Old Albert has been having accidents fairly regularly now
I think his “ thinking” has changed a little…some organic changes perhaps
He’s clingy and reluctant to go outside.
He paces the house and is awake on the bed at night when he used to patrol the garden.
I’ve tested his wee stains no sign of infection.
I’ll buy a litter tray on Saturday
In the meantime I’ve got a carpet cleaner.
I looked at the old boy this morning before leaving for work.
And my heart ached for him just a little
He was sitting on the window sill , his deformed leg bent painfully to one side.
Waiting for his breakfast .
He’s been a constant here for fourteen years
A best supporting actor to the leading dog actresses
They break your heart don’t they?
I read that title and found myself singing it to 'Footsteps on the dance floor' (remind me, baby, of you). It's hard, they seem to carry on and then one day you look at them and realise they have got old and you hadn't noticed. I recommend Dr Beckmanns by the way, although I bet you're an expert on animal pee stains.
ReplyDeleteAnd human ones
DeleteThey do.
ReplyDelete❤️
DeleteThey absolutely do. Poor Albert. Old age can be so hard especially for such a strong and independent soul as he.
ReplyDeleteYes he’s practically wild
DeleteIndeed the heart hurts.
ReplyDeleteXx
DeleteWishing you the wisdom and courage to do the right thing at the right time. The heartache is the price we pay for loving our companions, and confidantes, as their lives draw to a close.
ReplyDeleteI’ve done it many times x
DeleteYes indeed. Suddenly you spot what has been creeping in at the sides for a long time. But just remember Albert has had a good life with you despite his disability, with someone who understands and knows how to care. I have two rescue dogs, dumped in the countryside after physical and mental abuse - and even after 45 years of rescue dogs, with ten years as a dog rescue volunteer, were the hardest dogs ever to bring round. The larger of the two has been blind in one eye ever since I have had them. We think due to a kick or several, Cataract certainly, detached retina most probably. Now a cataract is developing in his good eye, so after a holiday next week I need to make an appointment with a vet eye specialist. I have no idea how old he is. Kipling had it right, about giving your heart to a pet to tear. Good luck, Albert. John will know what's best fo you and when.
ReplyDeleteKipling got it…completely
DeleteThey do break your heart and they also make it whole. 14 years is a long time together.
ReplyDeleteThat is a beautiful way to describe our relationships with our darling pets 🥰
DeleteSiobhan x
They really do
ReplyDeleteThey mess u
DeleteI know - sometimes I think I should never of put myself in the position of it all - it can just be too painfull - Albert is loved xx 💖
ReplyDeleteHe is
DeleteThey most definitely break our hearts.
ReplyDeleteBut they make our lives
DeleteAw bless him. He may be wary of a new tom on the block outside? A litter tray is a good idea anyway. I have the opposite extreme here - litter tray savvy kittens but I am a climbing frame. OUCH!
ReplyDeleteI think he’s going a bit senile
DeleteThey sure do John 😢
ReplyDelete❤️
DeleteOh, darling Albert. Suddenly, age creeps up. A litter tray is a good idea, especially as the weather is turning colder. I wouldn't fancy having to go outside to toilet! I know he's not a cuddly cat, but give him a stroke from me.🐈⬛ xx
ReplyDeleteHe’s have my hand off
DeleteI recognise this feeling. My Rupert was with me for 18 years, through thick and thin, divorce, just him and me for years, re-marriage, and then, one day, he was old. It's heartbreaking.
ReplyDelete❤️
DeleteI identify with Albert.
ReplyDeleteSame eyes 😶
DeleteI'm not a cat person but Albert has captured my heart. I wish him well. We are off to the vet today and I'm dreading the conversation. Elsie either has IBS or bowel cancer.
ReplyDeleteHe’s part of my world
DeleteThis post made me well up in tears. Pets are just the most precious things on the planet. Hope he uses the litter tray!
ReplyDeleteHe will
DeleteMy senior rescue is 13 now, and I've made sure he has a litter tray up in the loft, where he sleeps at night. It seems to help. Much love to you and Albert. Jxx
ReplyDeleteThanks jan
DeleteThey really do break your heart, but we love them all the more for their age-related infirmities don't we. Mavis has occasional lack of control moments, usually when she has jumped up suddenly onto something high or when she's fast asleep on Alan's knee. Oh, the joys of having given birth to pups in earlier life!
