How to Care for an Aging Cat

Life expectancy in cats has risen dramatically during the past few years. It is not uncommon for a cat to reach 18 to 20 years of age and they are middle-aged by their eighth birthday. Awareness of the needs of your older feline friend makes caring for her easier, enhances your experience and increases the quality of life she will enjoy.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Veterinarian
• Fiber
• Diet supplements
• Heat

1. Maintain a close relationship with your veterinarian. Be certain he is aware of the rapid advances in this expanding area of veterinary medical knowledge. Some veterinarians specialize in care of geriatric cats.

2. Visit your veterinarian at least once a year for recomended vaccinations and a complete physical examination including a urinalsis, fecal exam and blood workup.

3. Allow preventitve health maintainence proceedures to be preformed as recomended.

4. Recognize the importance of clean teeth and healthy gums. Preventitive dental health care has been a key contributor to the increase in quality and length of life in cats.

5. Be absolutly certain that she is parasite free - no fleas or worms allowed. Your veterinarian will know what is safe and effective for older cats.

6. Provide a diet formulated to meet the requirements of older cats. Nutritional requirements begin to change when your cat reaches about eight years of age.

7. Add extra fiber (one-half teaspoon of psylium fiber) to her diet each day, helping to prevent hair balls and improve overall digestive function.

8. Use suppliments such as chondroitin sulfate, antioxidents and glucosamine to help slow the aging process, the onset of joint disease and resulting inactivity.

9. Recognize that older cats love to be warm and comfy. Provide her with a heat source, like a heating pad set on low, throughout the year, not just when you think it's cold.

10. Realize cats, especially old cats, like their privacy. Provide them a place to take an uninterrupted catnap away from the kids and other pets.

11. Groom her daily to keep her coat shinny and prevent her from ingesting hair when she grooms herself. Older cats may not be as fastidious as when they are young.

12. Prevent her from becoming overweight by encouraging exercise and feeding a proper diet.

13. Keep her indoors for health and safty resons especially after she reaches 12 years of age.

14. Continue to play with and hold her each day. Cats love attention and your touch will let her know you that you still love and care for her.

Tips & Warnings

• Expect your cat to live a long time. Remember, you often get what you wish for and the personality of an older cat is very rewarding.
• Think about adopting a kitten when your cat is 10 or 12 years old. This gives her time to adjust to the little brat while she is young enough to defend herself and old enough to teach him something about life.
• I have always beleived cats live longer when they have a companion to grow old with, so consider having two cats, not just one.

[AllyRedd]

on 10/23/2007 My husband past away suddenly on Oct 2nd 2007, he adored our two cats and pampered them all the time I am wondering to cats grieve? One of the cats has been with us for at least 16 years I am concerned for her and I need to know what to do. I am trying to give her lots of hugs and do all the special things for her that he did. She is being a great comfort to me and I will be going back to work next week do you have any suggestions to ease her stress she is following me all over which is new, my husband said she was an impath and that she knows when someone is hurting or sad and maybe that is what it is. But I would like to comfort her as well through ths difficult time I do not want to loose her as well. Thanks Allyson

[rollothered]

on 11/19/2006 It is no coincidence that the English verb catch and the noun cat have the same root. Let your cat go out and catch things, it will keep your cat young and healthy and stop bordeom. Mice and rodents are good for them as well as being fun to catch. A bell will stop them catching most wild birds but not rodents. Ours 13+ is also excellent at moles. I had two Persians who got to 18 and 19 very active until the last few months, catchers to the end. Let them eat when they want, go in and out as they wish but they must have somewhere warm and dry and THEIRS of their OWN choosing to sleep when they want. Don't try and herd cats. There is no need for special foods and potions, just wholesome food. Ours loves chicken carcases... Vet bill since one year old, nil. Sure, it is easier in the country but that is true for people too.

on 8/24/2006 As our cat aged he started having dental problems and losing teeth (even with a vets care). It became harder for him to eat his canned cat food. He went from 12 pounds to 6 pounds in a year. We got desperate and tried jarred baby food and got him to lick it off our fingers. We then started whipping up the canned cat food in a blender until it was smooth and he liked that as well off our finger. Now most of the time he will lick the modified canned cat food directly from the storage container. He is now 19 and has gained at least a pound in the last year.

on 7/15/2006 My 15 year old cat has problems digesting her food and often throws up. As a kitten she was weaned too early was maladjusted and needed to be fed baby formula through a dropper - improvement was almost instant - within 24 hours. However she has as a result always been in a hurry to eat, seemingly insatiable - as though she had a memory/fear of going hungry.

I read that adding a little Pedialyte (electrolytes) reduced the throwing up. I have always groomed her and she sees the vet once a year - a couple of times more frequently when need indicated. Then she stopped eating and I replaced the Pedialyte with enzymes from a health food store (comes in a capsule - I opened and sprinkled in her food). I also began a once daily regimen of Similac Isomil Advance (a soy product)(for gas and spitting up)given with a dropper - about 2 droppers full.

This seems to be helping - she has perked up, interested in eating again and her meow (which had gone hoarse) is strong and clear again.

on 3/15/2006 When middle-age hits cats they become much less naturally active, and you have to be much more careful about balancing a healthy diet and helping them exercise enough. My two older cats are most active in the early morning (breakfast time) and at night. These are the best times to bring out their favorite special toy for romp sessions (mine prefer ones that involve jingle bells, feathers, or rabbit fur). If you want to spend quality time with older cats during the day, you might consider napping with them. Mine love curling up with me on the bed. It's a bonding activity that even the kitten often joins in for.