If your cat is approaching the golden years, there are signs to let you know once they’re reaching the homestretch of those nine lives. Although we love our cats dearly, sadly they are like humans who don’t live forever. Here are a few things to be aware of if your cat is getting older:
1. Getting up isn’t always so easy
As your precious kitty reaches their twilight years, it may prove difficult for them to get up as quickly as they once did. Allow them extra time to move about or help out by giving them a loving lift.
2. Gradual loss of appetite
This sign may be easier to spot if you have a kitty that always leaves their food bowl dry. The older your cat gets the lesser amount of food they will need to take in, so be on the lookout for a drop in weight as well.
Source: @Sean Goblin via Flickr
3. Here, kitty kitty?
If your cat is truly getting older, that selective deafness they may have been practicing at times could take a turn to impaired hearing. As your cat ages so will all of their senses. This completely normal transition into a new stage of life may be a telltale sign for you as an owner.
Source: @BlueRidgeKitties via Flickr
4. Your social butterfly may start to retreat
Your cat may once have been the life of the party, but if they retreat to a safe place to hide every time visitors are present definitely take this as a sign. Cats that are older prefer peace and quiet as opposed to the lively lifestyle they may have once enjoyed.
Source: @Astrid Albert via Flickr
5. Catching extra catnaps
Older cats require more sleep than younger cats do. As your cat approaches their senior years you may find them sleeping even more than normal.
Source: @Cy-V via Flickr
6. They need you more than they used to
Cats are loyal to their loving owners, that’s for sure. As your cat gets up there in age you may find them becoming a bit clingy with a desire to be close to you almost whenever you’re around.
Source: @A.Davey via Flickr
7. Not so high, please
With a slow decline in the senses also comes a steady decline in cat-like reflexes. The same cat that you may have once repeatedly told to “get down” may now have a hard time getting up. If kitty sleeps with you on your high bed at night, try investing in a cat ramp/step ladder to make getting on/off the bed easier for your aging feline companion.
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