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Senior cats make great companions. They don’t have the frenetic kitten energy and their mellow temperaments are perfect for snuggles on the couch.
Maureen never realized that her senior cat named Gracie and Precious needed more help eating.
Maureen wishes she’d known that her senior cats, Gracie and Precious, needed more help eating and drinking as they aged.”
“We used to leave the tap dripping in the bathroom sink,” says Maureen, a Client Service Coordinator at Firehouse Belterra. “But we should have used a cat water fountain or elevated water/food bowls. Raised bowls entice cats to drink and eat. They also help avoid issues with regurgitation or vomiting.”
All of us are learning, even those of us in the industry.
Care for your senior cat with these 5 tips:
- Keep your cat’s bed and surrounding area clean. Remain proactive in controlling fleas.
- Regular exercise remains important for older cats. Activity preserves muscle tone to keep bones and joints strong.
- The older your cat, the more important it is to maintain good health. Yearly vet visits will let us:
-Talk about your cat’s pain levels. We can recommend new medicines, acupuncture, and chiropractors.
-Screen for diseases that are common later in life.
-Clean your cat’s teeth and ensure none are causing mouth pain.
-Good news: we recommend fewer vaccines as cats age. - Invest in high quality foods. It’s most important at this age!
-Help digestion with several meals a day instead of one large serving.
-If your cat is having issues with the litter box or vomiting, there might be a better food for them at this age and stage.
-Avoid overfeeding your cat. Obesity can lead to health problems and shorten your cat’s life. - Grooming becomes more important as cats age. Become an active part of grooming as they get older. As cats age, they can’t reach or have pain. Meds can help ease pain so they can better care for themselves. You’ll need to:
-trim their nails more often.
-care for their fur to prevent matting.
Hindsight is 20/20. Don’t wait until it’s too late to learn what needs to be done for your cat today.
If you have any questions or concerns when it comes to caring for your older feline friend, do not hesitate to contact us for help.
