I can't look after my cat anymore

Can you put her tray in the bathroom, and on a puppy training, waterproof matt?

Re-homing her would have to be with someone who is in most of the time and give her lots of security and love. You should talk to your local rescue for advice.

Due to her age, if you can't re-home, and the above trick does not work- how would you feel about having her pts?

Thank you for being kind. I can't shut her in my bathroom, it's tiny. It would be cruel to do that. It's no life.

Maybe I should have her put to sleep but what would the vet say? The last thing I want is a discussion about it if I have chosen that path. It would have to be last resort

I really sympathise with your dilemma, we have taken on elderly cats from Cats Protection in the past, in the knowledge that we would have them to the end of their lives and one of whom had very expensive physical ailments. As we are both retired, we could given them the love and care they need, but it sounds as if you are at the end of your tether. I agree with Fleurpepper: contact your local cats' rescue centre for advice and, although it may be hard, accept what they say. It doesn't sound as if either you or the cat can be happy with the current situation, and being cold all day may be making her peeing worse. Could you afford to run a small heater for at least the coldest part of the day?
I wish you all the very best, we had our last cat put to sleep in March after her kidneys failed, and we are still debating whether to get another. Whatever you decide to do, I'm sure you will consider the cat's needs first.

Sorry to hear this Cassy. It sounds to me as if she has dementia, and would be more comfortable with someone being around all day in a warm home. Maybe consider contacting the Cat’s Protection League or a local animal rescue, who will care for her or re-home.

I think I will try cats protection league. I cannot afford to heat anywhere just for the cat. I can't really afford heat for me! I don't want to have her life just cold and miserable. I don't want to have the hard decision of putting her to sleep and then having the vet talk me out of it

I am not a cay lover nor an expert in cats but I wold suggest that you cat is sick and you should take her to the vet to prevent her suffering.

I would take her to the vet for an assessment cassy. I was very relieved my 17 year old cat didn't disappear off to die and trusted me enough to stay and know I would do the right thing.

Excessive urinating can be a sign of kidney failure. I used Morrisons clumping litter and the daily 'clump' was huge towards the end of her life. Does your cat drink a lot of water?

There are covered cat litter trays available in Pets at Home, perhaps you could buy one of these? I put a textile shower curtain under mine to catch any stray litter.

My cat had two baskets which I'd lined with a wool blanket from the charity shop, I'd felted it in the machine so it was extra cosy.

I would to one of these low income vets and get bloods taken and then make a decision from there. You have nothing to feel guilty about. You've loved and cared for her for 15 years

That's the thing @parlourgames and @razzamatazz. She isn't ill, she just wees outside the box and it has such high sides to stop her peeing over the top it's hard for her to get in, and she still manages to wee over the side!!
I just can't do this for maybe 5 more years. I can't.

I can sympathise regards the litter tray problem. My younger cat, 15, was overshooting with runny faeces, so I bought a high sided tray and rubber backed washable bath mat. There is the occasional mishap, but mostly all is well.
My other cat is 17 and on medication which there is a knack to administering, as well as refusing his special diet food. I have compromised with one for over age 12 but he doesn't eat well
I dread the thought of my being unwell and having to rely on somebody else to look after them, it would be a chore for them. For this reason I am still being very careful about mixing with people in case I catch Covid (I am immunosuppressed). I shall not replace them when they eventually die.

Sorry, forgot the link. This is the high sided litter tray.

www.ebay.co.uk/itm/125231248681

It's never easy when they get older. We had to have our cat put to sleep when he developed kidney failure, so it may well be worth having her assessed by a vet to see if there is an underlying problem and if so, how serious. You will know deep down what is the right thing to do for her.

This is about our dog not cat but there might be symptoms the vet recognises. Our little Jack Russell was behaving very odd for quite a while and cocking his leg everywhere. It was upsetting because we loved him and didn’t like telling him off.
It got that bad we took him the vet we had to leave him there for tests etc. The vet said he had dementia and said it wasn’t fair on us or the dog to take him home he was put to sleep peacefully. The vet reckons the dementia had been going on unnoticed by us because we just loved him he was seventeen. I hope you find an answer for your cats problem.

I do think she needs to go to the vet for an assessment cassy, perhaps she has a urine infection so not sitting down properly when she urinates. It's not normal to sit in a clean tray and pee over the side.

cassy we had a cat once aged 16 with the same problems, kidneys were not working well and dementia.We had him put to sleep, the kindest thing.It is a problem for cats and also dogs.
He has had a good life with you, you will feel sad but the right thing to do.

To be fair, if she hasn't been seen by a vet, you don't know that there's nothing wrong with her. I'm inclined to agree with those who mention kidney failure as a possible cause of the urinary malfunction. It happened to a cat that I fostered, his urine was so dilute because his kidneys were packing up (end stage) that his urine came out at great force. I think a candid discussion with a sympathetic vet would be the kindest thing or alternatively, a call to one of the cat rescue charities to see if they have someone that would take her on.

You need to go to vet for an assessment. As others have said could be kidney failure which is very painful towards the end. Could be painful arthritis which prevents getting inside the litter tray. Could be dementia. A simple blood test is needed. Good luck.

cassy

Thank you for being kind. I can't shut her in my bathroom, it's tiny. It would be cruel to do that. It's no life.

this is not what I meant- just putting her tray in the bathroom, on a puppy training matt to catch any mishaps, with door opened.

Many of the rescues have contacts who will take her. If the litter is a problem she could go to a more rural home and spend time in a barn or similar.

She just wees over the side. She isn't poorly. I have a high sides tray, she struggles to get in it, and when she does, she pees over the shallow side. The high side causes her a problem, and her hip clicks when she walks so I know there is a problem

Putting a tray in the bathroom is no different to having one in the kitchen. She can't get up the stairs anway

kircubbin2000

Many of the rescues have contacts who will take her. If the litter is a problem she could go to a more rural home and spend time in a barn or similar.

She is too unmobile to live in a cold barn

Is there a rescue organisation which will take elderly cats for rehoming?

I know our local one does this with old dogs.

Possibly worth looking into?