Aging in Cats and How To Support Their Changing Needs

Kirsten McCarthy / Cats.com

Aging is one of those inevitable things that we can’t stop, even for our feline family members. But it is possible to make it an easier thing to cope with. In this article, we’ll discuss how cats age, signs to look for in your cat, and some helpful tips to make your kitty’s golden years as good as possible.

How Do Cats Age?

We all know cats age faster than we do, but at what point do we consider cats to be “seniors”?

While the traditional cut-off for dogs and cats has been seven years, this isn’t strictly very accurate, especially for smaller pets like cats. In dogs, we’ve also moved on from the “multiply your dog’s age by 7” approach for a dog’s age in human years. The fact is that small dogs have longer lifespans than larger ones do. This has led to more of a scaled version of how dogs age, based on their size/weight.

We don’t use the “7” rule in cats either. In cats, we see a very quick period of aging through the first two years. A cat ages about 15 human years in the first year of age, then 8 more years through year two. After that, a cat ages about 4 years for every human year.

That makes 12 years about a typical retirement age and time to start collecting that social security check.

But that doesn’t mean we don’t start monitoring cats closely for illness before that. Just like humans can start getting health problems long before the golden year of 65, we should start monitoring more closely by 9-10 years of age (or early to mid fifties in human years).

After 10 years of age is when cats start to enter the highest risk period for developing chronic health issues that we want to diagnose as early as possible.

What are Signs to Look for that My Cat is Aging?

Sleeping more deeply and needing more human contact may be more common in aging cats. Kirsten McCarthy / Cats.com

Most cats will show some signs of aging by the time they reach 10-12 years of age. In my own cats, I noticed more significant changes around 14-15 years.

1. Hearing Loss

Cats have excellent hearing. Their little cone-shaped ears are made to hear noises a mile away. It’s very hard to sneak up on a young cat, even when sleeping.

But as your cat gets older, some of that acute hearing may start to go. You may notice things like your cat no longer responding to you at a normal conversational volume. They may not hear the treat bag shake from the next room or may require a gentle touch to awaken from a deep cat nap.

My cat Annie I noticed has the hardest time with this. She rarely responds now to conversational tones and needs a raised voice or loud clap to get her attention.

2. Reduced Mobility

This is one of the most common aging signs noticed by cat owners with osteoarthritis (OA) almost always to blame. OA is a progressive degenerative condition of the joints involving recurrent cycles of inflammation and tissue damage.

In many cases, by the time physical activity is affected, OA has progressed to a significant degree. But our understanding of OA in cats (especially compared to dogs) has changed a lot in the last couple of decades.

There used to be a universal opinion that cats didn’t really get arthritis. But it turns out that cats are just much better at hiding it and for much longer than dogs. A number of studies have documented this.

One found that 90% of cats over the age of 12 had evidence of arthritis on x-ray. And yet in only 4% of them was arthritis recognized at home or during a veterinary exam.

Another looked at a wider age range. Of cats over just 6 years of age, just over 60% had x-ray evidence in one joint, and almost half of them had multiple joints affected. However, of 100 cats involved, only 13 owners reported seeing any signs of limping or lameness.

But there’s more. A third study looking at nearly 500 cats found that of cats older than only 1 year of age, almost a quarter of them had x-ray evidence of osteoarthritis. But only ⅓ of them showed any evidence of disease.

This highlights the importance of checking earlier for evidence of arthritis in our cats. Or alternatively, assuming that at least after the age of 12 that there’s only a 10% chance your cat doesn’t have arthritis.

The most common early signs of reduced mobility in cats due to OA will be shorter jumps and being slower on stairs. I feel that for my cats, I was able to recognize around 15 years that they were no longer running up the stairs for their food, but taking the stairs at a steady walk.

Annie, my most adventurous cat, no longer attempts to reach those really high up spaces. She’s now (mostly) content for reaching the back of the couch.

Visible limping at home or joint pain found during a vet exam means medical treatment for arthritis is needed.

Joint supplements can be a great place to start for an aging cat, even without any visible signs of a problem. There are many excellent joint supplements out there. See our list of the top 10.

3. Reduced Activity

This may be related to arthritis. But arthritis doesn’t explain all of the behavior changes we see with reduced activity.

I feel like older cats, not unlike older people, are more content to just rest and relax. There’s less play and when play does occur, the periods are shorter. But cats do still have an interest in play. I have home videos of both my nearly 17-year-old cats still playing with stuffed mice or enjoying a catnip “high”. Annie still occasionally gets the “zoomies”.

I find that when my cats rest now, they do so at a much deeper level. When they’re “cat napping”, I sometimes have to shake them awake to get their attention. Ten years ago, just walking into the same room would have gained their attention.

4. Increased Quality Time

Older cats like spending more quality time with their human family members in many cases too. It usually feels like before I even fully sit down, I have two cats ready to be on my lap, where they are content to stay for hours if they could.

