Senior Maine Coon cat walking on table.

As cats age, their nutritional needs, health challenges, and preventive care needs change. As a responsible pet owner, it’s important to make sure that you provide your senior cat with the best care possible. This article will provide a comprehensive look into cat senior care, including how age will impact your cat’s health, what nutritional needs to consider, signs and symptoms of slowing down, common health complications, preventive care that can extend their life, and why wellness exams are important. By the end of this article, you will better understand what kind of care you should be providing your senior cat. If you’re located near Point Pleasant, NJ, Bridge Veterinary Hospital is here to help make sure that your cat gets the best care possible.

How Will Getting Older Impact My Cat’s Health?

As cats age, their immune system weakens, and their risk of chronic diseases increases. Their skin becomes thinner and less elastic, making them more prone to infection. They are also more likely to experience changes in behavior, such as sleeping more, avoiding human interaction, and having difficulty grooming themselves. Common medical problems experienced by older cats include overactive thyroid, intestinal problems, cancer, pancreatitis, diabetes, and renal disease.

How Do a Cat’s Nutritional Needs Change As They Age?

Again, age is not a disease. A senior cat’s nutrition comes down to their health and lifestyle, and then we make choices based on that. So if your cat's showing signs of early diabetes or kidney disease, we might elect to change them to a diet consistent with those diseases’ needs. Or, if we have a cat with grooming issues, we might switch to a hairball diet to support that.

Often, senior cats need a little bit more fat in their diet, especially if they need to help maintain weight as they get older. Many cat food companies are putting things like Omega-3s into senior cat foods and glucosamine and chondroitin to help with joint support management. We don’t necessarily think all cats need to switch to senior cat food. Still, some nutritional requirements may call for that or even a prescription diet if your cat develops something like diabetes or renal disease.

Senior maine coon cat at veterinary hospital for senior panel blood work.

What Are Signs and Symptoms of Slowing Down in Cats?

As cats age, they naturally slow down, and their energy levels decrease. Some common signs and symptoms that your cat may be slowing down include:

  • Difficulty jumping onto high surfaces
  • Sleeping more than usual
  • Less interest in playing
  • Being less social

If you notice these signs or any other changes in your cat’s behavior, it’s important to take them to the vet for an evaluation.

What Are Some Common Health Complications and Diseases in Senior Cats?

The most common health complications and diseases experienced by senior cats include:

  • Chronic renal (kidney) disease
  • Heart disease
  • Diabetes mellitus
  • Arthritis
  • Hyperthyroidism

Symptoms of each vary but may include increased thirst or urination, weight loss or gain, vomiting or diarrhea, lack of appetite, poor coat quality, and difficulty accessing high surfaces. It’s important to bring your cat in for regular checkups so that these conditions can be detected and managed early.

Senior gray cat being pet by owner.

What Kinds of Preventative Care Can Help Extend My Cat’s Health and Life?

Preventive care is a multi-pronged thing. You can do many things at home to keep your cat healthy, including ensuring they don't have to work too hard to get to their litter box or food and water. If your cat has always had to go downstairs to use the litter box, we may need to consider moving a litter box or adding a litter box to the main floor or whichever floor they spend the most time on. The same goes for food—if they usually eat on a counter, we may either need to help them up to the counter or consider putting their food on the floor.

Another thing to keep in mind is senior cats still need to be stimulated. Exercise and enrichment remain essential, so we need to keep their brains active. Just as in people, the more we use it, the less we lose it.

Also, it’s critical to feed your cat a high-quality diet and perhaps a prescription diet if your veterinarian has expressed that this would help with an existing condition.

And then, on the veterinary end of things, it's our job to help you monitor and detect diseases early, especially in senior cats. We will do that by doing more frequent exams, so we like to see them every six months as they get older. But we also may recommend yearly blood work as they get older to start screening for things like kidney or thyroid disease before they become an issue. And then we keep up with age-appropriate and lifestyle-appropriate vaccines as well.

Another big part is taking care of senior cats’ teeth. As cats age, we get more aggressive with their dental management. So it might mean that they need to come in every year, or every couple of years, to have their teeth cleaned by us to avoid painful dental disease.

And then the last thing is going to be joint management and joint care because of arthritis, and we want to make sure we're keeping them as comfortable as possible. Many veterinarians will give something like Chondroprotec to help manage your cat’s arthritis and help keep their joints nice and healthy.

Why Are Wellness Exams and Regular Checkups Important for Senior Cats?

Wellness exams and regular checkups allow veterinarians to detect potential issues at their earliest stages, making them easier, less expensive, and more successful to treat. During your senior cat’s wellness exam, the vet will ask questions about any noticeable changes in their weight, eating or drinking habits, respiratory health, urination, and bowel movement. Additionally, they’ll record your cat’s vital signs and compare them with past records to check for changes. Depending on their health and age, your veterinarian may recommend other diagnostic screenings.

What Tests Might a Senior Cat Need?

Common tests for senior cats include:

These tests help vets detect underlying problems that may not be visible during a regular physical exam, enabling them to diagnose and treat these diseases in their earliest stages.

What Is The Most Important Thing to Know About Caring for a Senior Cat?

The most important thing to know about caring for a senior cat is that they require more attention and care than younger cats. This includes regular vet visits, providing a comfortable environment, meeting their nutritional needs, addressing behavioral changes, grooming them regularly, and making necessary lifestyle modifications. With the right care and attention, your senior cat can live out their golden years in comfort and health.

Conclusion

Caring for a senior cat is an important responsibility that requires patience, understanding, and dedication. With the right care and attention, you can ensure your feline friend has the best quality of life possible as they navigate their golden years. Regular wellness exams are key to detecting potential health issues early so they can be treated quickly and successfully. Additionally, providing your cat with a balanced diet, regular exercise, preventive medications, and vaccinations will help keep them healthy and happy.

At Bridge Veterinary Hospital, we understand the special bond between you and your pet. Contact us today to learn more or schedule an appointment!