ReplyDeleteWe got Ginger a cat litter tray when we were in the flat for a while and let him carry on with it when we moved. It's currently under Alan's kitchen table (we never eat in the kitchen) and he delights in his indoor facilities on a wet day, and he's been known to dash back from playing outside to use it, and then immediately goes back out again. Mollycoddled he is.
❤️
DeleteThey do break your heart, our 18 year old cat was acting a bit off recently and each morning I would go to her bed and check she was still with us, she is acting much better now, so whatever has passed, thank goodness.
ReplyDelete❤️
DeleteI love Albert. His personality reminds me of my cat who has aged suddenly. At 15 he sometimes just looks confused. Never a lap cat sometimes he will jump up and sit on my lap for comfort. His younger spirited self would be so embarrassed.
ReplyDeleteIt would ,when he was young , he was a true horror
DeleteHowever long we are blessed with them it is never long enough. They give us so much unconditional love, companionship, consistency, fun and love. Treasure the days left. Choosing to open up and love is being brave otherwise we fade like withered flowers, when the love is to be shared. He will tell you when his time is right. Bless his cotton socks such a character. x
ReplyDeleteXx
DeleteNone of my six cats died noisily - they seemed to take their time and choose their own quiet method. Apart from the last one who went under a bin lorry wheel. But that at least was quick.
ReplyDeleteSo sad
DeleteSigh. Animals will always break your heart in the end. It's the price we pay for loving them. It's worth it, but that doesn't make it any easier.
ReplyDeletePlease give Albert a gentle pat from me. xx
I have done dear jennifer
DeleteIt has been a good life
ReplyDeleteDavid u are right, I’m not that sad
DeleteIf it did not break your heart, I'd wonder if you even had one.
ReplyDeleteYou will honor Albert's dwindling days just as you honor your residents' last days in hospice.
He’s been a star , always in the background
DeleteIt's devastating to see a beloved pet become feeble and old. My dachshund, Boober, was almost 18 when it became time to let him go. It still hurts.
ReplyDeleteXx
DeleteDarling boy, l love him and have never even met him. But you have brought him into my life with words and pictures so vividly. Try him with some prawns, l buy the frozen ones in a bag and dish a few out, as treats to my lot. Also cat milk in little cartons is available in any decent supermarket. He may go on longer than we think and the litter tray is a good idea. Generally l find that male cats can be quite upset at the indignity of peeing indoors, the girls are not so bothered especially when older! Please give him a big kiss from his friend Tess, never met xx
ReplyDeleteHe’s a bad tempered old character with golden eyes and an attitude
DeleteAint we all babe T x
DeleteBless Albert. One of my favorite stories of yours was, years ago, when he came blasting through the cat door with some neighborhood bully cat right behind him, still intent on mayhem. Winnie, William and someone (can't recall which dog, sorry; George, perhaps?) lay by the fire and took great exception to anyone going after their housemate. Loved the image of their rising to his defense as one. Believe the story closed with the three dogs, having driven out the intruder, returning to the hearth, and Albert sitting there nonchalantly, cleaning his paws.
ReplyDeleteIt’s my favourite story too. As it was the first time his canine brothers rallied to his defence
DeletePoor Albert! Sometimes older cats are prone to kidney problems that can lead to incontinence but can also be treated. Might be worth having him checked at the vet. (If you haven't already done so.)
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely.
ReplyDeleteOh, Sweet Albert! He's truly been a bravehearted lion all these years.
ReplyDeleteX
DeleteSweet Albert. Ailments are hard, especially when a fury loved one is not feeling well.
ReplyDeleteYes, my cat HRH got a little incontinent and had accidents outside the litter box too as she got old. She'd yowl in the middle of the night too. My Rare One said it was Kitty Cat Dementia. Aging is no fun for anyone.
ReplyDeleteMy senior cat, Mustard, has now reached the jolly old age of 15. He developed crystals in his urine a few years ago which ultimately led to his first UTI. After a trip to the vet he was fixed up with an antibiotic and a prescription cat food that helps diminish the crystals. The food makes him thirsty so he drinks water regularly, (which is a good thing), and my old thirsty old boy continues to enjoy life. Hopefully, Albert will turn the corner as well. It's lucky you have the medical knowledge to test his urine for infection.
