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smokingboot4.44 and I am awake.
Bad news from the vets re our old tom yesterday. Ralik's losing weight and muscle mass, and is currently very constipated. Some of this may come down to the fact that his back legs are weak (muscle mass again) so even with painkillers, squatting is hard for him. He's having incontinence problems but this may come down to pressure on his bladder from a full colon etc. He's blind, he's got dementia, he's nearly 21 years old, a super-geriatric they call it. We know what's coming.
Maybe it's not so bad as all that though. We have the new drugs, if the constipation can be cleared, a little time may be gained. If not, the situation would become untenable for him quickly. So all our plans for the next fortnight are cancelled; we were due to pop down to Stevenage and spend a weekend in another hot tub with interspersed bouts of D&D, followed by a trip to Northumbria. Northern Kin was cancelled so the plan was to visit Lindisfarne, and check out places like Bamburgh Castle and the Alnwick Garden. The AirB&B have given us a refund.
But those things can wait, and perhaps other things can wait too. Yesterday during the long evening Ralik suprised us all by coming back in through the patio doors, all jaunty and cheerful. He seldom goes out now, but he clearly enjoyed his little sojourn in the back garden, just like he enjoys food and cuddles. There's still quality of life for him. And I keep thinking that the end seemed close before, when Dervish wasn't eating, and the vets were being dour. Turns out all she needed was an appetite stimulant, and now she's having a delightful summer. So maybe it's not time yet.
I never run out of maybes.
Bad news from the vets re our old tom yesterday. Ralik's losing weight and muscle mass, and is currently very constipated. Some of this may come down to the fact that his back legs are weak (muscle mass again) so even with painkillers, squatting is hard for him. He's having incontinence problems but this may come down to pressure on his bladder from a full colon etc. He's blind, he's got dementia, he's nearly 21 years old, a super-geriatric they call it. We know what's coming.
Maybe it's not so bad as all that though. We have the new drugs, if the constipation can be cleared, a little time may be gained. If not, the situation would become untenable for him quickly. So all our plans for the next fortnight are cancelled; we were due to pop down to Stevenage and spend a weekend in another hot tub with interspersed bouts of D&D, followed by a trip to Northumbria. Northern Kin was cancelled so the plan was to visit Lindisfarne, and check out places like Bamburgh Castle and the Alnwick Garden. The AirB&B have given us a refund.
But those things can wait, and perhaps other things can wait too. Yesterday during the long evening Ralik suprised us all by coming back in through the patio doors, all jaunty and cheerful. He seldom goes out now, but he clearly enjoyed his little sojourn in the back garden, just like he enjoys food and cuddles. There's still quality of life for him. And I keep thinking that the end seemed close before, when Dervish wasn't eating, and the vets were being dour. Turns out all she needed was an appetite stimulant, and now she's having a delightful summer. So maybe it's not time yet.
I never run out of maybes.
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Date: 2025-07-24 10:41 am (UTC)Dunno what painkillers he's on, but with humans, painkillers tend to be constipating. I wonder if there's anything like stool softeners for cats?
I suspect Ralik will tell you when it's time. When the Meezer—who lived to be 20—decided it was time to go, she moved into one of my closets. If Ralik is still strolling in the back garden, he is still enjoying his life.
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Date: 2025-07-25 07:56 am (UTC)This may well be the perfect description!
Yes, I think he'll let us know when enough is enough. We've got two medications, both of which are meant to soften the stools as well, so hopefully he's got more time.
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Date: 2025-07-24 02:42 pm (UTC)Glad he can still enjoy his ancient evenings.
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Date: 2025-07-25 07:57 am (UTC)