Your vet would probably define a senior cat as one over 10 years of age, but nowadays cats easily live into their late teens and even into their twenties, particularly indoor cats, so chances are that if you have a cat, you will see it become an adult, a senior and even a geriatric cat.
Like humans, as a cat ages, it will become less active and sleep more, but this does not mean that your cat must be confined to the floor and low pieces of furniture. It is very easy to put in little ramps here and there, or move a low table next to a higher chair so that the cat has access to places that have been their favourites for many years.
As your cat ages, regulation of it’s body temperature becomes less efficient. You wonder how your cat can lie in the sun for hours on end, or in front of the fire, even with that thick coat of fur, well it just wants to be warm and cozy, so leaving your cat outside in cold or wet weather is downright cruel and unkind. If you know bad weather is coming, it might be a good idea to keep the cat indoors until it has passed - this applies to any cat but particularly a senior.
Senior cats can develop dementia which, as one would expect, can include unusual and slightly bizarre behaviours. They may have trouble finding their litterbox, food and water bowls, or just wake up and not know where they are, or where the humans of the household are. Blood curdling yowling becomes a factor at any time of the day or night. Once your vet has diagnosed dementia, keep an eye out for these behaviours. They are just part of it and making exceptions for the odd miss at the litterbox is part of the package. You can both still have wonderful and meaningful times together as your cat ages.
Food can become an issue if your cat has tooth problems, perhaps even loses a few, making it difficult to eat hard foods. It’s very easy to create your own cat food too once you have a blender and the time to prepare it, ideally fresh each day, but there are so many canned options available that finding something suitable should not be a problem. I am currently hand feeding a cat thinly sliced (like matchsticks) pieces of raw chicken one piece at a time as it is all that she can manage. She still eats a lot, but needs extra time and attention in preparation and consumption. She’s happy, I’m happy.
Older cats also tend to drink less water, so making sure that there is always lots of fresh water around, and perhaps giving some wet food as well, are simple ways to help with this issue. This is when kidney problems may start to develop too, so making sure there is plenty of water available is really important.
Your senior cat may not be too interested in playing, or just in short bursts, but they will still crave your touch and attention, and many senior cats become much more loving towards their human, enjoying being in close proximity. This is when some people think of getting a kitten into the household “to brighten up their sleepy senior”. Know your cat very well before you do this. I would not do that to my senior as I know she would not appreciate it, and it would just become very distressful for her, so know your cat before you make this undertaking. It is not fair to either your senior or the kitten to go through the introductions, etc and then have to rehome the kitten at a later date because your older cat is not happy.
Enjoy these years, they are very special!
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