Healthy Diet For Old Cats

For cats to be healthy and happy as seniors, they need the right diet – one that is appropriate for their age. Read here which ingredients old cats need in their food!

The age at which a cat is classified as a senior is quite different – one cat is still playful at 15 like a lively kitten, and the other withdraws from active cat life to the quiet windowsill at the age of ten. In general, however, one speaks of an old cat from the age of about seven years and from the age of eleven a cat senior.

Special Food Needs Of Old Cats

Cat experts recommend starting retirement planning at the age of nine. In addition to an annual health check, this also includes a diet that is tailored to the needs of older cats.

There are now various high-quality feeds that have been specially developed for older cats. Although you cannot stop aging yourself, you can delay the consequences of aging and keep the cat vital and full of joie de vivre for longer.

In general, if the ingredients mentioned here are not already contained in the finished food anyway, you should consult your vet beforehand about dietary supplements.

Dietary Components For Old Cats

Healthy nutrition is essential for cats of all ages. However, certain food components are particularly important for older cats:

• Easily digestible and digestive food (e.g. lean meat, egg)
  fiber
• high-quality proteins (e.g. fish, muscle meat)
• Valuable fatty acids to promote skin and joint health
• Antioxidants (e.g. zinc, copper, manganese, selenium, vitamin C+E)

Dietary Fiber For Old Cats

Digestion in older cats is slower than in young cats. Senior cats are therefore often prone to constipation. The feed should therefore be easy to digest and have a digestive effect. All ingredients that do not remain in the stomach and intestines for long are easily digestible. These include, for example, lean, tendon, and cartilage-free meat or egg.

The feed should also contain digestive fiber. These are contained, for example, in various types of vegetables such as carrots or pumpkin. Mixtures of indigestible fibers such as cellulose and fermentable substances such as pectin, lactose, or raw potato starch are best. Due to their volume, the roughage stimulates the intestines to work and binds water so that the intestinal contents become more slippery. Beneficial intestinal bacteria feed on fermentable substances, which strengthen the cat’s immune system.

Proteins For Old Cats

Proteins play a special role in the diet of older cats. While carbohydrates and fats are mainly used to generate energy, proteins are irreplaceable as building blocks for building and repairing all tissues. A lack of protein in an old cat accelerates the aging process.

The quality of the protein is of great importance. A distinction is made between high-quality and low-quality protein. In the case of inferior proteins, a lot of urea is produced as a waste product in the metabolism, while high-quality proteins such as fish and muscle meat are used almost “residue-free”.

A large amount of urea is not a problem for young, healthy cats, but the organism of older cats can be overwhelmed by larger amounts of urea. This is often due to the fact that older cats have unnoticed damage to the detoxification organs of the kidneys or liver. Even with known kidney or liver damage, the protein supply must be guaranteed. It is then all the more important that the cat only eats high-quality protein.

Hair And Skincare Of Old Cats

While cats don’t turn gray like humans, their fur and skin also show signs of aging. The skin loses elasticity, the fur can become dull and tend to become matted. Essential fatty acids, for example, evening primrose oil, improve the coat quality, but may only be added to the diet in combination with vitamin E.

Zinc is also said to be good for skin and hair but beware: too much zinc can impair the absorption of other important minerals and trace elements.

Anti-Aging in Cats with Antioxidants

The cat’s body becomes weaker and more susceptible to disease as it ages. Antioxidants are substances that partially prevent these processes. Antioxidants include:

• Vitamins C and E
• carotenoids
• Trace elements selenium, copper, manganese, and zinc

Nutritionists have been able to show that natural cell aging in cats can be slowed down if the animals regularly ingest mixtures of antioxidants with their feed. “Antioxidant cocktails” are now part of most senior diets. The best thing to do is try out several varieties and decide on the one that suits your cat and tastes the best. But the same applies here: Don’t give too much of it, but find a middle ground. Because otherwise, it can also harm the cats.

Avoid Overweight And Underweight

Not only the content but also the amount of food plays an important role in cat health. Because both being overweight and being underweight can have health consequences, it’s important that older cats eat the right amount of food:

• Although obesity in older cats is rather rare, it can still occur due to the lower level of activity and a slower metabolism. This can be accompanied by secondary diseases such as diabetes mellitus or arthrosis.
• Older cats tend to lose weight more often. This is caused by a loss of appetite due to the gradual loss of the sense of smell and taste, chronic diseases, or toothache. It is best to let the vet clarify what is behind the weight loss.

Tip: To stimulate the old cat’s appetite, you can warm up the food or serve particularly tasty ingredients with a strong smell, such as brewer’s yeast or fish. In addition, it can also be stimulating for the cat to provide its food with small amounts of smelly treats. This can be:

• malt paste
• tuna (oil)
• fried liver
• Liverwurst

These ingredients also help keep particularly skinny cats energetic. However, they should only be fed in moderation, as large amounts are unhealthy. To check your cat’s weight, you should weigh your cat once a week and adjust the food ration to maintain her weight.