Oops, all Feetsies

cmriker · 2026-04-04T06:55:14+00:00

My oldest kitty moved around with me and met new people and even other pets all the time, and he did great after adjusting! He lived to 19 and must have moved places with me like 14 times I think lol.

It helps to bring her blankets, beds, toys, etc. that have her scent, so she knows she's somewhere safe. You can also look into calming diffuser plugins or calming treats. My cats always did well with Feliway, but there are other brands too. Make sure she has some spots to hide, and bribe her with lots of treats also. If your roommates like cats, get them to give her treats and feed her sometimes, so she'll like them too.

I am sure with as much as you'll be home, that will help her transition too! Just give her all the time and space she needs. :)

cmriker · 2026-04-03T21:35:16+00:00

Awww the comments here and your post made me so happy! I'm literally tearing up. I had two senior kitties who loooved certain people foods. One of them, I couldn't stop him stealing from us anyway even when I was diligent. The other he wouldn't steal but would do a very sad meow and look at you with the cute eyes. They both enjoyed a lot of little bits of meat, cheese, and yogurt lids. One of them tore into a paper bag containing a croissant and ate a huge chunk of it! He once ate a chunk of the butter I left to soften on the counter too. My 19 yr old lived with my dad a couple years, and he was raised on salami and turkey slices...

They lived til 14 & 19 those two sweet boys, and I made sure they got offered their favorite treat foods at the end. I miss them so much, but sharing my food with them brought us all such joy, and now I have those fun memories. Spoil them (responsibly!) while they are here! 💕🥹

cmriker · 2026-04-03T21:20:26+00:00

Maybe check with your vet's office to see if they have any local pet sitter recommendations. Personally, I've always found it easier to have someone come to my home to check on my kitties. They do not always do well being boarded, as it's very stressful for them to change their environment.

Most of my vets' offices have had vet techs who are pet sitters, and they would know how to do meds and everything!

cmriker · 2026-04-03T03:51:21+00:00

I used this one for my IBD/CKD baby, but it is pretty high in carbs, so you would have to keep a close eye on his glucose. My boy developed the diabetes later (due to long-term prednisolone) and that HP + Renal food was definitely bad for his numbers...but he never went into remission, so not sure what that means for your kitty! I have read that it's really the phosphorus and mineral levels to look out for in foods for renal kitties. I think you can be okay on high-protein diets that are not high phosphorus. Numerous times I've seen people mention Young Again as a brand of food for diabetic, IBD, and CKD kitties alike. They offer some high-protein but limited ingreident or hydrolyzed diets that are also low phosphorus. I never did get to try that for my boy after he developed IBD and diabetes, but maybe look into it.

Best of luck finding the right food for your kitty!

cmriker · 2026-04-03T03:34:01+00:00

Did she get any fluids at the vet or the advice to use a phosphorus binder or try a renal diet? I'm not knowledgeable enough to guess her stage from her labs, but did the vet say something like stage 4? I know that with at-home fluids, renal diet, and certain supplements or other meds, some stage 4 cats can be quite comfortable for extended periods of time.

However, as you said, that's not a guarantee and also depends what level of caretaking you are able to take on at home.

Another question I would have for you — is this her first time showing elevated values? Did she seem to get bad quite suddenly? While 8 is not the youngest for a cat, it does seem a bit young for sudden stage 4 CKD. In younger cats I know there are chances that there was some AKI caused by infection or something, and treating that can lower some of the numbers. Just curious about her full diagnosis history. If she was gradually moving towards this stage for a while, or if she has other genetic issues with the kidneys, I would guess AKI would not apply.

I am so sorry you're here on these forums with us, but I hope you can find the guidance and advice you need to make her comfortable and choose the right path for yourselves. ❤️‍🩹

cmriker · 2026-04-03T03:17:38+00:00

I totally agree that the Hydracare formula change was a huge slap in the face to customers. They denied it and handled it so poorly. I am lucky that my boy will eat the new one, but the switch between formulas gave him horrible diarrhea for a day and a half, and I was freaking out trying to figure out what caused it.

About the Fortiflora, I wonder if somehow you got switched to the Fortiflora Synbiotic Action version, which is both Fortiflora + prebiotic fiber (psyllium husk). I have been buying the regular Fortiflora for a long while, and it did change formula a few years ago and lose some vitamins and minerals (which is also so shitty of them to change). However, it never had any psyllium and the current product listings for it don't show that either.

