Caring for Older Cats.
Older cats give no less joy, laughter, warmth and silliness than younger cats. They still purr, they still try to curl in impossible bundles of sunshine-soaking fur and they are still the cats we adored when they were younger; tearing up our curtains and home. Yet, there are a few unique changes, challenges as well as questions which crop up when owning as well as caring for geriatric felines.
What sort of food should be purchased? Should an owner of an elder cat make any changes in their house? Why is the cat yowling at night? Why won’t they curl up in their old sleeping place? What can an owner of a getting-on-in-years cat do to assure comfort and quality of life for our mature kittens? What should an owner look out for, health wise, with an older cat?
As an owner of several cats throughout my life, as well as an older, diabetic cat, I know it can be overwhelming some times. Here are a few things I have learned over the years about caring for elder cats which I hope can help you!
-Older cats eat less, more often-
Usually in the first few years of a cat’s life, or even the first decade or so, most owners feed their cats twice a day. A younger cat’s digestive system is efficient and strong. As a cat grows older and sometimes over the mark of seven years, the feline digestive system can begin to lose some of its efficiency and may start to require easier to digest proteins.
Changes in your cat’s diet at or around the seven year mark (or earlier and later, seven years is a general number) can be expected. Cat owners might notice that their cat still eats during morning or evening feedings, but tends to leave more food in the dish in order to come back later. This is normal for older felines and no need to panic.
There are also several special life-stages foods formulated for older cats and feeding your feline these types of foods can certainly help with changing appetites and digestive issues. Since our older kitties are not as active either, these foods most ofter have been specially tailored to aid digestion and lessen the risk of obesity.
A small note here for consideration on foods for aging cats: dry food, or dry cat kibble, tends to be far better for a cats teeth than soft food. But sometimes, with age comes less teeth. Elder cats may have issues eating dry food due to gum pain, loss of teeth or cavities and when they do they tend to swallow the kibble whole. Eating dry food whole often causes indigestion as well as increased vomiting. If you have an older cat experiencing difficulties eating dry food or with dental problems, consider moving to wet cat food or feeding them more wet than dry.
-Older cats & Constipation or: Hnnnn! Nnrrrg! Eeerrg!-
Everybody poops... even old cats. With age comes what some owners might call “lazy bowel.” Some mature cats find it a bit more difficult to move their bowels than they did when younger. Cats, like humans, need good roughage as well.
If cat owners find their pets straining a little in the litter box, consider adding a spoonful of bran, porridge oats, canned pumpkin, canned rice, cooked pasta, or mashed potato. All of these foods (within moderation, a spoonful is all that should be given) should help a straining cat in the litter box. This shouldn’t be something a pet owner would need to do frequently for a number of reasons: continuous issues with constipation could be a sign of something else which means seeking out a trained veterinarian, and cat owners run the risk of creating a finicky eater. Speaking of-
-Finicky eaters. Why won’t Mister Buttons eat his food anymore?-
Let's say that Mary’s been feeding Mister Buttons the same food for ten years without a single mew of protest from him all that time. One day, Mister Buttons simply stops eating it and refuses to. Mary's beside herself, why has this happened? What to do?
As cats age their sense of smell begins to deteriorate and they may not be able to smell the same scents they used to. It doesn’t mean Mister Buttons doesn’t like the food if he suddenly stops eating it—but continues to behave as if he were hungry—it may mean that he simply cannot smell the food!
There are several tricks owners such as Mary, can use to get an older cat eating again. Sprinkling food with catnip, pouring a little bit of tuna water, or sardine juice over the food can make it smell stronger. Cat owners can even sprinkle a tiny bit of gravy or any other cooked meat’s juices as well to try to entice the cat in eating.
Be careful, however. Cats are adept at manipulating their humans servants—I mean, owners—into giving them what they wish, including the food they wish to eat which is not necessarily the food they should be eating. So make sure you don’t find yourself doing this often, or you might end up making home-made fancy feasts at home for each cat meal.
Note: a cat that is frequently experiencing trouble eating, has lost all appetite, shows signs of a dull coat, excessive shedding, rapid weight loss or gain, vomiting, diarrhea, yellowing teeth and sudden as well as strong mouth odor should be taken to the vet immediately without delay.
-Lick my back!-
Just as we tend to lose some of our agility and elasticity, older cats may also lose their suppleness. Grooming requires a lot of bending, stretching, moving and positioning for felines and as age sets in this may prove more difficult.
While having two companion cats can be a boon in this area as they can groom one another, single cat households may have to resort to other alternatives. Brushing a cat is a great way to help groom them and a great excuse to take time everyday if an owner does not have it, to spend some time with their pet. Brushing also removes dead hair, dead skin cells, a small toothed comb can even remove parasites. And one benefit that may become the single most important for some pet owners, is that grooming your cat as they age can help lessen and prevent vomiting due to hair balls.
Sometimes investing in a pet wipe or damp cloth just for granny-cat is a good idea, as they may even have complications sometimes getting to their behinds to keep them clean. For long-haired cats, it may even be a good idea to trim under the cat’s tail to prevent litter, mud, clay, urine and feces from sticking and matting to the long fur.
