Can you help us with hospice care for our 18-yr old indoor calico cat, Pearl (named sort of after NPR)?

She gets the right kidney diet, her blood tests and urine tests show she is OK; thyroid only marginal; blood pressure kept down with pills; she has arthritis (we think from her movements); several signs of feline dementia. Hiding behavior, sporadic disintertest in food; no interest in being petted.

She maintains her fur well, but in grooming can't twist herself so well to reach her tummy. Her litter habits are unchanged. She drinks a lot from water dishes we have in several places.

Sudden bouts of dry 'coughing' not connected to hairballs;

Well-looked after by a CityCats vet ($1100) and a second opinion at Angel Memorial ($595). We know that cats are crazy about hiding their pain.

The 2nd opinion confirmed the first and suggested that Munchausen syndrome (by or without proxy) is for us to accept it that the cat is dying, probably over the next months.

We want to make her last days comfortable. Analgesics in cats seem difficult. We now give her gabapentin.

Any advice would be much welcomed.

Sorry, I'm not a vet or tech & have no experience with cats in such advanced years.

With dogs, when their body starts shutting down, they are in pain, or have lost their dignity, I've taken them to the vat to be helped to the Bridge.

You might want to post your own thread here in the Pet group so more people see it.

Healing vibes on the way to Pearl & your family.

Gryff usually sleep on a chair nearby?

Then Carys plopped down on top of Gryff.

I have 2 kitcats & can only sit for @ a half hour before my legs go numb, lol

But, yea. 30 or 45 minutes and I'm ready for freedom. The other day my sciatic nerve started sending out warning signals.

paralyzed due to cat overload. Hope you will be able to walk again soon.