Complete Care for Your Aging Cat Read online

  to twenty years,” says Dr. Abood. That means the last 25 percent would be

  twelve to fifteen years. To simplify matters, most veterinarians consider

  cats to be “senior citizens” starting at about seven to eight years old, and

  geriatric at fourteen to fifteen.

  Here’s some perspective comparing cat age to human age. “The World

  Health Organization says that middle-aged folks are forty-five to fifty-nine

  years of age and elderly is sixty to seventy-four. They considered aged as

  being over seventy-five,” says Debbie Davenport, DVM, an internist with

  Hil ’s Pet Foods. “If you look at cats of seven years of age as being senior,

  a paral el in human years would be about fifty-one years,” she says. A

  geriatric cat at ten to twelve years of age would be equivalent to a seventy-

  year-old human.

  Veterinarians used to concentrate their efforts on caring for young

  animals. When pets began to develop age-related problems, the tendency

  among American owners was to just get another pet. That has changed,

  and today people cherish their aged furry companions and want to help

  them live as long as possible.

  Modern cats age seven and older can stil live ful , happy and healthy

  lives. Age is not a disease. Age is just age, says Sheila McCul ough,

  DVM, an internist at University of Il inois. “There are a lot of things that

  come with age that can be managed successful y, or the progression

  delayed. Renal failure cats are classic examples.” It’s not unusual for cats

  suffering kidney failure to be diagnosed in their late teens or even early

  twenties. “I had a woman with a twenty-three-year-old cat who asked

  should she change the diet. I said, don’t mess with success!” says Dr.

  McCul ough.

  These days veterinarians often see stil -healthy and vital cats of a great

  age. “I think if the cat lives to twenty-five years, I shouldn’t be doing anything

  but saying hel o,” says Steven L. Marks, BVSc, an internist and surgeon at

  Louisiana State University (now at North Carolina State University). “If

  you’ve ever had a pet live that long, you want them all to live that long.”

  Benefits of Senior Cats

  There’s nothing more endearing than a kitten. But they also can be

  nonstop dynamos, frustrating to predict and a magnet for trouble. Although

  kittens can be wonderful fun, nothing matches the deep bond we have

  developed with our old cat buddies over a period of years.

  Mature cats have many advantages over kittens. Probably the biggest

  advantage is that together you have created a partnership, and already

  know each other and have adjusted to individual needs and foibles. Al the

  hard work is done. She’s been trained to scratch the scratching post and

  use the litter box. You trust her not to swing from the drapes or empty the

  potted palm while you’re away. She’s learned to wake you promptly at 6:45

  for work, and meets you at the door each evening. She no longer climbs

  the Christmas tree, unrol s the toilet paper, and only rearranges your sock

  drawer if you’re gone overnight and she’s lonely. She stopped hiding the

  kids’ stuffed animals, and settles for the toy squeaky mouse she’s carried

  around like a teddy bear since you brought her home ten years ago. She

  reminds you when it’s time for a pil and afternoon nap—for both of you.

  And she acts like the new grandbaby is her own kitten, and showers the

  infant with attention, gentle play, and protective care—dropping favorite cat

  toys in the crib, and even putting up with toddler tail tugs with a patient

  feline purr. Countless children have learned to walk while reaching for the

  tempting tail of a feline friend.

  In fact, one of the best ways to introduce young children to the positive

  aspects of cats is with a calm, patient adult animal. Parents already have

  their hands ful dealing with infants and toddlers, and don’t need the added

  stress of an in-your-face kitten. Children can share birthdays with the aging

  cat and stil be relatively young when she enters her golden years.

  It’s not unusual for young people to say that one special cat has always

  been a part of their life—and in times of family crises or emotional upset,

  the cat can ease the tension and help heal the pain simply by being there

  to pet and talk to. A broken heart, disagreements with siblings or parents,

  even physical or emotional trauma can al be helped by the mere presence

  of a cat that the child loves.

  An older cat can be a stabilizing influence on children, teach

  responsibility and empathy for other living creatures, and even act as a

  social bridge toward making friends with their peers. For example, a child

  shy of interacting with other children because of a perceived disability

  often comes out of her shel when accompanied by a furry friend--the cat

  remains the focus of interaction rather than the child’s “different” look or

  behavior. Older cats often are ideal for such relationships, because they

  aren’t as active as younger cats, may be more patient and have learned

  what to expect. There’s a benefit to the old cat, too—playing and

  interacting with children keeps the kitty brain and body active and youthful.

  The advantages of loving an older cat are not limited to children. Studies

  have shown that contact with cats offers great physical and emotional

  health benefits to people, from children and adolescents, to adults and

  senior citizens.

  Couples whose children have left for col ege and are recent empty

  nesters can receive great comfort by the presence of a furry companion.

