Old thin cat

Old Murphy had quite a good day today. Some days he doesn't move much off the top of the fridge, but today he was pretty active.
He paces himself well, sleeps a lot, eats small amounts often and generally keeps out of everyones way.

He's failing but doesn't seem in any discomfort. He cannot handle big amounts of food or too much chewing. Back in his prime he would feed off wild rabbits, often bucks the same size as him. Now if he gets a bit of raw chicken, you have to pretty much pulp it for him.

Watching him makes me think that cats go senile. Some days he can display compulsive behaviours, sometimes he sits with his tail dangling in the sink like he no longer controls it, he also tries to climb into the fridge when you open the door.

You can feel every little bone in his frame and he's not up to cleaning his fur the way he used to. It can get matted and his face gets covered in food. Last week he managed somehow to open a tub of Dairylea that the kids left lying out. It was all over his face for days and pretty hard to shift.

Given his age he is allowed to behave in such ways and we always forgive his wee opportunistic thefts. How could you be mad at Murphy?