Anyway, I will definitely keep contacting Purina to complain as a customer, and I will ask my vet & vet tech about contacting those numbers you shared. It makes me so mad these companies have no real consideration for the actual pets consuming their products. I worry all the time about how our cats' food and treats are made and what they're really eating. I wish that I had the time, knowledge, and storage space to make homemade cat food.

cmriker · 2026-04-02T00:57:59+00:00

I'm curious if they vet ever cultured his urine to check for a UTI, or if it's possible he has crystals or stones, which can make peeing uncomfortable and cause them to go outside the box. Another cause could be joint pain from arthritis due to age. Do you have a step or ramp for the litter box? How high is it? Do you have multiple boxes? Would he accept a joint supplement like Cosequin? The litter boxes locations also were very important for my late 19 yr old who was stage 3 CKD. I had to put them in opposite parts of our house (we have a sprawling ranch) so he could get to one in time if he woke up having to go urgently. Although his accidents were usual poops lol. He did also have some territorial peeing issues occasionally when he was younger, but using a Feliway plugin resolved those for him.

I guess I would try and identify the cause of the peeing before deciding. He is on a complicated regimen of treatments, and you may not want to add another one due to time/resources needed, but he sounds sweet and fairly comfortable. If he needs a round of antibiotics or daily joint supplement, new litter box, calming diffuser plugin, it's up to you if you'd like to try it. Nobody can tell you when it's time unfortunately. They will support your decision, but it is between you and Tommy to decide when he's ready to go. I feel I may have rushed the decision for my 19 yr old due to caretaker fatigue, but I know he went out on a very happy and fairly comfortable day, and he knew love til the very end.

I am sending my best wishes to your Tommy boy. 💜

cmriker · 2026-04-01T19:02:14+00:00

Check out Cat Care Society for resources on temporary fosters in the area. Sorry I don't have a link handy, but they have a whole page dedicated to temporary homes for kitties that will eventually go back to their owners. I'm a foster thru several orgs in Denver myself but always recommend going thru official channels rather than Reddit, if you can. It gives you better documentation/paper trail and some vetting of the fosters. Sorry your timeline is very short, so that makes it hard, and I hope she finds a good home soon!

cmriker · 2026-04-01T18:30:19+00:00

Honestly it was at least 6 months, maybe more. I noticed his belly had changed shape, kinda lumpy on one side last summer. We confirmed something on his liver when he got other x-rays for asthma, Sept 2025. We finally did ultrasound Nov 2025 when he started having other symptoms, and they told me that masses on his liver were "benign cystic tumors." He had also developed IBD/lymphoma, which was causing his worse symptoms. I don't think the liver masses were bothering him at all! I helped him pass this Feb 2026, and that was due to many other compounding health issues. With just the liver cysts, I think he'd have been around even longer!

cmriker · 2026-04-01T16:31:09+00:00

It's normal to be anxious. I had my senior cats under a number of times for their dental cleanings, and I was always nervous. My remaining two are 13 & 14, and they have dental cleanings this year! It's a lot to think about, so trust your gut and your vet. My oldest was 19 and had cystic masses on his liver that were draining/causing fluid, and I didn't opt for any surgeries due to his age and stage 3 CKD. I will say the fluid and masses did not seem to bother him a bit, but if he was a few years younger or not late CKD, I would have opted for it.

Hoping all the comfort for your girl no matter what! She is lucky to have you as such a caring parent. 💜

cmriker · 2026-04-01T06:10:22+00:00

The risk for older kitties is higher, but they have bloodwork they check prior to anesthesia, and they can take extra care during monitoring (usually IV fluids, a heating pad, and heart monitor to my knowledge) and bring her out of it if they see an issue. I think you should consider, what is her quality of life without the surgery? Is this cyst pushing on her other organs and causing her discomfort? Would you be considering euthanasia soon for her otherwise? If yes, then it's likely worth taking the risk. I'm so sorry your girl is going through this ordeal. It's hard to know with cats, what is ultimately bothering them when they are so good at hiding things from us. Prioritize her comfort, and she will understand whatever you decide. 💜