  People of any age who lose a spouse from divorce or death—but

  particularly older owners—benefit greatly from a cat’s nonjudgmental love.

  For instance, petting a cat lowers the blood pressure; and caring for a cat

  gives owners a purpose to concentrate on beyond the hurt and pain.

  Playing with and grooming the cat, shopping for litter and food, giving

  medicine to an old kitty friend, keeps people connected to the world and

  other people around them.

  Old cats are often the companions of aging owners because that old pet

  has the same problems they’ve got, says Wil iam Tranquil i, DVM, a

  professor and pain specialist at the University of Il inois. “They don’t

  necessarily want a young pet, they want to do what they can to help their

  old buddy.” They’re wil ing to spend the money and often have more time to

  treat chronic disease to try to make the old animal more comfortable. And

  because the pets that we love are good for human health, just having a cat

  around can reduce the trips owners take to their own doctors. Some

  physicians recommend that heart attack survivors keep a pet, because it

  increases their survival.

  People of al ages, whose human family members live far away, become

  even more emotional y dependent on the cat. “I’ve met many elderly people

  whose cat has become the most important thing in their life. It’s a family

  member, and it may be the only remaining family member,” says Susan

  Little, DVM, a feline specialist in Ottawa, Canada. Of those pet owners

  who have a wil
, 27 percent have included provisions for their pets.

  Prolonging the cat’s life touches on a host of social and emotional issues.

  Cats who have spent a decade or more with us have learned what we

  like and expect—and we’ve learned to anticipate the senior cat’s needs,

  likes, and dislikes. Over the span of years, we build and then enjoy a

  comfortable companionship together. Our aging pets share with us our life

  experiences, successes and failures, joys and sorrows, and they represent

  milestones in our lives, says Signe Beebe, DVM, a veterinary

  acupuncturist and herbologist practicing in Sacramento. They may have

  celebrated with us when we graduated school, married, and had children

  or grandchildren—or comforted us when we divorced, retired, or lost a

  spouse. They have been there for us, through everything. The more time

  we spend together, the greater our affection grows. Our compassion, love,

  and empathy for each other reach a depth that has no paral el in human

  existence.

  “We share our secret souls with our pets in ways we wouldn’t dare with

  another human being,” says Dr. Wal ace Sife, a psychologist and president

  of the Association for Pet Loss and Bereavement. “We’re human beings,

  and love is love. Love for a pet is no different than love for another human

  being.”

  What To Expect

  Pet owners relish spending time with their older cats. As the cat ages,

  chances are she’l need more medical care. The most common health

  problems of senior cats mirror those of aging humans. They include kidney

  disease, cancer, diabetes, hyperthyroidism, heart disease, arthritis,

  obesity, and dental disease. Cats are also prone to sensory loss –

  eyesight, hearing, and scent sense fade with age. A certain percentage of

  aging cats also develop behavioral changes that mimic those of human

  Alzheimer’s patients, says Dr. Little.

  “People need to recognize that older animals get diseases more

  frequently, and most of these diseases are progressive,” says Dr. Marks.

  Problems such as kidney failure or hyperthyroid disease wil not go away,

  but pets can live with these conditions and enjoy a happy life for months to

  years after the diagnosis. “I think one of the strategies associated with the

  senior pet is making the owners aware of what realistic goals are for these

  particular diseases,” says Bil Fortney, DVM, director of community

  practice at Kansas State. “In diseases of the young and middle-aged, we

  often think in terms of cure. But with arthritis, kidney failure, and cancer we

  look at control, management, and setting realistic quality of life goals for

  the pet.”

  A large majority of cats remain relatively healthy throughout their golden

  years and won’t require more than routine medical care. “There are

  symptoms of aging that don’t seem to impact the quality of life,” says Dr.

  Fortney. “For example, a cat has a graying muzzle, a little bit of muscle

  wasting and their eyes are a bit clouded over,” he says. Elderly cats don’t

  care about gray hair, and they often develop a bluish or hazy-milky pupil

  cal ed nuclear sclerosis, which is a normal aging change that won’t bother

  them.

  Even when they don’t have special health care problems, though, al

  senior cats require more emotional support and nutritional help than

  younger pets. As the most important person in your cat’s life, it’s up to you

  to help her make the transition into a graceful old age. Some changes wil

  be minor and probably won’t cause much of a change to your routine.

  Others may require bigger commitments on your part to help keep the cat

  happy and comfortable, as wel as reduce the potential for aggravating

  age-related problems.