-Late Night Yowling and what you can try-
Often, cat owners who take care of elderly cats find themselves having a more difficult time trying to go to sleep at night, as their cats begin to yowl or meow apparently for no reason late at night.
In most cases, late night yowling is kitty’s way of telling owners they are lonely and want reassurance or attention. Placing the cat’s bed in the bedroom or allowing the cat to sleep in the same room, on the bed with the owner can often cure this. If the cat has never had a bed and has just started yowling, or an owner isn’t able to compromise their own bed or bedroom, purchasing a wide bed (as kitty cannot curl up as well as they used to, so more space is needed) may also help.
-Shoot a cat-
Keeping a geriatric cat up to date with his or her cat flu shots and distemper is a great insurance kitty will have a peaceful old age. It can be tempting to let the many vaccinations and shots be set aside as a feline gets older, but it is actually far more important as a cat’s immune system grows weaker over age! These shots will give ancient-cat more ways to fight off sickness.
-I’m Gumin’ it!-
Tooth problems tend to be the number one issue with older cats. Giving a cat dry food daily is a great way to help prevent tartar building up.
Checking cat’s teeth as frequently as possible is also another great way of staying abreast of any potential problems. Taking a cat to a veterinarian for a de-scaling, or plaque removal as well as cleaning if they are healthy enough, is also a great way to stave off tooth loss, sore gums, cavities or gingivitis.
-Stop! It’s the Claw!-
As a cat ages, their energy and activity wears down. They may not have the inclination nor ability to sharpen as well as maintain their claws or even retract them properly. A cat owner might notice their older cat snagging their claws over the carpet where they might not have before, or find that their cats claws become brittle.
This is a normal part of aging for most cats. Owners can help by (if possible) trimming the claws or having a veterinarian do so for them.
-Water your cat-
Increased thirst is also a part of aging for elderly cats. A small boost in the amount of water an older cat drinks is normal and no cause for alarm. Older cats need fresh water just as much as younger, and may need to have their water changed more frequently.
Also, Kidney issues in elderly cats are a frequent problem, so while a slight addition to the amount a cat drinks is fine a drastic or huge change may be a sign of kidney infection, failure or even feline diabetes.
-Eh? Speak up? Let me get my glasses!-
Sight and hearing can also be affected by aging, worsening and in some cases, go entirely.
Blindness in cats can often be spotted by bumping into objects they normally would not or being easily startled, not coming when called for food unless seeing the owner. Cats generally tend to adapt rather well however to fading of sight or hearing by using their other senses to make up for the loss and owners might find their cats generally unaffected by blindness or deafness.
If the cat is an outdoor cat, obviously it is advised that it be brought indoors as avoiding such dangers as other animals, vehicles, and the lawnmower for example, can become difficult to impossible without sight or hearing.
-Play with me!-
An aging cat still needs to get a little bit of exercise in to help with feline health, though he or she probably isn’t up to some of the crazy, wall climbing antics they used to be when younger.
Low impact play can still be immensely good for an older cat and shouldn’t be stopped just because of a cat’s age, though attention should be paid more to when the cat tires. An elderly cat will tire more easily and quickly than a younger and play time should be stopped when they no longer wish to play.
-Bring it down a notch-
Age and arthritis can effect a cats mobility and ability to do many things, including getting in and out of the litter box as well as reaching their food. Try to ensure that both the litter box and food is easily within reach of the cat and not too far away. If possible, place both close to the cat’s nesting place or place where they sleep the most often.
Owners finding their cats are having difficulties reaching or getting into or out of the litter box should consider purchasing one that lays lower or flatter to the ground, with less of a step to climb inside; certainly much easier for aging achy bones to use.
-Not so Shiny-
Skin and coat as well as body shape changes are also normal in aging cats.
Owners might notice as your cat ages, its body fat shifts, leaving its spine as well as shoulder blades felt far more prominent than before. Owners might also notice the coat dulling a tiny bit, graying, or becoming a little thinner. These are expected, and so long as there aren’t any drastic coat changes to an older cat there shouldn’t be any cause for alarm.
-Breast exams: not just for humans-
Female cats sometimes have hardening of the mammary glands due to infiltration of the fibrous tissue, and they can also develop cancer. Approximately 85% of female cats diagnosed with mammary tumors are found malignant, so it is increasingly important to examine or have your vet examine your unsprayed female cat.
-Bundle up!-
Older cats become more sensitive to temperature changes, especially the cold. Making sure an elderly cat has a warm place to sleep or seek when it becomes chilly is important. Just because they’re covered in fur doesn’t mean they can’t get cold! Especially as they age.
-Summary-
Remember: anything you consider drastic changes in behavior should be monitored and not necessarily dismissed as old age. Any extreme deviance in a cat’s behavior should always be discussed first with a trained Veterinarian.
With the above statement in mind, older cats experience many natural changes in their bodies too; their attitudes, habits and even sleeping patterns change. Just like us, they become a little less active and a little more sensitive and, just like us—they experience these changes at different rates. Some cats experience the signs of aging a little earlier or later than others. Knowing these changes ahead of time and how to care for them in addition to adjusting to them can help owners as well as their beloved feline’s lead happier, healthier lives together.