I’m growing older. My knees ache sometimes, it’s much harder to lose weight, and don’t ask what happens when I sneeze. As humans age, our bodies change (and not in any good ways). Well, our feline companions experience many of the same age-related challenges that we do — but unlike us, they can’t verbalize it. It’s up to us as pet owners to keep track of what’s going on with them healthwise so we can make their sunset years happy ones. So what should you do?
Pay Attention
One of the things you should watch for with senior cats is what’s happening in the litter pan. As a vet tech, we saw many older cats present with severe symptoms that surprised the owners, but the evidence of illness was there if you knew what to look for. So you need to keep an eye on that box, as unpleasant as it may be. Is there extensive urine volume? Might need to check your kitty’s kidneys. Stool soft or too hard? Time to see the vet.
Regular Check-ups
Speaking of the vet, this is the time for regular visits. Many veterinarians consider a cat to be entering its “senior” years as early as age 7, and any cat over 10 is considered to be of advanced age. As you may have guessed, the best health strategy for senior cats is regular check-ups. Even a healthy-looking senior cat should be examined by your vet annually, as any hidden health problems will be easier and far less costly to treat if detected early. Also, cats can lose weight due to various diseases and illnesses, and it can be hard for the owner to recognize the weight loss, so having a vet check your cat’s weight is important.
Many veterinarians consider a cat to be entering its “senior” years as early as age 7. Click To Tweet
Dental Care
Even if you’re the kind of cat owner who willingly brushes your cat’s teeth, vet tooth checkups are important. Older cats often have loose or infected teeth — and you might be surprised to know a dental infection can actually lead to other problems, such as kidney disease. You may even decide to get your cat’s teeth cleaned; this is a procedure that requires anesthesia (trust me on this one). There may also be some tooth extractions, but you’d be surprised how little impact those have on a cat’s happiness and well being. In fact, I once assisted a veterinarian in removing 17 teeth from an older cat — and the owners said the cat had a return to kittenhood after the procedure because he was no longer in pain and discomfort from those bad teeth.
Senior Cat Diet
Another key factor is diet. Because kidney disease is so rampant in older cats, diet is key to longevity. Consult with your vet, but in general, an age-appropriate diet for senior cats should include a high-protein food. Cats are natural carnivores and there are key proteins found in meat and meat byproducts that senior cats need to maintain bone, kidney, and cardiovascular health. Avoid vegan or vegetarian cat foods (this is probably controversial, but cats aren’t interested in being vegan, and it’s actually unhealthy for them). And if you have a fat cat? Time to consider a diet as well. Be sure to ask your vet to recommend an age-appropriate food for your senior feline.
Knowing When It’s Time To Say Goodbye
My favorite cat (of the 30+ I’ve owned, yes, there was a favorite) was Spike, a pure black kitty that didn’t know how to exist without purring. One day he simply collapsed after being healthy for all of his 13 years. After visiting the vet it was clear it was his time for the Rainbow Bridge. But for some of my other cats it was much less clear.
While many chronic kitty diseases can be managed for long periods of time, I have made the decision to make quality of life a priority for my cats. Unlike humans undergoing extensive medical treatments, cats don’t understand why the torture is happening.When our cat Dylan got cancer, we made the decision to make him comfortable but not to undergo chemotherapy. It wasn’t likely to work, and it would have made the end of his life miserable. The average lifespan of a cat is 15 years. If you’re considering putting your kitty through uncomfortable treatments to get beyond that mark, you might want to think again.
It’s terribly sad that our kitties don’t live as long as we do. But we can definitely make their lives happy and comfortable.
I just had to say goodbye to my little 17 years old Sophie. She was never sick in her life, never medications so healthy until 4 months ago she start drinking a lot pipi a lot ate only can food and only a little.
Went to the vet pass all kind of tests, results kidney disease B12 and potassium very low.
I decided not to make Sophie go trough injections and medications she never new that in 17 years.
It was hard to say good bye May 12 .in my heart I knew she will not get better but I never expect that results of all the tests 10 months before she was so healthy. In the last 3 years I lost 3 of them , 2 of 15 years old and Sophie 17. Hard to come home to a empty house.
France
So sorry to hear. We are thinking of you.
We can never prepare ourselves for the loss of our furry kids. We have senior cats and dogs and have lost three in the last year. We have 5 cats and 2 dogs left and we know we don’t have long with any of them. We are with you in your sorrow……
I am sorry for your pain. My feonce who already owned our precious cat Max. He was 14 years old and now going on 17 years old. The past few weeks he has had dark blood in his stool. The scariest was the one time he was having a painful bowel movement and cried out loud, I cried our Max is indoor cat. He loosing so much weight but he eats and drinks water. I am so sorry to Everyone going through furry family pain.
Hi,
I have a senior cat, 16 in Jan. She has been healthy all of her life as well. All of a sudden in past 2 months, she has periods of attacking me. She is just fine sitting beside me and all of a sudden she’ll turn and bite my arm, leaving marks/blood….She does cry alot but she calms down when I sit down with her. Not sure what to make of it. 🙁
Sarah, sounds like feline dimensia . My kitty got confused in her fifteenth year, too. Not like yours but just confused.