  For example, you’l need to provide a new diet designed specifical y for

  the needs of an older cat. If you have a food-motivated cat who inhales

  anything you put in the bowl, the diet change won’t be a hardship for either

  one of you. Cats with more discriminating palates, though, may take a bit

  of adjustment to accept a new diet, particularly since their sense of smel

  and taste might interfere with how much they like it. You may need to adjust

  your schedule to increase meals from once or twice a day, to three or four

  times to ensure she gets enough nutrition. Cats with dental problems or

  missing teeth, common in older cats, often do better on a soft diet rather

  than dry kibbles.

  Similarly, some cats wil require more frequent bathroom breaks. That

  probably won’t be a problem if she has a pet door, or spends much of her

  day in the yard. Otherwise, though, adding another litter box or two—one

  upstairs and one downstairs, or on both ends of the house—may save your

  carpet and your relationship.

  Older cats often sleep much more during the day, and less at night, and

  may disrupt your own rest. Something as simple as confining her to a

  bedroom with al the necessary kitty accoutrements al ows you both the

  luxury of sleeping through the night. Of course, it doesn’t bother some folks

  to be paw-tapped awake at 3:00 a.m. for a game of chase-the-feather,

  particularly if you’re getting up anyway for your own late night potty break.

  In the picture, Sammy, at age twelve, stil manages to reach his favorite

  lookout, according to owner Bonnie Cheak. Aging cats tend to lose

  stamina for the long play periods they enjoyed during their youth. Be aware

  that if she fol ows you to the basement to help with the laundry, she may

  beg you to carry her back upstairs. Older cats often have trouble navigating

  stairs, reaching the favorite window perch, or leaping onto a favorite sofa

  or the bed. Such cats require a helpful boost up and down. Sammy (in the

  picture) at age twelve stil manages to reach his favorite lookout, but a

  stool near a preferred perch from his owner Bonnie Cheak would be

  welcome. You may need to find a more convenient place for her bed—one

  that’s not elevated, for example, and is toasty-warm from the morning sun.

  That can help relieve stiff joints.

  If she’s put on the pounds, as many cats do when they get older, she

  shouldn’t be left outside for long during hot weather. Overweight aging cats

  overheat much more quickly and can have problems breathing and even

  die from temperature extremes. Cold weather poses the opposite problem

  when the skin and fur thins, and aging cats become heat-magnets during

  the winter months. Cats don’t tend to tolerate wearing clothing as wel as

  dogs do, but some shivery cats may benefit from a sweater during cold

  weather.

  Cats who spent lots of time outside during their youth tend to do much

  better as indoor pets, and even prefer an indoor lifestyle once they reach

  old age. For example, arthritis can make it difficult for them to climb to

  safety out of the reach of stray dogs, or unable to dodge across the street

  in time to beat oncoming traffic. A warm blanket or lap to snuggle is

  preferable to lounging on the hood of a car, particularly when they aren’t

  able to leap as wel to get out of the way when it starts.

  Although senior cats are the sa
me constant friend we’ve always known,

  they tend to become less patient as they get older. She’l rely more on

  routine, want her dinner right now, and demand attention this instant. She

  may continue to enjoy interaction with the other pets and children, but aging

  cats tend to reach their tolerance level more quickly. Every cat is different,

  and adding a younger pet (or a new baby) to the household gives some

  cats a jolt of energy like the fountain of youth. But others turn into catty

  curmudgeons if faced with any change in routine. Stress of any kind can

  prompt behavior problems, such as scratching the wrong object or

  urinating outside of the box. She’s not being vindictive or mean. She’s

  either tel ing you she has a physical problem, or she’s using these familiar

  self-scents to calm her nerves and make herself feel better about the

  upsetting situation.

  For instance, she may go into mourning, and cry and wander around the

  house looking for her favorite teenager who’s left for col ege, or a beloved

  companion cat that’s died. Shutting her out of the new baby’s room could

  put her tail in a twist. At any age, and particularly as she grows older, it’s

  important that the senior citizen cat be made to feel she’s stil an important

  part of the family and included as much as possible. Instead of shutting the

  door to the nursery, put up a baby gate so she can watch and sniff and

  hear the new family member, and she’l be much more interested in taking

  a positive interest.

  Loss of hearing means previously attentive cats seem to ignore you.

  She may also startle more easily, so you’l need to explain to visitors and

  family members not to sneak up on her, or she might hiss or bite out of fear

  without meaning to. Some hearing-impaired cats begin meowing a lot

  more—they can’t hear themselves, or you, and so use their “alarm cry” to

  get attention. You’l also learn to stomp a foot, wave your hand or use other

  visual signals to gain her attention. Cats readily learn hand signals in lieu of

  voice directions, and adjust so quickly to dimming senses that you may not

  know anything is different at al . For instance, instead of cal ing “here Kitty

  Kitty” at mealtime, cats quickly learn that switching the kitchen light on and