Caring for Your Aging Cat
| Print | By Dr. Cori Gross DVM | February 18, 2009 3:10 PM

Caring for Your Aging Cat

Did you know that most veterinarians consider cats to be "seniors" at seven- or eight-years-old? 

 

According to the American Animal Hospital Association, each year for a cat is equivalent to approximately five to seven human years!  An eight-year-old cat is the relative equivalent to a 48-year-old person, a 12-year-old cat is similar to a 64-year-old, and a 16-year-old cat is similar to an 80-year-old. 

 

Preventive Care


Due to this accelerated aging that our pets go through, it makes sense that senior felines should visit the veterinarian more frequently. The American Veterinary Medical Association now recommends biannual wellness examinations for all pets, regardless of age.  For elderly cats, twice yearly exams should be the bare minimum.  Some cats require check-ups every three to four months depending on their physical condition. 

 

During the physical exam the veterinarian will pay close attention to any weight loss, oral disease and signs of arthritis.  Your vet may also recommend a blood pressure measurement.  Laboratory tests that should be performed annually on older cats include a complete blood count, chemistry panel, thyroid measurement and a urinalysis.  The goal is to try to catch senior cat diseases early, such as kidney insufficiency, hyperthyroidism, and hypertension.  The lab results will also help your vet make a diet recommendation appropriate for your feline companion.

 

Tell your veterinarian if you notice any of the following signs:  weight loss, increased water drinking, larger urine clumps in the litter box, increased appetite, yowling (especially at night), bad breath, heat-seeking, or difficulty jumping up on things.

 

Arthritis...a normal, but painful, age-related change

 

Cats have evolved to hide any pain or discomfort so that predators won't eat them! As a result, the signs of arthritis are so subtle that an owner may miss them.  These signs include pausing for a long time before jumping on things, moving stiffly after a long nap, urinating or defecating near the litter box but not in it, constipation, limping, etc.

 

The safest course is to assume all senior cats have some level of arthritis and discuss with your veterinarian nutritional supplements to slow the progression. 

 

Glucosamine supplementation is safe and easy.  Many people take this supplement for their own achy joints.  Cosequin and Dasuquin are popular glucosamine products because they are sold as "sprinkle capsules," meaning you open the capsule and sprinkle the flavored powder on your pet's food. 

 

For moderate to severe arthritis there is an injectible supplement called Adequan.  This supplement is not labeled for use in cats so you will need to discuss the pros and cons with your veterinarian. 

 

As with all supplements, there is no guarantee that they will work and you may not see results for four to six weeks.  NEVER give your cat (or dog) human arthritis medications or pain-relievers; they can be toxic.

 

Arthritis pain tends to be worse when it is cold outside.  There are now heated pet beds and microwaveable warming discs on the market to keep your cat toasty during the icy winter months.

 

Providing good preventive care and alleviating pain and discomfort are the cornerstones of senior feline health.  Your goal should be to provide your geriatric feline companions with the quality of life that you will want someday in your own golden years.

 

Find this article interesting? Get more information on your pet's health by using our Pet Vet and Disease Condition Finder.

Comments (20)

Anonymous February 20, 2009 10:54 PM

Excellent. I have a professional petsitting service, and see these symptoms in many of my cats. Sometimes owners do not recognize subtle or even dramatic changes in their cats' behavior or appearance, so I will print this out and distribute it. Thanks!

Anonymous February 23, 2009 5:43 PM

I have a 25!!!! year old cat (calico?)with still lots of appetite but has lost a lot of weight for past few months. The biggest problem is his vomiting and I wondered if you can give more advise on the subject.

Leslie March 13, 2009 1:24 AM

My Baby is 17 yrs old n I'm worried that this advice won't help....
What can I do?

NEENA March 19, 2009 2:30 PM

I HAVE MY BOY DYLAN WHO IS A FEW MONTHS AWAY FROM 14 YEARSOLD, HE LOOKS FINE ON THE OUTSIDE, FOR A CAT HIS AGE , NOTHING SLOWS HIM DOWN BUT HE DOES SEEM MORE TIRED AND SLEEP ALOT MORE NOW ,BUT HE STILL RUNS ,JUMPS,FLYS AND ENJOYS HIS FOOD AND COOKIES HE IS THE BEST BOY I'VE EVER HAD

shirle April 6, 2009 7:02 PM

my male cat is 8 years old is urinating blood he has been doing this for 2 days. he is a indoorcat. any one have any ideas what is wrong?

natalie April 6, 2009 7:13 PM

i would take your cat to the vet immediately. was he hurt? it could of been caused by trauma to his urinary tract systme or he may be straining to urinate or it may be a kidney stone. regardless call your vet and let him or her know.

George April 7, 2009 10:36 AM

My little Angel is 3. We have had her for almost a year. We noticed that she would never take treats from us directly and would 'require' us to place treats on the floor and she would eat them. Recently She was begging for a treat with both her front feet on my leg and I was teasing her with the treat trying to get her to take it and noticed when she opened her mouth that she had no front upper teeth. Then, yesterday I found a tooth in her water bowl. My husband and I opened her mouth, much to her dismay, and found that she has no back teeth and only the sharp long ones in the front and the short ones between them.
What can cause a young cat like this to loose all her teeth?

Mary Jane May 6, 2009 1:39 PM

I have an older cat -12 years old who has a vomiting problem. It seems to come and go. His blood test from vet was okay. He gets nauseated-excess saliva and a little whining and then vomits. I have tried different brands of food and it will seem to help but then 5 days later he vomits. Is there anything I can do? I can't afford to spend too much, as I am on disability. This has been going on for one and a half years! I haven't noticed anything else going on with him-he still plays, etc. Has been an indoor cat for about 8 years. I have noticed that he wants to eat wet food about every 4 hours and there may be a correlation between not eating and then vomiting-not sure.