So my cat is around 12yrs old and is leaving a scent WITHOUT spraying. Meaning he’s not doing it on purpose. What could this be from? Thx
If your cat is over 16 some vets think or act like your pet is going to die any day your cat gets sick they run test for organ failure and are surprised it us just a virus all they need is antibiotics to clear it
Some vets say the cats teeth and health are fine at checkups the only thing they seem to be concerned with is regular parasite checks
If you go into the office between regular checkups to discuss a problem.or new odd behaviors such as-
If you tell them your cat recently lost a tooth they examine that cats body don’t look in the cats mouth as if they didn’t hear you
If you tell them your cat yawls day and nite they don’t say any thing, tell them you read online there are pet meds that help by calming the cat and that it could be anxiety causing the problem and you would like to try some thing and you would prefer to buy from all vet then guess what to buy online or at a store they say let me check and see if we have something
I have a 17+ female Siamese named Cleo. She is the love of my life. She has thyroid issues and is on a transdermal. She also has constipation issues which she gets meds for. She is thin doesn’t eat can food ever only dry chopped chicken or beef. Likes her treats.
Last couple of days it’s been a chore to get her to eat. Nibbles on treats, eats some cheese and a little chicken but not a lot. She is drinking pooping and peeing. (I work all day so I don’t always know how much dry she eats or when she pooped)
She is pretty active and loves to be brushed and be with me. When the other boys are around she lets them know it’s time to go away.
I don’t know what to do to get her to eat and I’m really upset. I’m calling the vet tonight if she doesn’t eat but can you suggest anything please??? Thank you
Hi Karen! I can sympathize with your situation, it is really tough when my cat suddenly starts changing up his usual routine. I think calling the vet is a good idea on this one, a cat not eating can mean a lot of different things and the vet is the best expert who can advise you what may be causing it and how to solve the problem. I hope Cleo feels better!
This is more of a question…My cat, Buddy is about 18 years old, his hair has got so matted… someone told me about a groomer who bathes and cuts their hair…My cat has never done that before. Do you think it will tramatise him?
Hi Pat! My cat, Goob, is a 10 year old long haired cat whose hair often gets matted. Since he was 6 years old he has been shaved into a lion’s cut to keep him from getting mats. He’s had this done at a groomer, and also had it done at the vet. I would recommend talking to your vet about your concerns with Buddy, they could perhaps gauge if getting groomed at his age would be too stressful or not, and might know about the best groomers in your area who could ensure it was a soothing experience for Buddy. Additionally, they might have other suggestions. For example, my vet has also suggested I try a special comb for removing mats from my cat’s hair. Thank you for commenting and let me know if you need anymore advice!
My cat is 18 going on 19 years old. He has been sneezing with a runny nose for the last several months, but recently started to have coloured snot (some times pink-red) and eye discharge. My boy hates car rides, he starts to pant and gets really high heart rate when he’s in the car, which is why i have avoided taking him into the vet. I am starting to worry about him, he’s always been active and still is for the most part, but i recently noticed his back teeth are very bad, which i think might be causing the nose discharge – infection.
My question, before taking him to a vet, is that I’m positive he will require one or two tooth extractions. At his age, is the anesthesia safe? And , am I just going to get the response from a vet of “he’s too old for tooth extractions, it’s best to take him out of his misery and say goodbye”? Also, for A cat that has never been in any medications, are antibiotics safe? Can they be dangerous or make things worst?
Apologies for my ignorance, i have had really bad experiences with vets that have really just given me anxiety about taking my kitties to them, unless it’s a last resort. But, i am trying to prepare myself for a visit to the vet for my little guy by weighing out the potential options. Thank you.
Hi Lina. I’m so sorry to hear about the issues your cat is experiencing. Since your cat has such anxiety about getting in that car, I would recommend calling the vet first and discussing your concerns with them. They could then determine via that phone call if your cat needs to come in or if maybe there is a medicine they could prescribe him that you could go in and pick up. Again, I’m so sorry to hear about your poor kitty!
Thank you, Anna!
My cat Emily is 19 years old. A few months ago she would have the odd spell where she would vomit very little. become rigid and unbalanced. This would last a few minutes and then be fine. She’s a small cat and was never a big eater. She eating pretty much as normal. The real problem now is the constant screaming that usually starts around 11 pm and mostly lasts all night , into the morning. Days she does it most of the day. If I put my hand on the top of her head she stops. She seems to be urinating a lot more but not drinking more. I think I need to have he put down. I made one appointment about 2 months ago and cancelled it. I love her dearly and don’t want her to suffer. I’m on a fixed income and vets are too expensive. I need some advice.
Hi Linda, I’m so sorry to hear about the troubles Emily is having. I know vets can be expensive, some vets are able to work with people on fixed income or are able to offer cheaper alternatives to medicines. I would call your vet and see if they can help you with this and, if not, I would search on google for vets in your area that might be able to help Emily. I understand how hard it can be when you love your cat and are watching her struggle and just want to poof the pain away.