Mary Allen
Senior cats have different feeding requirements than adult cats. To ensure that your senior stay healthy and as fit as possible for a long time, you must pay special attention to feeding.
Living with an old cat can often demand all sorts of things from us because they cling to their habits right down to the parted carpet fringes and often make an incomprehensible fuss about food. Why? Because meals are often the highlight of the day, especially for seniors. And fine things are like a medicine … Similar to the cuddling hours because love is the substance that holds every life together. Or they can no longer taste it properly. In order to be able to take care of them properly, we should therefore know what changes the years bring, which are directly related to nutrition.
That’s What Seniors Need in Their Food
Aging cats have an increased need for bulk and trace elements and vitamins, and the supply should be increased. In contrast, the nutrient (energy) requirement is reduced, which is why the veterinarian usually recommends a gradual adaptation to senior food. Nevertheless, from now on we should not simply plague the frustrated animal with the unfamiliar, but question the pros and cons and also whether the benefit really stands in relation to the (usually) most severely affected mental harmony. It is particularly important that the old cat still eats enough.
This is How the Cat’s Digestion Changes
If all life processes switch to slow motion, the metabolism becomes sluggish and the digestive system no longer digests the food sufficiently. Therefore
- we divide the meals into several small portions
- we also give them something light like a yogurt or cream cheese, treats, or dry food as a reward
- Professionals serve a “party platter” with appetizers of all sorts, with the light predominating if Mieze is too round. You can test the total amount and acceptance at the weekend, for example.
It is Much More Important to Pay Attention to Regular Bowel Movements:
If the stool is not passed at least every two days or if the cat is struggling, a little milk or sardine oil can help in between. Or more exercise, i.e. a few games that an old cat can’t be expected to do. It can also be regulated homeopathically – talk to your veterinarian.
Dental Check-in Old Cats
The gradual reduction in saliva impairs dental health – if you notice the opposite, i.e. kitty drools, loses long strands of saliva or the edges of the lips have dirty spots or crumbs, the veterinarian urgently needs to get to work. You have probably been inattentive for a while because the first sign is that she is usually choosy, suddenly rejects some food or gnaws around, pushes larger chunks from left to right, drops them again, or takes them somewhere else in the hope that biting behind the sofa hurts less.
Dislodged tartar alone not only pushes back the gums and, as a result of loosening, causes the teeth to fall out, but bacteria also settle in the gaps and cause infections and foci of pus. And bacterial toxins in turn promote damage to the kidneys, among other things. So have it checked regularly! We make it easier for her to eat by adjusting the consistency, i.e. not changing what you are used to, just serving it in a way that makes it easier to bite. By the way, absolute toothlessness is not a case of monotony, the jaws are intact, and smaller chunks do not cause any problems.
The Sense of Smell and Taste Change
Smell and taste can deteriorate significantly in older cats and (like bad teeth) can be accompanied by an apparent loss of appetite (vet!). The senior sits undecidedly in front of the familiar, sniffs, and then looks helplessly – and the teeth are fine! – it is mostly due to the reduced sense of smell, which often takes away the desire to try something.
- Gently slip a morsel behind her fangs. That can be enough to recognize what is offered as suitable and to whet the appetite;
- Every now and then, olfactory and gustatory “hammers” come in handy, such as fish. In my experience, however, the tendency is toward mild, and fine aroma plays a much greater role. You have to test this;
- In most cases, it is helpful to slightly warm up the food and/or to line up small bites for animation or to feed them by hand. With the main meals, even working people can do it. And kitty will enjoy the extra attention.
Seniors Need Patience and Loving Attention
Patience is important, especially when it comes to hand-bid items. This can get lost when Mieze turns her head away and ponders endlessly before accepting it. And without wanting to shake your worldview, my plea for retirees is to give them what they like, whatever it is. They don’t touch anything that is indigestible anyway. That means we can let them taste all kinds of edibles, including things they may never have been interested in. My favorite old lady consistently spurned any canned food for 15 years, since then (four years) she has been happily eating (also) selected varieties. Aging gracefully should also mean enjoying privileges.
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