6
U LTIMATE P E T C ARE G UIDE • D ECEMBER 17, 2016
Changes to expect as cats age
any cat lovers would challenge
the idea that dogs are “man’s
best friend.” Fido’s feline
counterparts are incredibly popular as
well. According to estimates from the
American Society for the Prevention of
Cruelty to Animals, somewhere between
74 million and 96 million cats are owned
in the United States, putting cats on par
with dogs — the ASPCA estimates
Americans own between 70 million and
80 million dogs.
Many prospective pet owners feel that
caring for cats must be easier than caring
for dogs. Cats do not need daily walks to
stay happy and healthy, and many cats do
not crave attention as much as their
canine counterparts. But caring for cats is
not always so simple, especially as cats
grow older.
American Association of Feline Practi-
tioners classifies cats into three groups:
• Mature or middle-aged: 7 to 10 years
(44 to 56 years for humans)
• Senior: 11 to 14 years (60 to 72 years)
• Geriatric: 15-plus years (76-plus
years)
Though this might surprise some peo-
ple, AAFP notes that many cats can live
well into their geriatric years, some even
reaching their early twenties. Owners of
geriatric cats may need to be extra dili-
gent when caring for their felines, as cats
often experience significant changes in
their health and behavior as they age.
It’s important for cat owners to take
their cats for routine veterinary checkups
regardless of their cats’ ages, but such
appointments are especially necessary
for aging cats. Because cats tend to
require less attention than dogs, it can be
harder for cat owners to notice changes
in health or behavior in aging cats than
M
Did
you
know?
Older cats
may need additional
care, but are just as
worthwhile as pets.
they might notice with aging dogs.
Routine vet visits can ensure that age-
related health conditions don’t go undi-
agnosed, and such visits may even help
to delay the onset of certain problems.
AAFP recommends that healthy older
cats be examined by their veterinarians
every six months. While that may seem
frequent, six months for older cats is
roughly equivalent to two years for
human beings, and that’s plenty of time
for cats’ health to change dramatically.
In between vet visits, cat owners can
look for the following changes that cats
often undergo as they age, calling their
cats’ vets immediately if any of these
signs appear to be having any adverse
effects on the cat.
• Altered sleep-wake cycle
• Changes in vision
• Appearance of brown spots in the iris
• Decreased sense of smell
• Brittle nails
• Decreased lung reserve
• Heart or circulatory problems
• Decreased ability to digest foods and
absorb nutrients
• Loose skin
• Reduced ability to handle stress
• Changes in behavior or mobility
More information about caring
for aging cats is available at
www.catvets.com. — Metro
Animals verbalize in many differ-
ent ways to communicate. One
thing cat owners may notice is that
cats have a tendency to meow as a
form of speaking with humans.
However, according to the North
Shore Animal League America,
cats almost never meow at other
cats, as meowing is a sound gener-
ally reserved for interacting with
humans. Cat owners should talk
back to their cats often, as cats
enjoy hearing their own names
and their owners’ voices.
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