
Living with a nineteen-year-old cat is like something I’ve never experienced
before. Every day there’s something new with him. He’s part of the family so we
feel that we have to deal with all of his issues, and I do mean issues.
Clyde has health issues. He has an enlarged heart; thyroid problems and he
has high blood pressure. He’s on three different types of meds three times a
day. Recently, he’s developed a weak bladder. When he goes into a deep sleep
his bladder leaks wherever he’s lying. He has taken over our bed and we have to
keep the bed covered with a tarp during the day to keep us from having to
change the sheets. He sleeps 98% of the time. The only time he gets up is to go
to the kitchen to eat. He’ll go to the bathroom and sit on the floor until
someone walks in there and helps him on the counter so that he can drink from
the faucet.
He is very vocal. He lets us know when his towel is wet so we can go change
it. He has a routine, and he knows when it’s time for his meds because right after
his meds he gets a hand-full of treats. He loves his treats. Taking the meds,
not so much. In the above picture, he had just had his meds along with a
hand-full of treats. He’s thinking that he didn’t have enough treats and wants
more.
I’ve heard cats living up to 21 years. Knowing him, he’ll live long past that. He’s an ornery, old, grumpy cat.