Ailments

No one likes to see their cat unwell. It is never fun and can be a scary experience. Like humans our feline friends are susceptible to illnesses and conditions. Here are our list of ailment's we have experienced. We want to educate and create awareness of ailments you may encounter with a senior cat. There are many ailments out there and so we will update when we learn more. You are not alone so do not panic.

Signs include meowing or yowling to get your attention when you are not in the same room, coming home to toilet accidents or finding them hiding in a safe space such as under tables or hidey-holes. Senior cats can develop separation anxiety. This can be caused from them being re-homed, losing a family member or pet or just from being left for long periods of times. Pets do not know when you are coming home and can get scared when you are not there.

As they get older they will struggle to do regular activities and will feel safer when you are around. If you find your cat becoming more needy when you are home try not to leave them for long periods of time, especially at night. We also recommend buying a Feliway diffuser to help reduce them feeling uneasy. If you can plan when you are leaving for longer periods of time get a family member or friend to look after them until you return.

Check out our Home Alone article in the routines section.

Signs include frequent trips to their litter tray, less passing, firm and larger stools, and crying. This can be caused from a dirty litter tray, low fibre diet, drinking less water, less exercise and arthritis pain.

Try adding more water to your cats wet food. If they are on a dry food diet try pumpkin pouches or tins. You can try adding fibre or probiotics supplements. Add more sources of water around the house. If you feel it is more severe try adding olive oil to their food and enquire about Laxatract with your vet.

Pick them up and take them outside or into a different room to encourage your cat to move. Do not worry if they have not been for a few days. Inform your vet and they will advise. They can offer an enema that can be administered at your local vet or at home.

If you find you cat yowling, they may be trying to pass a large and hard stool. It can be unpleasant to watch but they will lie down and try to push. You may find they urinate at the same time or lick their area which may result in them vomiting. Once passed make sure they have somewhere quiet to rest as this can leave them tired.

Signs include blood in the urine, straining to urinate, crying out more frequently and urinating outside of the litter box. This ailment can have many causes. This can include a urinary tract infection, bladder or kidney stones, cysts, kidney disease, urinary tract cancer or even stress.

If you notice your cat struggling to urinate or urinating blood, get them to your local vet or a 24 hour clinic if out of hours. Most vets will treat with antibiotics which can last a couple of weeks depending on how serious the infection is. A vet will normally recommend a blood and urine sample which will help find the underlying issue. If the underlying issue is not found the symptoms can reappear within months or weeks.

Hypertension is also known as high blood pressure and is the same silent killer in humans. It can go unnoticed and can do significant damage to your cat's organs. It is normally picked up while diagnosing another issue so it is recommended to get checked regularly.

Once diagnosed your vet will subscribe them medication that can be put into their food or fed orally. It is easily manageable as the dose can be increased or decreased depending on how high their blood pressure is. There are specific blood pressure monitors for cats you can buy for home use but they can be very pricey.

Signs include finding their beds and places they sleep damp, wet spots on your carpet or the smell of urine. In their senior years this is normally down to their muscles becoming weaker around the urinary tract. If you notice anything book an appointment with your vet to rule out any other causes.

If you find them distressed or confused they will probably try to move from being uncomfortable and wet. Comfort them and try to dry them off. We recommend buying training pads as they are great for placing on their beds and around their litter tray. Cats are very clean animals and self conscious. If they struggle to keep clean you can purchase pet shampoo from your local vet. Check out our shampoo article in the grooming section.

There are foods and supplements that can help support a healthy bladder. If you have not heard of YuMOVE we recommend checking out the YuMOVE article in our diet section as they offer a specific version for urinary care.

Signs can include drinking more water, vomiting and weight loss. This is one of the more serious ailments and is long term. Kidney damage is irreversible and progressive. It is one of the most common ailments in older cats and can go unnoticed in its early stages. Although there is no cure it can be slowed.

We recommend talking to your vet as they can suggest when to get your cats blood and urine tested. This will highlight any issues with your cat's kidney function and will assist in deciding when to make the switch to renal food. The biggest help with kidney deterioration is renal food.

Renal food can be purchased dry and wet and is always recommended by your vets. There is even a early renal food for cats entering their seniors years. Check out our article on renal food in the diet section.

Signs include not jumping fences and kitchen counters, resting for longer periods of time and limping. Cats suffer the same as humans when it comes to joint and cartilage deterioration. Cats are good at hiding pain and will not tell you when it hurts to move.

There are many products on the market to help your cat move freely. Try to help your cat stay at a healthy weight as this will reduce soreness on their joints when moving. In their later years your vet may recommend Gabapentin or Solensia.

Signs of a seizure can be twitching, shaking, loss of consciousness (unaware of what is happening), and urination. If you notice a cat having a seizure remove anything around that may cause injury as it can last up to three minutes. There are many causes for a cat to have a seizure so always let your vet know.

This can be alarming so do not worry as it is manageable. After the seizure has ended, comfort your cat letting them know everything is okay and that you are there for them. If they have urinated, move them to a dry space, help them dry off and offer them food and water. Always record and keep track of the seizures as this helps your vet diagnose the root cause and your the current state of your cats health.

Signs include being agitated, crying, trying to urinate in places other than their litter tray and even blood in their urine. It is very common for cats to have urinary infections, especially older male cats. Causes can include urinary tract infections, interstitial cystitis (inflammation of the bladder walls), urinary stones and even stress.

If you notice your cat struggling to urinate or urinating blood, get them to your local vet or a 24 hour clinic if out of hours. Most vets will treat with antibiotics which can last a couple of weeks depending on how serious the infection is. A vet will normally recommend a blood and urine sample which will help find the underlying issue.

There are foods and supplements that can help support a healthy bladder. If you have not heard of YuMOVE we recommend checking out the YuMOVE article in our diet section as they offer a specific version for urinary care.