Our aging cats: What to know meow

If we're lucky, our cats will live with us for a long time, sometimes into their 20's. There are things we need to be prepared for as our cats age, though, or we may become discouraged with our older cat's behavior.

• Litterbox care
  
  
  
  • Older cat's litterbox routines can change dramatically as their eyesight, mobility and general health change
    
    
    
    • We need to change with them... they don't mean to have accidents and they're easily avoidable if we offer appropriate resources
    
    
    
    
  
  
  • Elderly cats need multiple litterboxes available to them, on every level of their home
  
  
  • Litterboxes need to have a low entry point to accommodate potential mobility issues
  
  
  • Keep litter soft and not too deep
    
    
    
    • Deeper litter can be hard for an older cat to balance in
    
    
    • Soft litter feels good on older paws
    
    
    
    
  
  
  • Litterboxes should be cleaned more regularly
    
    
    
    • As cats age, they can become more particular about their litterbox needs!
    
    
    
    
  
  
  
  


• Comfort items and resources
  
  
  
  • Invest in pet stairs if your cat's favorite places require big jumps
  
  
  • Make sure all beds are where your cat can reach them and cuddle into them
  
  
  • Increase your cat's comfort item resources
    
    
    
    • It can sometimes be a long walk from one floor to another, increasing resources makes it easier for your cat to be comfortable
    
    
    
    
  
  
  • Now is definitely the time to give a water fountain a try, if you haven't already
    
    
    
    • It's common for older cats to need or want to drink more (see note about adding available litterboxes above!) and a water fountain can make this more appealing to them
    
    
    
    
  
  
  • Make sure all food and water bowls are easy to access
    
    
    
    • If not, move them to locations where your cat seems more comfortable
      
      
      
      • It's essential that food and water resources are available and easy to find!
      
      
      
      
    
    
    
    
  
  
  • Vet care
    
    
    
    • Now is the time to really pay close attention to overall health
      
      
      
      • Joint pain and loss of eyesight can cause a great deal of stress for your cat
      
      
      • Dental health and pain in general can cause large swings in behavior and litterbox issues
      
      
      • Declining urinary health can also cause litterbox issues
      
      
      • Loss of weight and inappetence can indicate a larger medical concern
      
      
      
      
    
    
    
    
  
  
  • Lots of extra attention
    
    
    
    • It can be scary for your world to change as you age, extra love and attention can go a long way to comfort an older cat
    
    
    
    
  
  
  
  

For more tips, take a look at this great article on caring for your senior cat!