Shadow Days for Lucky Kitty

Back in August a nasty infection of ear mites hit all cats in the household. The current vet was amazed that all of them had the little buggers. The previous vet (from whom the "new guy & wife" bought the practice) had stated on numerous occasions that if one animal in the household got 'em, they all would. Especially in my household since they sleep in a big pile of fur half the time.

Anyway the mites lead to lots of meds since they simply would not die and at one point Lucky ended up going deaf. Now true she had been getting hard of hearing for quite some time so perhaps it wasn't entirely unexpected. But the trauma of going deaf had her hiding out in the basement for over a month. The world is very very scary when you can't hear and your siblings can (and do) sneak up and pounce on you. Once deaf she became vocal for the first time in her life. 

Finally, Lucky came back upstairs to live only to end up with a nasty bladder infection a few weeks later which presented itself by inappropriate urination on the bed, the last time actually on my head (oh boy THAT was "fun"). This came and went as the infection would clear up only to come roaring back in January. Since then things have gotten much worse. Tests have shown no problems with her kidneys, no masses internally to indicate tumorous growth ... virtually nothing. Latest tests have the bacteria gone. But she still isn't allowed in the bedroom and honestly she doesn't try to come in any longer, which is very very sad. She always used to sleep on the pillow near my head (if not on my head). It was the ruining of my great-grandmother's feather pillows that got her banished from the bedroom a month ago. For a while there I had to shut everyone out which meant no sleep in snatches longer than two hours since they were always on the wrong side of the door and very vocal about it. Except Lucky, who has never (before) said anything unless she was terrified. 

One well-meaning school of thought says it is time to "let her go". But she's not giving me "the look". When Pouncequick's liver disease got to be too much one day he just looked up at me with his big copper eyes and I knew. When Chaos' legs wouldn't work one morning and he looked up at me with his round green eyes, I knew. Lucky looks at me with her same old every day expressions. She eats well, drinks well, has gotten a bit playful again and is very affectionate. However, she lives on the dining room chairs under the table when I'm not home and up until last week was still having potty "issues". When I am home she is a very cuddly lap cat. So I am trying to be home more, even though work is insane right now.

Add to that the fact that the other cats (except Purrcy) are trying to drive her off - they growl, hiss and walk up and slap her for no reason. In the wild they would be driving her away from the colony. This however is not a wild colony. The vet and I think that the others might sense/smell something we can't see on the x-rays yet. A cancer or something. That may be true but she doesn't seem to be suffering in any way (beyond nerves).

So I have ordered plastic cushion covers for the dining room chairs, bought a pheromone diffuser that is supposed to calm everyone, brought a litter box upstairs in the dining room (that room is her safe place so it has to be in there), I flip up the couch cushions so there aren't any accidents when I'm not home and discipline the others when they get mean. We are going to tough this out a while longer. I cannot and will not "put her to sleep" when there is no discernible illness. I can't make an appointment to end her life. I wouldn't "put down  an elderly human just because she is old. And make no mistake Lucky is old - she's 17. I don't think she is senile. She's a little wobbly and one side isn't working all that well so there may have been a very mild stroke at some point. 

But until she gives me "the look" she will continue to be snuggled and loved.