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Hi folks! My oldest cat is starting that "old cat decline." She is still bright and active but has lost some weight (and was fairly slim to begin with) and looks like she might be starting to have some sore hips, and gets mats more often than she used to. I want to support her aging but I don't want to fight the clock, either. I have a vet checkup scheduled for her next month and I'm just looking to arm myself with some tips and any info so I don't fall into an anxiety spiral when the vet tells me what I already know but makes me feel like I need to do something "more" about it, and due to COVID this will be a phone conversation with the vet after the exam and then a wait for blood test results so I'm already anxious about it all.
This will be my first cat to get old and essentially die of old age in my care. I don't want to sound too dire, she's not dying now, but I know we're in that phase.
And to be clear, I am willing to take measures to ensure she ages as well as possible, but I adopted her 14 years ago and she was an adult at the time - I don't know how old, but she didn't have that "11 month old cat" look. So, at the absolute minimum, she is 15, but likely older. I can make sure she's comfortable but I can't stop the clock.
I have been giving her tri-acta joint supplement recently, and Omega 3 oils for a few years now. I also give her lysine to help with some mild upper resp/sneezies. She has been exclusively on wet and raw food for about a year, but I am beginning to give her kibble again as well to try to maintain her weight because she's not terribly keen on the wet food. I have also been increasing her play and activity to try to keep her muscle mass.
Her most recent vet visit was late last summer after eating a tiny bite of asiatic lily in the garden (leashed) and her blood tests came back great before, during and after the three-day treatment of IV fluids - no concerns at the time though she was slightly underweight, but the vet wasn't worried. Her kidney values were great but it's been 8 months so who knows.
I guess primarily what I'm asking for is any tips on what else I could/should do, supplements you recommend, what I might expect from my vet, and perhaps a drop of fortitude!
Thanks in advance for your support
This will be my first cat to get old and essentially die of old age in my care. I don't want to sound too dire, she's not dying now, but I know we're in that phase.
And to be clear, I am willing to take measures to ensure she ages as well as possible, but I adopted her 14 years ago and she was an adult at the time - I don't know how old, but she didn't have that "11 month old cat" look. So, at the absolute minimum, she is 15, but likely older. I can make sure she's comfortable but I can't stop the clock.
I have been giving her tri-acta joint supplement recently, and Omega 3 oils for a few years now. I also give her lysine to help with some mild upper resp/sneezies. She has been exclusively on wet and raw food for about a year, but I am beginning to give her kibble again as well to try to maintain her weight because she's not terribly keen on the wet food. I have also been increasing her play and activity to try to keep her muscle mass.
Her most recent vet visit was late last summer after eating a tiny bite of asiatic lily in the garden (leashed) and her blood tests came back great before, during and after the three-day treatment of IV fluids - no concerns at the time though she was slightly underweight, but the vet wasn't worried. Her kidney values were great but it's been 8 months so who knows.
I guess primarily what I'm asking for is any tips on what else I could/should do, supplements you recommend, what I might expect from my vet, and perhaps a drop of fortitude!
Thanks in advance for your support
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