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After ten years or
more of companionship, cats and owners develop close bonds. It is a
relationship as comforting as a favorite chair or the smell of
Grandmother’s kitchen. Both felines and humans innately recognize the
needs of the other and make small adjustments to accommodate their
companions. By recognizing the changing medical needs of the mature
cat, this can be the most enjoyable period of the relationship.
Cats age much faster than humans. Their average life expectancy is 15
years. A cat at that age will have many of the same physical
challenges facing an eighty-year old person. The following conditions
are common in the aging feline:
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no longer accept these as the inevitable or unmanageable result of
aging. There are appropriate therapies for all of these conditions
that can improve the quality of life for the mature cat. It is
important to recognize the early signs of these conditions and provide
appropriate care before irreparable damage occurs.
Early diagnosis is the result of the owner and the veterinarian
working together.
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Recommendations
for owners:
- Monitor your
cat’s weight
- Observe and
record any changes in water consumption
- Watch for
changes in activities
- Continue with
daily grooming
- Bring to the
veterinary clinic annually or biannually for routine physical
examinations
- Provide food
appropriate for the cat’s physical needs
- Provide an
environment appropriate for the cat’s physical abilities
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Recommendations
for medical monitoring:
- Complete
physical examination
- Blood tests
to look for early warning signs of disease and to monitor existing
disease and response to therapy
- Urinalysis to
identify urinary tract problems
- Blood
pressure to identify hypertension before major problems occur
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The senior cat
population is rapidly growing. With appropriate care and timely
medical intervention the quality and length of life of these beloved
older cats can be improved.
Also see Senior Care
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