Complete Care for Your Aging Cat - Amy Shojai [6]
There are so many easy, simple and inexpensive ways for you to keep an aging cat happy and healthy! This book provides guidelines to create your own “health report card” to keep track of normal versus warning signs, and learn when you can treat problems at home and when a veterinary visit is needed. It also includes all the latest research about how pet owners can maintain old-cat physical health by choosing the right nutrition, providing safe and effective exercise, using easy grooming tips, and making positive changes to the cat’s home environment. Old cats may lose their sense of smell so that food is less appealing. Zapping the food in the microwave for 10 seconds may be all that’s necessary to stimulate their flagging appetite.
As a cat ages, his social standing among the other pets in the household may change. That can be due to health issues, changes in his activity level or reduced ability to hear and see. You can help him adjust to his new position and any physical limitations by using many of the tips offered in this book. Keeping the kitty soul healthy is equally important to quality of life, so you’ll get ideas of ways to enrich your cat’s emotional and mental health.
Throughout the book you’ll find breakout information with specific tips to help aging cats. For example, Comfort Zone offers product suggestions that are particularly applicable to the well being of senior cats. Look especially for Golden Moments, heartwarming stories of real cats and their people who are continuing to enjoy life while dealing with old pet concerns. Read how Zepp got a new kidney, Casey beat cancer, Rudy still “sees” what’s important, and how Midgie’s legacy of love lives on. If you’re like me, you’ll become a bit misty reading these inspirational stories that honor the love we share for our own cats.
A frank discussion of quality of life issues—your own and the cat’s—is also covered. Every pet partnership is different, and it’s important for you to be sensitive to your family and to your cat, as to when is the best time to end his life. Grief is a normal part of losing a special cat. I’ve suggested ways to validate grief, help yourself and your children through this process, and honor the memory of a special pet.
Don’t forget to take a look at the resources in the appendix, which include veterinary associations, subscription Email lists related to specific senior cat concerns, and contact information for the products mentioned earlier in the book. There’s also a list of must-have home remedies, a glossary of terms, and information about the experts who were interviewed for this book. The credentials of the experts quoted in each chapter are mentioned there only briefly, and further information about where to find them is found in the appendix. Unless otherwise noted, all the “Dr.” designations in the book refer to veterinarians. You or your veterinarian can contact these experts through the university or clinic with which they’re associated to see if your cat might benefit from their help.
I hope you’ll find this book to be a valuable resource for senior feline care that will benefit you, your cat, and your veterinarian. More than anything, Complete Care For Your Aging Cat is a celebration of the lifetime of love we share with our special pets. Today, pet owners have more and better options than ever before to ensure that they enjoy their cat’s glorious golden years.
PART ONE—HOW CATS AGE
CHAPTER 1--DEFINING “OLD”
What is considered “old” for a cat? The question of what is old is complicated by the impact of genetics, environment, and individual characteristics. Consider human beings: one person may act, look and feel “old” at 65 while another 65-year-old remains an active athlete with a youthful attitude and appearance. The same is true for our cats.
“I think that actually varies a lot, and it’s getting older every year,” says Rhonda Schulman, DVM,