How To Care For Older Cats

Is your cat a senior?

Cats are good at hiding how they feel if they are ill and the older a cat gets, the longer it takes for them to recover from an illness.

It is important to pay attention to your cat as he ages and catch any problems before they become very serious.

If you are close with your cat, you can usually tell if something is different or not right with him. Don’t discount that feeling that something doesn’t seem right. Because of the love and close relationship you share with your feline, you have an advantage to knowing when something is wrong.

In fact, change in behavior is the number one way a cat will tell you he’s not feeling right. Changes in behavior can be sudden or may develop over time. When your cat begins to age, it is important to make important enrichment to his nutrition, grooming needs and home life.

It is a good idea to keep a log of some of your cat’s normal activities. Since changes in your cat’s behavior are the best sign that he isn’t feeling good, knowing what is normal and abnormal for him will help nip a potentially fatal illness in the bud.

If your cat normally chases after his toys, make a note of that. If he wakes you up every morning then suddenly stops, this could be an indication of arthritis and it may hurt too much to jump on the bed.

It is also important to note how often your cat eats and drinks. If he always runs to his food bowl when he hears you pour more in and suddenly stops doing this, something may be going on with  him. Keeping note of his appetite, weight, water intake, urination and defecation, skin and fur, respiration and other habits of your cat will let you quickly identify if he isn’t feeling well.

If you have any concerns your cat may be sick, take him to the vet immediately. If your cat has accidents in the house, use Clear the Air to eliminate cat urine odor.

Adopt A Senior Pet Month is NOW!

Adopt a senior pet this month for a reduced adoption fee.

The month of November is dedicated to “adopt a senior pet”. When you adopt a senior pet, you are adopting a homeless pet that is already house trained, doesn’t chew up furniture, and as already settled into its personality so there are no surprises as time goes on.

Many people might think that a senior pet is an old pet with no life left, but quite the opposite is true. Most senior pets end up in shelters and rescue groups because they were once in a home and something happened in the family that prevents them from keeping the pet.

For example, the death of a pet owner is the most common reason for pets to become homeless. Divorce often leads to split families and turmoil and the pets can get “forgotten” in the midst of human emotional turmoil. No matter the reason, senior pets are not to blame for becoming “homeless”, they are simply the victims that get left behind. Anyone who has adopted a senior pet can tell you that it’s the best adoption you can ever choose.

At animal shelters and rescue groups everywhere, there are loving, healthy senior pets looking for that one special home to cherish them for the rest of their life, and they don’t ask for much: just a warm place to sleep, good meals and plenty of love.

During the month of November, the San Diego Humane Society and SPCA is honoring its ‘Sensational Senior’ animals with reduced adoption fees!  senior pets in need of homes are looking for that one special family that will cherish and love them in their golden years, and they don’t require much more than a warm place to rest and plenty of love.

From now until November 30, the adoption fee for all senior animals (over age 7) will be reduced to $25.  If a second ‘animal buddy’ is adopted, the fee will be waived entirely!  Special discounts are also available to adopters over age 55 who choose to adopt a senior animal.  These fees include microchipping, spay/neuter, vaccinations and veterinary exam. Don’t delay—curl up with a sensational senior animal today!

Veterinary Care For Cats Is Important

Did you know there are approximately 10 million more cats than dogs sharing the homes and hearts with kitty aficionados?

Based on these figures we can speculate that cats as pets may be more popular than dogs. But when it comes to routine veterinary care, dogs receive the lion’s share. With the numbers of cats living in households far exceeding those of dogs, according to a survey conducted by the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA), 58 % of dogs receive these all important exams, as opposed to just 28% of our beloved felines. So what may be some of the reasons for this unseemly discrepancy?

Many cat owners believe that cats don’t need medical care. This misinformation is often based on the myth that cats are more self-sufficient, but more importantly symptoms of disease often go unnoticed since cats tend to hide signs of illness. Dogs may also be considered more “dependent” and needier than felines.

Fortunately for felines, Wednesday, August 22 celebrates National Take your Cat to the Vet Day, a special day that emphasizes the necessity of routine veterinary care for cats. And as the age equivalent of one year in cats is between five and seven years, annual veterinary wellness examinations are an essential part of their care. And as our kitties reach their senior years, semi-annual wellness visits are highly recommended.

Evaluating your cat’s overall health is at the core of a regular wellness examination.  The wellness exam is the ideal opportunity for your veterinarian to become aware of any health problems before they evolve into serious illnesses. Your veterinarian will weigh your kitty, listen to your cat’s heart and lungs, and give your kitty a thorough dental exam. If this is your cats first visit to a new clinic, a complete medical history will be taken by a veterinary technician, or the practitioner.

Be sure to advise the veterinarian of any health issues that you have noticed in your cat, such as  “odd” behavior”, coughing, a decrease or increase of appetite, frequent urination, vomiting, diarrhea or constipation, coughing, weight loss or gain, sluggishness, or excessive and/or loud vocalization.

