5 Ways To Prevent Problems Before Your Cat is Senior

As your cat begins to age, there are many changes to their physiology, behaviour and vulnerability to certain illnesses. Cats age at a faster rate than humans, so it is important they see their vet often so these illnesses can hopefully be detected at an early stage.

Taking steps and measures before your cat reaches the senior lifecycle is one of the best ways to ensure your cat ages comfortably and healthily. While it may not always be possible to prevent certain health issues, it is possible to help reduce the chances of your kitty developing them.

In this blog post, we will look at five things you can do to reduce health problems in your aging cat.

1. Plenty of Exercise

Regular exercise is an important element of a healthy life, especially as your cat begins to age. It aids balance, mobility, mental agility, and sustaining a healthy weight. Although your aging cat may exhibit less interest in exercise, it’s still very important for you to entice your kitty into moving regularly. 10-15 interactive play sessions each day are recommended, with a typical session of cat play or ‘hunting’ lasting just 2-3 minutes at a time. It is also recommended that you put away your cats toys between play sessions to keep her interested in them.

Playtime is one of the best ways to help keep your cat active. Make sure to play with some of her old favourites as well as new ones to keep her engaged. Chase toys are a great way to keep her entertained; pouncing, grabbing onto, or simply swiping at the toy with their paws is an effective way to keep your cat active. Her whole body will be working as she playfully runs around your home.

Interactive toys such as M-PETS Dizzy Cat Toy or the KONG Cat Laser Toy are great ways to keep not only your cat’s body active, but also her mind. Stimulation and brain games are more important than ever as they get older, as, just like humans, cats can suffer a decline in mental function as they get older.

Multi-tiered cat scratchers provide your kitty lots of options for climbing, jumping, and playing, making them great for keeping active. Having multiple scratching pads around the house can be a great way to encourage older cats to exercise their body and mind on a regular basis.

2. High Quality Diet

As your cat grows older, her nutritional requirements begin to change. Always ensure her diet is suited to her life stage.

Kittens

• Until the age of six months, your kitten will need feeding a regular intervals, three to four times a day. To ensure your kitten develops at her optimal rate, keep to a regular feeding routine and weigh your kitten’s portions to the recommended feeding guide of your chosen food.

Junior Cat

• From about six months of age, your kitten enter her junior years. In this time your kitten will reach full maturity and you may decide to have her spayed. Neutering is recognized as being a stimulant for unwanted weight gain, so adjusting your cat’s diet to a ‘neutered’ formulamay be necessary.

Adult Cat

• At the age of two years, a review of your cat’s diet is probably recommended. At this stage your cat will be entering her ‘prime’ years but particular dietary needs may develop depending on your cat’s individual life style. Special dietsare available for cats who may have particular dietary needs, such has hairball control, urinary care, weight control, indoor or outdoor lifestyle.

Mature Cat

• By the time your cat reaches the age of seven, she will now have reached the human equivalent of 44 years old. When choosing the best foodfor your mature cat, I would recommend selecting on that has been especially formulated to cater for the dietary needs of an older cat. These will be developed to prevent weight gain, boost the immune system and aid your cats joints and mobility as she ages.

Senior Cat

• In her senior years, your cat’s senses will begin to deteriorate, which can lead to a loss of appetite. At this stage, move from a dry food formula to a wet cat food, or a dry food with a wet centre can make your cat’s mealtimes more appetizing and palatable for your cat. A diet change in her senior years can help prevent weight loss and muscle mass decline.

While weight loss is a concern for senior cats, reduced mobility and activity levels can increase the risk of weight gain too. Weight gain in your senior cat can increase the risks of illness such as diabetes or kidney problems. There are a wide range of food available to support your cat in her later years, and the team at Petmania are available to help you choose the best food for your senior cat.

3. Dental Care

Clean, strong teeth is essential for your cat’s overall health and wellbeing. Establishing a good dental maintenance routine early on in your cat’s life is critical to their ongoing health, and can help prevent severe dental illnesses such as periodontal disease. Cats can also develop gum disease, a build-up of tartar and plaque, bad breath, and abscesses, all of which can progress into a painful infection or tooth loss. For more on brushing your cat’s teeth, see our blog post here.

4. Regular Vet Visits

It’s important for your cat to visit their veterinarian more often as they age; even if they appear healthy. If your cat is over 10 years, a check-up every 6 months is recommended. If your cat is a super senior and is over the age of 15, it is a good idea to shorten that time to every 4 months to ensure optimum health maintenance and early detection of disease. Your vet will be able to detect any signs of illness or disease that your cat may be concealing, which is why it’s so important they are seen regularly.

5. Enriching Environment

By providing your cat with an enriching, entertaining and stimulating environment where she can use her brain and be stress-free can keep your cat sharp as she gets older and reduce the chances of cognitive decline. Make sure she has plenty of toys (that she likes!), cat scratchers she can access, and an area where she can retreat to when things get a bit much for her. Stress is not only emotionally challenging for your cat, but it can also trigger a number of medical conditions such as urinary and respiratory infections, making it essential to diminish anxiety triggers as much as possible for your cat.