Elder cat suddenly very curious

[Mutation]

My cat, Oreo, is about 14 years old iirc. Might be a bit older. Anyways, the past week or so hes been very bold and curious. We have cat doors so they can go in between rooms, but he's never been too interested. Hes wasn't scared of it, he just didn't want to leave my parents room. But recently we've all noticed him coming out a lot more and exploring. Tonight he just came into my room and checked everything out before returning to his area. He even went into a tunnel I have up for my kittens. I find that really strange, thatd be a really scary place for him since he'd be so easily ambushed. I guess what im trying to ask is, is this something I should be concerned about at all? Im really happy for him that he's getting more comfortable and out of that room, but at the same time its so sudden. Nothings changed recently that would cause him to want to start coming out either.

 

[Jcatbird]

Cats can live very long lives these days. 14 is getting older but I have cats that age that are still doing new things and still play. It may be that he is just wanting other company lately and the other kitties have drawn his attention. If you are concerned, be aware of all his daily habits , eating, drinking, sleeping and litter box and take note of any changes. If he hasn’t had a recent vet check, it would be good to get that done. The great thing about a vet check is that it puts any concerns behind you. If you have kittens in the house, sounds could get him curious. There is always a chance of a flea or parasite sharing between kitties. Anytime I get worried about something with one of the kitties, I get them checked to relieve my mind.

 

[rubysmama]

I agree with everything Jcatbird said. Keep an eye on his daily habits, and if something seems off, make a vet appointment for him. It's always better to err on the side of caution, when it comes to our cats.

Meanwhile, here's a TCS article you might be interested in:
What To Expect As Your Cat Ages – TheCatSite Articles

 

[susanm9006]

It just may be a bit of spring fever but if he hasn’t had his senior blood work panel yet, one should be scheduled. A hyperthyroid is common in older cats and it can make a cat more active than they have been in the past.

 

[Mutation]

Alright, thanks guys!! I'll keep an eye on him and see if anything changes. If hes acting weird otherwise ill schedule him a vet appointment. I just got them a new cat tree yesterday, so that might have been what encouraged him to come to my room specifically.

The spring fever comment has caught my attention. Its definitely been warmer the past week after some pretty ugly weather. I mean, it went from -10 to 50 in like 2 days, so that might be it? I didn't really think about it until now.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi. Is this a recently new home for Oreo, or perhaps the other cats? If so, an older cat can take a long time to adapt to a new home or adjust to other cats who are new to the home. Just throwing that out there if that is the case.

 

[Mutation]

Oh, no. We've been here for 8 years now, haha. The kittens have been here for about 6 months I think. Thank you for asking though!! <3

 

[FeebysOwner]

Oh, no. We've been here for 8 years now, haha. The kittens have been here for about 6 months I think. Thank you for asking though!! <3

So, did Oreo confine himself to that one room before the kittens came along? If not, it could still be that he needed all these months to decide to be around the other cats. There are cats, especially older ones, who can take that long - and even longer - to adapt to new 'roommates'.

 

[Mutation]

Yeah, hes been in that room mostly for a few years. He likes the kittens from what I can tell. They lay with him and he's ok with it.

 

[gilmargl]

I have had 2 cats who suddenly changed habits rather late in life. At about 14 years of age. Lilly - an indoor cat who had kidney problems all her life - suddenly decided she wanted to go outside. She was so desparate that I let her out after taking her to the vet for another checkup. I think she was feeling poorly and needed to get away from the other cats, even though they'd been together for at least 10 years. She started spending hot summer nights outside, which didn't please me too much. She died about 3 years later.

Another cat, Mogi, the phantom cat who most visitors never saw because she was hiding, suddenly came out of the closets about a year ago and is now "one of the family". The vet could only find that her SDMA value was high indicating perhaps that her kidneys were beginning to give her problems. She had never liked Lilly, perhaps it took her so long to realise that she was no longer with us!

Cats are certainly good for giving us a few surprises, even later in their lives.