Hi all, it's my first post here on the boards. I just thought I'd pos
about my 14-year-old cat Sunny. It's quite a long story but I'll kee
it as short as possible.

She's had pain in her legs for a while which several vets have put dow
to arthritis, which makes it very hard for her to climb or jump. Sh
also had a cough which was diagnosed as probable feline asthma. Apar
from that, she didn't really seem to be ailing anything - even the leg
didn't seem to bother her much, because she's always been quite a laz
cat anyway. *lol* She had been starting to eat less, and to look
little thinner, but I figured the eating less was just her age, and th
weight loss didn't worry me unduly either because previously she ha
been too fat and I'd been putting out less food, I thought I was jus
seeing the results of that.

A couple of weeks ago she was diagnosed with conjunctivitis. The ve
gave her a routine exam, prescribed an eye ointment and didn't make an
other comment on Sunny's condition, other than to suggest I get he
tested for diabetes, to rule out that as a possible cause for he
mobility problems. I thought a while and decided to get it done, bu
before I had a chance Sunny suddenly became very ill.

The first I knew about it was when I realised she had diarrhoea. (Sh
sometimes 'goes' outside, so it is possible this had started before
became aware of it.) She passed blood a couple of times, and seeme
distressed, miaowing in a whimpery sort of way, her purr also sounde
'bubbly'. She protested loudly when picked up, like her stomach wa
hurting.

Took her to the vet (a different one from the week before), wh
organised some bloods, sent me
with her and told me to wait for the results to come back the next day
However, she deteriorated in the next few hours - just looked/was actin
so ill it was as if she were at death's door. Rushed her back, had t
see yet another vet, who pronounced her severely dehydrated. (I fel
terrible, as she'd been at the water bowl as often as usual so I didn'
realise, but he said whatever had caused the diarrhoea probably woul
have caused her to take in smaller amounts, as well as losing it ou
the other end of course.)

OK, so here's where it gets weird: results from the 'standard' set o
bloods revealed - nothing.
Second set of tests (different ones, can't remember exactly what)
nothing.

As far as the vet explained it to me, I believe they had teste
functioning of pretty much major organ. He did explain that it didn'
rule out cancer, but he couldn't feel anything. She was X-rayed - al
this showed was gas buildup around her abdomen, which he said wa
probably part of her system going into trauma.

She was put on fluid/electrolyte therapy and antibiotics for 2 days
During that time I was told she seemed to perk up quickly, was eating
little, no more diarrhoea, temperature up at one point, but otherwis
recovered as expected. In the meantime a thyroid test revealed ..
nothing!

She looked and acted a *lot* better when I picked her up (5 days ag
now, and it's been a week since the emergency dash to the vet) bu
since she's been home I'm finding it really hard to assess how she i
doing. At times she's the old Sunny - purring loudly, coming up fo
petting and fuss, rolling over to be tickled, rubbing her head agains
things etc.

At other times she seems lethargic and withdrawn - that doesn'
constitute a noticeable change in
of habits where Sunny's concerned, because she's always been a lazy ca
- but I must admit I am wondering whether what I had put down to old ag
was actually a sign of encroaching illness. It's hard to know what t
think. I've given her the antibiotics she was prescribed, but it'
really hard to assess whether they've made any difference.

The other big problem is she's eating very little (about the equivalen
of one of those really small tins of Hi-Life cat food daily, I'd say
and has been drinking very little, although that is now picking u
somewhat. Consequently she's not been using the tray much either. (Sh
doesn't seem to be getting dehydrated again - I've been checking he
gums and also checking for the skin tenting thing.) It is really weird
with the eating, because she's showing a *lot* of enthusiasm when food
is produced, miaowing away and getting excited like she always has, but
then she only eats a tiny bit at roughly hourly intervals. She often
attacks the food with gusto but I have been noticing that she seems to
be chewing oddly and sometimes will just lick the food instead. Vet had
said her mouth was OK, but I'm going to ask him to check again.

Speaking of the vet ... this is the bit I have found the most confusing
and upsetting. He is still adamant that she is ill (even though he
admits he doesn't know what she has) and that it might be terminal. He
pretty much told me to prepare myself and that there aren't many
options left to try! Difficult to know what to think, because he
couldn't seem to tell me very clearly what he was basing his opinion on
– it seemed to have a lot to do with her appearing lethargic and having
a poor coat. I don't want to be in denial (especially with her being
the age she is), but Sunny's coat's never really been in great
condition and she often mooches about the place looking like she
doesn't want to do much – again, she's done that ever since I got her
when she was 7!

I am wondering whether to get a second opinion, mainly because another
vet might have more of an idea what it is she might have, and then she
could be treated properly - this vet can't think of much else to try
her with now apart from steroids, which he says are a last resort! He
also doesn't seem to feel there are any more tests we can usefully do
on her. I keep hoping she's had something like a bug that's really
taken it out of her and that she'll need time to bounce back from.
Maybe that's just wishful thinking though - obviously what's at the
back of my mind is that it's something like a cancer which has escaped
detection somehow.

Sorry, I know this has been really long! I just needed to get it out,
and also wondered if anybody else had had similar experiences with
their cat? If so, any thoughts would be much appreciated - thanks! :)