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related to: Old CatsFind Information on Caring for Your Senior Cat. Trust Hill's, The Food Preferred by Vets. Trust Hill's Science Diet to Learn How to Care & Keep Your Elderly Cat Happy & Healthy.
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Mar 16, 2023 · Learn about behavior changes in old cats. As cats get older, they often have behavioral issues such as biting, anxiety, sleeplessness at night, confusion, and more.
- The Effects of Ageing
- Behavioural Changes
- Home Care For The Elderly
- Regular Health Checks
- Encouraging Appetite
- Drinking
- Elderly Cat Friendly Home
- Play
- Scratching
- Look-Outs
With increasing age, there are many changes to a cat’s physiology, behaviour and vulnerability to particular illnesses. Physiological changes include reduced ability to smell and taste food, reduced ability to digest fat and protein, reduced hearing, immune function, skin elasticity and stress tolerance.
As cats age, their behaviour alters too, often as a direct result of the physiological changes taking place. The elderly cat adapts gradually to these changes and it may not be apparent unless you are specifically looking for signs of ageing. Older cats hunt less, spend less time outside, are generally less active and sleep for longer periods. They...
This is the time, more than any other, when your cat needs some essential care. As cats get older they will find it more difficult to maintain their own cleanliness and checking your cat regularly will enable you to detect problems that need to be tackled straight away.
Your veterinarian will advise the frequency of health checks that would best suit your cat, taking into consideration its age and general health. Although it’s good to know your cat will be regularly examined it shouldn’t prevent you from being a little more vigilant at home to spot the first signs that all is not well. There are a number of genera...
Your cat may have less of an appetite as it gets older as its sense of smell and taste diminishes or there may be occasions when your cat needs a little encouragement. There are various ways that you can stimulate appetite, for example: 1. Offer food little and often – for example four to six meals per day as a starting point – and choose a quiet a...
Elderly cats are more vulnerable to becoming dehydrated, especially if suffering from medical conditions such as chronic kidney disease, so always make sure that a variety of water bowls are available in the home in accessible areas away from the normal places where food is eaten. You may need to experiment with the type of container, for example, ...
All the recommendations for a cat friendly homewill work as well for the elderly with a little modification. There is rarely the need to make drastic changes to the home to accommodate your cat as it gets older but small adaptations to the existing cat resources can make a significant difference to the quality of life. If your cat is finding stairs...
If your cat has a favourite toy there is no reason to discard it as he gets older. The larger toys can be useful to encourage your elderly cat to lie on its side, grab the toy with the front paws and kick with the back legs. This gives great exercise for stiff hind limbs and is a type of play enjoyed by many. The ideal ‘kick toy’ is rectangular or ...
Elderly cats are less likely to use the tall activity and scratching posts as the stropping action on vertical surfaces can put a strain on arthritic joints. Offering similar horizontal surfaces can satisfy those that still enjoy scratching and the action provides important exercise for the muscles of the forelimbs.
Cats love to view outdoors and most enjoy sitting on high windowsills but jumping up can prove difficult if not impossible for some elderly cats, so provision should be made for easy access up to and down from these favourite look-outs. A series of shallow steps offer the best solution, ramps can be used but comfortably only if they are angled to r...
- Sleeping all the time... or not at all: While slowing down as a cat ages is normal, if you notice your cat is sleeping all the time or more deeply than normal it might indicate a more serious health problem.
- Confusion: If your cat is getting confused by ordinary tasks or objects she is used to navigating like finding her bed she may be reaching her golden years.
- Having trouble climbing stairs or jumping: Arthritis is common in older cats. While your cat might not limp or show other obvious signs of painful joints, you might notice she has more difficulty than she used to jumping into a litter box, climbing stairs or jumping on furniture.
- Unintentional weight loss or weight gain: In an older cat, weight loss can be a sign of any number of problems, from heart and kidney disease to diabetes, notes the University of Illinois School of Veterinary Medicine.
- Pay Extra Attention to Your Senior Cat’s Diet. Senior cats have unique dietary and behavioral needs. It is more important than ever for your cat to be a healthy weight to maintain optimum health.
- Increase Your Cat’s Access to Water. As cats age, they are prone to constipation and kidney disease, especially if they are not staying hydrated enough.
- Know and Keep an Eye Out for the Subtle Signs of Pain in Cats. Cats are masters at hiding their pain. As many as nine out of 10 senior cats show evidence of arthritis when X-rayed, yet most of us with senior cats have no idea.
- Don’t Neglect Your Cat’s Dental Health. Dental disease is very common in aging cats. Cats can get painful holes in their teeth, broken teeth, gum disease and oral tumors that significantly affect their quality of life.
Older cats tend to be less active and playful, they may sleep more, gain or lose weight, and have trouble reaching their favorite places. Don't chalk up health or behavior changes - often gradual - to old age, however.
In this guide, we’ve covered some of the most common questions around how to care for elderly cats, including elderly cats’ behaviour, the best food for elderly cats and what to expect, such as whether older cats sleep more and changes you can make to your home to make sure they’re comfortable.
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As your cat ages, he or she may experience a decline in cognitive functioning. Your cat’s learning and memory may change, in addition to her sleep cycles, and other day-to-day behaviors. Learn more about cognitive dysfunction in older cats, and how to treat it.
