09
Sep
The signs of aging in your cat. Its estimated that cognitive declinereferred to as feline cognitive dysfunction or FCDaffects more than 55 of cats aged 11 to 15 years and more than 80 of cats aged 16 to 20 years.
As they age cats often suffer a decline in functioning including their cognitive functioning.
When do cats become senior. In most cases a veterinarian will deem a cat to be a senior when she is 7-10 years of age. By the time your cat is 10 years or older a common term you might hear your vet use to describe your cat is geriatric. The short answer is that according to many vets a cat is considered mature from age 7 and a cat is considered a senior from 11 years old.
But every cat is different and their senior age may start a little later depending on nutrition environment and other factors. Some cats begin showing age-related physical signs as early as age seven while others are still friskier than kittens at ten. A general rule of thumb is that a cat is classified as senior if shes over 11 years of age.
As the parent of an aging cat youll want to watch for changes in behavior that could signify an underlying problem. In recent years feline ages and life-stages have been redefined cats are considered to be elderly once they reach 11 years with senior cats defined as those aged between 11-14 years and super-senior cats 15 years and upwards. When caring for older cats it sometimes helps to appreciate their age in human terms.
The cat is what we call Mature equivalent to humans in their mid-40s to mid-50s. Senior 1114 years takes the cat up to the equivalent of about 70 human years. Super Senior 15 years and over many cats do reach this stage some not showing any signs of being so senior in.
There are big changes that happen between kittenhood and adulthood as cats grow through developmental milestones but also changes for senior cats as they go through the normal aging process. Around age 11 cats enter what is considered the senior stage of their lives. From 11-14 cats are comparable to humans in their 60s and 70s.
Although cats become old at around 11 years old they dont become officially geriatric until the ripe old age of 15. At this point theyre comparable to humans in their 80s. One side-effect of aging that many cat owners begin to notice as their cats become elderly is that some cats tend to become a lot more vocal than they used to be either meowing a lot more in general or questing about chirping trilling and meowing and even yowling-particularly during the night or when no one is around.
As cats age and reach 11 to 12 years of age both caloric and protein intake should be progressively increased by a factor of 11 to 16 which is a 10-60 increase to maintain muscle mass and prevent the sarcopenia of aging. One condition that affects some senior cats is cognitive dysfunction or senility.
Signs of Senility in Cats When you see a number of changes in normal behavior patterns occurring together or present in cats younger than one would expect to see. Senior cats are often at risk of kidney problems. The Australian Veterinary Journal studied 184 cats with renal issues.
The median age was between 12 and 15. This is why senior cats should attend regular check-ups. Sleeping incontinence is a symptom of renal failure but it usually manifests late in progression.
Cats tend to lose the ability to digest and absorb fat as they grow old. Although obesity does occur in middle-aged cats feline seniors more often lose weight and take on a distinctively boney old cat feel. Changes in diet can help some older cats retain normal body weight though so speak to your vet if your cat is losing weight.
Its not uncommon for cats to live up to 20 yearsthats the same as a 96-year-old human. The signs of aging in your cat. Although each individual cat will display signs of aging differently there are some common aging processes which happen to every cat.
Their smell taste and hearing become less acute which has an impact on their appetite. About 1 month after adoption 95 of kittens had settled well into their new home. Meanwhile only 75 of adult cats had adjusted.
After that 47 of kittens and 49 of adult cats presented behavioral problems within a month after adoption. The Effects of Aging. As they age cats often suffer a decline in functioning including their cognitive functioning.
Its estimated that cognitive declinereferred to as feline cognitive dysfunction or FCDaffects more than 55 of cats aged 11 to 15 years and more than 80 of cats aged 16 to 20 years. Memory ability to learn awareness. Do indoor cats live longer than outdoor cats.
When I was a young veterinarian you didnt see older cats. But now I know a cat-only hospital in San Antonio Texas where every time a cat reaches its 20th birthday they put it up on their reader board. When a family member human or animal passes away or moves out your cat may grieve and become depressed.
This is usually only a temporary behavior and with some time your cat will return to normal. If your cat is depressed because another cat in the household has passed away they may benefit from a new cat friend or they may not.