"We who board cats 14 years old and older need to understand the special needs of these senior felines and watch for signs of old-age problems."

As feline health research progresses, veterinary car improves, and cat owners become more aware of their cats' health and safety issues, cats are living longer lives.  Many can live well into their twenties and most live into their late teens.

Cats used to be considered geriatric when they reached the age of 7 (about 44 in human years).  This thinking has changed recently, and a cat is now considered geriatric after it reaches 10 years of age (about 56 in human years). In my opinion, they're geriatric after age 14, at which time they are approximately 72 years old in human years.

We who board cats 14 years old and older need to understand the special needs of these senior felines and watch for signs of old-age problems.  Cats can be very old looking and acting as young as 13-14 years old or they can act young and frisky at 17-18 years.

Older cats can have age-related health issues. Their bodies, like ours, slow down and different parts begin to ache and/or fail. The main problems we might identify are kidney failure, thyroid disease, "catsheimers," also known as feline cognitive disorder, vision and hearing loss, arthritis/weakness in the hips and hind legs, and dental issues - basically the same problems we humans may suffer from as we age.

Some of the signs of kidney failure include high volume water intake, high volume urine output, lethargy, dehydration, and weight loss. The coat may become dull and dry.  Usually, once renal failure is diagnosed, the kidneys are 67-76 percent non-functioning. The only treatment for older cats includes dietary changes and subcutaneous fluids.  Sometimes a quarter tablet of Pepcid AC is in order to help keep the cat to continue eating.  This is a progressive disease, and the cast can live for years after initial diagnosis.

A cat with hyperthyroid disease (overactive thyroid) may also drink large quantities of water and urinate accordingly. They can have a very rapid heart rate, which you can feel if you put your thumb and fingers on each side of the rib cage, and they can become hyperactive.  Other symptoms include eating large quantities of food while losing weight, and frequent vomiting and diarrhoea.  There are three methods of treatment: surgical removal of the thyroid gland, oral thyroid regulating medication, and 1-131 (radioactive iodine).

Hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid) in cats is very rare and sometimes occurs after surgical removal of the thyroid gland or after 1-131 treatment. Oral thyroid-regulating medication is the common treatment.

Feline cognitive dysfunction, "catsheimers," or "kitty Alzheimers," may be the culprit in cats that get lost in their cages and yowl for someone to help them figure out where they are.  What I usually see is a cat that gets "lost under the shelf in the cage while facing the back wall. The cat yowls because it can't figure out where it is or how to get out of its predicament. Talking to the cat and getting it to turn around and face the front of the cage usually helps. These episodes can happen often. To my knowledge, there is no treatment, but patience and speaking kindly to the cat helps.

Older cats can become arthritic in the hips and other joints.  You may notice stiffness in the hindquarters or the cat may exhibit an unwillingness to move or change positions.  You should allow these cats to walk around outside the cage at least every other day to ease the pain and keep the hindquarters functional.  Basic treatment includes glucosamine and chondroitin as found in Cosequin. Some veterinarians are prescribing Rymidal (usually prescribed for dogs) off label, but I've yet to see any study results on the safety or efficacy in cats so carefully watch any cats that come in with a Rymidal prescription. Moderate exercise and weight control can help keep the cat comfortable.

Vision and hearing loss and dental problems, as in humans, are problems associated with old age. Once the three-day "settling in" period is over for an older boarder, check the cat's eyes for cloudiness or constantly dilated pupils.  These are signs that the cat's vision isn't what it should be.  See if the cat can easily track your finger or a toy as you move it from side to side.

Hearing loss can be very difficult to detect because cats are so good at ignoring us.  I call this "selective deafness felinitis." However, there are a couple of things you can do to attempt to determine a cat's hearing ability. Most deaf cats or those with serious hearing loss sleep very soundly. They often don't respond to aural stimulation and need to be touched (be careful), or the ground vibrated in order for them to know that something is going on.  While the cat is sleeping, try to wake it by speaking loudly or clapping your hands. If it responds, it can hear.

Many cats aren't provided with routine dental cleaning, and annual checkups often include a very cursory dental examination. You may see cats with missing teeth or even no teeth.  You can give these cats dry food if that is what the cat prefers. I've owned and boarded cats with no teeth that did very well with dry food, but I also offered them canned.

There isn't much we, as pet care professionals, can do in situations where a cat's general health is involved, but we can notify and educate owners about our observations and suggest they have the cat checked by their veterinarians.  Owners who observe their cats on a daily basis may not notice many of the things we do upon seeing the cats occasionally.  Remember, we may be a cat's only voice.

Pet Service Journal January / February 2009 by Susan Edwards