r/MadeMeSmile • u/DragonsAreNifty • Jul 23 '21
This is my boy. He belongs to my mom. He is 22. He has dementia. He went missing three days ago. Tonight I went home to look for him. And I found him. I thought I was looking for a body. But I found a whole boy :) ANIMALS
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u/InsomniaAbounds Jul 23 '21
How do you diagnose a cat with dementia?
A medical test… or did you notice he seems to forget where his food bowl is and such?
I mean… poor kitty… and I am very glad you found him safe… but I’m fascinated and distracted with the diagnosis.
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u/DragonsAreNifty Jul 23 '21
We’ve noticed that he forgets where his food and litter is. Gets lost inside the house. And sometimes has bouts of general confusion. We have been planning on making a vet trip to determine if it is “time”. But the idea of him dying alone, hungry, and outside had us pretty heart broken. But now we have the option to make the choice of what is best for him. If it is his time, he’s going out with a bucket of kfc and lots of love.
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u/24204me Jul 23 '21
This is heartbreaking to read, but I'm so glad you found him to give him a happier ending, if the time comes.
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u/shrnstill Jul 23 '21
I lost my 20 year old kitteh to the rainbow bridge last October. She had dementia for a year then had seizures one night. I am still heart broken and wonder if I did enough for her. She lost control of the back half of her body from the seizures. She was the love of my kitteh life.
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u/OccultedPatterns Jul 23 '21
You did enough. I always put doubt in myself when I lost my 15yo almost 2 years ago.
You always did your best and that was always good enough for them ♥️ that's all they ever ask of us.
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u/danceswithronin Jul 23 '21
My 20 year-old cat died from the same issue. We had two of them, one had been declining steadily for a few weeks so we made the decision to put him down. The night before the procedure, the other 20 year-old cat random starts going into convulsions and loses control of her rear legs. We ended up having to euthanize both of them.
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u/Tulcey-Lee Jul 23 '21
Oh bless him I’m so glad he was ok. One of our cats lived to 20. Our current cat is almost 14 and has just been diagnosed with dementia. She stares at walls and walks into things on occasions and seems confuse about what to do with her legs. She’s not doing too bad at the minute and the vets have provided some tablets that may help so we shall see.
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u/QuokkaNerd Jul 23 '21
When our cat finally went round the bend, she would sit and face the back of the chair with her nose about 2" from the upholstery. She'd just zone out for an hour or so, then nap, then zone. We had to take her off the chair to go eat.
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u/InsomniaAbounds Jul 23 '21
Poor baby. Some vets will come to your house so the animal is less scared. Maybe you can find one…
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u/aaron-is-dead Jul 23 '21
We also have a cat with dementia and it's very similar to how human dementia works. He tends to forget what he's doing, get lost, get scared at the smallest things (like touching him suddenly) and he needs to be guided to do things sometimes. Otherwise he's very capable, just needs to be reminded where he is.
Jackson Galaxy actually talked about cat dementia on his YT channel and said that the most telltale sign of possible dementia is constant yowling. Most cats tend to yowl when they don't know where they are, and sometimes I wake up to our cat screaming at 5am because he got lost on his way to the litterbox.
Otherwise he's very delightful, has a great quality of life and no other serious health problems, just gets confused. I can't confidently say the same for other cats, though.
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u/SpiderSmoothie Jul 23 '21
I'm screwed if that's a big sign of it. My cats are annoyingly yowly all the time WITHOUT dementia.
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u/DragonsAreNifty Jul 23 '21
Oh my god I did not realize he did that because of dementia. He stalks the house from 12-5am yowling every night. I’ll see if I can post a clip
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u/aaron-is-dead Jul 28 '21
Late reply but I would recommend keeping some lights on at night for him if you don't already. From what I've heard, it helps dementia-ridden cats navigate around their house better at night and prevents them from getting confused. If lights are too much, you could find some LEDs or Christmas lights and string them along the bottom of the wall as well.
I've found that with my cat, he gets concerned when it's both dark and no one is around to help him out. You could also try just keeping your cat in someone's bedroom at night, if he's fine with that.
