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Animals and their sense of self
Former Member
Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
Piccolo and I have an elderly cat called Millie. She's 17, and her back legs are a bit stiff and she's not as fast as she used to be.
Picc and I also visited my cousin slagface, who owns two cats, dave and stan. I played with stan, who is a 5yr old tom, and he left me a lot of scratches to show for it. It's exactly what Millie would have done to me, if she were 10 or even 5 years younger, but she doesn't even try.
Do you think Millie (and other older animals) know they're getting old, and stop trying to be young?
Picc and I also visited my cousin slagface, who owns two cats, dave and stan. I played with stan, who is a 5yr old tom, and he left me a lot of scratches to show for it. It's exactly what Millie would have done to me, if she were 10 or even 5 years younger, but she doesn't even try.
Do you think Millie (and other older animals) know they're getting old, and stop trying to be young?
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Millie still gets confused by "the other cat" who spends a lot of time in the garden and stares at her through the window. So they don't have the self-awareness to recognise a reflection.
I don't know how much she understands, but she behaves in a way that shows her limits.
I dont play with dollies anymore but its not because im too old. Im just not interedsted
Yeah that's more-or-less what I said when we were talking this morning. She just doesn't care to scratch or play any more. Harass her as much as you like (please don't!) and her most violent objection will likely be a loud meow. She can barely be bothered to use the litter tray, frankly.
Well, no, indeed. I think it's all about making things easier or just doing what she damn' well wants. Weeing on the carpet is easier than getting into the litter tray. She doesn't express discomfort often but she clearly finds things like stairs problematic. She still does them for now, but I guess as she gets older she'll be less active because she'll lose mobility.
have you taken her for a check-up?
Yeah she's good. We had to move her (far from ideal) for the first time about 3 months ago and she weed by the front door in panic. Now we can't make her not do it, she interchanges between that and the litter tray.