The Right Care For an Older Cat

Old age need not be a death sentence for any cat, assuming no chronic underlying conditions which will bring end-of-life.  A strategic management strategy can extend the health and wellbeing of a valued pet well beyond your expectations.  Here’s how…

…why regular checks are vital for elderly felines

The secret to feline longevity is based on looking for changes in weight, appetite, drinking and mobility.

Lumps and bumps come to owner’s attention pretty quickly, but the subtle changes of gradually losing weight, and no longer ‘bench surfing’ for food or fun creep up on us.  It is sometimes hard to believe your cat IS older!  (Check out tracking their cat’s weight at home.  Whether you are a vet or owner of an elderly cat, it will be invaluable)

So to paraphrase a famous proverb, ‘A visit (to the vet) in time Saves Nine Lives!

  • If you don’t already have an elderly at care program in your practice, implement one as soon as you can.  Make sure owners, when they attend the consultation, bring their list of concerns with them as well – memory plays tricks and they can sometimes forget little things the need to ask you!
  • As a cat vet, nurse or staff member, make sure you ask the questions and fill in the gaps the owners may not recognise without your experience.
  • If you are an owner – these videos are user-friendly and will demonstrate what you should expect.  If you think you may need help to find the right vet, check out my page on finding a feline friendly vet.

About these old cat care videos and Miss Murphy

Miss Murphy is a wonderful elderly feline that visits my clinic as part of an old cat care special offer at least once a year.  Apart from the financial benefits to the practice it creates a context for owners to come in with their geriatric felines.  This video series is one such experience and in it I demonstrate how you need to examine an elderly cat particularly with the view of increasing and even improving their health and wellbeing.

There are 11 in the series so I suggest you just shuffle through the playlist at your convenience.  They are all short and there’s lots to learn about respect, old age and creating a new lease of life for an elderly cat!