When did you start noticing your cat is getting older?

[terestrife]

My cat Kitty is about to turn 13 years old and even though she still plays and acts like her normal self. I can see she's slowing down. She gets into deeper sleeps just like my mom used to. She gets this cranky look on her face when I wake her up. When she makes a jump she gets as close down as she can before jumping. I noticed she uses her front legs to pull herself up when it's a high jump. I've started placing steps everywhere and she's so happy. I've started calling her "my viejita" (My old lady) instead of Kitty. LOL

Is my cat becoming an old lady too early or is this normal?

 

[catloverfromwayback]

Probably this year or maybe last year with Phoebe, who's about ten (probably). Not any change in behaviour, she still cavorts like a kitten, it's only the quality of her coat that is starting to look like an older cat's.

 

[catloverfromwayback]

My cat Kitty is about to turn 13 years old and even though she still plays and acts like her normal self. I can see she's slowing down. She gets into deeper sleeps just like my mom used to. She gets this cranky look on her face when I wake her up. When she makes a jump she gets as close down as she can before jumping. I noticed she uses her front legs to pull herself up when it's a high jump. I've started placing steps everywhere and she's so happy. I've started calling her "my viejita" (My old lady) instead of Kitty. LOL

Is my cat becoming an old lady too early or is this normal?

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Forgot to add, could Kitty have arthritis? That would certainly slow her down and make jumping more difficult.

 

[susanm9006]

Most of mine have made to senior status. Usually the first thing I notice is either hesitancy in jumping or occasional failed jumps. You also start to see a decrease in play or shorter play periods.

 

[terestrife]

Forgot to add, could Kitty have arthritis? That would certainly slow her down and make jumping more difficult.

I'm not sure. I've only seen her in pain from a jump one time and that was years ago. She limped for a few days after a high jump. It got better the next day by using some heat. I took her to the vet and they didn't find anything wrong.

she's been fine ever since. I do keep an eye on them to make sure they aren't acting different. I do give them a supplement for their joints.

Most of mine have made to senior status. Usually the first thing I notice is either hesitancy in jumping or occasional failed jumps. You also start to see a decrease in play or shorter play periods.

Our play times have definitely decreased. But I will say she randomly has bursts of energy and she's jumping around like a kitten again.

 

[betsygee]

Most of mine have made to senior status. Usually the first thing I notice is either hesitancy in jumping or occasional failed jumps. You also start to see a decrease in play or shorter play periods.

Yes, same here. Ours are 14 and 15 and the failed or hesitant jumps are happening more often. We have steps now up to the beds and to their favorite perch on the bookcase in the TV room.

 

[SundaesPerson]

Sundae (16) has slowed down a lot within the last year and a half. The first thing we noticed was hesitancy in jumping. She's still very alert and affectionate, but sleeps a good part of the day. She has affectionately earned the nickname "Old Woman".

 

[neely]

The first thing I noticed was our cat(s) sleeping more and as other members mentioned, playing for shorter periods. Carleton was more affected by arthritis than any of our previous cats.

 

[Lari]

Sparkle is about 15.5, and I think I really noticed how much she's slowed down in the past year, but it's been a crazy few years, so it sort of just happened until I realized that I met her when she was about 8ish, and how much more active she was then.

She definitely has arthritis. We put her on Cosequin a year ago when the vet noticed it, and Tramadol this year for pain as it was getting worse. Lots of senior cats get arthritis, so it might be worth looking into. The vet basically just felt around her hips and knees and was able to tell how much cartilage had deteriorated.

 

[Alldara]

I'm not sure. I've only seen her in pain from a jump one time and that was years ago. She limped for a few days after a high jump. It got better the next day by using some heat. I took her to the vet and they didn't find anything wrong.

she's been fine ever since. I do keep an eye on them to make sure they aren't acting different. I do give them a supplement for their joints.




Our play times have definitely decreased. But I will say she randomly has bursts of energy and she's jumping around like a kitten again.

Do you have carpet? I didn't notice Nobel's arthritis until it was pretty advanced. Just thought he was getting lazier. Just thought they were getting older so less zoomies. But in reality, the lack of grippy carpet made it too hard for him to run with early arthritis. He got so much more playful once we got a cut of carpet put down as an area rug.

 

[Antonio65]

My avatar cat started having difficulty jumping on the sofa or chairs, but it wasn't because she was getting older (though she was around 15 yo), or at least this was was the main reason, but it was because she had arthritis.
We started giving her some pills for joint pains and she was back to her old self.

 

[Meowmee]

My cats who made it to teens and even 20 or more- Wizard- were all quite ill at the end and I think I noticed that more… none of them ever had arthritis or anything like that. They were all pretty active up until they got sick, even Wizard.

Even when I brought Sybil to the hospital, the second time with her heart failure they said they couldn’t believe that she was over 17 years old and I had taken really good care of her, etc., but I did notice her face after Wizard died changed, that she seemed older, but I think it was that she was starting to get sick already and I thought it was age and grief I guess. But she was still jumping around like a supreme forest cat snow cat goddess anyway… until the heart failure.

Each day, month, year you notice how they change from their little kitten selves to the more mature teenage years and so on.

Right now, Xena is the baby and he’s becoming quite a little imp knocking things off of tables etc. I feel bad because I haven’t been playing with them as much because of my injury and everything going on.

I think that my cats right up until the very end looked so good etc until they got ill was partly due to that they were indoor outdoor cats and they were all extremely active and in very good shape, etc. or maybe it was partly me visualizing them still being youthful kittens.

If I knew them as kittens, I always miss their little kitten self, and if I didn’t see or know them as a kitten, I always think of how cute and wonderful they must’ve been then.