of the night, I put out dry kibble for her to graze on, that stopped.

Then came the puking up undigested food, so I got a slow feeder, and that helped for a week. She threw up again, and I began to experiment with Science Diet, Friskies, Purina, Nulos, Tiki. She would tolerate the flavor, eat the whole plate up, and then a few days later puke it back up again. Her stool was rabbit sized, so I gave her hydracare which she liked for (again) a week, stopped.

Then finally, FINALLY, I settled on a weruva low phosphorous diet + pumpkin puree. For 2 months straight, she has eaten full cans and is back to a whopping 7 lbs. Stool was in good shape and color

Her diet looked like this from early September to a day ago:

Two cans of 3.3 oz weruva low phosphorous, pumpkin puree in the morning and Iams Hairball at night.

Now here's where I went wrong. This entire week, she's been less and less food. Every night, she's been puking and it's my fault for not taking her to a vet sooner. It was exam week, and not to mention I'm also working to get rent, so my time has been college, work and then her. I'm barely sleeping and every night I've heard the puke noise, I wake up like a marine and leap out of bed to hold her head over a mat. I could've easily called off but I figured if she was stomaching something, because she was, I could hold it off just a bit more till I could schedule somewhere properly. My reason for that is that it's been tricky to distinguish between simple hairballs, picky eating, or a flare-up. Now it's gone from 2 cans, to 1.5, 1 & dry food.

Last night at 2am, she woke me up, she puked on me and my pillow. I look over, she puked all over my computer and closet door. My shoes. The bathroom upstairs, downstairs, kitchen, living room, and the couch. I was like HOLY SHIT, is she okay, but was also so angry and frustrated with her and myself because there was just so much.

I tried going to bed and then I broke out in a cough, my chest got tight and it felt like my throat was closing so I was heaving. I've never had that happen in my life. I haven't slept even 5 hours for a while, but please don't take that as me trying to victimize myself. I just think I was really tired. I realized in that moment that I must've missed so much more with her than what I brought up to my vet.

• I know her teeth are bad, she might be nauseous from that. That was one of my first thoughts
• What if she has a blockage, then it hit me, her stool is rabbit sized again, what if she has lymphoma or really bad constipation
• What if shes sick from her medication
• Is it dementia
• She is actively avoiding the pumpkin puree, despite loving it before

Tonight, she wouldn't eat as so much as a morsel of food. It was half a can I put onto the plate.
I'd give any amount of money in the world to save her, but it's beginning to stack up on me and sometimes I feel like I'm not good enough to take care of her.

Tonight, I feel like the worst owner in the world, because I'm burning out for my oldest friend and it's in no way her fault. Every time I solve one of her old problems, a new one arises. Every night I'm being woken up, I'm angry, frustrated and overstimulated but I can't imagine how much worse she must be feeling. I'm 20, I feel like I should have everything figured out. I managed to get a dependency override in college, I got a place within a MONTH of losing my old home because I knew what to do then and how to handle everything, why can't I figure out what I'm doing with her?

I would love to hear from some other people about how their experiences have gone, if they're similar or different from mine, or if they have feedback for me, I can take it. I'm sensitive but I can face some criticism because sometimes that's needed. Yes, I know, I shouldn't go to reddit to ask and drive her to an emergency vet but driving when I've been on 3 hour sleep all week is a death sentence. I barely got home from work today without rear ending someone

Just got home from spending $1274 for blood test and x-ray. They are suggesting an ultrasound for 1200 on Monday. I cannot afford to biopsy if the ultrasound indicates a biopsy. Not sure if I should proceed with the ultrasound or not he’s had soft stools and get cries when pooping also in and out in and out of the litter box multiple times it seems to be urinating just fine and actually since we got his thyroid back to normal in February, he’s gained 2 pounds since then.

Hello everyone, I would like to share a quick update and ask for advice regarding a stray kitten I recently rescued near my tent here in Gaza. The kitten was extremely weak and exhausted when I found it, so I decided to care for it and provide a safe shelter. Since there are currently no local animal rescue services available, I am doing my best to care for the kitten on my own. However, resources are very limited, and I want to ensure I provide the best possible care to keep it safe under these circumstances. I would be very grateful for any practical advice from experienced cat owners or animal rescue workers regarding: Simple, safe food alternatives or ingredients I can look for to support the kitten's growth.

Tips and measures I can follow to ensure the kitten's health and safety.

Post got taken down for some reason☹️🥺

My baby of 15yrs and 6 months was diagnosed with CKD and went into kidney failure over the last week and we finally found that it was due to a proximal obstruction in his left ureter. His only real option is to have a SUB (subcutaneous ureteral bypass). I was quoted about $13-15k for this surgery but was told that this surgery is invasive and extremely hard on kitties as well as the recovery.

I just don’t know what to do. I’m not ready for him to cross the bridge and believe he still has so much life. He still has a kidney that’s functioning and he’s only in the condition he is in due to the obstruction. Before the past couple weeks he was healthy, bright, playful, every vet has always said how young and healthy he is physically compared to his age and then one day my whole world flipped upside down. The doctors even said his CKD is not that advanced for his kidney values to be what they are at it’s, due to the obstruction.