Many pet owners tell me that their older cats appear more “needy”, following them around the house. I think this may depend on how social your cat is to begin with, but I certainly see that with my own. Some may associate this behavior with something being wrong that their cat is trying to tell them. This isn’t always the case. I think older cats may just crave the comfort and companionship more. But it’s true we should always be more attentive to even any subtle clues in our older cats that something is amiss.

5. Weight Changes

Over time with age, all of our bodies will lose muscle mass. This happens with cats too. But usually the muscle loss does not lead to an overall significant decrease in weight. To me, any cat that loses a ¼ of a lb or more in 6 months or less time, when weights have previously been stable, may have an underlying medical concern.

It is possible that cats may instead gain weight with age. They are less active and athletic. It is very important to get regular weight checks on your cat at least every 6 months or more often. Increases in weight can put more strain on joints, and contribute to a pro-inflammatory state within the body.

Is It Age or Something Else?

The author’s 17-year-old cat Bart. Even with a couple of health conditions and showing his age, he still loves life. Chris Vanderhoof / Cats.com

One common point of discussion during annual exams for older patients is that they’re “showing signs of aging” or “he’s showing his age”.

You’ve probably heard the term that age is not a disease, and this is true. There are some cats fortunate enough to age very gracefully without any major health conditions until they reach advanced years.

But while age itself is not a disease, aging can come with a higher risk for developing certain diseases. Some diseases may result due to the aging process affecting an organ or organ system. Some cats with kidney disease for example, may simply have age-related degeneration of their kidney tissues.

Other diseases may actually have been present for a long time but after many years of slow progression, it finally starts to have a more noticeable effect on the body. Examples include osteoarthritis, heart disease, and even inflammatory bowel disease.

It is interesting how many folks chalk up many physical or behavioral changes they see in their cats to simple aging when these changes are actually due to a treatable disease process.

For example, while it is common for a senior kitty to lose some muscle mass, this is a mild and gradual process. If a cat loses 1-2 pounds over the course of a year (and not from active weight loss attempts), something more insidious is almost definitely present and needs to be looked into more.

Here is a list of some common disease conditions that we see associated with aging cats. Click the link for a more detailed article on each:

• Osteoarthritis
• Hyperthyroidism
• Heart disease (especially hypertrophic cardiomyopathy or HCM)
• Hypertension
• Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)
• Diabetes mellitus
• Pancreatitis
• Chronic kidney disease (CKD)

Medical Care and Prevention

The author’s 17-year-old cat Annie is having a blood sample drawn. The author checks lab work on his elderly cats twice a year. Chris Vanderhoof / Cats.com

We know our cats are going to get old. It unfortunately happens to all of us. A very important part of safeguarding health through the aging process (including for ourselves) is preventative care.

Preventive care involves proactive screening for illness or disease. The earlier a chronic disease, seen more commonly with age is detected, the earlier interventions can be made to slow that process down.

I often hear “but what can you really do if you do find something?” It seems that a lot of people have this idea that age-related changes can’t be treated effectively or slowed down. But this isn’t true.

There are proven ways for example to slow down osteoarthritis, the signs of which can be detected very early. Left untreated, OA will worsen, causing some degree of irreversible changes. But if detected early, cats can have better mobility for much longer.

Other diseases that may worsen with age like heart disease, blood pressure, and kidney function all have strategies to slow their progression and reduce their impact on health.

Tips To Provide for Your Aging Cat

Even at 17, Annie still loves playing with her catnip mice with no mercy. Chris Vanderhoof / Cats.com

There is no way to stop the aging process, but we can make aging a more comfortable process for our kitties that takes a lower toll on their bodies. Here are 7 tips to help keep your cat enjoying their golden years for as long as possible.

1. Visit Your Vet Twice a Year

A common thing veterinarians see is a cat who has been “very healthy” for years and is “suddenly” ill. Now, it’s possible that a cat did lose a full pound or two over the last week or hasn’t been eating well for just a couple days. But I can tell you even from experience with my own cats that our feline friends are very good at hiding disease.

When I diagnosed my cat Bart with hyperthyroidism when he was 12, I didn’t even realize he was losing weight. He’s always hungry no matter what, and I had been trying to get him to lose a couple pounds. Little did I realize that he had lost more than I realized.

When we look at our cats every day, subtle changes are hard to recognize. Then one day we might look at them and finally realize something doesn’t seem right.

This is the importance of biannual vet exams for senior cats. I have even had colleague doctors I work with check my cats once or twice a year just in case I’m missing something through “familiarity”. We can do true objective weight measurements (instead of guesstimating) and provide a fresh, unbiased perspective on physical health.

2. Have Lab Work Done Twice a Year

This may seem like too much to some. But it is amazing what can happen in just 6 months (or less). Just this past October, Bart had pristine lab work. By January, he had diabetes.

Going further back when Bart was 12, I felt very proud that I had encouraged him to lose some weight getting into his senior years. But I discovered when sending out his biannual lab work in the fall that he had actually developed hyperthyroidism.

