Hello everyone, I'm new to the forum and looking for some opinions, I guess.
My kitty is an eight year old neutered male, and I have had him since he was a kitten. It jusy occurred to me the other day while I was petting him, that he might be a senior now. He's getting a some white hairs on his chin, and a few more here and there on his head and back. I have read that it's not uncommon for cats to live to 18 or 20, so it never occurred to me that he might be getting up there. But my friend just had her cat put down at 14, and she said the vet told her it was uncommon for cats to live that long. I have never had an older cat before, the cats I grew up with were 'farm cats' (
) and usually met with some horrible fate long before this age.
Is 8 'old' for a cat? If so, is there anything I should be watching for now that he's older? (arthritis? kidney problems?) Any special care he might need?
Also, I noticed he's starting to take on a bit of a Count Dracula sort of look. His canine teeth seem to be growing longer, so that they are still visible when his mouth is closed. Is this normal when a cat gets older? Is there anything I can or should be doing about it?
Of course, I'll direct these questions to my vet at his next check-up, but I'm curious what other cat-owners have to say.
Thanks for reading
.
My kitty is an eight year old neutered male, and I have had him since he was a kitten. It jusy occurred to me the other day while I was petting him, that he might be a senior now. He's getting a some white hairs on his chin, and a few more here and there on his head and back. I have read that it's not uncommon for cats to live to 18 or 20, so it never occurred to me that he might be getting up there. But my friend just had her cat put down at 14, and she said the vet told her it was uncommon for cats to live that long. I have never had an older cat before, the cats I grew up with were 'farm cats' (
Is 8 'old' for a cat? If so, is there anything I should be watching for now that he's older? (arthritis? kidney problems?) Any special care he might need?
Also, I noticed he's starting to take on a bit of a Count Dracula sort of look. His canine teeth seem to be growing longer, so that they are still visible when his mouth is closed. Is this normal when a cat gets older? Is there anything I can or should be doing about it?
Of course, I'll direct these questions to my vet at his next check-up, but I'm curious what other cat-owners have to say.
Thanks for reading