Caring for Your Senior Cat
It can be very difficult to determine when your cat begins to "feel" his or her age. Subtle signs of aging can include less activity or enthusiasm for favorite games or perhaps a little less sparkle to the eyes.
Cats begin to enter their "senior" stage of life at around 8 years of age. Our feline friends grow and mature very rapidly in their first year of life. At one year of age, cats are at about the same level of maturity as humans in their late teens. From here, cats age at approximately 5 years for each human year. In the last third of life, aging changes can occur at a more rapid rate.
This process affects the level of professional veterinary care cats need. Just as human infants require frequent well-baby checks, most kittens visit their veterinarians at least four times during their first year for "wellness" exams and required immunizations. This parallel repeats later in life. Just like their aging human companions, senior cats need an increased level of care as they become more vulnerable to multiple health problems, and respond differently to stress, medication, and environmental factors.
Signs of Aging
While some signs of aging such as slowed activity, are easy to identify in your cat, others are more subtle. Most age related changes in how your cat looks, acts, and feels tend to be gradual.
Following is a list of the most common changes associated with age related diseases and compromising medical conditions. If you note any of these changes in you cat, please let us know. By working together, we can help ensure that your cat enjoys the best quality of life possible throughout his or her senior years.
Signs of Age Related Disease in Senior Cats
Behavior changes
- decreased activity
- less interaction with family members
- less enthusiastic greeting behavior
- sleeping more
- disoriented behavior
- hiding in out of the way places
- weight gain or loss
- changes in appearance (e.g., skin and haircoat, loss of muscle tone)
- changes in eating or drinking habits
- increased urination (more soiled litter in the litter box)
- soiling outside of the litter box.
- limping/stiffness of gait
- vision and hearing loss
- dental problems (offensive breath)
- increased infections
- digestive problems
Metabolic changes
Physical changes
Remember: changes in your cat's appearance or behavior can be a sign that something is medically wrong, so don't assume your cat is just suffering from "old age" and can't be helped. Keep a close eye on your senior cat, and talk with us about any type of change, whether it occurs suddenly or gradually.
This information sheet has been adapted from the document, "Caring for Your Senior Dog" © 1998 Pfizer inc. and The Iams Company 89767/89768 10/98. Reproduced with permission.
