Nutritional Needs for Senior Cats

Cats begin go to show visible age-related changes at about seven to twelve years of age.  A senior cat may start to become less active, spend more time indoors and have a slower metabolism. These changes can all add up to weight gain for your cat. Equally, as cats reach their geriatric years, illness and a reduction in their sense of taste and smell can affect their appetites, which will have an impact on their body condition.

As felines get older, their nutritional requirements start to change. And as your cat will spend roughly 40% of their life as a senior, it’s important that you give them the right food to stay in good shape. In their senior years, more than ever, your cat should eat a high quality, tasty diet with easy-to-digest protein and a careful balance of key nutrients.

A good senior cat diet provides concentrated high quality protein, controlled levels of fat, and easy-to-digest carbohydrates for energy. Key minerals support aging joints, and vitamins, along with proteins, help support their aging immune system.

It is recommended that you start your cat on a senior diet around seven years of age. The main objective in properly feeding an older cat should be to maintain his health and optimum body weight, to slow or prevent the development of chronic disease, and to minimize or improve signs of diseases that may already be present.

Signs of Aging      

As a cat ages, health issues may arise:

Deterioration of skin and coat  – For healthy hair, skin, and body, your cat needs a diet with a good balance of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats,

Loss of muscle mass – High-protein, high-quality food can help with muscle mass in aging cats. Foods especially designed for senior cats are best.  Look at the ingredients list for some type of easily digestible meat, like chicken (not meat by-products) as the first ingredient.

More frequent intestinal problems –  Cats with inflammatory bowel disease and colitis can benefit from diets which have highly digestible sources of protein, fat, and carbohydrates.

Obesity – The overweight pet has many added stresses upon his body and is at an increased risk of diabetes, liver problems and joint pain. Contact and consult with your veterinarian before starting on a weight loss program for your senior cat.

Dental problems -Dental disease is common in senior cats. If left untreated, it may lead to painful tooth loss or other serious health conditions. A preventive dental care routine, which can include specially formulated oral care cat food, can help reduce plaque and prevent gum disease.

Decreased ability to fight off infection – Maintaining the strength of the aging immune system is also a priority, and this can be done with the addition of antioxidants and omega-3 fatty acids in the diet.

A Few Tips

Proper care for geriatric cats should involve a daily routine that is consistent in keeping them at their healthiest level and  periodic veterinary exams  (every six months is recommended) to assess any presence or progress of chronic disease.

It is important to avoid stress or stressful situations and abrupt changes in your senior cat’s daily routine.

Encourage your senior cat to drink more water. To do that, if you’ve been on dry food, you may have to go to canned or semi-moist food. The American Association of Feline Practitioners actually recommends feeding cats wet food throughout their lives now.

Use a clean, low bowl or saucer to feed your senior cat.

Serve your senior cat’s food in a clean, low bowl or saucer. Some older felines don’t like their whiskers touching the side of the bowl.

Don’t allow wet food to go dry in the bowl as cats can be particular about the freshness of their food.

Remember to feed your cat small portions frequently throughout the day rather than one large portion once a day. It will help them digest their food more easily.

Avoid vegan or vegetarian diets. Cats are obligate carnivores. Cats must eat meat, it is a biological necessity.  Grain-based proteins should never be used as the primary protein source for geriatric cats.

What Ingredients Should Be in Senior Cat Food?

High quality ingredients are more digestible which means your cat will absorb more of the nutrients he needs.

Senior cats also need an essential amino acid called taurine to help keep their systems functioning at their best, especially if their appetite has decreased with age. The fish, poultry, or meat found in cat food usually offers adequate levels of this heart healthy nutrient. For more information on the importance of taurine in your cat’s diet, please see my article on Understanding Your Cat’s Nutritional Needs, dated Oct. 10, 2016.

Extra Vitamin E is great for senior cats in order to help strengthen their immune system and it is a good source of fiber to prevent constipation.  Food that contains cranberries is helpful for urinary tract health.

Because of slowing metabolisms and activity levels, most older cats tend to need fewer calories and less fat. As a result, senior formulas generally have fewer calories compared to adult formulas.

Weight maintenance formulas can minimize fat and calories as well as provide more digestible proteins and fiber.

However, as some cats age, their eating habits and ability to absorb nutrients can change, which may result in weight loss. If your senior cat is underweight, consult your veterinarian to rule out any medical conditions and on choosing higher calorie formulas.

A good diet for an older cat has the following characteristics:

• High antioxidant levels (e.g. Vitamins A, C, and E, beta carotene, and selenium) to counteract free radical damage.
• Low levels of phosphorus to protect the kidneys. High quality protein sources contain less phosphorous than do those of low quality.
• Enough protein to maintain a cat’s muscle mass. Extra carnitine (an amino acid) can also help in this regard.
  Fish oils and other sources of essential fatty acids to counteract the effects of brain aging and promote joint health.
• A moderate to high level of fat, based on a cat’s body condition score. Skinny cats need a lot of fat to maximize their caloric intake. Overweight cats can do with a bit less.
• And last, but equally important, it should be appealing in taste and smell to stimulate your cat’s appetite. Add water from canned tuna to increase the aroma of the food, if needed. As cats can become even more finicky with old age,you may need to heat canned or moistened dry food in the microwave to a warm temperature. This will increase the aroma of the food.

As the pet parent of a senior kitty, you naturally want his remaining years to be good years, not just years. Choosing the right kind of food for your senior cat can help him to lead a long, healthy life with you.