How to Care for an Old Cat
As your beloved cat gets older, he will slow down and need your help to make his final days comfortable. Here are some tips to improve his elderly years.
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Take him to the vet for regular checkups. As your cat ages, he is prone to arthritis and other problems and should visit a vet more often than a young cat - every six months or so.
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Provide a warm, comfortable place for him to sleep. Your older cat may be more sensitive to temperature so be sure to make sure he is warm enough. One easy way to do this is to provide an electric heated cat bed. The bed will be barely warm to the touch but will feel like to heaven to your cat. Be sure to place it on a sofa or somewhere off the ground. Cats feel more secure with height. But don't place it anywhere that he will have difficulty reaching.
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Help your cat with grooming. He may be unable to groom his entire body due to arthritis. Brush him regularly and if he doesn't look fresh, wash him with a cat wipe. You can get these pre-moistened wipes in a pet store and they are non-toxic to your cat. Just wipe him down all over and fluff dry him with a towel.
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Provide the proper food for his age. Many cat food brands come in a senior formula designed to meet his nutritional needs as he ages. As your cat ages, you may find him throwing up more. If you've tried many foods and the vomiting continues, look for foods without grains. Cats are carnivorous and as they age they sometimes cannot process the grains added to food as fillers. You won't find "no grain" food in groceries but most pet stores sell at least one brand.
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Give him plenty of love and attention. It's easy to overlook the quiet older cat if you have younger playful cats or kittens in the house but he needs his share of your attention.
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- Photo Credit Pam Jones
