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Care for a Senior Cat
Cats do not live forever, although we’d like them to. When you have
shared your home with a cat for many years, he becomes an integral
member of the family, and you develop strong emotional attachments. Cats
provide undemanding and unending love. They are always there for you.
Cats are very good at disguising their problems, so as they age, you
need to be even more attuned to changes in their everyday activities and
behaviors.Early detection of problems is the key to improving your cat’s
longevity and quality of life.
There are many formulas for calculating a cat’s age in
relation to human age. An old standby is that seven cat years are equal
to one human year. Actually, in her first few years a cat does a lot
more growing up than
that. So the first few years of a cat’s life are equivalent to more than
seven human years, and the later years are equivalent to fewer. There
are many different opinions on when a cat is “old.” There is no
consensus on the age at which a cat becomes a senior, but a Panel Report
on Feline Senior Care published in 1999 by the AAFP recommends beginning
a senior preventative health care program by 7 to 11 years of age. By 12
years almost all cats start experiencing the effects of aging. There are
certain diseases and conditions that occur in cats due to degenerative
processes. Each cell in an animal’s body is programmed to last a certain
amount of time, and this programming is different for each individual
animal. Some animals look and act old at 10 years, while others are fit
and spry at 15 years. Certain organs seem to age at a faster rate than
others, and this is perhaps why certain health problems are more common
in older cats.
Regular veterinary examinations will objectively note
small, gradual changes, which can add up to significant changes over a
period of time. Even if you’ve lived with your cat for years, you may
not notice
subtle changes that occur in her conformation and health as she ages. A
preventative health care program for healthy animals may include a
complete history and physical exam and some diagnostic testing,
including a CBC, blood chemistries, viral testing, urinalysis and
measuring blood pressure. By establishing baseline values on body
condition and organ function, you can detect changes as the animal ages.
If a cat has an illness, she should be monitored at least every six
months.
Although you may not like to think about it, it’s a
good idea to be familiar with the kinds of problems a senior cat can
develop. As with any disease, early identification and treatment can
help slow the progress
of the disease and prevent related maladies. There are six diseases that
are particularly common in senior cats:
1. Hyperthyroidism
2. Chronic renal failure
3. Hypertension
4. Cancer
5. Diabetes mellitus
6. Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)
Liver disease, heart disease, neurological diseases and lung disease are
also found in senior cats, but their frequency is greater in geriatric
humans than in cats. As different parts of the body wear out, it may be
difficult for a cat to maintain her regular activities. If you have an
older cat, you want to be sure to make things as easy as possible for
your old friend. It is common for vision and hearing to be impaired as a
normal part of the aging process, although it is unusual for a cat to go
completely blind solely due to aging. If vision is compromised, the
animal can usually see better in daylight than at night. She will do
better if important items such as food bowls and the litter box are
always kept in the same areas where she can easily find them.
Although it is best to keep all cats indoors, it is extremely important
to do so if your cat is deaf. Complete deafness occurs occasionally in
older cats. You should not let a deaf cat outside alone, because she
will not hear noises that would normally alert her to danger, such as
the sound of approaching cars.
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Care for a Senior Cat
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