Older or senior cats need and deserve special dietary consideration.
They are like us in that things don't always work as well as they did when we were younger.
As our cat ages, food moves more slowly through the digestive tracts.
The older cat also has a slower metabolism than when she was younger.
Quite often the stomach and intestines don't do quite as good a job of digestion and absorption which can lead to malnutrition.
Unfortunately our older cats taste buds will start to fail so food doesn't taste as good as it used to.
If your cat as lost interest in eating I suggest talking to your vet about some taste enhancers.
These can entice our senior feline friends into eating again.
Older cats need less protein in their foods otherwise it could cause strain on the kidneys and liver which may already have deteriorated due to age.
Protein for older cats should make up around 30% of the meal instead of the 40% you would feed a younger cat.
However, do make the proteins of good quality food such as very lean red or white meat, fresh white fish plus some well cooked green vegetables.
I would avoid carbohydrates or starchy foods as these can be harder for your older cat to digest.
Too much of these can also cause diarrhea and other problems.
Make sure your older cat has a diet which includes increased fat levels to provide for sufficient energy for your cat to move around easily.
Quite often the older cat's teeth are worn and they can develop gum disease.
For these reasons it is kinder to feed them on soft moist foods.
You can try adding a spoonful of tinned to some dry food to make easier to eat and it could also cut costs.
Alternatively you can soak some dry food in warm water or a broth to make a change in diet.
Remember that wet food has more smell and taste which can entice the older cat to eat.
I am lucky as we have rain water for drinking but I would suggest having a soft water for your older cat.
He doesn't need and can't digest all the chemicals that usually come from a tap.
Why not buy your cat some bottled water.
It will last at least a day or so and to me is well worth the small cost involved.
Keep an eye out for constipation if your cat is not drinking enough.
As your cat ages start feeding it smaller meals more frequently.
This will put far less stress on the aging digestive system.
I would also suggest adding a vitamin-mineral supplement to senior cat's diet daily.
I recommend discussing this with your vet.
Old age is seldom kind.
It doesn't matter if you are human or feline; things start to go wrong when we get older.
The best thing you can do for your aging cat is to make sure that his diet provides enough nutrition for his needs, that he has somewhere comfortable to sleep and enough cuddles to make him feel wanted and loved.
They are like us in that things don't always work as well as they did when we were younger.
As our cat ages, food moves more slowly through the digestive tracts.
The older cat also has a slower metabolism than when she was younger.
Quite often the stomach and intestines don't do quite as good a job of digestion and absorption which can lead to malnutrition.
Unfortunately our older cats taste buds will start to fail so food doesn't taste as good as it used to.
If your cat as lost interest in eating I suggest talking to your vet about some taste enhancers.
These can entice our senior feline friends into eating again.
Older cats need less protein in their foods otherwise it could cause strain on the kidneys and liver which may already have deteriorated due to age.
Protein for older cats should make up around 30% of the meal instead of the 40% you would feed a younger cat.
However, do make the proteins of good quality food such as very lean red or white meat, fresh white fish plus some well cooked green vegetables.
I would avoid carbohydrates or starchy foods as these can be harder for your older cat to digest.
Too much of these can also cause diarrhea and other problems.
Make sure your older cat has a diet which includes increased fat levels to provide for sufficient energy for your cat to move around easily.
Quite often the older cat's teeth are worn and they can develop gum disease.
For these reasons it is kinder to feed them on soft moist foods.
You can try adding a spoonful of tinned to some dry food to make easier to eat and it could also cut costs.
Alternatively you can soak some dry food in warm water or a broth to make a change in diet.
Remember that wet food has more smell and taste which can entice the older cat to eat.
I am lucky as we have rain water for drinking but I would suggest having a soft water for your older cat.
He doesn't need and can't digest all the chemicals that usually come from a tap.
Why not buy your cat some bottled water.
It will last at least a day or so and to me is well worth the small cost involved.
Keep an eye out for constipation if your cat is not drinking enough.
As your cat ages start feeding it smaller meals more frequently.
This will put far less stress on the aging digestive system.
I would also suggest adding a vitamin-mineral supplement to senior cat's diet daily.
I recommend discussing this with your vet.
Old age is seldom kind.
It doesn't matter if you are human or feline; things start to go wrong when we get older.
The best thing you can do for your aging cat is to make sure that his diet provides enough nutrition for his needs, that he has somewhere comfortable to sleep and enough cuddles to make him feel wanted and loved.
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