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear that, John. Going through similar thing also. Our rescue pooch, LilyLuv, is approx. 14 yrs. old. Had her annual checkup in Spring. All fine. Several months later rushed her to the vet's to find she has an enlarged heart. Sweetest little dog ever. Kept in a cage for her first three years of life. Always so difficult when our beloved pets become ill and we finally have to make difficult decisions to save them from too much discomfort. Heart goes out to you. From the base of the mini-mountain in Maine where winter is preparing to arrive. Hugs. Regina.
ReplyDeleteIn the grand scheme of things, the joy they bring into our lives far outweighs the heartbreak. The heartbreak seems to become sharper, more pronounced as we also age. Keeping you, Albert and the dogs in my thoughts & heart.
ReplyDeleteOh, yes. Franklin is an elderly man now and has trouble getting up the 3 steps to the deck. Penelope has arthritis. It breaks my heart. I have no one to go walking with me now, and I can't stand seeing them frightened and in pain at times.
ReplyDeleteLove,
Janie
I'm so sorry that dear Albert is feeling his age. Do you suppose he'll need a litter tray upstairs and down starirs? That might be true if his leg is bothering him on the stairs.
ReplyDeleteThe decline of beloved furry friends is heartbreaking.
Hugs!
Oh bless, yes, they do break your heart. x
ReplyDeletemore votes for sympathy
DeleteYou've made me well up here!! Was devasted by the loss of my last little rescue cat. She lived to be 18 and had thyroid issues. She was on medication for years which helped to control it. I now have a rescue who was a stray for a year. She only has one tooth and the Blue Cross vet said she'd suffered a facial trauma (thought to have been kicked : ( : ( : ( She was terrified when first had her but now rules the roost and has the best life imaginable. Pets are family and my heart is aching a little for dear Albert, too. A litter tray is a great idea. X
ReplyDeleteAlbert has almost always been a semi feral cat. His hatred of the Vets and cages is epic
DeletePoor Albert, they do break our hearts but he has the best care with you.
ReplyDeleteWell I hope so
DeleteHe's Trelawnyd's only royalty - Prince Albert!
ReplyDeleteAnd Mrs Trellis is princess margaret
DeleteThe Stalker
ReplyDeleteYes, I am crying . Last year we lost one of our pups she was 12..I still cry for her and for the one that went before.
They are at home with me in spirit Recently our new pup arrived and our 9 year old pup is a child again, and the new pup is hilarious. Love to Albert and your mob
It's a hard road sometimes
DeleteBut they never betray you. Unconditional love 'til the end.
ReplyDeleteOr in Albert's case unconditional grumpiness
DeleteMy husband's brother is like that ....you know he loves you but he only shows grumpy to keep you away.
DeleteAnd then one day they just start to look smaller and wee bit slower, and we begin to love them even more.
ReplyDeletePrivacy when peeing is of primary importance to my senior felines, secondary only to convenience. We now have several large bins (and tray with tops) strategically placed. The lads also insist on daily pooper scooping. * Several water bowls also go with this geriatric territory...as do absorbent dust and drip catching rugs under bowls, bins and trays.
ReplyDeleteYes, something heart wrenching about these relatively innocent, helpless beings when they age. But Albert is loved and will be loved forever.
ReplyDeleteI understand totally about Albert. My sweet cat Emma is 14 and her age is catching up with her :( She does not like the vet either!
ReplyDeleteLinda from Alabama
💔
ReplyDeletePlease give Albert a pat for us.
ReplyDeleteThe day my last dog, Bok, died (he was put down), he had wet his bed in the night. He'd never done it before. The Vet' let him go peacefully.
ReplyDeleteTear in the eye here.
ReplyDeleteYes, I looked at our elderly yorkie sleeping this evening - she's 13 this month - and I couldn't help wondering if she'll still be here this time next year as she seems to be ageing more rapidly than our dear old boy who was put to sleep last spring......heart wrenching
ReplyDeleteAlison in Wales x
Our sweet Hobart will be 17 in a couple of weeks. I watch him sleeping and he still reminds me of when he is a kitten. I'm not sure how long we will have, none of us do, but we love them with all our heart and soul and make them happy for all the days of their lives. Sending big hugs to you all!
ReplyDeleteMy beloved 17 year old feline lady died this May; she'd been with me for 13 years and they weren't enough. The hole she left in my heart may heal over but will never be filled.
ReplyDeleteShe had arthritis but insisted in sleeping in the loft room so we had three litter trays for her, one on each floor. Dignity means a lot to cats. Hugs to Albert xx