Price The Good Cat - He Wins.

Don't want to bum anybody out, but many people have been rooting for Price.  We did, however, know what was coming.

Price has really stopped eating, drinking or grooming himself.  I'm not going to bother him with his wheelchair any more; that can be saved for the next problem in another cat.  If he wants to go outside, he can limp along pretty well at this point; he has his little bootie on his limp foot.

Here he is, after a little Diazapan, freshly washcloth-bathed, on his comfy sofa.  The gray blanket is one of two, at this point being used like a diaper.  Sometimes he'll take an edge of the plaid blanket on his back.  This is just before the drug kicked in.  It's a very small dose; just enough to relax him and let him sleep in comfort.

There's a point where you stop bugging the old person and let them work on their last job.  He's 16 years old, warm, safe, relaxed, pain free.  As we say on Facebook:  Price wins.

Price and his wheelchair.

This is Price in his new wheelchair.  Now it can be seen.  He's figured out two ways to get out of it -- jump up on the couch, or roll it over.  CATS.

Price's First REAL wheelchair.

The only reason I'm not posting Price's first tryouts in his real wheelchair is because these folks asked me not to until we'd gotten it properly adjusted and working. We ordered the cart in the PM and got it in the AM the next day (admittedly, they're kind of around the corner from us, but it still came by a circuitous route and still made it).

Been monkeying with the adjustments, after watching the CD that came with the cart. Every piece of the cart adjusts.  About 2:40 on Youtube you can see one of the carts in action.

Yesterday, when he was in the cart, along with all the griping and complaining, he headed for the door.  "Let's see what this babe will do on grass!"  I told him he had to practice a few days first, and get adjusted right.  Instead, he spent the day behind the solar panels by the house, curled up in the grass, enjoying being outside with Dan, who was doing yard work or reading.  Dan needed some sun, anyway.

Price never was much of a touchy-feely cat, and he wouldn't take being covered with a blanket. He now spends his days and nights on the couch, tucked in with a plaid blanket.  In the evening, he wants to be snuggled up under my chin, purring and getting petted. So I have to lay on the couch petting Price rather than getting any art work down, and that's just how it is.  Gonna have to just change my ancient schedule, I guess, retrain my brain to do art in the daylight.  I'm glad we have sets of DVDs, like Treme, from the library.

Price ate very well yesterday, but not today.  He seems to be eating and drinking every other day.  We'll give the adjusted cart another try today, and film it for K9.

I'm quite worried about a hard lump in his belly, but the vet says it's probably scar tissue -- and he just didn't want to cut on him any more. Not after the massive surgery he's already had.  How much suffering do we want to put an old person through?  

In the meantime, he's resting and wanting outside occasionally.  Yesterday he almost got away from me, three legs and all, as he slipped out the door past me and whipped down the stairs.  There's life in the old cat yet.

Price's 1st wheelchair design -- and oops.

Okay, here's the first attempt at building Price a wheelchair.  I are sometimes all thumbs.

The original wheelchair design, with many markings and fiddlings.  Thank you, Maggie, at the Forks Ace hardware.

Um... ta da?  That doesn't look right.

Up and pushing around (complaining).

Oops. Back to the drawing board.

Well, after some more research and gathering of parts on the beach and at the Lion's Club rummage sale, I may be ready to have a go at it tomorrow.  At least Price was willing to move it around when I tried it on him.

We've pretty well accept that, after the heavy gut operation (and gods knows what possible growths may be advancing), that he's finally fading from us. He's sixteen, and had a good life.  We're going to keep trying to make his life happy.

We're lucky the weather has finally turned lovely, and we can sit out in the yard with him.  He's a basically tough, happy cat, and we'll do what we can for him.  He only wants fish now, and I'll either get it off the beach, in cans, or finagle a head and/or backbone from Ric the fish guy.

When I die, I want to come back as one of my cats.

Price Living With Bad Leg

Price's bad leg is dragging and making it hard for him to lie down.  So I put it up in an old-fashioned sling.

Because he's gotten used to lying around and feeling sorry for himself, we've been noodging him down the hallway to strengthen his good hind leg.  There is much whining and complaining, but now he can actually get to the litter box and the water without the dragging leg slowing him down.  We take the sling off at night, so he won't have a chance of catching it on things, or at least when he's without or supervision.  

Then afterwards there is purring.  Right now it's ling cod season, and I caught my first ling cod ever yesterday.  I have to fish when I can because Price loves fresh fish, and the Old Cat gets what he wants.

Price is Good for Now

Price and Leo on the couch.

Okay. Whew.  Here's the latest:

Price is 16 years old.  The lump in his belly is probably scar tissue from the operation (didn't find it before, because of the burn).

Only one of his legs is bad; the vet guesses an embolism, which isn't uncommon in cats his age.  This help explains a bad situation about three years ago, when a cat lost use of both hind legs.  Price is okay; he can walk.  Nothing can be done about it, but he's happy and gets around.

He's eating, drinking, doing everything he's supposed to.  The vet and we have decided no more cutting or desperate measures.  From now on, it's goodies and time in front of the fire for the old man.  

And thank those of you who had good thoughts for our old guy.

Price not doing well

Uh oh.  Price's hind legs are more wonky than ever, even though he's getting meds and massage. 

Just found a hard lump in his belly.  Hopefully it's scar tissue from the operation.  

Taking him to the vet today.  Hopes and prayers welcome.