First of all, what is a Senior Cat?

Any cat over the age of 7 can be considered a senior cat, however this is a little misleading. A cat at age 7 or 8 is approximately middle-aged since most cats live to be 14-15 years in an indoor home with good nutrition and vet care. Think of a cat this age as being around 40 or 50 for a human. If we were to call a 50 year old woman a senior we would probably insult her, and reap the appropriate consequences. So it hardly seems appropriate to call a cat in this age a senior either, but that is the standard that vets and breeders alike go by and so it is what we will work with here.

Senior cats have different needs than a young adult or kitten would as far as the type of home, food, and care that you must provide. It is no secret that the older a cat gets, the more you will probably visit the vet. However, given the appropriate care those visits to the vet should be less frequent.

Nutrition

Senior cats are often prone to obesity for a number of reasons, but the biggest is a lower activity level. Senior cats are generally more "mellow" or laid back and don't play as much as a younger cat will. This decreased activity level means they don't burn as many calories as they used to and therefore the diet must be adjusted.

Senior cat diet is generally lower in fat and calories per serving than adult cat. Many food companies now make a senior cat variety to meet these needs.

Sometimes a senior cat may develop medical conditions that will alter their nutritional needs. Some may have thyroid conditions while others may acquire diabetes. Both conditions require special attention and so your vet will assist you with nutritional choices.

Grooming

Most senior cats still groom and will require the same type of brushing or grooming that they did when they were younger. So if you have a Persian and are expecting a reprieve from time on the brush... don't. However, as a cat ages it may not be able to groom itself as much and in this case you may have to brush or bathe more often. This is likely to be the case with older senior cats, say around 12 years or older. Each cat is individual.

As with younger cats, the condition of the skin and coat is indicative of general health. If you notice your cat's coat becoming "scraggly", unkempt, or otherwise unhealthy looking this could be a sign of an underlying health problem and you should have the cat examined by a vet.

Toys and Activities

A Senior cat may settle down and need less activity to be happy, but it still needs activity. Exercise is good for young and old, so long as their body is healthy enough to partake. You might not need a dozen fur mice, two cat teasers, three cat trees, and a scratching post (as an example) but expect to still provide some interaction and play time for your senior cat. It's good for him and it's a great way for you and your cat to spend time together (the need for that never depletes).

Health

This is the biggest thing to consider for a senior cat as it is the biggest issue that you will deal with. A "younger" senior should have relatively few if any health problems. The most common problems at the age of 7 or 8 is probably dental problems. Most vets recommend dentals every year or so, but most owners don't do it. And so it is about this time the consequences of the lack of dental care will start to show itself. Usually in the form of a sore mouth, and eventually loss of teeth.

Older cats are also more prone to a wide range of other problems. Of interest, especially if you have a male cat, is FUS or Feline Urilogical Syndrome. That is a fancy term for an infection in the urinary tract which can be caused by a wide variety of things, including (particularly) diet. The cat's chances of getting FUS increase as it ages, making it even more important to watch for the symptoms. (Read about FUS)

Because senior cats become more and more susceptible to health conditions it is recommended that you as the owner be diligent about vet check-ups. As you approach late life for the cat get well-checks every 6 months (or more often as recommended by your vet). Early detection of a disease is important in cats of all ages, but especially an aging cat since it will be less able to recover.

Your vet will tell you what to watch for and what to consider for your cat's health. Certain breeds are more apt to get a disease or health condition than others. Ragdolls, for example, are prone to a heart condition called Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy. These cats often don't show signs until around 4-5 years of age so your cat may be a senior before the disease presents itself.

For these reasons we at DFPR strongly suggest regular veterinary checkups as well as Veterinary Pet Insurance. Because your older cat may be incurring more frequent or higher vet bills, pet insurance is a good thing to have to help offset these costs. Often these require a clean bill of health prior to signing up, so having the health insurance in place prior to a problem occuring (just like human health insurance) is very important. Senior cats typically get less coverage due to their age, however some offer plans that will cover up to 80% of vet costs after a reasonable deductible. Read more about insurance and why we recommend it.

Habits

Just had to throw this last bit in. Cats are creatures of habit, like people are, and as they get older they are more set in their habits and less likely to change. If adopting a senior cat, don't expect to teach him to fetch or do tricks. In fact, he probably has a routine he is iused to. Some may even be set on certain litter or litter boxes, foods, or toys. If your feline friend has a bad habit, expect it to be harder to change in a senior cat.

The reverse is also true. With a senior cat what you see is often what you get (as far as habit goes). Most senior cats won't come up with any surprise habits like spraying, clawing, biting, or the likes if they haven't done it up to this point. There are exceptions to every rule, but knowing what to expect is always a nice thing.