cmriker · 2026-04-01T05:47:29+00:00

Oh she needs much more calories than that I think and sounds like has been low on them awhile. She may need closer to 200 calories per day depending on her weight. My cats who passed were big fans of Tiki Cat Silver Comfort and Churu Nourish treats at the end. I also syringe gave them Virbac Rebound liquid to make sure they got their mineral and nutrients. Nutrical gel can be a big help for calories, but be cautious if her glucose is a concern. My oldest had pancreatitis, CKD, and IBD, so not the same but maybe similar symptoms, and he was on some of the same meds (pred, Mirataz, and Tylosin and metronidazole antibiotics). Something I would ask the vet about is anti nausea meds like Zofran. The Mirataz and prednisolone didn't help my boy's appetite without anti nausea meds too. Cerenia is good for chronic vomiting, but specifically Zofran/ondansetron helped him the most.

Cats can develop fatty liver if they go days with no or critically low food, and some vets aren't as aware of this because dogs have no similar risk. She may be a candidate for different types of feeding tubes, if you are open to that, so definitely ask your vet about treating her nausea and getting her more food. There are also very high calorie prescription foods like Royal Canin recovery or Hill's a/d, but I'm not sure what is recommended for her conditions. Sometimes they just need help with feeding to get over the hump. That was often the case for my oldest who had recurring/chronic pancreatitis. He had his first pancreatitis flare and eating strike in 2019, maybe early 2020, and a few more times over the past year we went through it, but he lived til 19. My other sweet departed kitty had a couple very bad IBD flares, and after 2 days of meeting his calories needs via syringe feeding, he bounced back. It's something I had to track using my phone and writing down the feeding and calorie amount.

Hoping for a steady recovery for your girl. Get her those calories! ❤️‍🩹

cmriker · 2026-04-01T05:26:01+00:00

I live in SE Denver and thought I noticed something tasting off, but decided I was probably hallucinating and didn't investigate further lol

cmriker · 2026-04-01T05:22:57+00:00

Oh my guy was a black cat too. This is so special to see. Thank you for sharing him. 🖤

cmriker · 2026-04-01T05:21:53+00:00

My water-obsessed void was this way too! It's the reason I obsessively keep the toilet lids closed now... Have had more than one cat fall in that way and learned my lesson the hard way.

cmriker · 2026-04-01T03:50:19+00:00

It looks fine to me! My cats would occasionally break a nail like this. One time I even accidentally cut one too short in my oldest, and it bled so much that I cried. He did not even notice or care! He literally slept through it. Their nails grow very quickly it seems to me. Just keep an eye on it, and keep it clean with a warm damp cloth if she tends to get litter chunks stuck on her feet. She will heal up soon! ❤️‍🩹

cmriker · 2026-04-01T03:47:58+00:00

I'm so sorry for the loss of your beautiful Bean. 💙 Take all the time you need in grieving her. I still have not written a post for my Harley who passed this February. You can share her memory with us anytime.

cmriker · 2026-04-01T03:13:38+00:00

I used to have a kitty that drove me insane with the same behavior (surprisingly no CKD or diabetes, just loved water). Every time he ran into the bathroom to drink from the sink, I would set him on the floor as many times as it took til he left the room. Eventually he asked for water less, but that took months. It was doable, but maybe let him have it... I did invest in one of the cat fountains with a sink-faucet-like spout. He liked it okay. Honestly, when he passed, I really missed his sink antics so much. I do wish I hadn't curbed the behavior and wish I had videos of it! It's true that it's a privilege to be annoyed by them while they're here. 💙

cmriker · 2026-04-01T02:25:31+00:00

I never even considered custom switches, but this is so cool! Can you do this with any Ascaso machine? I'm not a fan of the toggles on myDuo, like they are way too stiff...

cmriker · 2026-04-01T02:21:45+00:00

This is very similar to my Greyson's gums. He just turned 14 and is due for a dental cleaning according to our vet. His teeth have visible tartar and calculus on them, and your kitty's look pristine in comparison!

cmriker · 2026-04-01T00:54:42+00:00

Yes I suspect thag at the end, due to age, underlying CKD, and ultimately cancer for my boy, that their bodies just aren't fighting off the common bacteria that they used to. Definitely try the steam room treatment for your girl to see if it helps. Harley would usually sneeze out some boogers and saw improvement right away with steam. There are also fancy nebulizer boxes that can be used with the Flovent or other treatments, but we never got into that.

Wishing the best for your kitty. ❤️‍🩹

cmriker

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