Cats Ageing Issues Articles

Depending on the type of breed, cats can begin to show signs of aging as early as age five, although cats are not considered seniors until age seven. Cat aging issues do not happen suddenly, so you will have a significant amount of time to make any necessary adjustments to your cat’s diet and lifestyle. Signs of cat aging are usually very clear. The signs can be mild, moderate, or serious. This will depend on whether the cat is in the beginning stages of his senior years, the middle or the end. Hearing and vision loss usually occur during the later stages of a cat’s life. In addition, a condition called Cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome (CDS) can also occur in a cat’s senior years. Mild cat aging issues include: graying around the nose and/or increasing in moisture and “gunk” in the eyes, decrease in activity levels, and digestion and elimination problems. It is important to note that digestion and elimination problems can occur anytime from mid-late life in cats. Continue reading to learn more about cat aging issues, how to recognize them and what you can do to keep your pet as comfortable and happy as can be during his delicate senior years.

• What is the Average Cat Lifespan?

  Cat lifespan varies from breed to breed; however, the average lifespan of a free-roaming cat is less than 3 years, whereas the lifespan of an indoor cat averages 15 to 18 years. Spayed and neutered cats live longer because they do not develop ovarian or testicular cancers.

• The Geriatric Cat

  Like many symptoms, it has multiple causes. Many older cats have more than one of the listed problems, so it is important to carefully consider the possibility of all of them in an affected cat. Cats also seem to get cognitive disorders similar to those experienced by dogs and humans, in which confusion, loss of orientation and other signs of decreased mental ability occur.

• Preventing Elderly Cat Health Problems Through Diet and Exercise

  Your feline is considered an elderly cat when he reaches 9 to 12 years of age. Old cat problems and premature feline euthanasia can be prevented through dietary and exercise changes for your cat.

• Pet Loss - saying goodbye to old friends

  Handling pet loss and death; saying goodbye to dead cats and dogs.

• Pain in Cats

  It can be very difficult to tell if a cat is in pain. Some cats will hide even really severe pain. We see a number of cats with injuries that have to be excruciatingly painful, such as fractured pelvises or major fractures who show almost no outward signs of pain.

• Old Cat Care: The 5 Principles of Geriatric Feline Health

  Caring for an old cat requires some extra time, but your efforts will improve your pet's well being throughout your cat's lifespan.

• Motion, Balance and Vestibular Problems in Cats

  There are several possible problems that could lead to sudden onset of weakness and/or paralysis of the rear limbs. In a young cat the two that are probably most common are trauma, as your vet suspected, and blood clots affecting the rear limbs due to cardiomyopathy.

• Lumps and Bumps

  It is best to get all lumps in the skin or subcutaneous tissue of cats examined by your vet. Lumps can occur due to abscesses or trauma leading to hematoma or seroma formation, which are collections of blood or serum, respectively, under the skin.

• Lowering the Cost of Senior Cat Care

  Senior cat care starts at home with awareness and prevention. As cats age, their health needs will change.

• Inflammatory Bowel Disease in Cats

  Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is probably the most common cause of chronic vomiting or diarrhea in cats under the age of 8 to 10 years. It is unclear at this time whether this is one condition or several conditions that appear very much alike. In older cats, hyperthyroidism is also a common cause of vomiting or regurgitation.

• Hormonal Disorders of Cats

  Acromegaly is a disorder in which there is overproduction of growth hormone. It usually occurs in adult cats approaching "senior" status, due to pituitary gland tumors (pituitary adenomas) that produce growth hormone. In cats, hypothyroidism is considered to be very rare. So rare that I have only seen one clinical case report involving more than one cat and it related to congenital hypothyroidism occurring in two kittens who were littermates.

• Heart Murmur in Cats

  Many of the cats that do have heart murmurs do not experience any problems relating to the murmur. However, there can be serious problems when a murmur is present, so the best approach is to get an ultrasound exam of the heart when it is possible to do so.

• Health Care Tips for Senior Cats

  Keep your cat healthy with health care tips for senior cats. Middle age for a cat generally ends at his 10 cat years.

• Frequent Questions About Senior Cat Food and Nutrition

  Senior cat food has to be tailored to individual cat needs. As cats get older they aren't as active, and develop many diseases owing to old age.

• Euthanasia

  Thiobarbiturates have three effects that can induce death. They are fairly potent depressives of the central nervous system activity in the brain stem, which leads to depression of all bodily functions controlled by the brain stem. This action is responsible for the loss of conciousness associated with barbiturates in adequate doses.

• Diet Problems in Cats

  If you are feeding a commercial cat food it is unlikely that vitamins are necessary. It is very hard to get a single cat from a multiple cat household to lose weight. It is almost impossible unless all the cats are fed separately.You should get your vet's advice on how much to feed your cat because it is trickier to put cats on a diet than it is a dog.

• Deliberating Cat Euthanasia: Is Putting a Cat to Sleep Inevitable?

  Many pet owners face the issue of cat euthanasia at some point in their lives. While many owners choose cat euthanasia in the face of elderly cat diseases and older cat symptoms, some cats die from disease peacefully and without the need for intervention.

• Causes of Weight Loss in Older Cats

  Weight loss commonly afflicts middle aged and older cats. It may be a sign of a developing heath problem, or the progression of a pre-existing condition if your cat begins to lose weight.

• Calculating Age in Cat Years

  Calculating the age of your pet in cat years is not the same as the formula you use for dogs. Cats do not age in the same manner as dogs or humans.

• VetInfo4Cats
• VetInfo4Dogs
• Canine Encyclopedia
• Feline Encyclopedia
• Articles
• Answers