Feeding Your Senior Cat

Cats tend to age more gracefully than dogs, but they still age. Eventually, they can’t jump to the top of the refrigerator any more. Their appetite wanes. They sleep more. We asked nationally known veterinarian, author, and television personality Dr. Marty Becker what we can expect as our cats grow older, and how we can help them enjoy their older years.

Q: How long do cats usually live? Do indoor cats live longer than cats that can go outdoors?

A: When I was a young veterinarian, you didn’t see older cats. You didn’t see many cats at all. There were barn cats. But now, I know a cat-only hospital in San Antonio, Texas, where, every time a cat reaches its 20th birthday, they put it up on their reader board and there are lots and lots and lots of reader board messages. It’s like Willard Scott on “The Today Show.” There are lots of people celebrating their cat’s 20th birthday.

We kind of as a rule think of cats above the age of 10 as older, that any of these serious age-related medical issues could affect them. And if you keep your cat lean, that’s going to keep it on the longer side of that. But if it’s overweight or obese, it’s going to be sooner than that.

Another thing. Indoor cats live a lot longer than outdoor cats. There was a study done at Purdue a few years ago that said indoor-only cats live 2.5 times longer than outdoor cats or indoor/outdoor cats. It’s just because they don’t come across poisons and infectious diseases or disagreements with other cats or dogs or Cadillacs.

Q: What physical signs can I expect as my cat ages?

A: Cats are weird because they’re both prey and predator, so they tend to hide things a lot longer. And they’re very light on their feet. Arthritis is a major problem in cats that we didn’t really know about. You’ll see an unkempt appearance. They won’t jump on the high places. But it’s so subtle.

They’ll have problems jumping into and out of the litter box. When cats get older, you don’t want a great big old tall litter box that’s hard for them to get in and out of.

As they get older you’ll also see increased or decreased sleep, avoiding human interaction, dislike of being stroked or brushed.

Q: What are the most common medical problems in older cats?

A: The main ones are probably overactive thyroid, intestinal problems, sometimes cancer, pancreatitis, diabetes, renal disease.

Q: Are there mental changes in my aging cat that I should look for?