Signs of senility?

[catmandu]

Sadly you are probably right.
A 20 year Old Cat may just suddenly have to pee, and either forget where to go, or not be able to get there in time.
Thats so sad when that happens, in our Family and in Our Companions.

[barncat]

It very well could be age... but if the litter habits have been getting gradually worse, it might be time to add easier to get in and out of pans in extra locations... of course keep the one she's used to, but even if thevet did not find artheritis, if she's going next to, it might be a getting in and out issue (or could just be she feels that she's "close enough")

Another vet visit might be in order... a urinaray infection culd come on fast and spark the behavior you described.

Hope you have more good years together.

[Randy_K]

20 years old is ancient for a cat. We had a 21 year old family cat who was arthritic and terribly nearsighted but mentally alert. They have practically all the old age problems humans have. It's perfectly possible she's experiencing senile dementia.

[catmandu]

I remember Smokey who was 23 waking up scared, and hissing at nothing.
The Poor Old Cat would be ahving a nightmare, I think about the Husky Dog that the family brought in, and who tied to kill him.
Then he would look around and calm down.
He was a Dear Old Fellow.

[Miss Z]

My RB cat, Brando, started to do this as he got older, and it did gradually get worse and worse. We never found out what caused it or how to stop him doing it. I hope everything turns out OK for your cat, unfortunately dementure is a difficult case to treat.