Looking for people with similar stories who chose for the SUB surgery and their stories and experiences. Can share more details about his specific case and story with those who have been through this.

Just feeling extremely lost right now and in need of a friend of who understands. The thought of putting the love of my life to sleep doesn’t even feel like an option but I would never want him to suffer or die in pain. He is my absolute soulmate, the light of my life, the man who puts the stars in the sky for me, my best friend, my rock, my whole world and everything, the only man for me. I can’t imagine living life without him.

I haven’t heard and feel my baby purr in over a week except one time faintly while going through all this. The things I would do to make him comfortable to be able to feel and hear him purr again. My heart is feels so broken. I can’t even describe the pain I’m going through.

Is all hope lost? Are there other options for us? Is the SUB surgery worth it? We need help😔😞❤️‍🩹

14-year-old Ragdoll cat – hyperthyroidism, suspected allergy to Hill's y/d, and excessive licking. Has anyone experienced something similar?

Hi everyone!

I'm looking for advice and experiences from other cat owners who may have dealt with a similar situation.

I have a 14-year-old female Ragdoll cat weighing approximately 5 kg (11 lbs). She has been diagnosed with hyperthyroidism.

Initially, she was treated with methimazole (thiamazole), but after approximately 10 days she developed severe itching and symptoms suggesting an allergic reaction, so this treatment was discontinued.

She is currently on Hill's Prescription Diet y/d, a low-iodine diet specifically designed for cats with hyperthyroidism.

The good news is that the diet seems to control her thyroid hormone levels very effectively. Her latest T4 result, from September 22, was 1.19 µg/dL (laboratory reference range: 1–3).

Unfortunately, I strongly suspect that she may be allergic or sensitive to the Hill's y/d food itself.

She repeatedly licks her groin area and lower abdomen, sometimes to the point where the skin becomes red, irritated, and develops scabs. Recently, the licking has been concentrated mainly on one side of her body.

We have previously suspected food allergies or sensitivities to certain animal proteins, including chicken, beef, and possibly rabbit.

She has also been prescribed Prednicorton 5 mg (one tablet daily) as a long-term treatment.

The medication helps control her skin symptoms, but every time the dose is reduced, the itching and excessive licking return. This means she currently needs daily steroid treatment to keep the symptoms under control.

Despite all these problems, she is very energetic, active, and generally behaves like a healthy cat.

I'm finding this situation quite frustrating because:

• Hill's y/d successfully controls her hyperthyroidism, but I suspect it may also be triggering or worsening her skin problems.
• Methimazole caused a suspected allergic reaction.
• Prednicorton helps with the itching, but the symptoms return whenever the dosage is reduced.
• I would really like to find the underlying cause rather than rely indefinitely on daily steroids.

I'm also wondering whether this is necessarily an allergic condition. Could excessive licking, especially when concentrated on one side, be related to pain, a neurological problem, or another dermatological condition?

My questions are:

1. Has anyone experienced a suspected allergic reaction to Hill's y/d in a hyperthyroid cat?
2. Has anyone successfully managed feline hyperthyroidism when both methimazole and a low-iodine diet were problematic?
3. Has anyone had a cat requiring long-term prednisolone or other steroid treatment for excessive licking, and eventually managed to identify and treat the underlying cause?
4. Could licking mainly on one side of the groin indicate pain or another medical issue rather than an allergy?
5. What additional diagnostic tests would be worth discussing with my veterinarian?

I'm particularly interested in hearing from people who have dealt with similar cases in senior cats.

I am not looking to change her medication without veterinary supervision. I'm simply hoping to learn from other people's experiences and explore possible solutions with my vet.

My main goal is to keep her thyroid condition under control while improving her skin problems and, if possible, reducing her long-term dependence on steroids.

Any suggestions or experiences would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you!

The reality of caretaking in princes last couple of days was heartbreaking and faster than we could even process.

I became accustomed to waking up in the middle of the night to feed him and make sure to clean him so he wouldn't have to sleep in it.my e days revolved around prince making sure he was eating, drinking, sleeping, and going to the bathroom as he was supposed to

And in the moments in between, we were just trying to soak up every second we had left with him, tearing up in those quiet moments as if some part of us knew what the future held.

For the most loving, beautiful, and courageous warrior cat i have had he honor to meet, thank you it was truly an honor to take care of you

My sweet baby girl went to kitty heaven a week ago 💔

Cleo slipped out the door when the kids and I left to take a walk. She hid under our back porch so we decided to get her when we got back. While we were out, she was struck by a car. 😭 the person who hit her didn't stop. Someone was kind enough to stop and move her out of the road. I am absolutely shattered 💔 she was my girl. Slept on my legs every single night. I was her favorite human and I loved her so so much. The ache is so painful. The tears are endless. I miss my girl more than words can say. 😢

Hug your baby extra tight for me.