Tips for your cat’s golden years

Tips for your cat’s golden years



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Nowadays it’s not unusual to see cats living into their twenties. Here are some tips for when kitty enters those golden years:

· Keep up with veterinary care. Typically, cats get annual check-ups. With a senior cat, increase the frequency to every six months. Many veterinarians offer geriatric health packages.

· Pay attention to changes in your cat. Whether it’s a behavior change or a physical change, it could be the start of a medical problem. Your senior kitty may not be the life of the party anymore, but if she has a change in eating or elimination habits, or displays personality changes, those are potential red flags that something could be wrong.

· Create a senior-friendly environment. If your cat has trouble going up and down stairs, locate additional litter boxes on each floor. Arthritis may make it difficult for her to climb over the edge of the box, so replace it with a low-sided one. Your senior cat may love sitting at the window, but perhaps she can longer jump up there. A pet ramp or pet stairs enable her to still enjoy those elevated areas. Senior cats often enjoy napping on a heated pet bed as well. For a cat with declining vision, set up night-lights to help her navigate in the dark.

· Provide assistance. Daily gentle brushing will help increase circulation and distribute skin oil. Remember that her body is probably very sensitive now, so use extra TLC when brushing. She may also need extra help in the personal hygiene department now and then.

· Be tolerant. Kitty’s litter box aim may not be good these days. Be tolerant of missed litter box attempts, miscalculated jumps, or extra cat hairs on your pillow because your cat curled up there for an extra-long nap. When you serve dinner, keep in mind that your cat’s hearing may have declined so he might not hear you calling him.

· Go easy on the tummy. Your cat’s digestive system may need some scheduling adjustments by having smaller meals served more frequently. Her tummy may no longer be able to digest the same sized meals she used to when she was younger. To increase the palatability of food, you may need to serve it slightly warm (never hot).