Old Cats Problems

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Old Cats Problems
Old Cats Problems

Video: Old Cats Problems

Video: Old Cats Problems
Video: 5 Senior Cat Essentials! 2024, March
Anonim

The problems of old koshem are a bit like ours. Let's consider them in turn.

1. How to calculate the age of a cat in relation to human age? The first year of a cat's life is equivalent to fifteen human years. A two-year-old cat is equal in age to a twenty-four year old man. Then each subsequent year is equated to four years of a person's life. Thus, twelve feline years are equal to 64 human years.

2. When can a cat be considered old? Old age in cats, like in humans, occurs at different ages. With good nutrition and veterinary care, eighteen-, nineteen- and twenty-year-old cats are not uncommon.

Cat basking in the sun, photo photography
Cat basking in the sun, photo photography

3. Is it true that some cat breeds live longer than others? Although oriental cats (especially Siamese ones) are considered long-lived, there is no exact data on this. However, pedigree cats, apparently, do not differ in life expectancy from non-pedigree cats.

4. Do feline habits change with age? Changes in behavior usually boil down to less activity (they hunt less) and a constant desire to relax and sleep. Some nervous cats become uncommunicative with age, as they try to avoid stress; some may become irritable.

5. What do older cats usually get? More often they suffer from a combination of some diseases than from one disease, as it was with them in their youth. They are less likely to get arthritis than dogs, but they often suffer from kidney disease. If your cat is drinking and peeing more, is losing weight, and his general condition worsens, show him to the doctor. Constipation and difficulty urinating are also common in older cats. If your cat is pushing for a long time in his litter box, consult your veterinarian.

Obesity can aggravate your cat's condition or even cause new problems, so don't be overweight. And please remember that dental and gum diseases often go unnoticed and are triggered as a result.

6. Can disabled cats be happy? Most older or deaf cats handle this situation well. If your cat is deaf, write “I am deaf” on his collar and include your name and address. Then, if he gets lost, good neighbors will bring him to your home. Even losing a paw or tail can get used to a cat.

A lot of problems, however, arise in the case of paralysis, and a cat that cannot pee and do other things without help, as well as lick and clean itself, can be unhappy.

7. Do behavioral problems arise? The most common problem is meowing at night. Some cats force their owners to get up frequently at night to comfort and cheer them up. Some older cats feel insecure when they need to do their own thing in the yard or garden because there are younger, more aggressive cats, or because it is cold or damp. Then put a litter box or several litter boxes in the house for such a cat.

Cat on the street dacha, photo photography
Cat on the street dacha, photo photography

8. Do older cats need a special diet? There is currently no special diet for older cats (as there is for dogs), but veterinarians have specific dietary prescriptions for kidney or heart disease and you can get advice. An aging digestive system becomes less efficient and less adaptable to change, so make sure your food is balanced and varied, and the cat does not sit on, say, one fish that does not contain all the necessary nutrients.

9. How will the old cat react to the new kitten? Some cats like to live with other cats and kittens, and some don't. Therefore, there can be no general rule. A playful kitten can keep an old cat out of the house instead of cheering it on, so think carefully first.

10. Should old cats be attached somewhere during the absence of the owners? If you have good neighbors who will visit your cat several times within 5-7 days, then he may take this separation well. But if you are away for a week or more, look for a nanny for your old cat - or give him for this time to people with whom he is familiar or visited them before.

11. Do older cats need more care? If your cat is more than eight or nine years old, it is worth seeing it to the doctor annually in order to diagnose possible deviations in health earlier.

12. How can you make your old cat's life more comfortable? As already mentioned, regularly show her to the doctor, if necessary, trim her nails, help her keep her fur in order - comb it out regularly (especially for long-haired cats); check if it is warm where she sleeps, if there are drafts and if it is easy for her to get there. Very old cats should be kept in a very warm room, as they do not move much, and their old fur coat warms them worse.

A few more notes:

- If an old cat has kidney problems, and she is fed dry food, make sure that she drinks enough water.

- Sedentary cats burn fewer calories, so don't let your older cat eat more than it needs.

- Especially help the cat to take care of those parts of its body, which it cannot reach, having lost its former flexibility.

Source: H. Nepomniachtchi "Keeping a cat"

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