Hi again-
My 18 year old cat has developed over much of her body what I can best describe as scabs.
These are small raised scabs, not large patches. At times she scratches them to the point where her skin is raw and bleeding. Is ther any ideas as to why these have developed? I have not changed her food at all nor has she ever worn a flea collar because she ended up being allergic to them all.
Other than this she eats and drinks normally and seems to be fine for her age. I can't bear to put her to sleep yet, and know I will have to as soon as she seems to be in pain. :(

Has she seen the vet? It sounds like it could be an allergic reaction to something (especially since she's allergic to other things) or possibly a skin infection or even skin cancer. My dog had a skin fungal infection. If your cat has that, the sores will stink. She may just need something like prednisone to stop herself from chewing and scratching the sores. Or, she may need antibiotics or antifungals. What other medical problems does she have? Don't assume the problem is not treatable or not worth treating due to her other problems. It may be simple to improve her life with a vet visit.

Thanks for your response Robyn. Yes, Juni has an appointment for the 23rd. The sores have no smell and I have found the scabbies on the blanket where she sleeps. I can touch them and she she doesn't mind. I'll let you know what the vet says. I really do dread taking her, she HATES it so much, but I know it will be reassuring to know that (hopefully) it is nothing serious. :(

Hi Robyn-

Well, you were right! Juni has a severe case of skin allergy. The vet said that he's seen a lot of it this year but not quite sure of where it is originating from. He gave her an initial shot of antibiotic and some Amoxil for the next week.

He said aside from her skin condition, she was in good shape, although she could stand to put on about 2-3 pounds. He suggested that I start giving her a mix of wet and dry food to increase her calorie intake. I'm sure Juni will love more tuna :)

She was so good in the box on the way there and even with the vet.

He said she could live for a few more years :D

Oh happy day :rolleyes:

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving

See, she's going to be ok for now! It's always better to find out what you're dealing with. Too many people give up on the animals in their care too soon, rushing to "put them to sleep" or not taking them to the vet. I'm so happy Juni will get better! Give her some tuna from me! My cat Tootsy used to know that I was going to open a can of tuna before I even got it out of the cabinet, I swear! I miss him. My current 5 cats are not so nuts about tuna.

yay! oh what i would do to have a cat, i have a tiny little lap dog for a substitute though :lol: my gramma dont liek cats and her chows wouold kill them <_< . glads to hear you kitty is going to get better.

My cat, Zorro, who is 8 loves tuna. He can tell you are getting it because of the noise the can opener makes (the hand held openers). When he hears that mental screeching, he rushes up and tries jumping on you for the tuna. It is pretty funny; I give him all the juice and a chunk of tuna in a bowl. :D

My dearly departed cat Tootsy, was a mind reader. When I even thought about eating tuna, he'd show up, before the door opened and before the can opener! The cats I have now will eat tuna but they're not ga ga over it.

That is really interesting because my cat does the same type of deal. If I look hungry, he usually can tell and will go off into the kitchen. Whats funny is that he'll act like he's hungry for food, but waits until I get something and jumps up on me the second I reach the sofa. He's a funny one! ;)

Thanks to everyone for your replies regarding my cat Juni. Believe it or not, I have begun to add just regular old canned cat food to Juni's dry food. She has put on almost 2 pounds since her antibiotic treatment and comes into the kitchen now twice a day for her new menu :P

She hasn't re-grown fur in the places where she scratched herself raw and as a result doesn't look real great. But at 18 (19, in Jan. of 05) is happy and more active than she's been in months. She even swatted (playfully) her partner in crime Rocket, our 8 yr. old dog just this morning just to try and still prove whose boss :lol:

I just wanted to tell cat lovers that if they have a cat who needs diapers, I found the perfect solution.

I buy Little Swimmers from Huggies. Right now, they are only $3.00 for 10 of them at Walmart. I cut out a hole for the tail. You can cut both sides to make them a diaper and then fasten then with clear packing tape which works. Or, my husband taught me to just cut down one side and then I only have to put the tail in that hole and the leg in another hole. Then, I bring the cut side up pretty tight and tape it . They are very stretchy and they don't hurt the cat at all.

We have a 15 year old cat that was dropped off at our house. She couldn't stay inside because of her bad habit of marking her territory. Now, she can stay inside and I don't have to worry about keeping a kennel inside for cold nights.

Please pass the word.

Thanks.

She keeps those on? They sell cat diapers actually. I couldn't imagine any of my cats leaving them on though. What about feces? Do they end up in the diaper or can she go in the litter pan through the hole?

I have 5 cats. One is old and has dimentia and pees wherever she pleases. I lock her in a dog crate at night. One is young but just never uses the litter pan. She comes in and out of the house but may go in any nice corner or bedding area. Yet another is old and has never made a pee mistake but likes to stash poo on the floor. All those three started out as strays. My two, always-indoor cats are good with their litter box habits aside from kicking litter. I made them a litter pan by taking a large plastic storage box and cutting an opening. All the commercial litter pans were too small and either too shallow or enclosed. I need the tall sides not only because of litter kicking but my male Gino sprays high, down the walls while in the pan. My cats won't go into enclosed litter pans. They're all so dinky, and Gino is a big boy! Anyway, that's my idea.

OMG Guys !!
I just had to laugh at the thought of cats in diapers, I have never heard anything like it & I thought I had seen some weird daiper buisness on Jerry Springer ( remember Diaper Bob.. )
Anyways I have a 17 year old cat named Monkey who's in tip top condition ATM... He has part of his jaw & a few teeth missing from a dog attack many years ago, altho when I took him to the vet expecting him to be put down ( the cat's flesh looked & smelt rotten - he was missing for 2 months ) the vet kept him in for a week on a drip, got de-sexed at the same time & onto a special diet for his lack of teeth etc in his mouth...
From time to time he gets the occasional sore, usually they are never really big altho once he had a massive one on the beck of his neck which was a bit of a worry...
He's been to the dentist about his teeth & actually had to have another one removed but all in all he's doing well...
I have read ( & also the vet said he has a lot of years left to him ) that cats have lived into their 30's apparently in the Guiness Book of Records...
I do not feed my cat canned food at all not only because of his teeth but because of his age, I would like to think I am spoiling him in his twilight years... He eats special cat mince which is fairly expensive, they come in portions & he has 2 of those a day plus he has some Elderly cat biccies & little treats ( not every day ) like dried fish or soft chicken bites etc... He also drinks the milk that is made especially for cats with no lactose in it & water...
Canned foods are very high in salt & very bad for an elderly cats kidneys & it's not really good for their teeth either, I used to give him canned foods when he was younger & very rarely I do now if I can't get hold of the mince if it has sold out, I always make sure I get the low in salt ones if I have to & he will usually only get a serve of it & I will go down & get the mince for him & throw the rest out...
In all Monkeys years he has only once poohed inside - which is when I accidently left him in over night & a full day when I went out camping & he poohed in the bathroom on the tiles, the rest of the time he goes to the door & meows so I know he has to go out !!...

This is my Boy !!

I have 5 cats right now. The oldest is in her mid-teens (exact age not known). My oldest cat I had was Tootsy who died at 18-years-old. The Guiness record is 39-years-old if I'm not mistaken. I can't even fathom that!

They are the ones who would need the Diapers - hee hee...