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Senior Cat Health Tips
(Under Construction)
Just how old is your cat? The correlation of human age versus a cats age had changed in recent years. It used to be a rule of thumb to gauge a pets years by multiplying each human year by 7. This just isn’t a true measure. To be more accurate take a look at the chart below. After age 2 , a cat year is about 4 human years.
CATS HUMANS
1 16
2 21
3 25
5 33
10 53
11 57
12 61
13 65
14 69
15 73
16 77
17 81
18 85
19 89
20 93
As your cat ages, you may notice the changes in the eyes, first. When you look into your senior cat's eyes, you may see a sort of lacy look to them. When your cat was younger, the iris was a more solid green, gold, or blue. If your cat has nuclear sclerosis there may be a bluish cast to them. This condition and one called iris atrophy are common age-related conditions, but probably won't decrease your cat's sight by much. Their ability to see, however can be greatly affected by eye diseases that are related to high blood pressure. Using an herbal eye wash can go a long way in helping your older cat's eyes stay as healthy as possible.
Does your senior cat "talk" louder these days, or not respond when you call her? Do sudden noises, touches or movements startle her. This may be due to another common sign of aging, hearing loss. Your cat's ears are very sensitive and the hearing loss could be caused by several different factors. One of these is chronic inflammation caused by infection. If your cat is already experiencing reduced hearing, you should have her examined by your veterinarian. Of course, prevention of infection can help reduce hearing loss due to inflamation. You can help by using a gentle and effective ear solution.
The nose plays a big part in your senior's desire to eat. The partially diminished appetite may be caused by a reduced sense of smell in an otherwise healthy senior cat. An outright refusal to eat, however, is usually associated with other things like dental problems or other diseases.
This, of course, brings up the subject of your aging cat's teeth. Taking care of them while he is young, can prevent a lot of problems down the road. Diseases of the gums and teeth, which can cause a great deal of pain and interfer with his ability to eat, is very common in older cats. Some teeth may look worn and yellow and some may be missing.
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