Changes as Your Cat Gets Older #HillsPet

I was pet sitting for my mom recently and her old cat, Kato, came in, whom she’s had since before I moved away from home, and wow! Has he gotten old! Ya, I think he’s way past the average cat life expectancy!

I hadn’t seen him in a while, I’m usually there with my noisy young kids, so he hides from us. When did this happen? He used to be such a frisky little rascal (no relation to my Rascal), furry and.. well, he’s still obnoxious. He was meowing loudly (really loudly) in his deep Siamese “Rooooowr”, and acting like he was going to keel over any minute if I didn’t feed him fast enough. He was so skinny, it was somewhat convincing!

I pet him and could feel every rib bone! I could see each ridge of his spine along his back. Siamese and are known being thin and getting even scrawnier with old age. It’s just hard to think of anyone, human or non, as getting older until suddenly it’s undeniable.

My mom told me that as he’s gotten older he has some extra needs. She has to feed him more often, he can only tolerate certain foods, she has to clean up after him when he’s done with the litter box, and other things that I had never given a thought to.

It got me thinking, my cats will be old someday and what kind of changes will I need to implement to make sure they’re healthy? 

 

Cheeze-its, probably not the healthiest option (they stole these! I don’t purposefully feed them crackers.)

 

Did you know cats age 7 – 10 are considered “mature adults” and their nutritional needs change? 

My boys are about 5, so are they teens or young adults? I’m not sure, but I learned that at age 7 it’s important for your cat to have controlled levels of phosphorus and other vital nutrients to help reduce kidney stress. And just as people need to reduce their intake of sodium later in life, so does your cat. 

It’s also important for cats over 7 to have a balanced pH for a healthy urinary tract. Hill’s research and studies have guided them to make a foods for mature adult cats that provide the nutrition your cats need to help lengthen the quality time you have with them.

Cats age 11 + are considered “senior”. 

How old do cats live anyway? 

Cats are living longer than ever before, many live well into their teens, which is older than 70 in human years! If you have a senior cat, you may notice behavioral changes and new routines; such as changes in sleep schedule, increased meowing (oh joy), or unusual litter box habits (good times to come). If you’ve lived that long, you’d want to change things up a bit, too, so be patient with your kitty! Cats, like people, exhibit physical and behavioral changes as they age.

Now you’re wondering- How old is my cat? 

Find out with this nifty Cat Age Calculator:

 

Cat Age Calculator

The right nutrition can actually fight the signs of aging. 

It’s important for pet parents to provide their senior cat with the appropriate food for their age that gives precisely balanced nutrition. 

Science Diet® Age Defying™ foods fight the signs of aging with visible results in just 30 days. Pet parents will see:

Now who wouldn’t want that? Do they make any human super foods? Not yet, but we can hope, right?

Are you aware of your cats’ nutritional needs for their age?  

What is the biggest adjustment you’ve had to make as your cat aged?