The Senior Cat

The Senior Cat

Cats are living longer now than they did in the past, just like people are living longer. The percentage of cats over six years of age has nearly doubled in just over a decade. It’s expected that the “graying” cat population will continue to grow.

So how old is my cat, really?

Cats experience advancing years in their own unique ways. They are individuals and, like people, they all different. Most cats encounter age-related physical changes by the time they are 12. Many cats begin to see those changes between seven and ten years of age. You’ve always heard that one “cat year” is the same as seven “human years”, but that’s not entirely accurate. Actually, a one-year-old cat is similar to a 16-year-old human, physiologically, and a two-year-old cat is more like a person of 21. For every year after that, every cat year is similar to about four human years. Using this math, a seven year old cat is similar to a 41 year old person, a 10 year old cat is like a 53 year old person, and a 13 year old cat is like a person of 65. A cat who survives to 17 years old is like an 81 year old person.

Advancing age is a natural process

Aging is not a disease. Many complex physical changes happen to your cat with advancing years, but age, by itself, is not a disease. Many problems that affect older cats can not corrected, but they can often be controlled. Recognize and reduce things that may be health risks. Delay the progression of disease. Detect diseases as early as possible. Improve and maintain the health of the cat’s body’s systems. These are the keys to making sure your senior cat has the healthiest and highest quality of life possible.

What happens as my cat ages?

The aging process can be seen in these physical and behavioral changes:

• Hearing loss is common.
• Many changes in the eyes can occur. A lacy appearance to the iris (the colored part of the eye) or a slight haziness of the lens are both common, but neither seems to decrease a cat’s vision to any appreciable extent. There are several diseases that can seriously and irreversibly impair a cat’s ability to see, especially those associated with high blood pressure.
• Dental problems are very common in older cats and can cause significant pain and problems eating. There are many different diseases can cause a loss of appetite, but the pain that comes with with dental disease is a more likely cause.
• In healthy older cats, a sense of smell may be responsible for a decreased interest in eating.
• The immune system of older cats is less able to fend off foreign invaders than younger cats. The immune function can be impaired even further by chronic diseases often associated with aging.
• Kidney failure is common in older cats. The symptoms are extremely varied. A cat’s kidneys undergo a number of changes as they get older, which may ultimately lead to impaired function or failure.
• Arthritis is common in older cats. Cats may have difficulty getting into litter boxes, or reaching into food and water dishes. This can be a real problem if they have to jump or climb stairs.
• Dehydration is a consequence of many diseases common to older cats adn it will diminishe blood circulation and immunity.
• Older cat’s claws are often overgrown, thick, and brittle.
• Aging causes changes in the brain which contribute to a loss of memory and changes in personality commonly referred to as senility. This can be seen in apparent disorientation, wandering, excessive meowing, and avoidance of social interaction.
• The skin of an older cat is more prone to infection, is thinner and less elastic, and has reduced blood circulation.
• Older cats are less effective at grooming themselves, which sometimes results in skin odor, hair matting, and inflammation.