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01
"Feline Behavior Post- Senior Cats"
"I'm your friendly neighborhood feline behaviorist. Cats are often misunderstood creatures- I can't tell you how much misinformation I see out there about them. Part of this is because cats have NOT been studied scientifically nearly as much as some other species, such as dogs!
I want to help cats by making sure that humans have a better understanding of them, and thus don't have unrealistic expectations for their behavior. I figured why not share some info on Imgur :) Even if you don't want to read it, you can at least enjoy a few pictures of some shelter kitties!
Today I'm going to talk about senior cats!
When is a cat considered a senior? There doesn't seem to be a set age that everyone will agree on, but the range where you can start thinking of your cat as a senior or at least a 'pre-senior', if you will, is around ages 7-11. Some seniors, you will not really be able to tell they are seniors! Many cats will keep high energy levels and a youthful spirit well into their late teens. Of course we all want to make sure our kitties have long, happy lives, and I'm going to give you a few suggestions on how to help keep your cat content and healthy as they age."
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02
"Have a good partnership with your vet."
"While it's usually recommended to take a cat of any age to a vet at least once a year, it becomes even more important for senior cats. If you can catch an oncoming health condition early, it will be easier and cheaper to manage, and can give your cat a longer, higher quality of life. You also want it to be easy and fast to get them to a vet if something unexpected comes up. If you've ever thought about getting pet insurance, you may want to consider doing it BEFORE your cats reach their senior ages, to better prepare for anything that comes up. Some common health conditions that you may bring up with your vet, or they may look for with seniors, are: kidney health, thyroid health, diabetes, and arthritis."
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03
"Water intake."
"Important for all cats, even moreso for seniors! Making sure they are getting adequate hydration is a part of staving off health conditions. In the natural world, cats get 70-75% of their hydration from their food, so if you're not already, talk to your vet and consider switching your kitty to a wet food diet (or at least including wet food in their meals). If they're a fan of wet food already and you've been advised to increase their hydration even more, you can try mixing warm water into their food- some cats may really enjoy the 'broth' this creates. Be sure that they have multiple water sources available to them, and that they are refreshed daily, as cats will commonly turn up their noses at dirty or old water. Drinking fountains are also a great thing to offer for them."
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04
"Ramps, stairs, or stepping stools."
"As cats age, they may need some help getting to their favorite spots. Cat trees may not be as easy to climb, or your cat may have difficulty jumping up on your bed from the floor. Give them easier ways to climb up to things- you can place an ottoman, small table, or something similar next to a higher object, or get actual pet stairs or ramps. You can also change things up: if they loved sitting on the top of their cat tree in a window where the sun shines through, simply set up a lower-to-the-ground spot that the sun will hit for them to lounge in."
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05
"Litter box changes."
"If your senior starts going outside the litter box, your first step should be the vet, but sometimes the reason they are going out of the box is simply because the box has become uncomfortable for them to go into. If they are going next to or near the litter box, that is a good clue that this may be what is going on. To help them out, you should consider adding a litter box with lower sides, or an extra-low entrance, in case the problem is that physically climbing into the box is difficult. There are litter boxes made specifically for senior cats; 'puppy litter boxes' may also have low enough sides. The other thing to consider for seniors is the substrate you use. If their paws have gotten more sensitive with age, what they've been using for years may suddenly be unpleasant or painful to them, so you can try adding a new litter box with a softer substrate and see if they prefer to use that.
If you have a multi-story home, make sure you have litter boxes on each floor. If climbing up or down stairs is more difficult or painful, they may not be willing to make the trek to find the box."
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06
"Don't give up on playtime!"
"(Most) senior cats aren't going to be bouncing off the walls running after a wand toy like they did when they were a kitten, but they still need to be engaged. See if they are willing to do shorter chases of wand toys, or bat at one dangled near their head. Give them catnip, and kicker toys, or try different styles of toys to see what will encourage them to be active. If your cat is in their late teens or early twenties, even just following a wand toy with their eyes and giving it a lazy bat ever once in a while can be considered playing. Every cat needs this stimulation, regardless of age."
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07
"Warming mats."
"Even younger cats often gravitate towards heat, of course, but older cats seem to want it even more. You can get heat pads that are low voltage and plug into an outlet, but if you're concerned about plugging in something like this, there are self-warming mats that are made with a layer of mylar in between the fabric, which helps bounce your cat's body heat back at them. And leaving soft blankets in a sunny spot is always going to be a hit!"
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08
"Slip-proofing."
"If your senior is having some trouble getting around on slippery surfaces, like hardwood floors or any other smooth or slick areas that they normally traverse, get some rugs or mats with a rubber backing to lay down so they don't have to worry about sliding around everywhere."
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09
"If you're looking to add another cat to your household..."
"If you're looking to add another cat to your household during your current cat's senior years, I recommend that you NOT get a kitten. Their energy level can be overwhelming to your senior cat, and can contribute to increasing their stress levels. If you are absolutely set on getting a kitten and there is nothing I can say to convince you otherwise, then you are going to better off getting TWO kittens, because they will have each other to direct their energy onto. You will still have to do proper introductions with your senior and the kittens, and ensure that your senior gets alone-time away from the kittens and doesn't miss out on attention from you. Your best bet is going to be considering adopting another adult cat."
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10
"Thank you all for reading! For a full list of all my feline behavior posts, see here: https://imgur.com/gallery/QWAWDJS
If I've helped you out with a feline behavior issue, please consider donating to me! https://ko-fi.com/friendlyneighborhoodfelinebehaviorist"
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Can't get enough of ICanHasCheezburger? Find us on Instagram!