Our cat is 16 years old, possibly ill, and I could use some help deciding what the best course of action would be.
A little history: She was my ex's cat. We each brought a cat to the relationship, and by the time we divorced (9 years ago) we didn't feel OK about separating them. I took both cats since he traveled and worked extensively. My cat passed away almost 4 years ago, so we (I'm now remarried with a 4 year old son) have only had the one cat since then, and we don't plan on having any more after this one.
I have known this cat since my ex got her when she was just a kitten, and she has ALWAYS been a handful. Peeing/pooping outside the litter box has been a major issue throughout her life. We have had her checked for health problems more times than I can count, (the vet always says, "I wish I was so healthy!) and have always bent over backwards to accommodate her preferences/behaviors/whathaveyou. Just a couple of examples: when we bought our house, we specifically looked for one with no carpet anywhere (which was not easy to find in our price range), because she would have peed on it and ruined it. I cannot even begin to tell you how much money I have spent on cleaning, lost apartment security deposits, vet bills, and discarded rugs & things. We have tried every possible litterbox configuration and finally settled on old towels folded up in the box instead of litter, because it is the only way she will go in the box (sometimes.) So I am basically cloth-diapering my cat - triple-washing a load of revoltingly stinky pee towels every week, in addition to anything else she may have seen fit to pee on that week.
Needless to say I have been at the end of my patience with this cat for...well...ever.
Yesterday I found a spot of blood on the towel in her litter box. I checked her paws and they are fine, so I'm thinking she must have a UTI or something. This morning, she squatted right in front of me and peed & pooped on the dog's bed (which she also lays on during the day.) Clearly it's not outside the realm of possibility that she would go on ANYTHING, but usually she sleeps there most of the day, and usually she's pretty stealthy about going on stuff.
Obviously, I have been committed for years to caring for this cat for better or for worse. I don't want her to suffer, but honestly, I am done. I am not interested in spending a lot of money on testing, medications, or prescription food. I am not interested in having her ruin any more of our stuff, and if she really is sick, it's only a matter of time before she starts going on furniture and beds and we just cannot afford to replace those things. I have always been horrified by the idea of euthanizing an animal for convenience, but at her age and with likely health problems, I also don't see that re-homing her is an option. I would be worried about her ending up in a shelter, and if it's her time, I would so much rather have her at home, surrounded by her family.
What would you do in this situation?
A little history: She was my ex's cat. We each brought a cat to the relationship, and by the time we divorced (9 years ago) we didn't feel OK about separating them. I took both cats since he traveled and worked extensively. My cat passed away almost 4 years ago, so we (I'm now remarried with a 4 year old son) have only had the one cat since then, and we don't plan on having any more after this one.
I have known this cat since my ex got her when she was just a kitten, and she has ALWAYS been a handful. Peeing/pooping outside the litter box has been a major issue throughout her life. We have had her checked for health problems more times than I can count, (the vet always says, "I wish I was so healthy!) and have always bent over backwards to accommodate her preferences/behaviors/whathaveyou. Just a couple of examples: when we bought our house, we specifically looked for one with no carpet anywhere (which was not easy to find in our price range), because she would have peed on it and ruined it. I cannot even begin to tell you how much money I have spent on cleaning, lost apartment security deposits, vet bills, and discarded rugs & things. We have tried every possible litterbox configuration and finally settled on old towels folded up in the box instead of litter, because it is the only way she will go in the box (sometimes.) So I am basically cloth-diapering my cat - triple-washing a load of revoltingly stinky pee towels every week, in addition to anything else she may have seen fit to pee on that week.
Needless to say I have been at the end of my patience with this cat for...well...ever.
Yesterday I found a spot of blood on the towel in her litter box. I checked her paws and they are fine, so I'm thinking she must have a UTI or something. This morning, she squatted right in front of me and peed & pooped on the dog's bed (which she also lays on during the day.) Clearly it's not outside the realm of possibility that she would go on ANYTHING, but usually she sleeps there most of the day, and usually she's pretty stealthy about going on stuff.
Obviously, I have been committed for years to caring for this cat for better or for worse. I don't want her to suffer, but honestly, I am done. I am not interested in spending a lot of money on testing, medications, or prescription food. I am not interested in having her ruin any more of our stuff, and if she really is sick, it's only a matter of time before she starts going on furniture and beds and we just cannot afford to replace those things. I have always been horrified by the idea of euthanizing an animal for convenience, but at her age and with likely health problems, I also don't see that re-homing her is an option. I would be worried about her ending up in a shelter, and if it's her time, I would so much rather have her at home, surrounded by her family.
What would you do in this situation?
