Hey guys, I know some of you are very knowledgeable on pet care and have a issue that has come up. My cat is 17 years old and her arthritis has gotten worse in the last few weeks. She gets weekly laser therapy and it seems to help but she is getting stiffer. No medication as she is in stage I kidney failure that has been that way for over a year and seems to be stable.

The problem is she doesn't seem to be able to groom herself anymore. She does do some but she needs help. I used a warm, wet rag to rub her the other day and it seemed to help but she was not happy at all. Is there a better way to do this? I don't want to try and give her a bath as that would freak her out and probably get me injured.

Any suggestions would be most welcome. Yes, I know I am on borrowed time but she seems to be happy otherwise.

My practice has been when they can no longer groom it's time to put them down. Cats tend to hide their pain-if you can see it, she feels much worse than you know. I truly regret keeping my boy Snickers alive for two years after he could no longer climb the stairs because I could not bear putting him down. It's hard, but be merciful.

Have you tried brushing her, before you did the wet rag? What's your vet say?

I would go to Dr Karen Beckers site and do a search. CoEnzyme Q10 is good for the heart, kidneys and liver. They also carry Omega 3 and joint products.

If I may ask, is she a medium or long hair? How is her attitude, appetite, bathroom habits? Perhaps shaving her down (if she’s indoor only, and you raise the temp a few degrees to accommodate her change in coat, or if she’ll tolerate jammies..) might help? Obviously you’re not interested in stressing her out, but if she’s doing weekly laser treatments, perhaps you can add in clipping her to help her with her grooming?
Just my thoughts. Best of luck.

17 years is a very good long life. It is hard to describe in words, but I always know when my older cats are suffering. The best way to describe this is they just stop "being cats".
Litter box accidents.
Inability to groom.
Inability to climb to a favorite spot.
Sleeping constantly - even more than a normal cat.
Change in eating habits.
interacting less with people and other cats.
Hiding.
You sound like a concerned and caring owner. Maybe its time to let go.
Good luck.

^^^^^This.

A longer life is not necessarily a better life. Sounds like maybe you're keeping her beyond her natural time.

Maybe not. But consider it.

So sad. Sorry to hear.
Yet the cycle of life continues.
Getting a new kitten today.

All my older cats eventually lost the ability to groom their lower back areas. It seems to come with age. You could try having the fur cropped close to the skin to reduce the need.

Thanks for the replies guys. I have thought that it may be time but she is still very interested in everything that goes on although she does sleep more. I have a lot to think over and hope I can do the right thing for her.

We’ve not had any cats live longer than 10 years. It’s really tough to see them begin to suffer. The last cat we had to put down deteriorated suddenly over a space of about 4 weeks and showed signs of renal failure. She lost half her body weight. Our current guy is 8 and seems to be doing great.

When my elderly cat, Sam, had trouble grooming, we used bath wipes and a soft brush. The wipes were made for cats and had a pleasant smell. She actually seemed to enjoy them.

Sam lived to 20. I made the decision to let her go when she lost interest in her two favorite things, food and affection. I could tell her old bones hurt and she wasn't enjoying life. I hope your kitty has some good time left.

Our cat, Molly, is 19. She walks a bit stiffly, and isn't as limber as she once was. Her bathing is a bit labored, but she gets through. She's actually more active the last couple of years than she's ever been. Still goes outside and patrols the yard, goes upstairs, and generally gets around, eats well, and continues to intimidate our 5 yr old Border Collie. She has developed a sizable lump toward he left flank. Vet said it's likely a cancerous growth, is monitoring its size, but suggested that at Molly's age, we spare her the potential discomfort of treatment (while saving us the expense)....
After some discussion, that's what we've decided to do. Once she actually appears to be suffering, that'll be it.
I've always actually been more of a dog guy, but this cat has actually lived in our home longer than our kids did, and I'm sure I'll feel sad when the time comes.

Best of luck to you, Fireman. As others have said, you'll just know when it's time.