Our shop cat is going blind.

[Rhonda]

Our dear Mittens (20 going on 21) has been having sight problems since early December. Up until that time, she would jump onto my laptop desk and into the window bed we had for her there. She has not attempted any chairs since that day (Dec 8th)
I noticed her eyes were very dialated and did not react to light well. She spends most of her days in a basket on the floor now and under the reach in cooler. She gets jumpy when people walk and has to get real close to things such as fixtures, benches, and feet before she "sees" them. Her sniffer is still working and her ears also but she walks very slowly and carefully.
I was going to take her to my home but the vet and I discussed the changes would be bad for her. She knows where she is and much of her "routine" of basket to food and water dishes, to middle to back room for the litter box. He says she has "some sight but not much" right now. When she is totally blind (I'll have to watch closely from now on), I will take her home and confine her in a room with her essentials where she can't get hurt. I have a sign on the door asking not to let the cat out as she is blind and you wouldn't believe her "adoring public" coming in to see her. She's had a fan group for 19 of the 20 years she's been here, entertaining in the shop display windows on nights and weekends on a regular basis.
The dog loves it cause he can now get his nose into her fur before she sees him - he's in heaven (loves cats) and she still bats at him when he does get close!
Although she only weighs 5.72 lbs, the vet says she's in relatively good health so we're in for the long run.
Love 'em while you can!

 

[Victoria]

How fortunate you have eachother. Enjoy her. I'm glad she's staying in her shop... that's home for her.

My Elmo is 16 and is in fine fettle still (so grateful). I can't imagine my world without him.

V

 

[master J]

Wow, 21 yrs old! That's awesome, I hope my cat lives to be that old! I love cats!

Myself and my son are allergic , yet we suffer for the love of our cat!

I have brought him to shop a few times, he loves it here! I may consider bringing him back up again.

Do you get any complaints from customers? Allergies, etc?

 

[lori042499]

God Bless her!!!

I agree with the vet, whe knows where she is and bringing her home now will put her in danger....20 years old, what a grand dame she is...

had one that passed at 18 and one at 16 and one at 13...now I have a 14 year old at home...we call her the mean kitty..she hates the kittens, and growls at them daily because they like to play and she is just too old and tired to be bothered and lets them now rather distinctly not to mess with her....I agree to love them while they are with you, it is never long enough...

 

[Mikey the Flower Guy]

I'm not sure I've ever HEARD of a nearly 21 year old cat.......are you sure you didn't adopt a "sly fox"?? ...wow, you must have taken very good care of it...what is 21 cat years in human terms??...150??
I answered my own question....
http://cats.about.com/cs/healthissues/a/agechart.htm

 

[Rhonda]

Thanks guys, this picture was taken early this summer in her spot above my laptop desk. And the pooch, he's 8 going on 80 - has had health problems since he was 4 months old
Adam, I only have one woman who refuses to step into my shop because of the cat. Most everyone loves her but she is unobtrusive also at her age (now the dog, he's startled some people but most know him to be a big baby)

 

[OB1]

My heart goes out to you.
Sweet Pea, our shop cat, came to us used. She was about 2 at the time. She lived at the shop for 21 years before she died.
Such a sad time, watching them slip away...but you've done the right thing to keep her in her home. She knows you're there, and she can still smell the flowers!
I still have people come in and ask for Sweet Pea, and she's been gone for over a year now.
We buried her under her favorite tree in the back garden at the shop, and I planted seet peas on her grave.

 

[Knife's Wife]

Mikey, My cat Sparkey died about 18 months ago. She was 21 1/2 years old. That cat definitely had 9 lives. She had 2 litters of kittens and took over nursing the young from one of her first litters. she had some pretty fierce wrangles with area dogs that would wonder into our yard. She put a poodle in the hospital, chased down a heard of deer, attacked a black lab, and put a 2 inch slit in the ear of our puppy (now 13 years old) with of quick swipe of her paw.
When she was 15 years old, we switched vets and the vet guessed her age to be 6-7. She developed diabetes in her last few years, she had a stroke one day and was paralyzed from the waist down. She was my 1st cat, I was so torn up about it that my employee went in to hold her while the vet put her to sleep.

Joan

 

[Rhonda]

Mittens was one when she came in the back door of the shop one night. I found her the next morning and went to get food for her. Shocked me. She stayed, went in and out the back door, back in at night just before closing. About 3 months later found out she had lived in an apartment upstairs, weaned her 6 kittens and snuck out of the apt. and into our back door. They took her back upstairs but two days later she was back in the shop's back room at night. The tenants moved out and came to ask about their cat that was in the window each night! I told them to leave her, she was fine. We took her to be neutered, shots, and 19/20 years later she's still there. I had 3 cats at home from my barn. People would drop them off, one a black coon cat lived to 20 when she had a stroke, one lived to 15 (a manx who had had 3 litters of barn kittens) developed a tumor on the brain and the third, Sweet Pea! became senile at age 19, would walk in circles and wedge herself between furniture and the walls to stop the circle wandering. After my house cats were gone, my grandkitties would come to visit and I would sneeze, cough, and sinus infections would ensue - I'm now allergic to cats in my house, especially my bed (where the grandkitties still sleep when they visit)....... so this is probably my last cat. Mittens even has a valentine card sent to her over 14 years ago from a young lad from Nova Scotia (who now is a Sophmore at the University of New Brunswick)..... the valentine from Paul is framed and on our shop wall.
I have decided that when she is completely blind, I will bring her home and keep her in one room with her necessities. I fear her walking into a compressor - we have two on the floor- and having it start up at the wrong time. Until that time, she shall stay at the shop.

 

[RWK]

until you need to being her home, and even more when you have to, just shower her with love.......The transistion will be hard on her, so just love'em all the more.

Even though I am not a cat person, I can appreciate cats and the people who love them.

 

[Dior]

Rhonda, Just a suggestion, in case your old girl is losing her appetite. As my cat aged and began to lose weight and her appetite, I started feeding her baby food. It's nutrient rich and high calorie. She loved it, and it kept her going for another 8 months. She died at 19. The only problem was that I felt guilty in the grocery store line, because I imagined the cashier giving me strange looks, like, "how come you never get the fun baby foods, like the applesauce and other desserts, what are you raising a carnivore?"

I sell what I believe is the best holistic pet food in my other life, but whatever keeps them alive and comfortable as the end nears!

Best wishes, I hope your girl makes the guinness book.

 

[joanne]

I know how you feel Rhonda ,but it is best to keep her there at shop , as she knows her way around. You will know when it is time to take her home.And Mikey! Our calico cat
DC lived to the rip old age of 23 .We got her at 8 weeks old. She produced 19 off spring that all went to good homes and she out lived them all .We knew New Years Eve that she wasn''t well as we where preparing shrimp for company and any other time she would be right by your side. I took a piece to her and she didn't eat it . It was then i knew her time was close . Got a large soft bath sheet turned on fireplace and placed her there . Watched her till we went to bed, Got up at 6 am to find she had passed. She had a wonderful life and didnt suffer , just went quietly in her sleep , bless her wonderful heart.
Joanne

 

[Victoria]

Mittens looks like Elmo.

Rhonda, yoghurt is also a good thing for the digestion.

V