At my first rent house i rented when I moved out on my own thernws a feral cat you could not get within 25 yards of . On day she walked over going in circles like that and I could touch her. figured something was bad wrong and put it down. I figured it had got bumped by a car or something. Could have been something like a stroke I guess.

Sorry to hear your cats not doing well. I can't say a thing about spending money on my animals at the vet. I have spent enough im a bit ashamed to admit some of it on some of them over the years. O the other hand I dont regret it.

Conman isn’t that really old for a cat?

My condolences Mr coon

If he has a fever, it can be something else, not a stroke, there is no way to tell without radiology.
Ashley is right, very often such symptoms are caused not by a stroke, but by a tumor or an abscess in the inner ear, inside the skull, pressing on the vestibular nerve. Fever and lack of appetite may mean there is a septic process, which makes an abscess or a brain tumor that started to die off and rot more likely diagnoses. Smell his ears, sometimes these things burst and start seeping out and a bad smell appears. In this case it's more humane to say goodbye and put him down because such infections cause terrible pain. I don't know about over there, but here, few vets can fix these things surgically and the success rate is low and he is an old cat.

Look at the symptoms, if there is no improvement within a few of days, and he cannot feed and groom himself, do what needs to be done.

Sorry coonman, that is a long time to have a critter and definitely get attached to them

I hope all turns out well with Jeffrey.

Sorry CoonMan! We had a ringtail cat since a kitten. Didn't know it was a ringtail until about 6 months. We left ir out one night and never came back. I believe the local coyotes got it. Only pet I ever saw my wife shed a tear over. It had its own personality.

Sorry to hear about your cat Dave. We have an older house cat that I’m really attached to. I also have hunting dogs that I think more of than most people. Smash is the person to talk to about your cat. Also ignore the trolls, don’t know why people have to give negative comments. Glad to see you back on here. Eric

Sorry Coonman

How's the cat doing, coonman?

… get yourself a kitten coonman

I can ship you the one at my house .....free

Yep. Get you a kitten right now. Maybe it will cheer up your old friend as well as yourself.

Hope you and the cat are doing better coonman

anything with blood and a brain can have a stroke.

blood clots and gets to brain , damage done.

we probably don't notice it much as it often kills them before we would know they had the stroke.

good luck with the cat , I had the vet put the late wife's little chihuahua down last month , the vet was dancing around going over how the treatment options are expensive and not going to buy much more time.
he wouldn't say it so I said it , "If putting it down is reasonable , do it " that was what he was looking for and wouldn't say.
got to wonder how many people people they cause financial hardship by not just saying , treatment options are limited , expensive and will only buy a short time, euthanizing it is also a very reasonable option. how would you like to proceed.

I feel like human doctors who can't offer euthanasia are better at telling patients , they are terminal, it is just a matter of time , we can get you started on some meds to extend the time and also meds to keep the pain manageable , we should get you enrolled in a hospice program.

I feel like vets will swamp a guy in bills to avoid a difficult conversation.

good luck with the cat , take care of yourself , and it is OK to decide it is costing too much. too much time , too much money , too much pain , they are all valid.

Coonman, you really need to write a book.

That sucks.
Cats are tough, he might pull through.

Amen to that I’ve had Jack Russel terriers for years they last till they slow down and a car wheel or coyote takes care of them and they aren’t people and it’s not a comparison