Health changes of old cats

Abstract

The article presents the results of a study on the health problems of cats aged 9 years and older, based on the observations of their owners. A total of 206 owners of old cats participated in the survey. Most owners (61%) noted that their cats had behavioral changes associated with medical problems. Other owners noted either only behavioral changes (10%) or only medical problems (15%) in their old cats. Finally, 14% of owners did not notice any health changes in their elderly cats. A statistically significant higher number of behavioral changes was observed in cats in the age category above 13 years (P < 0.01) than in cats aged 9–13 years and in cats with more than one physical health change (P < 0.001) compared with cats without physical health changes and with cats with one physical health change. The most frequent change in the behavior of the old cats was a change in activity (49%). The results of our work suggest that the course and consequences of aging are unpredictable, and therefore, aging of cats may have different outcomes. Therefore, health surveillance of old cats and the competence of veterinarians are crucial to determine which consequences of aging can significantly affect the welfare and quality of life of old cats.