Jerry May 16, 2009 8:52 AM

I have an 11 year old cat who has lost a lot of weight he has good days fallowed by bad days for eating he was throwing up every day but that stopped 2 days ago he eats drinks water and goes to the bathroom No worms in his stool worm medicin says dont give to sick cat cant afford vet anything I can try to help him BUBBAS DAD

ACF June 4, 2009 2:11 AM

Your cat may have develop stones and is trying to pass them. Lost a cat once because he became blocked and couldn't urinate. Take to the vet at once.

KAREN June 25, 2009 4:08 PM

I HAVE A 15 YR OLD MALE CAT, YETI. HE IS GETTING VERY THIN LOSING WEIGHT AND I HAVE NOTICED HIM VOMITTING HIS FOOD LATELY. HE STILL HUNTS, PURRS, PLAYS,EATS. WE WORM REGULARLY AND IM NOT SURE WHAT COULD BE CAUSING HIS CONDITION

THERESA July 22, 2009 12:44 AM

I HAVE A 14 YEAR OLD MALE CAT. OVER THE PAST FEW MONTHS
HE HAS GOTTEN VERY THIN AND HAS LOST WEIGHT. HIS APPETITE
HAS DECREASED AND HE OFTEN VOMITS. HE DOES NOT APPEAR TO
BE ILL AS HE ENJOYS PLAYING AND IS QUITE AFFECTIONATE.
COULD YOU PLEASE ADVISE WHAT MAY BE CAUSING THIS CONDITION.

christine August 9, 2009 5:26 AM

Hi my cat is 14years old she happy and eats well, but I find she is drinking a lot of water. I thank you for any information you can offer.

gerry August 11, 2009 9:58 PM

Our cat, Roxy, is 19 years old and is incontinent, and has problems eating and hyperventilates from time to time. She appears hungry but will eat very little and hence has grown so thin her ribs protrude. I find vomitus puddles around the house and would like to know what I can feed her as she appears hungry and wants to eat something other than the usual senior hard nuggets and standard cat food. Would chicken stock with bits of carrot and rice help her digestive system and stop the vomiting? I realize we won't have her for much longer so how can I make her last days as comfortable as possible?

fairmaidenp@netscape.net August 17, 2009 2:55 PM

My cat is approx. 16 years old, has lost some of her teeth. When she is sleeping she cries in her sleep, more like bellowing, i some times go in and she just looks at me, is she crying for a reason i don't know? Please give me advice on this.. thank you...Pat Nevers

edith September 8, 2009 6:02 PM

my jasmine is 14 yr old cat she lose all her weight i am take vet i think she do not live so long my appointment is 10/5/09 that went i have money but i think she look like she is die HELPME live in kissimmee florida

Norma October 9, 2009 4:01 PM

My cat, Mouser, is almost 19 years old and 6 months ago she weighed 18 lbs. but now weighs about 12 1/2 lbs. She eats very little and refuses to use her box leaving puddles in various corners of the house. She also whines and vomits 2-3 times and has very hard stools. Per the vet's instructions, we are feeding her Iams but it doesn't seem to help. She refuses anything with Metamucil hidden in it. I'm lost! Can you help me?

carolenadine@insightbb.com October 12, 2009 9:40 AM

My cat is 13 years old. She was in the animal hospital last week for 2 days because she quit eating and drinking. They did bloodwork and it all turned out all negative. They gave her IV's. They found under her tongue was a mass. I can't afford to take her back because my husband's work cut his hours. What should I do?

Tiffany October 26, 2009 1:18 PM

I have a 15 year old calico cat, Callie. She means the world to me, but she's lost a tremendous amount of weight,so much that her bones are sticking out, she eats normally but drinks a lot of water. She takes frequent trips to the bathroom, mainly diarreah and she has bloody stool. Can anyone help me, I can't afford to take her to the vet at the moment.?!

lori November 6, 2009 12:10 PM

my cat is 15 years old and just like everybody else, it losely weight trmendously and in really good health, storng and eating well. has been throwing up occasionally, more than normal. otherwise everything appears very normal, his teeth look good.. what should I do?

kaylee January 26, 2010 3:30 PM
Flag

ok well my cay is so fat lol and i feel so bad for her and my other cat like make kidda like gagging nose and its weird and scary ..

Reply
kaylee January 26, 2010 3:32 PM
Flag

and just to tell everyone if your cats skinny ask me for advice ok just give tham like 6-9 treats like eveyday untill u notice gain weight and than feeed them lots :)

Reply
holly March 16, 2010 3:14 AM
Flag

My 20 yr old cat just developed acute endema in legs, paws, base of tail and throat area. It started about 1 wk. after a subq fluid infusion where the vet tch pushed the needle thru the skin, reinserted same needle which poked out and sprayed all over her (and me) reinserted same needle (obvously no longer sterile). I have spent over $15000 in 4 years on my pets and I'm flat broke. The vet always wants another exam w/tests and I can't subject her to any more of this destruction (the visits taker her 2 days to recover) And I'm out of money. What is my baby all swollen ???

Reply

add your comment

Advertisement

Petside: Get Started

Advertisement

Specials

Check out these deals picked by petside.com just for you!

Newsletter & Deals

Register now for Newsletters and Personal Tools.

Your Name: Your Email:

Your privacy is important to us.
Click here for the full policy.