Dental Conditions
It is common for elderly felines to lose teeth. Oral pain can impair their ability to chew. Your older cat may slow down or stop eating because of the pain. For this reason, from the age of 7, it is recommended to monitor the condition of the cat’s mouth by visiting a specialist.
If there is tartar, the chances of suffering from gingivitis (inflammation of the gums) or stomatitis (generalized inflammation of the gums and their supporting tissues) are increased. In this scenario, opting for a more natural feed (higher-end) or raw food will alleviate their discomfort.
Loss of senses in an Older Cat
The progressive loss of smell, sight, or hearing is another of the signs of old age in older cats. You will see that your cat is clumsier, more irascible, or more distracted. It is also possible that they buffeted you when they did not before. It is nothing more than their way of expressing themself that they need tranquility. Therefore, avoid unnecessary or unpleasant noises.
White hair
The graying begins to appear first on the face (around the mouth, on the nose, and on the eyebrows) and in some places on the back and legs. As they get older, these gray hairs spread throughout the body. Although they will not cover it completely.
Joint pain in Older Cats
The hip and hind leg joints suffer in older cats. Thus, it is more difficult for them to make their stools inside the litter tray or to groom themselves. On many occasions, changing the type of sand is able to provide the feline with greater stability when relieving itself.
By Lubo Ivanko
Likewise, you will observe that your pet is groomed less, walks more rigid, that it moves less and that it sleeps more hours. The pain they experience forces them to play less and does not jump to places that were previously to their liking.
Apart from joint pain, oral conditions, of which we have already spoken, affect a lesser presence of daily hygiene. This is the reason why the fur of older cats is duller and less lustrous. You will have to take care of its good appearance by brushing it more assiduously.
Overweight
At this stage of life, daily physical activity is reduced, which results in lower caloric expenditure. The result is a marked tendency to obesity. However, it may happen that your older cat drinks and eats more and loses weight instead. In that case, you should take it to the specialist because it could be diabetes.
The digestive system of old felines works slower, favoring the appearance of constipation. To reverse it, professionals advise practicing physical activity for at least 15 minutes a day. By making them move through the game they will be able to activate their blood supply, tone their muscles, and strengthen their joints.
Older cats having Tumors
Do you know that cats that have been neutered/spayed at an early age have a lower risk of developing cancer? The statistics corroborate this. Spayed females are less prone to breast cancer and males to prostate cancer.
