Cats are especially long-lived animals that can accompany us, generally, between 12 and 18 years. If your cat already has already completed his 8 years, it will be time to start thinking more about your care, as it begins to be considered an elderly feline.

For that reason, it will be essential to monitor your diet, health, physical activity and even some small details that will be key to detect any disease in time.

Knowing how to care for an old cat is complicated, for this reason in this article we will offer you tips and tricks so you can give your best friend the best care at this stage so sweet and delicate. Keep reading and find out in our Complete care guide for elderly cats.

The feeding of the elderly cat

Visually elderly cats retain a youthful and active aspect that does not make us think that they need excessive care, but that is not true. Your bones, muscles and organs begin to work more slowly and suffer with the passage of time.

The industrial feed They are more balanced than a homemade diet and provide our cat with the taurine necessary for the proper functioning of their organs. Dry feeds, moreover, allow to rub the teeth of the cat and limit the formation of dental plaque.

Do not hesitate to consult your veterinarian for a change in your diet to a superior gamma senior or light. This type of feeding is indicated for elderly cats because it fattens less than other feeds (ideal for its progressive reduction of daily activity) and allows controlling their weight, which is essential at this stage. That not only helps maintain your figure, it also takes care of your health status. Remember that obesity in the cat affects a lower life expectancy and a greater predisposition to different diseases.

It is also important that our cat always has fresh, clean water available, which we will change regularly to encourage you to drink and keep you hydrated. If you notice that you do not drink too much, you can offer humid food from time to time since it contains a high percentage of water. However, if you observe little water intake it is advisable to go to the veterinarian to rule out urinary tract problems.

Taking care of your mouth is fundamental

La lack of appetite It could be due to the formation of dental plaque that causes painful gingivitis to our cat and prevents it from chewing its feed. The affections of the teeth are frequent in old cats and are usually accompanied by bad breath.

Discover also in tips to remove scale in cats. Of course, in severe cases your elderly cat may need a veterinarian intervention, this should be blood tests because it requires a general anesthesia, intervention incompatible with high levels of urea or creatinine.

If you notice that you do not eat, try to stimulate it with moist food that besides being tasty and easy to swallow, contains a large amount of water, perfect for older cats.

Elderly cat care at home

In addition to the above, it is important that at this stage of life we ​​pay more attention to our pet offering extra attention. To encourage our cat to be healthy and active even at this stage of old age it is important that we avoid the apathy of our pet by playing with it and capturing its attention on a regular basis. Toys, caresses or long massages They are perfect options for you to keep active and healthy.

Another specific care of elderly cats is attention to problems related to the senses such as blindness or deafness. As they grow older, they may begin to become disoriented within the same home and to lose capacities that we must discover through observation. Do not stop paying attention to him to spend his stage with the best possible person, that’s you.

Do not forget brush him regularly the hair to remove the dead hair that could be ingested when cleaning. During this ritual we can take advantage to control the state of your skin, that of your hair and also share with it a good time. It is also recommended to clean your eyes and ears regularly with soft paper dipped in water or sterile gauze.

With age, our cat is less active and its claws wear less and become more fragile: the solution is to cut its claws, it also allows us to check that our cat’s pads are in good condition. To all this we add the mimes: give him attention and affection our cat is very good for him, he loves caresses and being pampered, and it makes him even happier as he grows older!

Veterinary monitoring of the elderly cat

During old age, health problems begin to be more frequent than at other stages of the cat’s life. We must be informed and attentive to any physical change that we observe: loss of hair, appearance of tumors, tortuosity when walking, etc. In case of any symptom it is important to go to the veterinarian as soon as possible because, in this way, the treatment to be applied will be more effective. We should also notify our veterinarian of any behavioral changes such as lack of appetite, increased thirst, abnormal aggressiveness or if our cat seems depressed.

Depression or prostration may be signs of illness and we should take them seriously. Lack of appetite and increased thirst can be the signs of several disorders: kidney problems, liver problems, gastritis. These problems are more frequent when the cat ages, so it is recommended to make blood tests regularly from the 8-10 years. Being able to make an early diagnosis is the key to a successful treatment in the problems of the elderly cat.

Although we do not observe any signs of disease in our cat, it is also highly recommended go to the vet every 6 months approximately to do an analytical and a general review. We will discard in this way anemias or allergies that may have gone unnoticed by us.

Rest and rest

Rest is a fundamental part of the life of an old cat. From the 8 years we will begin to observe how you need more hours for rest and it is something normal, we should not alrmarnos. For that reason, buying a new mullidita bed or various cushions is a highly recommended idea. We will encourage you to rest in comfortable places that will not cause you resentment.

Whenever you are resting or resting, we will encourage a quiet environment without disturbing or disturbing you. Also, as extra tips, if we see that it is hard to climb the stairs we should help him and take him in our arms. It is also advisable to place some pillows near the radiators so that our cat can curl up there. Everything we can do to make your life easier and simple to our old cat is good.

The importance of moderate exercise

Although obviously your cat is not as agile as it was years ago, it is important that you continue to keep him active to avoid overweight and help him keep your muscles active, activate blood circulation and strengthen your joints.

Although you will notice that every time you need more and more hours of rest, it is highly recommended to play with him 15 minutes a day, an excellent option to keep it active. The various games of intelligence or hunting will stimulate you physically and mentally. In addition to physical exercise

Not exercising it can never lead to a serious problem of obesity, something that reduces your life expectancy. If this is your case, it explains how to exercise an obese cat easily and easily.

If you want to read more articles similar to Complete care guide for elderly cats, we recommend that you enter in our Geriatrics section.