These are the main physical areas to monitor for decline or illness:
Hearing, Ears
Eyes
Teeth
Fur and Skin
Weakness in Hind Quarters
Kidney and Urinary Tract, Incontinence
Diabetes
You will see that symptoms overlap and thirst, for example, may indicate many different ailments, so I really recommend you don’t try to self-diagnose but leave the medical arena for the vet visit.
Hearing and the Ears:
Cats can lose their hearing just as older people sometimes do. You may notice that senior doesn’t make any physical body movements to acknowledge when you are entering the room or calling out to it. Kitty may not come when you are filling the food bowl – you know that sound of dry kibbles hitting the bowl or the sound when you open a can of cat food – in the past surefire signs your cat would quickly stroke your legs with its body in anticipation and appreciation.
If you figure deafness is setting in, there is really very little that can be done says my vet. Take precautions like not touching your cat from behind before senior can visually see you, and go to them often during the day to for a petting as assurance, since your cats universe is now less full of stimuli in terms of interesting or familiar noises. Needless to say use very good judgment to let a deaf cat outdoors as one of her early danger signals – sound – is now on mute. (Cars, animals, and, sadly yes, even humans).
The physical visible outer ear, middle and inner ear are all areas where infection or inflammation (otitis) can set in. This is painful and may show up as a temperament change in senior’s behavior such as irritability or disinterest in food, constant licking of ears, scratching of ear area etc. Check for a dark mushy substance in the outer ear or pussy discharge. Please take it to a vet for proper treatment. In my experience, if there is problems with the ears there can also be signs of loss of balance, such as misjudging when your cat leaps from one place to another, or simply taking a “cat walk” on a narrow fence, and not being as sure-footed as it used to be, etc.
Eyesight and the Eyes:
Cataracts (cloudy spot in the eye) do impair vision and can lead to blindness.
Signs may be that your cat is startled by your presence, responds more to your touch than to the sight of you, or the famous cat night vision is not as good as it used to be (install night lights in your rooms). Again, this can often be treated and let a veterinarian decide what’s best. Here also be careful with outside visits. If you really don’t have to, delay rearranging the furniture for a later time.
Eyes that have mucous or are running can often be healed with ointment, both prescription and over the counter. You can always clean them with a cloth dipped in lukewarm water and pussy will appreciate your daily hygiene care and attention too!
Teeth:
There are probably more than one opinion regarding brushing your cats teeth. The indulgent parent will no doubt do this from kittydom up and that is certainly the best for your cat, but I must confess that personally I have been remiss in this area. Too busy was/remains my excuse.
But just as in humans, cat teeth do need maintenance, and you can use a VERY soft children’s toothbrush (make sure it’s tiny) or a lukewarm wash cloth without anything else on it. No People-Toothpaste, please. “Regular check-ups” are recommended and your vet can scale away the buildup of tartar which, if left alone, will loosen teeth as aging sets in.
This will result in tender teeth even before the actual tooth loss, infections and pussy gums with bleeding, and this condition will certainly result in the need for a change in diet to softer, mashed foods (to add a little water is a good idea and stay away from dry cat food as it dehydrates your Senior), and no hard toys.
Fur and Skin:
Ah yes, graying, dull, frizzy hair, wrinkly skin lacking luster, I wouldn’t know anything about that personally (just kidding). Now I don’t recommend shine-conditioning shampoo, but maybe a daily grooming session when you comb your felines fur while also checking for sores, fleas and general health. I found my older cats actually enjoyed this assistance and I also put a light application of olive oil on the fur afterwards.
Personal experience also proved they tended to like to lick butter or canned red/pink salmon bits from my fingers – in moderation of course.
Weakness in Hindquarters:
This is probably mostly seen in the older cat that may suffer from arthritis and does not have the flexibility it once enjoyed. If you notice kitty sitting on the floor looking wistfully at her favorite perch on the windowsill as if saying: “How did I use to get up there, I don’t know if I want to risk it”, try placing a series of steps for your cat to make smaller jumps from – maybe pull up a low chair by the window as an intermediary step. There are even ramps and step stools to purchase for this if your cat is used to sleeping on your bed and it seems too high now.
Or senior may altogether change the favorite sleeping places. Too small a space is no longer comfortable to curl up into and I have found that bean bags can become comfortable places to stretch out on yet provide the needed support. There is the option to supplement your older cats diets with glucosamine and/or chondroitin, which relieve the symptoms of arthritis, your vet can prescribe or buy over the counter in pet section.
Kidney and Urinary Tract, Incontinence:
Definitively your aging cat needs a change in diet from high to lower protein intake. Grocery store shelves all have age-specific formulas and it is worth the effort to choose one for adult or older cats. It is also good to switch, if you haven’t already done so, to canned cat food as it contains more moisture and water is very important.
Felines are used to getting their water in their food (remember when they eat wild animals there is blood = water). We humans add milk to our cereal for the very reason that if eaten alone it will draw out existing water from our bodies in order to be absorbed, and the same goes for dry cat food, those pebbles makes kitty thirsty!
The kidney is probably the internal organ that can wear out first. It removes waste products from the blood and eliminates then in the urine. When the kidney function decreases in old age it becomes less effective to clear the blood and in an effort to do a better job produces more urine. Fine so far, except your cat may need more water now. The real catch 22 is that potassium is lost with every urination. Lower potassium levels are harmful to kidney function. The body compensates this lowered kidney function by producing more urine – which lowers the potassium levels even more – leading to even lower kidney function. And so on…a bad cycle as you see. Check with your trusted pet clinic to see about supplementation with potassium.
All of this results in more frequent urinations and sometimes even incontinence. Please don’t punish your older cat for wetting outside the litter box or in bed. It doesn’t know that it is, it can’t help it, and punishment (in my opinion) has never been a good instructional tool (well, on second thought, when our household had to train kittens a roll of toilet paper, thrown from a blind angle, used to be named “the hand of god”, and in severe cases of youthful impertinent cat behavior I have been known to use a water gun to stave off bad cat habits). Anyway, I believe in treating my aging cat with sympathy and loving concern for its well being, both physical and emotional.
Diabetes:
Medically the same as in us humans. Symptoms are thirst; frequent urinations, weakness, and can lead to coma. This is the territory of your vet and insulin may be prescribed.
In Conclusion:
Ageing is usually slower in female cats, and often the first symptoms are psychological changes (more on that in my next text). Spaying (female) or neutering (male) your cat can extend its lifespan 1.5 to 2 times longer compared to non-neutered cats.
See the vet regularly, show your senior cat that it is still loved and needed, and do not ignore behavioral changes as they may be the only way your cat can describe to you that all in not well. Kitty may be in denial, refusing to verbalize internal symptoms to you! Conceal your “health examinations” as grooming or petting sessions to make them less threatening and more friendly.
In my upcoming post here at How to Live with Older Cats I will discuss some psychological and behavior changes.
My paws are tired from typing and I'm headed for a little cat walk, but please let me hear from you at email: 1catnap@gmail.com
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