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u/DragonsAreNifty Jul 28 '21
We usually keep on some low lights but I might try bumping up the dimmer and seeing if that helps :)
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u/schnauzersmudge Jul 23 '21
Oh man. The relief must have been overwhelming. So pleased you found him!
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u/kayb3e Jul 23 '21
so happy you found him and he is home again. :) also - for everyone wondering about dementia in cats - link with some more info.
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u/brianne----- Jul 23 '21
My girl is almost 17 now and I can’t believe she’s still kicking it. They become such a massive part of our lives. I’ve had her my whole adult life and it breaks my heart to ever imagine her gone. Such luck you have had so many years together..What a cute boy he is. Give him some love for me.
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u/[deleted] Jul 23 '21
[deleted]
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u/MrsBarneyFife Jul 23 '21
Really? What is your vet's secret? My boy only made it to 13. I have one who just turned 6 and I've noticed he's much more tolerant of his 10 month old sister. It's freaking me out! lol
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u/[deleted] Jul 23 '21 edited Jul 23 '21
[deleted]
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u/brianne----- Jul 23 '21
Food is a big thing as they get older. They are less able to get the nutrients and protein they need from their food which is why they lose weight and get bony. She was always a friskes girl until this year. I started only buying food with the first ingredient being real meat (chicken), not crude protein. It’s made a big difference.
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u/Chrischtel_ Jul 23 '21
My grandmas cat is now 20 years old and never had any health issues beside bad teeth, those had to be pulled. She is a typical farm cat that only really comes inside the house in order to get attention or to get some food. Even in the winter she only comes in during the Night and goes out when the Sun rises.
She still catches about 3 mices a day and one or two rabbits every summer. I really couldn't imagine her laying arround and Not being able to do anything.
So the Part with "The two main factors are breed, and whether your cat can or not go outdoors. Indoor cats have about 2x the life expectancy of indoor-outdoor cats. Also they shouldn't be killing vermin since it causes diseases" doesn't apply for her at all.
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u/brianne----- Jul 23 '21
Thank you! That makes me a bit relieved. She still has shiny fur and bright eyes. Just is getting a lot thinner as time goes on.
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u/Bellie_Mae Jul 23 '21
This made my whole shift day a thousand times better. The euphoria of your baby coming home when you thought they were gone can't be rivalled
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u/M4dMil0 Jul 23 '21
Sweet fella! Is he a specific race?
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u/DragonsAreNifty Jul 23 '21
We think he’s a snowshoe. We’ve had him for about 16 years but he was an adoption so we don’t know his history.
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u/GhostTauren Jul 23 '21
Awwwwww glad you found him and he reminds me of bobbing head cat from the meme videos.
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u/spittleyspot Jul 23 '21
I am overjoyed for you that he was found.
The dread I felt when my kitten escaped the house and was only lost a day, and I'd only had him only about a month.
When he passes it should be with you and your mom.
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u/Kunning-Druger Jul 23 '21
What an excellent and handsome boy!!! Please slather him with praise and pets from me.
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u/adriandrool Jul 23 '21
Yay! What is his name?
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u/stangroundalready Jul 23 '21
What a handsome fella! Pls give him a hug for me. So glad you found him.
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u/timas2791 Jul 23 '21
“My boy…belongs to my mom” Let’s get this story straight here.
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u/DragonsAreNifty Jul 23 '21
I lived with him in highshool and college haha He may belong to my mom, but he’s still my boy. Plus he likes to roam around at 3am and yowl so that’s not a friend you soon forget.
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u/California1981 Jul 23 '21
I’m so glad he came home.
You will know when the time is right. If you end up having to make that decision, consider a vet coming to your home (damn Covid might have taken away this option).
It was a much more peaceful experience for our last pet who feared the vet clinic. It wasn’t much more expensive.
I wish you and your mom many more happy days with this fella.
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u/LittleAlienLost Jul 23 '21
I'm so happy that you found him! Thank you for sharing this happy moment!
