 All cats deserve the best of care, but senior cats are in particular need of special attention for their health issues. As cats age, their health requirements change and they need our help to develop life habits that take these changes into consideration. The term senior has been chosen to describe the aging slash older cat. According to the ASPCA, most cats are considered seniors when they are between 12 and 14 years old. Your veterinarian may use a slightly different timeline. There are a number of things we can do to introduce healthy lifestyle habits to our cats, and it's never too late to start taking these steps. Pet health organizations like the American Association of Feline Practitioners have already developed some great, healthy guidelines for senior cats, and I have my own tips to offer. According to the IVMA, as a result of improved veterinary care and dietary habits, pets are living longer now than they ever have before. One consequence of this is that pets, along with their guardians and veterinarians, are faced with a whole new set of age-related conditions. Like people, aging cats are often faced with a wide variety of age-related, life changes and basic healthy habits become even more important with passing time. Take a look at these healthy habits that lead to healthier cats. The effects of aging. With increasing age, there are many changes to a cat's physiology, behavior and vulnerability to particular illnesses. Physiological changes include reduced ability to smell and taste food, reduced ability to digest fat and protein, reduced hearing, immune function, skin elasticity and stress tolerance. Behavioral changes. As cats age, their behavior alters too, often as a direct result of the physiological changes taking place. The elderly cat adapts gradually to these changes and may not be apparent unless you are specifically looking for signs of aging. Older cats hunt less, spend less time outside, are generally less active and sleep for longer periods. They can have a reduced or fussy appetite, be less keen to play or groom and be more vocal. They also tend to become more insecure and therefore potentially more dependent on you. Other behavioral changes can be seen as a direct result of disease, for example, increased thirst or appetite or aggression associated with pain. Keep your senior cat inside. One of the most important habits you can practice to help your senior cat stay healthy is to be sure that she is not allowed outdoors without supervision. Cats kept exclusively indoors live longer, healthier lives than outdoor cats, according to the ASPCA. Even older cats can learn to be happy indoors if you provide them with enriched environments and give them opportunities to be alone. Pay close attention to your senior cat's nutritional needs. You can hardly pick up a magazine without seeing an article urging you to live a healthier lifestyle. Sadly, the importance of your cat's weight is not always realized. Recent data, available from the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention, shows that 58% of cats were reported to be overweight or obese. Obesity is an extremely common problem in pets and, as with humans, can be detrimental to the health of a cat. Overweight cats have many added stresses on the body and are at an increased risk of diabetes, liver problems and joint pain, just to name a few of the possible consequences. One very basic, healthy habit to develop is to feed your cat a balanced diet and amounts appropriate to maintaining a good body weight. Hello. This video is sponsored by Beemix Pets. Are you looking for high quality cat collars at an affordable cost? Check out BeemixPets.com. Use coupon code KittenLife to get 20% off. Regular Veterinary Visits One very important habit to develop is regular veterinary care. Only about 14% of senior animals undergo regular health screening, as recommended by their veterinarians one. The American Association of Feline Practitioners recommends that healthy, older cats be examined by a veterinarian every six months. Regular testing is crucial, says ah, as baseline blood work can let your veterinarian know when something is abnormal. Cats are masters at hiding disease and may appear well, despite underlying problems. Examining cats more often as they age will help detect problems earlier, often resulting in easier disease management and a better quality of life. Your cat's veterinarian is trained to evaluate your cat's health and well-being and make recommendations to keep her healthy and active. Having a senior cat necessitates a greater focus on early detection and prevention of health problems, like, Weight and body condition problems. Skin and coat quality problems. Oral health problems, mouth, gums and teeth. Eye and ear problems. Thyroid gland problems. Heart and lungs problems. Gastrointestinal, pancreatic or kidney problems. Joint and muscle problems. Any changes in condition from previous visits. Practice good grooming and hygiene. Dental cleaning and maintenance of gum health requires regular veterinary care, but can be helped by you getting into the habit of brushing your cat's teeth, and perhaps with special diets. Asked your veterinarian how you can enhance dental care between professional cleanings. Older cats may also have special grooming needs, particularly long-haired cats. Get into the habit of brushing this hair frequently for a happy, healthy cat. Keep your senior cat active, moving and comfortable. Osteoarthritis is a condition most frequently recognized in a geriatric cat, but it may occur in any cat's suffering from joint abnormality or injury. Exercise and limited use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, NSAIDs, can be a great help in reducing discomfort. A number of agents other than NSAIDs may also improve the comfort and mobility of your cat, including oral, nutritional supplements. Use only products recommended by your veterinarian, exactly as prescribed, people medications are not safe for cats and even some combinations of prescribed medications can be dangerous. You can maintain mobility and activity by getting into the habit of exercises or therapeutic intervention with your cat, such as massage and other complementary treatments. It may take coaxing to keep older cats active. But it is well worth the effort to. Drinking. Elderly cats are more vulnerable to becoming dehydrated, especially if suffering from medical conditions such as chronic kidney disease, so always make sure that a variety of water bowls are available in the home and accessible areas away from the normal places where food is eaten. You may need to experiment with the type of container, for example, ceramic bowl, glass or drinking fountain and even the type of water, such as tap water, boiled water, filtered, spring etc. It may even be helpful to add a small amount of water to your elderly cat's wet food. Water bowls, like food bowls, may be more comfortably used by the older cat if you raise it off the ground. Elderly cat-friendly home. All the recommendations for a cat-friendly home will work as well for the elderly with a little modification. There is rarely the need to make drastic changes to the home to accommodate your cat as it gets older but small adaptations to the existing cat resources can make a significant difference to the quality of life. If your cat is finding stairs difficult to negotiate, for example, then it may be spending prolonged periods on one level, either up or downstairs. Ensuring that all your cat's needs are met on that one level will avoid any risk of being unable to access important resources. In order to make activity and movement in general easier for your older cat, it is important that it feels comfortable walking. Lemonade, tiled or wooden flooring can be slippery and old cats can become unstable on slippery surfaces making them less inclined to be active. If you enjoyed this video, kindly press the like button. Also don't forget to subscribe with notifications on so that you don't miss out on videos like this. Thank you for watching.