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Keeping old cats young
By Pet Connection Staff
December 8, 2009
Great news: cats are living longer, healthier lives. And Dr. Marty Becker and Gina Spadafori have some thoughts on how you can make sure your cats can be part of that trend in this week’s Pet Connection newspaper feature:
The popularity of cats has led to an explosion in knowledge of how to care for them at all stages of their lives, and geriatric care is no exception. Barring accidents, cats can live healthier, happier lives years longer than they ever have before — 10, 12, 14 years. Protected from the outside world, cats can live even longer, with 16, 18 and even 20 years — or more — a possibility.
But longer, happier lives do require effort on the part of cat owners. Sadly, study after study shows that cats aren’t seeing that effort: Pet owners dedicate more time and money into keeping their dogs healthy than their cats.
You love your older cat, right? So change that. Why throw away good years you could share? The place to start: a visit to your veterinarian.
Regular physicals — for geriatrics, twice a year is best — are even more important as your cat ages. These need to be more extensive than when your cat was younger: Your veterinarian may suggest blood and urine tests, for example, to determine what’s normal for your cat so that subsequent changes in the test values are more apparent.
From Dr. Becker and Mikkel Becker Shannon, help during hard times for pets and the people who love them:
The nonprofit Meals on Wheels has struggled in this economy to continue the delivery of meals to the elderly and pet food to their animals because rising gas prices have decreased the number of volunteers able to deliver the food. Meals on Wheels provides for pets in more than 100 of their locations, understanding how important animals can be to the socially isolated. To help keep the food deliveries on track, Meals on Wheels has collaborated with Banfield Charitable Trust to start “We All Love Our Pets,” a program providing grants nationwide both to create new pet food delivery programs and also to assist volunteers with the costs of distribution.
Want more? Read the entire Pet Connection for this week!
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And weight control. Seriously - when you think about the biomechanics of carrying a pendulous overweight body suspended between the legs at each of the four corners, it’s easy to see how readily carrying extra weight can age either a cat OR a dog.
One of the best ways to keep your cat or dog “young” is to keep that weight under control.
Comment by The OTHER Pat — December 8, 2009 @ 11:02 am
Great advice. I would add make sure your cat’s teeth are regularly checked by the vet as well, from an early age. Tartar build-up on cats’ teeth can occur when they’re quite young, and if left untreated can lead to heart problems and kidney failure in their older years.
Comment by Liz — December 8, 2009 @ 11:42 am
My two fifteen-year olds like the play idea, not so fond of the diet. They believe that all food should belong to kitties. As a staff member of the Spadafori feline organization, you should understand that.
Comment by Patti S. — December 8, 2009 @ 11:50 am
Yes, you’re right: The feline staff members of the PetConnectin will be issuing a correction when they finish their naps.
Comment by Gina Spadafori — December 8, 2009 @ 12:49 pm
Can anyone shed some light on what would cause a 3.5 year old cat to suddenly have 5 seizures in one day? This lady was saying it happened to her cat. She took it to the vet. However, I personally don’t think the vet was very helpful.
Comment by VJ — December 8, 2009 @ 1:21 pm
Impossible to know without being a vet and seeing the pet — and likely getting some tests run.
I hope she takes the cat back for diagnostics if she refused them (so often the case) or gets a second opinion.
Comment by Gina Spadafori — December 8, 2009 @ 1:41 pm
It’s also good to remember to take your kitties to the vet when they are young too! I know so many people who take their dogs to the vet regularly throughout their lives, but only take cats in if there is something wrong. Maintenance and prevention are much easier than having to treat something thats been left too long.
Comment by Niki H. — December 8, 2009 @ 4:55 pm
VJ- Ask her to check any flea/tick treatments that may have been used,or any chemicals in the house or yard. Agree with Gina,the cat needs to be rechecked & have bloodwork,urinalysis & maybe xrays or ctscan or mri.Also check the food & treats the cat ate.
Comment by Leslie K — December 8, 2009 @ 9:11 pm
Thanks all. I’ll call her this morning and tell her.
Comment by VJ — December 9, 2009 @ 5:13 am
I currently have a cat that has hyperthesia(correct spelling I think) based seizures if I don’t keep him up on flea prevention. If he licks or is petted at the base of his tail too much he starts seizing with full blown thrashing. Not fun for him or me.
The videos of cats acting funny when someone scratches their butt just makes me cringe and think Seizure! Seizure!
Comment by redheather — December 9, 2009 @ 7:19 am
Thanks for the good words about our “We All Love Our Pets,” a program. We appreciate it.
Comment by Banfield Charitable Trust — December 9, 2009 @ 2:45 pm
This makes my blood boil! This Monday it was reported that a woman hoarder was living in a motel room in Warren, MI while she looked for another place to live with 41 cats and 4 dogs(or 44 cats/2 dogs depending on who was reporting the incident). The Macomb County Animal Shelter picked up all the animals and, and, and… Wednesday euthanized ALL of them. The shelter claimed the animals were ALL unadoptable. Some were living 2 in a cage. They think some had never been out of the cages. The cats were covered in urine and feces. I CANNOT believe NOT ANY of these animals could be rehabed. Am I living with rose colored glasses. Although I don’t live in Warren, the Shelter is in the same county I reside in and I have always personally thought the workers do not go out of their way to assist animals. I even hate going there to buy my pets rabies tags each year. It’s not a warm, fuzzy place.
Comment by VJ — December 11, 2009 @ 3:36 pm