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u/stormbutton Jul 23 '21
I’m so glad you found him! My 19 year old girl had dementia as well. When the time came, we found a vet to come to our house. She went to sleep on our laps on her favorite blanket in her favorite spot. It was sad and hard, but no stress in the carrier or scary vet smells and sounds. If you can find a vet to do this, it makes all the difference in the world.
Love to you all and your boy.
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u/dontakelife4granted Jul 23 '21
I'm so glad you got your kitty back OP. I wish you strength and peace in the coming months. My kitty also had dementia and making the decision to send him over the rainbow bridge was the hardest decision I've ever had to make, but ultimately the best for him. Your mom/family are so lucky your boy's been around so long--it's amazing! He is a beautiful boy!!
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u/tsotsi_zombie Jul 23 '21
That's awesome! I know the feeling. I'm glad he's safe and back with you guys!
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u/duckmonkey222 Jul 23 '21
I am so happy for you and your adorable boy. Since he's 22, that means that you and your mom take good care of him. I have two cats and I want to give them the best possible care. Do you have any tips?
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u/musicmunchkin Jul 23 '21
What a handsome boy he is. I Am so glad you could find him to enjoy more time with him. The cat I had when I was 11 lived until she was 23. She stayed at home with my mum after I left home to live with my future husband.
We are so lucky to have them in our families for such a long time. ❤️
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u/TheYeetles Jul 23 '21
A great boy, I’m so happy that he’s safe - for you and your mother’s sake and his own sake. :)
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u/fatboi_mcfatface Jul 23 '21
Just curious, does he has access to the outside or was it an accident? You could always build a Catio for him to relax outside in a safe way
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u/Kablaaw Jul 23 '21
Cat with dementia, ok I'll believe. But if you tell me cat forgets to knock things of shelf, I'm calling you a liar >:3
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u/Meat_Bingo Jul 23 '21
That cat looks like he has seen some shit. What a sweetie glad he is back home.
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u/thewitherman Jul 23 '21
I'd like to have a pint with him, he looks like a proper lad, glad he's home.
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u/Cephalopodio Jul 23 '21
Oh god, one of my cats went missing for ten days once. I’ll never forget that agony. I’m thrilled for you to find your sweet boy!!
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u/[deleted] Jul 23 '21
Damn, that cat has seen some stuff. It's always impressive how old some animals get to be. Glad you found him alive!
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u/SirOfTheMoriartys Jul 23 '21
This a certified good boy right here. Glad he was found alive and is able to be home!
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u/flovarian Jul 23 '21
We have an almost-20 year old cat who yowls in the night a lot and doesn’t always seem to see or hear properly. We have started calling him our miracle kitty because he has a special heart—the vet noticed an unusual heart rhythm when they were evaluating him for dental surgery last summer, so we got him checked out by a kitty cardiologist (never thought I would ever be saying that phrase). She found he has cortriatrium—an extra chamber in his heart. Kitty cardiologist told us cats don’t usually live beyond a couple of years with this condition, so we feel very fortunate to have had so much time with our sweet Jack.
And re the length of life discussion, we had two (indoor/outdoor) shorthaired cats from the same litter who lived until 13 and 20, respectively. Now our nearly 10-year-old long-haired cobby torbie (we think she’s at least part Siberian forest cat) seems to have about the same health as a much older cat. She used to go outside a lot but a bout of pancreatitis scared us into not letting her outside anymore (she was getting sick after going outside and eating grass—and a few months ago, she got so sick we thought we were losing her).
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u/Lumber_Tycoon Jul 23 '21
How could you possibly know if a cat has dementia?
Edit: NM, I looked it up and apparently it's a thing.
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u/CeeBee29 Jul 23 '21
Omg I’m so glad u found him ❤️ our old boy was ill and went out and never came back, still look for him when I’m out all these years later!!
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u/PlaxicoCN Jul 23 '21
How can they tell that cats have dementia and are not just being their usual strange selves?
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u/LaReineAnglaise53 Jul 23 '21
Oh boy... So happy it so much happier than you feared...
Can you keep him now to keep him safe?
Or is that definitely not an option?!
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u/mrprincepercy Jul 23 '21
22 and has dementia?! Those are some astronomical odds that he was found alive.