Domestic cats are living longer as is the case for humans due to advances in medical treatments. Studies on older cats looking at radiographs revealed that 90% of them over the age of 12 had evidence of degenerative joint disease. Osteoarthritis is under-diagnosed at veterinary clinics and it is extremely common in older cats according …
Infographic on spotting joint discomfort in cats Read More »
The Infographic says what I want to say on this but I can add a little bit of detail in these words. The first point that comes to mind is that for indoor/outdoor cats who go to the toilet outside it may be necessary at some stage during the autumnal years of their elderly cat’s …
Infographic on how to make life better for an older cat Read More »
CDS is an acronym for ‘Cognitive Disfunction Syndrome in domestic cats and dogs. It means senility or dementia in layperson’s terminology. Senility impacts over 50% of cats over the age of 15 years. And domestic cats lives longer nowadays which is what is happening with their caregivers as well. All the more need to at …
Infographic on 3 drugs to treat CDS (senility) in domestic cats plus extra information Read More »
Flystrike in cats is particularly relevant right now, in the middle of the summer 2022, when there is the possibility of a record high temperature of 40°C in the UK (today) and across Europe there are very high temperatures specifically in Portugal, Spain and southern France. There is also a drought in northern Italy. This, …
As domestic cats are living longer thanks to better nutrition and veterinary care together with better educated cat caregivers, there are going to be more elderly cats requiring specialist care from their human caregiver. This page is in two parts as it has been updated, upgraded, checked and added-to as at January 9, 2022, at …
How to look after an old cat – comprehensive page focusing on health issues Read More »
A scientific study confirms that ageing cats, over seven-years-of-age, prefer warmed up wet food and particularly wet food at 37°C (98.6°F). Like many people, I know that warming wet cat food makes it more palatable to all cats and particularly ageing cats who may lose their appetite as it brings out new flavours and aromas. …
Domestic cats over 7-years-of-age prefer wet food at 37°C Read More »
Here is a dementia symptom checker for domestic cats. It comes courtesy of the vets4pets.com website. Apparently, veterinarians estimate that 85% of cat and dog dementia is undiagnosed. One in three elderly cats potentially suffer from dementia. People can spot early signs of dementia in people but can they do the same with the domestic …
The question in the title was thrown up by Google search. It doesn’t make a lot of sense because cats don’t trim their claws, people do. But the question is interesting in one respect. Feral cats don’t need their claws trimmed because they are worn down during normal use. The normal state of affairs for …
Your cat might be thirsty for a good reason. Perhaps she has just eaten dry cat food which should make a domestic cat thirsty because it’s so dry! It’s a good thing that she is drinking after eating it. There are obviously normal, healthy reasons to be thirsty so you have to decide initially whether …
In veterinary circles cognitive dysfunction is referred to as CD. To laypeople it means senility. I have found a nice tip which may help to slow the onset of CD in an elderly cat. Free radical scavengers Dr Bruce Fogle explains what free radical scavengers are and how they can help slow the onset of …
Elderly cat diet to delay onset or progress of cognitive dysfunction Read More »
The question is asking whether older cats need vitamin supplements. In other words do they need extra vitamins on top of what they are ingesting through their normal diet? The answer is that older cats need more vitamins and minerals because their ability to absorb vitamins through the intestinal tract is diminished. Also, B vitamins …
Reduced calorie intake and a high quality, protein rich diet is the general guide for senior cats. This is about feeding geriatric cats. It’s an important topic because it can prevent obesity. Feline obesity can decrease lifespan. As expected geriatric cats are less active. They require up to 30% fewer calories than younger cats. Their …
Lately it seems that it’s been getting a lot more difficult for me to grasp the fact that it’s been almost fourteen years since we welcomed Dr. Hush Puppy and Sir Hubble Pinkerton, our two amazing, beautiful four month-old Oriental Shorthair kittens into our family. It often feels that it was just yesterday that we …
Do senior cats have special needs? Living with elderly cats. Read More »
Elderly cat should be routinely checked for high blood pressure because it develops insidiously and can cause damage to the cat’s organs and exacerbate kidney failure. It is more present in cats with hyperthyroidism and kidney failure.
Thomas is a 26-year-old cat adopted by a 27-year-old woman, Laura, from a shelter. Good on Laura. It is very unusual for a cat to live this long and also rare for a young person to want to adopt such an elderly cat. But elderly cats bring a lot of pleasure to the owner. Just be ready for difficult health decisions including possible euthanasia.