During the wellness exam your vet may suggest that your kitty receive routine diagnostic tests, which include blood-work, urine analysis and/or x-rays in order to make a complete analysis of your pet’s health.

In order to help maintain the good health of your senior cat, AAHA offers some excellent guidelines for both cat guardians and veterinarians to consider.

And even though your kitty may appear perfectly healthy right now, if it’s been more than a year since your cat received a routine check-up, this is an ideal time to make an appointment to celebrate National Take your Cat to the Vet Day. Several veterinary clinics may be offering special discounts to help make wellness examinations for cats more affordable.

Arthritis And Your Cat

Dealing with arthritis with your cat.

Since it is CAT MONTH at Clear the Air, we would like to share some tips on what to know about feline arthritis, what you can do to ease the pain and more.

What Is Arthritis? Arthritis, also known as osteoarthritis or degenerative joint disease, causes pain and inflammation in a cat’s joints. Although fairly uncommon in felines, arthritis tends to affect the elbow joint when it does strike—but many joints can be afflicted.

What Are the Symptoms of Arthritis in Cats? Felines suffering from arthritis may show overall stiffness, swelling of the joints, lethargy, lameness, decreased flexibility and discomfort when you pet or handle them in certain positions. You may also notice subtle behavioral changes, including:

• Decreased activity
• Lapsed litterbox habits (due to pain caused by getting in and out of the box)
• Hesitancy to run, jump or climb stairs

What Causes Arthritis in Cats? Joints naturally degenerate as part of the aging process. Cartilage forms a cushion between the bones at a joint. As cats get older, the cartilage deteriorates and becomes less flexible.

Arthritis can develop due to injury, dislocation or infection in the joint. Extra weight can also put extra strain on a cat’s joints.

How Is Arthritis Diagnosed? A veterinarian may conduct a physical exam, take radiographs and perform other diagnostic tests to help determine the cause of the pain and inflammation in your cat’s joints.

Which Cats Are Prone to Arthritis?  Arthritis most often affects older cats, as their joints degenerate naturally as part of the aging process—but can occur as result of trauma or infection in cats of all ages.

How Can Arthritis Be Treated? Once symptoms of arthritis set in, there is no cure—but you can work with your veterinarian to minimize your cat’s pain while keeping her healthy. Some general treatment options include:

• Anti-inflammatory/pain medications
• Possible use of nutritional supplements to help replenish cartilage
• Weight loss if necessary, which has been shown to benefit overweight cats with arthritis.

Are Cats with Arthritis Able to Exercise? Talk to your vet about an exercise program for your pet. Short, gentle play can be helpful in some cases, but you’ll need to introduce these sessions slowly and gradually. Vigorous play involving leaping, jumping and turning is to be avoided.

How Can I Make My Arthritic Cat More Comfortable? If your cat has arthritis, here are a few things you can do to make her feel better:

• Give her a cozy blanket or cat bed.
• When she’s relaxed and at ease, give her a gentle massage.
• Groom the areas of her body that may be hard for her to reach.
• Make sure she has easy, direct access to her litterbox and food and water bowls.

This article is from the ASPCA.

Feeding Your Older Cat

Clear the Air would like to share some helpful tips on feeding your older cat.

Usually once cats reach age seven, they begin to show visible age-related changes.  There are metabolic, immunologic and body composition changes, too. Some of these are unavoidable. Others can be managed with diet.

The following are some tips to keep your older cat on a healthy diet:

Once your cat reaches seven years of age, start your cat on a senior diet.

The main objectives in the feeding an older cat should be to maintain health and optimum body weight, slow or prevent the development of chronic disease, and minimize or improve clinical signs of diseases that may already be present.

As a cat ages, health issues may arise, including:
– deterioration of skin and coat
– loss of muscle mass
– more frequent intestinal problems
– arthritis
– obesity
– dental problems
– decreased ability to fight off infection

Older cats have been shown to progressively put on body fat in spite of consuming fewer calories. This change in body composition is inevitable and may be aggravated by either reduced energy expenditure or a change in metabolic rate. Either way, it is important to feed a diet with a lower caloric density to avoid weight gain, but with a normal protein level to help maintain muscle mass.

Talk to your veterinarian about increasing your senior cat’s vitamin E intake. Antibody response decreases as cats age. Increasing the intake of vitamin E in cats older than seven years of age can increase their antibody levels back to those seen in younger cats!

Antioxidants such as vitamin E and beta-carotene help eliminate free radical particles that can damage body tissues and cause signs of aging. Senior diets for cats should contain higher levels of these antioxidant compounds. Antioxidants can also increase the effectiveness of the immune system in senior cats.

Routine care for geriatric pets should involve a consistent daily routine and periodic veterinary examinations to assess the presence or progress of chronic disease. Stressful situations and abrupt changes in daily routines should be avoided. If a drastic change must be made to an older pet’s routine, try to minimize stress and to realize the change in a gradual manner.