Cat Senior Care

Caring For Older Cats: Common Diseases and How to Identify Them

Pets have a tendency to become an intrinsic part of any household. Any person who has had experience with pets would, without hesitation, testify that they are like family members who are extremely cherished and valued. With such a status in the family, the problem of cats and dogs having a lesser lifespan can result in a lot of grief in the family. Moreover, as their lifespan is so much shorter than humans, they reach elderly years very fast and hence require appropriate attention and care.

When a cat gets old, there could be serious health related complication that its owner needs to watch out for. These complications come in the form of age related diseases, each of which would have distinct symptoms. The following are some common problems for older cats and how to identify them on the basis of separate symptoms.

1. Cancer

Cat Cancer is a problem that every cat owner dreads because it is a very serious problem that needs to be spotted early for the treatment to have a significant chance of success. In terms of physical symptoms, cancer can show up in the form of bumps and swellings in the cat’s body that are abnormal in nature, sores and wounds that will just not heal, Cat Loss of Weight, respiratory issues and Cat Difficulty Breathing, and in some cases, even bloody discharge. With respect to the cat’s behavior, this disease can result in it losing its appetite, emitting a bad smell, increasing instances of Cat Fatigue and problems with eating and defecating.

2. Cat Hyperthyroidism

This problem is one of the more common ones that cats face in their twilight years. It can cause the cat to always be in a state of hyperactivity which will show in the form of increased food intake contrasted by weight loss, increased levels of activity, significant growth in the rate of respiration and Cat Blood Pressure. Also, there could be a lot of Cat Vomiting and more instances of Cat Increased Thirst and Cat Increased Urination.

3. Kidney problems

Problems or Cat Kidney Disease pertaining to kidneys are one of the more dangerous health issues related to aging. A kidney’s job is to clean out the blood and hence the first symptom of its failure, such as in Cat Renal Failure, would be reflected by increased thirst and urination. Furthermore, there may be vomiting, Cat Bad Breath, ulcers, fatigue and even Cat Loss of Appetite and weight loss.

4. Inflammatory bowel

As the cat grows old, it would become more susceptible to problems of digestion. One such problem is the inflammatory bowel disease which directly translates into the problem of Cat Diarrhea. Furthermore, this will also cause the cat’s body to eject waste material from other methods apart from defecation such as vomiting. Other symptoms include mucous or blood in the stool, and lack of control of defecation resulting in excretion outside the litter box. Also, since the digestion is affected, the body does not absorb enough nutrients from the ingested food which results in weight loss.

These are just a few problems that cats can face when they get older and there are many other problems. The best way to counter health problems related to aging is to monitor the cat as much as possible and staying alert with respect to any behavioral and physical changes.