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· Many cats relish canned pumpkin as a treat, and this natural high-fiber food is a great laxative. Garnish the regular diet once or twice a week with one to two teaspoons.

· At age seven or thereabouts, make the transition to a “senior stage” diet formulation. These tend to have a bit more fiber to take care of the older cat’s tendency toward irregularity.

· Encourage the cat to stay active all his life. That helps keep him a healthy weight, and exercise is a natural laxative that keeps his insides moving properly.

· “Lots of times a simple case of constipation is because an animal didn’t have access to water,” says Dr. Abood. Cats tend to be finicky about water so watch the cat for a cue about what he likes—fresh or standing water, bowl or dribbling faucet.

DEAFNESS

In simplest terms, deafness means the cat doesn’t recognize or respond to sound stimuli. Hearing connects cats to their world, including their owners, and deafness causes a constellation of behavior changes, says Dr. Strain. “It may be a gradual change so the owner may be unaware of that for some time.”

Cats may be born deaf, or lose their hearing earlier in life. Some cats, especially white cats with blue eyes, are born with a condition that causes the cochlea, deep inside the inner ear, to degenerate and results in deafness at an early age. Chronic ear infections such as ear mite infestation can damage the hearing organs and cause deafness.

Drugs such as gentamicin sulfate (an antibiotic) can produce hearing loss because they’re toxic to the nerve cells of the ear, says Dr. Strain. There are almost two hundred medications that can be toxic to hearing. “Those drugs usually have to be given systemically [swallowed or injected] rather than topically as eardrops, to produce this effect,” says Dr. Strain. He says drops are normally not a problem.

Age-related hearing loss, called presbycusis, is the most common form and is a progressive condition that affects all cats to some degree as they age. It can develop rapidly or be slow and gradual. Basically, the tiny bones of the middle ear tend to lose their mobility and ability to vibrate and transmit sound. Also, the nerves of the cochlea degenerate over time. The cochlea is a fluid-filled tube coiled like a snail shell deep inside the ear where hearing actually takes place. Toxic reactions and sound trauma can also increase the rate of the normal process of presbycusis.

Senior Symptoms

Behavior changes are the most common symptoms of hearing loss.

Increased sleeping

Increased meowing or yowling

Voice that sounds strident or “odd”

Is more easily startled

Increased biting or hissing

Accommodation

Hearing aids have been developed experimentally for dogs but to date have not been offered to any extent in cats. A more economical and effective option is simply making environmental accommodations for the deaf cat, which will help maintain the bond you share.

“The increased reliance on other sensory modalities will offset that loss a little bit,” says Dr. Strain. Deaf cats typically depend more on sight and can learn to respond to visual signals. For example, cats often learn to respond to the porch light flashing on and off, rather than being called to come in. You can use a flashlight rather than your voice to get your deaf cat’s attention. Although they can’t hear, deaf cats can still feel vibration, so a slammed door or stomped foot may also work as a signal. It’s particularly important to give the deaf pets some sort of warning of your presence to avoid a startle/bite reflex. “If they’re startled, sometimes they’ll reflexively bite before they have time to recognize that this is not really a threat,” says Dr. Strain.

Some cats lose hearing only in certain ranges. Certain felines will still detect high-pitched “dog whistles.” In homes that have multiple pets, animals with hearing loss often cue off the behavior of other animals in the household. “If one animal suddenly gets up and starts barking, the deaf