While I did recognize the changes in Bart at home when he more recently developed diabetes and simply confirmed with lab work, the hyperthyroidism I did not recognize as easily. I had been working on getting Bart to lose weight so his weight loss was not a surprise to me. And as a constant beggar for food, the increased appetite seen with hyperthyroidism was masked by his normal behavior. It wasn’t until checking lab work the next day that I knew Bart had an illness that needed treatment.

I always highlight this story as a good example of why doing routine lab work is valuable, even if you think your older cat is doing fine or just “getting old”.

3. Maintain Good Weight

We know an ideal weight is crucial to maintain good health. With over 60% of cats being classified as overweight or obese, the challenge for most cats going into their senior years is to lose weight. Extra weight on joints can accelerate and worsen osteoarthritis changes causing more pain and discomfort.

Extra fat also contributes to a pro-inflammatory state that can impact other organ systems in the body. With some exceptions, a majority of cats should only weigh between 8-12 lb. If your cat is 13 or 14 lb or more (and not a Maine Coon) you should ask your vet about some weight loss strategies.

Body condition score is the best way to assess if your cat is overweight. To see if your cat is overweight and how to get started with weight loss, check out our Cat Weight Calculator.

On the flip side, we can see elderly cats lose weight. Mild to modest muscle mass loss can be normal. Higher calorie and protein diets can be useful for maintaining weight and muscle mass. For cats with health conditions jeopardizing healthy weight like diabetes or kidney disease, it’s important to make sure the diet is medically appropriate and being fed at an excess to keep your cat in a positive energy balance.

4. Maintain Routine

Kirsten McCarthy / Cats.com

Cats are creatures of habit. Actually, as we age, we all are. If you think of many older humans you know living the retired life, they still have some kind of routine that gives them structure to their day. A routine to follow keeps down stress and anxiety as well as uncertainty.

Cats always develop a routine within the home, but as they age, this routine becomes more crucial. My cats know when their breakfast and dinner times are. They know when the kids usually get home from school. They know when all the kids are down and asleep and it’s time for that golden hour or two of quiet and relaxing time with the grown-ups.

It’s very important to keep a cat’s environment as normal and stable as possible to keep them happy. Consistency and reliability are key and any disruptions can be stressful. Keep all key resources in the same locations. This includes litter boxes, food and water bowls, and those coveted napping areas.

Be very cognizant of any unavoidable changes and the impact these may have on your cat. This may include moves to new homes, new tiny human additions, new pets or even visitors and party events.

5. Improve Accessibility

You may find if your cat does have weight or mobility issues that getting in/out of the litter box can be challenging. This might also go for some coveted resting places if they’re high up on the bed or a shelf.

One of my cats’ litter boxes is a top-entry. I chose this to reduce urine spraying or leaking outside the box. But over the last couple of years, I can tell that the top-entry box is used much less than the traditional entry box. Likewise, your older cat may need a litter box with a much lower lip so that getting in and out takes less effort.

If a litter box is on an upper floor and your cat has trouble with stairs now, you may find that box gets used less. Adding an additional box in a more accessible location may be helpful.

If a coveted rest area becomes hard to reach, find a way to create some new locations that are lower to the ground, if possible.

6. Stimulation

We shouldn’t write off our aging cats as being bored of life. True, they will sleep and rest more, but that doesn’t mean they have completely lost interest in activities. But instead of instigating it more on their own like when they were young, you may need to instigate play yourself. Play may be scaled back and for shorter periods than years ago, but it will still stimulate your cat. My cats still play with stuffed mice, like to wrestle with my hand and play fight, and enjoy companionship.

7. What About Diet?

Kirsten McCarthy / Cats.com

An important question I am often asked at appointments for cats who are just reaching their senior years is if they need to change over to a senior cat food diet.

My short answer is no.

But here’s the long answer. When it comes to pet food, there are only two life stages recognized by the National Research Council (NRC). Growth (kittens) and adult maintenance. When developing foods for these stages, pet food companies must adhere to the nutritional guidelines set forth by the NRC and adapted by the American Association of Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) and state laws.

But for senior pets, there are no defined nutritional guidelines. And that’s because the nutritional needs for senior cats vary widely.

Many may have disease conditions that benefit from a specific diet. Some include kidney disease, diabetes, and inflammatory bowel disease.

But for many older cats with no disease concerns, they may not require anything different in their diet than they did when classified as a middle-aged adult. After all, is there a big difference between your cat at 9 and a half years of age and turning 10? Possibly not.

Senior pet diets can also vary widely in how they’re formulated. Some are high in protein, others are lower. Some have glucosamine or omega fatty acid supplementation, and others do not.

So for me, I’m a big proponent of feeding your cat consistently with what they’re used to in their senior years and only changing that if a health condition develops that requires different nutrition as therapy. And when to do that? That gets back to biannual exams and more frequent monitoring for concerns to recognize them early.