my cat has dimentia

[knowbody0]

she forgets she just finished eating five minutes ago, and demands I refill her bowl. I do. she smells it and walks away. so then she demands again, i reopen the tuperware and offer it to her. she repeats this about 15 times a day, until she sits down to the bowl and eats for at least 15 minutes and lately makes these oinky piggy noises while she scarfs it down.
she sorta stopped grooming herself well, so now I do. I rinse her face and brush her and remove the mats and clumps of her long beautiful calico coat.
she still moves really well, jumps up on my high bed. climbs up and down her ladder to get outside whenever she wants and still runs around and is playful, chasing invisible stuff.
she's in charge here, over three other cats and a 2 year old shar pei, who all bow down to her.

she's been extremely demanding today which always makes me think this will be her last night, because she's slept three days straight, just barely breathing, quite a few times lately. we all say our goodbyes to her. then she's up again hungry and ready for the day.

Kali's 21 years old, and tonight she let out this howl, the howl of the hunter announcing to the pride that she's presenting fresh kill. she walks down the long hallway proud as hell, and what she's got in her mouth is the leg of the shar pei's stuffed moose. she jumped up on the bed and proceeded to tear it to shreds. lustful and greedy, she growled and chewed and clawed away. then suddenly curled up and fell fast asleep.

I'm gonna miss her.

[njlib]

1. Awww

It's so sad when they get older. She may very well still be around for awhile if she's still jumping & hunting. I would think destroying her "kill" is a good sign that she's still "got it". I know my cats, who are all 5-6 or younger, sleep more than the dog, who's 12. In fact, I'm the only idiot in the house who's awake right now!

My dog Buster had dementia for a year or so before he died of liver cancer in July. He'd walk from one room to another, look around like he'd never seen the living room before, then look at me like he was asking "Where am I and who are you?". Sometimes he'd just sit and stare off into space, just like the residents in the nursing home where I work...it's VERY sad when they get older.

[david13]

2. My old cat is about 23 and he is much the same. Doesn't seem to

know what he's supposed to do, or which way he is supposed to go anymore.
But I think he still has a long way to go.
dc