When Our Cat Is Getting Old
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I have a cat that just turned 15. Elderly cats require special care and attention. Proper older cat care can help your aging feline live into their early 20’s. Areas of attention are diet, living arrangements, and ongoing check ups with your vet.
I don’t advocate upsetting your porch cat by moving him indoors, but if you think your porch cat can handle the transition this is a good idea. Cats as they age slow down. He might not be as adept at out running the neighbors German Shepard as he was in his younger day. Your ageing cat’s immune system is not what it use to be either the stresses of hot and cold effect him more. You also risk your porch cat getting diseases from neighborhood strays.
Feed your aging cat a natural organic cat food that is free of artificial coloring and other unhealthy additives. Cheaper cat foods are harder for older cats to digest and they absorb fewer nutrients. They have to “eat more” to get the nutrition they need which can lead to weight problems. I have a multi cat household. It is pretty impossible to “separate” one cat’s food from another. The solution is to use a good base dry food and mix in the food that helps my oldest cat with digestion issues. It is not the ideal situation, but everyone is getting at least some of what they need. In really old cats keeping the weight on is an issue. A good wet food can be chosen for this situation. When I had an extremely old cat dying of kidney failure this was our solution for keeping on the weight. We mixed a heavily oiled vitamin supplement in medium grade wet food to help keep the weight on. Near the end of an elderly cats life , I have had a number of friends who feed tuna in oil or even kitten milk replacement to help keep weight on before that final visit to the vet.
Additional Care
Older cats need additional veterinarian care to remain healthy. Kidney failure is a comman cause of death and weight loss in older cats. They should have a urinalysis and blood work drawn for chronic illnesses on their yearly vet visits. This helps you in planning. Early intervention can stave off older cats from dying prematurely or can help you provide appropriate end of life care if the condition is not curable.
Simple things can literally add years to the life of your feline friends.
