Nutrition for Our Senior Cats

From the time they are born, our kittens receive a tremendous amount of care, with diet being at the core of their growth and development.

- Susan Cook Henry

Choices begin at weaning starting with soft foods, later balancing dry food with canned food and/or raw meat or with cooked meats “to order,” then adding important supplements. These are just some of the parts which all come together to get these babies on the right track to adulthood. And changes are necessary to those balances once they reach one year of age, which is considered “adult.” A few of them will continue to live with us well into their senior years as our lifelong “heart cats,” or perhaps a senior cat will be adopted or inherited from another living situation.

How Old is “Old”?

According to the American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP), most cats are considered “senior” at the age of eleven years, which is the equivalent of 60 human years (and a number which is often affected by genetic predisposition).1 That is when age-related changes begin to become more noticeable, such as behavior and sleeping patterns, increased vocalization, more difficulty in movement when jumping onto furniture or in and out of litter boxes, and decreased sight and hearing. In addition, the following factors are directly related to diet, in part, due to a decreased sense of smell and taste: weight loss and loose skin, brittle nails which may need more trimming, and decreased ability to absorb nutrients, along with an increased need for protein. On the other hand, some senior cats are overweight and more likely to develop diabetes, arthritis, heart disease, and lower urinary tract disease.2

Veterinary Checkups, Please!