Cats

[flexagon]

I took Nala to the vet yesterday for her annual checkup, where the vet said this was the oldest cat she'd ever seen. They checked her out pretty thoroughly and basically told me she's old. Arthritis in the back knees maybe, so we're going to try pain medication for a week to see whether it seems to help her get around. And she's lost some weight.

I have been thinking lately about what a load the cats really are. Most mornings there's at least one mess on the floor; it's hard to feed Nala, the other two fight at night, the litterbox is a daily thing and of course they track fur and litter everywhere. I love them, and they make me laugh and give us both something to take pictures of. And also, when I get stressed sometimes I think about friends' houses I have been over to, rather clean ones usually, where they can leave a game in progress on a table (whaaaat?) and eat their damn food in peace.

Yesterday I put these thoughts in one place with coronavirus-related thoughts for the first time. One day, maybe in a couple of years or maybe a bit longer, but one day, we'll probably be able to travel again. I've missed out on several semi-important trips lately because of staying home with Nala, and now there are even bigger reasons not to travel. When we can again, I'd like it to be easier.

So, basically, maybe we should simply not replace this cat population as it goes. Nala is 22.5 (!) and unlikely to outlast the pandemic, Threat Level is probably 8-9 and Hypercube is 6. We're not used to thinking of the younger two as being old at all because they're so much younger than Nala, but Threat Level will be considered senior in a couple of years and he did some time outdoors before he came to us. Anyway, two is easier than three, and one is easier than two (as long as he/she is sedate enough to be content as the only feline), and zero...? I've never had zero as an adult. Maybe I should at least try it sometime for a year or two? I floated the idea with heisenbug and he agreed it's at least a worthy hypothetical, to be discussed again at times when the cat population changes.

Has anyone here ever gone from pets to no pets? What was it like?

Comments

[triesticity]

Yeah, I've gone from one rabbit at a time to no pets - though in some cases "rabbit" was a rabbit I was fostering rather than my pet per se. But still. I miss the animal company, do not miss the extra cleaning. I think if I lived somewhere with a yard I'd want a dog, especially if I could continue working from home indefinitely - but I think the one thing that might make me hesitate would be travel logistics.

[melebeth]

There were things about it that were much easier until I once again missed having animals around

[cordjostler]

I haven't gone from pets to none as an adult, but I so feel everything you said here. Combined H and I had 4 cats, and even though cats are pretty good at taking care of themselves, the vom and boxes and feeding, and waking up in the night to one slamming a cabinet door... it's a lot. It's going to be worse now that It's just me. I go down to two cats, but I'm going to need a sitter if I'm gone for more than a week. which, admittedly, probably isn't likely to happen.

But yeah, I am all for the natural scaling down for now. which is also not to say that I look forward to losing any of them.

My oldest made it to 23, and it was getting so rough. he lost control of his bladder, and I had to move to CA for two months for an internship. it was either keep him in a rabbit hutch, or put him down. I felt bad, but he had a good, long life.

[flexagon]

Sounds like you made the right choice on that one. My understanding is that losing the ability to control that is a HUGE quality-of-life issue for cats, enough so that it's often the tipping point in vets' recommendations.

I love Nala the most, but I'd be pretty happy in a house with just Hypercube, or zero cats if I could do that without traumatizing any of them. I think what I really wish is that I could just turn them off occasionally. Maybe just for dinner, definitely for travel, or maybe even put them in the closet for a few months and then bring them out again.

[meat_and_breath]

Have not gone from pets to no-pets as an adult, but have been having very similar thoughts about how P-dog will likely be my only dog ever. I adore having her around, but once the constraint of caring for kids is gone (and that's remarkably close), caring for dog is going to increasingly feel like a PITA.

[flexagon]

That's really interesting. It'll be so much easier to take care of just P-dog, than P-dog plus two teens, unless of course the teens are doing most of the caretaking.

Actually, maybe you can thread this needle perfectly by having P-dog simply go with one of them?