Guest post by Nick Burton of OurBestDoggo.com
If you’ve noticed that your kitty is a bit slower, grumpier, and grayer than before, congratulations. You have reached senior years with your cat. But, unlike their kitten years, when they were playful and fully alert, aging cats may be less active and more prone to health problems that can leave you worrying.
Today’s blog offers a few tips on how to keep your feline safe, happy, and healthy.
Nine Lives?
Unfortunately, cats don’t actually have nine lives. In fact, indoor cats only have one life, and this lasts an average of 10 to 15 years (although some cats can live into their 20s). Once your cat reaches double digits, you can consider them one of your elders, which means you need to pay closer attention to them and their surroundings.
Cat Health Tips
On the surface, few things will change. You still have to feed your cat and give them love and affection. But a few things you may not have thought about to help keep them safe, particularly as they get older, include:
- Removing toxic hazards. ImpurrfectLife has written about keeping your animals safe from poisons before. A quick refresher: know which plants pose a danger, keep them locked away, and be aware of other threats inside of your home, including insecticides and deadly human foods.
- Eliminating odors. According to no-kill adoption advocate Paws Chicago, a cat’s sense of smell is highly sensitive, and unwelcome odors are very upsetting. If you’ve recently lost another pet or bought a used piece of furniture that is stained or has been used by other animals, bring in a professional that can thoroughly clean it. While you can use some home cleaners, these aren’t always effective. To find a service near you, check online for reviews by searching “furniture cleaning services near me.” Before you ask for a quote, confirm that your upholstery cleaner uses non-toxic chemicals and that they use specific tools for each type of cleaning need.
- Visiting the vet. You are likely already making regular vet visits at least once each year. But it’s time to talk to your animal care provider about increasing your frequency. Make a point to talk to your veterinarian at your next visit to ask about any potential issues, such as weight gain, oral health problems, and kidney disease, that might sneak up on your furry friend.
- Checking their diet. The vast majority of healthy cats at any age can benefit from high-protein food. MudBay Pet Food explains that the exception to this is animals with the aforementioned kidney disease. Confirm with your veterinarian whether you should feed your cat dry food, frozen raw food, or freeze-dried and dehydrated food. Whatever you choose, look for something that’s digestible and that your cat enjoys.
- Investing in pet insurance. Like buying insurance for aging adults, it may be a bit more expensive to apply for a policy for a cat in their senior years. However, you can get pet insurance at any age, and, as ASPCA Pet Health Insurance notes, this is a great way to lower the cost of veterinary care.
Final Thoughts
Caring for an aging cat isn’t always easy. But everything you do to protect their best interests will give them better days in the years ahead. From removing toxic hazards to making sure that you have an insurance policy in place to ease your financial burden, the above are just a few smart ways to give your aging cat its best life.
Remember Impurrfectlife is a space where you can go when you need a dose of inspiration as you heal from the loss of a beloved pet. Visit often, and don’t be afraid to drop a line to let us know what you want to read.
Did you enjoy this post by Nick Burton? Be sure to check out his website for dog lovers who are interested in providing the best care for their pets as well as finding ways to cope with pet loss. Visit his website OurBestDoggo.com here.
Did any of these tips for cats in their senior years resonate with you? What other tips have you found helpful in caring for your senior cat? Share your thoughts below.
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16 Comments
Renee
These are great tips for senior felines. I didn’t realize they were so sensitive to smells other than nail polish or extreme scents. Good to know. Thanks for sharing. I’ll have to check out Mr. Burton’s site as well.
Admin
Renee,
You’re welcome! I’m glad you enjoyed this post and found these tips helpful! Yes definitely check out Nick’s site. It’s another great resource for grieving pet parents!
Michelle & The Paw Pack
Great tips! I don’t actually have a cat, senior or otherwise, but my oldest dog will be 13 later this month. Although written about cats, I feel like all these tips apply to senior dogs too!
Admin
Michelle,
So true and well said! And as a dog mom I know https://ourbestdoggo.com/ is a website you may want to check out.
Terri
These are terrific tips! I know that I struggled with how to best care for my cats as they aged. Sometimes it’s easy to forget that you can talk to your vet about food, insurance, and other aging concerns. I’ll pass these tips on to my cat friends.
Admin
Terri,
I’m glad you enjoyed these suggestions and found them helpful. Thanks for the share!
Jana Rade
I find that for dogs, one of the best tools to keep them healthy is plenty of outdoor activity. If you look at the longest-living dogs, they were all rural dogs.
I don’t know how that would work with cats, though.
Admin
Jana,
I actually have no hesitation believing that about dogs. THat’s a great question to explore – longevity and environment for cats. As far as I know, indoor cats live quality long lives however that begs the question, ” Is the average life span longer for an indoor cat or outdoor cat?” I do not know. Thanks for your insight and point of view.
Marjorie Dawson
Thank you for such really honest and insightful tips for the cat lover facing life with an older cat. Your information is helpful and honest.
Cats need a lot more care as they get older and some people are too lazy to give it. The number of senior cats dumped at kill shelters beggars belief. The way to avoid this is education and information and your post is a big help in this direction.
Admin
Marjorie,
Thank you for the great feedback. Nick did a great job providing this helpful information and tips! I’m glad you found his post informative and helpful. I could not agree more. It’s such a tragedy many people dump senior pets. It’s awful to think pets can be treated like rubbish and heartbreaking.
Beth
Years ago, a stray cat wandered into our lives. He quickly became our indoor-only cat and lived with us for 15 more years. We consider ourselves very lucky to have had him for as long as we did. (The vet estimated he was 2 when we found him.)
Our current cat is just six months old, but I hope she will age as gracefully as he did.
Admin
Beth,
Aww what a blessing that stray turned into a family member for 15 years! I wish the same for your new addition the family as well! Thanks for sharing your insight.
Ron
Thanks for the great advice. I will definitely put these great tips to good use.
Admin
You’re welcome! I’m glad you found this post helpful!
Sweet Purrfections
Thank you for this informative article. It’s hard to believe, but Truffle and Brulee turned 10 years old this year and are considered seniors. They already go to the vet for wellness checkups twice a year and I’ve had pet insurance on them since the day they came to live with me.
Admin
You’re welcome! Wow! Truffle and Brulee are 10 now? Time flies. They have the best momma taking care of all their needs and care. I can tell your girls are happy and content and always look fabulous!