As our cats enter their golden years their needs may change. They may appear to rest more, play less, adventure outside less and maybe even stop some of their favourite behaviours like hunting. And so too do their nutritional needs change.
Let’s explore why a change in your cat’s diet as they age, alongside advice from your veterinary team caring for your cat’s health as they age, might be a good idea.
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When is my cat ‘old’?
You may hear old cats being described in a number of ways.
The age a cat gets ‘old’ or ‘geriatric’ or ‘senior’ or even ‘super senior’ varies between each breed and individual cat; with many factors influencing the life expectancy of your cat.
The guidelines can vary but it is roughly defined as when a cat is in the last 25% of their natural lifespan. International Cat Care suggests that cats are considered to be elderly once they reach 11 years; with senior cats defined as those aged between 11-14 years; and super-senior cats 15 years and upwards. Likewise, many authorities would nowadays argue that the term “geriatric” be reserved for an older cat with health problems.
What changes in old age?
As we get older our bodies begin to experience some changes – this is the same for our ageing cats.
As our cats age, their body systems in general can slow down. Even at a cellular level we may find the body has less ability to heal and regenerate. Cats may experience cognitive changes, skeletal changes like osteoarthritis, and maybe even organ dysfunction like issues with their kidneys or pancreas. The body’s ability to fight off illness can be reduced. And our cats may generally just need more rest and their active time may be reduced.
All these changes therefore mean that at some point we may need to consider a change in diet for our older cat. And that change may depend on the other old age ‘issues’ they are currently experiencing.
All cats are very individual. Some cats may gain weight as they age due to their activity dropping. Others may appear to lose weight and muscle mass. We need to consider our pets holistically, looking at their health, character and risk factors to pick a diet that suits their changing needs as they age.
Concurrent conditions?
As well as general ‘senior’ or life stage appropriate diets available for cats there are also ‘prescription’ diets available for a range of other health issues. Although these aren’t actually ‘prescription’ in law, they are essentially tailored, with the help of veterinary nutritionists, to specific diseases like kidney disease, diabetes and osteoarthritis which are all common in our older felines.
For this reason, it is recommended that, as our cats age, we continue to make time for regular checks with the Veterinary Surgeons and Registered Veterinary Nurses at our registered practice. This will help try and spot concurrent issues a little quicker. For example they will keep an eye on weight changes; condition and muscle changes; behavioural changes and changes to drinking and urination. Blood tests may also pick up organ dysfunction before it starts to cause clinical signs in our beloved cats.
If our pets are diagnosed with certain conditions, our veterinary team may help guide us to slowly transition on to a diet tailored specifically for that disease. For example, if a cat is diabetic they may suggest a food that helps with the management of post-prandial (after a meal) blood glucose (alongside insulin therapy). Remember cats can go into diabetic remission but they still need regular checks. If osteoarthritic and showing issues with stiffness, grooming and lack of playing they may suggest a diet rich in omega three fatty acids. Or if the cat has kidney disease, they may suggest a diet with low levels of phosphorus; and containing smaller amounts of very good quality proteins. As well as giving suggestions on how to get your cat drinking more – like water fountains!
Other considerations
For some cats, their appetite doesn’t change with age. But occasionally we do find that our older cats’ appetite may reduce. And their senses like eyesight and smell might become impaired. For this reason, sometimes food actually needs to be a little more calorie dense to account for the smaller appetite. And may also need food that is more arousing to their nose to encourage them to eat.
Furthermore, if your cat has osteoarthritis, they may require a change in food bowl positioning to help reach the food; such as off worktops that they struggle to jump onto.
It should be noted that any changes in feeding and appetite habits should be investigated by your lovely veterinary team. Eating lots and lots can be suggestive of diabetes; as well as some other conditions that become more common in old age such as hyperthyroidism.
Whereas suddenly eating less could be down to feeling poorly with a number of diseases or dental pain which is common in cats. Best to get a check over for peace of mind. The same can be said for any weight loss or weight gain that is not accounted for by change in routine by yourself. Remember that there are some diseases where clinical signs can include gaining excessive weight or loss of weight. It’s always best to investigate these changes.
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