Geriatric cats need special care. A veterinarian shares tips on keeping them comfortable and safe

By Kim Campbell Thornton

Andrews McMeel Syndication

Aging cats are a growing segment of the feline population, thanks to better veterinary care and nutrition and a powerful human-cat bond. What happens when they move from seniorhood to the geriatric stage -- and what’s the difference?

Senior cats may still be active and reasonably healthy, but geriatric cats are fragile, with health conditions that make them vulnerable to mobility issues, anxiety, urinary incontinence and sleep disturbances. At last month’s virtual Cat Writers Association conference, veterinarian Mary Gardner, co-founder of Lap of Love Veterinary Hospice, shared tips on recognizing feline geriatric issues and making the lives of old cats better for the time they have remaining.

Clues that a cat is geriatric include trouble getting on and off furniture, not making it to the litter box or struggling to get in or out of it, frequent urinary tract infections and signs of dementia, such as howling or seeming lost. They need extra-special care, and there are ways to set up your home to help give them good quality of life.

Mobility is the No. 1 issue for geriatric cats, Gardner says. Common causes are arthritis, neuropathy (nerve damage), inflammation, back problems, obesity and muscle wasting. “Almost all old cats have a form of arthritis,” she says.

An osteoarthritis checklist (bit.ly/catoachecklist) asks whether cats can walk up and down stairs easily, jump up to and down from perches normally, run and chase bugs or toys. If the answer to any of these questions is no, arthritis is likely the culprit. Gardner adds that a bit of fur standing up along the spine can also indicate pain. Photos or videos of your cat’s movement around the house can help your veterinarian reach a diagnosis, and medication can help.

Use ramps, pet steps and smart furniture placement to aid cats in getting to their favorite comfortable or sunny spots. Apply nonslip adhesive strips to ramps or steps that don’t come with them. Placing an end table next to a cat tree can help old cats reach perches that might otherwise be inaccessible.

For cats with shoulder arthritis, elevated tilted food bowls (available from online merchants) can make it easier for them to eat. A cat who enjoyed drinking from a bathroom faucet but was in pain from shoulder arthritis benefited from adhesive nonslip pawprint-shaped treads placed in the sink to provide traction.

Geriatric cats may be less able to groom themselves, so brush them regularly and trim their hind nails if they’re unable to reach them. They may also need cleaning with baby wipes.

Getting into or out of the litter box is often difficult for geriatric cats. Instead of a standard litter box, provide a large plastic storage box or underbed sweater box with an opening cut in the side for easy entry and exit. Use only a shallow amount of litter so it’s not difficult for them to walk through it. Pee pads are another option.

Pay attention to a cat’s litter box behavior. “Having trouble covering up poop may indicate shoulder or elbow pain that needs to be evaluated,” Gardner says.

Many old cats have diminished vision. Use night lights throughout the house or place light strips on the floor or stairs to help them find their way around.

Howling is a common sign of cognitive dysfunction. Take your cat to the veterinarian at the first sign for a cognitive assessment and to rule out a UTI or hypertension, both of which are treatable. There’s no cure for feline cognitive dysfunction, but progression can be slowed with medication, nutraceuticals and enrichment, Gardner says.

Finally, a quality-of-life scale (aplb.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Cat_Life_Quality_Assessment.pdf) can help you keep tabs on your geriatric cat’s comfort and happiness.

Q&A

When to take

pets to ER

Q: Heavy bleeding and broken bones are obvious, but what are some other signs my pet needs to make a trip to the veterinary ER?

A: Great question! Animals are good at hiding pain and other signs of illness, so knowing what to look for can mean the difference between life and death. Here are some clues that signal serious problems:

-- increases in respiratory rate (the normal rate in a cat is 20 to 30 breaths per minute, and for a dog, 16 to 24 breaths per minute);

-- changes in gum color from a healthy pink to white, yellow, gray or blue;

-- unusual or sudden changes in attitude or behavior;

-- increased or decreased appetite or thirst;

-- unexplained weight loss;

-- changes in urination;

-- a wobbly gait.

You should also take your pet to the emergency hospital in the following situations:

-- allergic reactions

-- any animal bite

-- bloated belly, especially with unproductive retching

-- bloody diarrhea

-- difficulty breathing

-- distress from excessively hot or cold temperatures

-- eye injuries

-- fainting

-- frequent or projectile vomiting

-- ingestion of a toxic substance

-- restlessness for no reason, especially accompanied by rapid respirations -- 35 or more per minute

-- seizures

-- serious trauma, such as being hit by a car

-- straining to urinate or defecate

-- unconsciousness or collapse

-- venomous snake or spider bites

If you're not sure, err on the side of caution. Veterinary emergency clinics are expensive, but sometimes the cost of a visit is a price worth paying for peace of mind. -- Dr. Marty Becker

Do you have a pet question? Send it to askpetconnection@gmail.com or visit Facebook.com/DrMartyBecker.

THE BUZZ

News about dog

aging, cancer

-- Cancer is the leading cause of death in pet dogs, and golden retrievers have up to a 65% cancer-related death rate. Researchers at the University of California, Davis wondered if some long-lived goldens might have genetic variants that contributed to their extended lifespan. They performed a genome-wide association study in more than 300 golden retrievers, comparing dogs older than 14 years to those who died prior to age 12. What piqued their interest was a gene called HER4, capable of serving as both a tumor suppressor gene and an oncogene -- a mutation with the potential to cause cancer. Dogs with certain variants of the gene survived nearly two years longer -- on average, 13.5 years compared to 11.6 years -- according to an article by Amy Quinton written for UC Davis. The finding could eventually contribute to identification of favorable or disease-modifying variants important to the intersection of aging and cancer.

-- In November, celebrate National Adopt a Senior Pet Month and National Prevent a Litter Month; National Animal Shelter Appreciation Week, November 5-11; and National Canine Lymphoma Awareness Day, Nov. 7. (Find out more about canine lymphoma, one of the most common forms of canine cancer, here: vet.purdue.edu/wcorc/cancer-research/canine-lymphoma-research.php.)

-- Five books took top honors in last month’s Cat Writers Association annual contest: “Catagenesis,” by Jody Wallace, a sci-fi murder mystery that takes place in a world of mind-reading cats; “Night of the Were-Cat,” by Eileen Watkins, a mystery that centers on a movie-promoting werewolf lookalike contest for pets; “There’s a Cat Hair in My Mask,” by Mollie Hunt, an ode to the healing power of cats in tumultuous times; “No Snowball!,” by Isabella Kung, a picture book that won the illustrated children’s book category; and “The Cat in the Christmas Tree,” by Callie Smith Grant, winner of the gift book category. -- Dr. Marty Becker, Kim Campbell Thornton and Mikkel Becker

ABOUT PET CONNECTION

Pet Connection is produced by a team of pet care experts. Veterinarian Dr. Marty Becker is founder of the Fear Free organization, co-founder of VetScoop.com and author of many best-selling pet care books. Kim Campbell Thornton is an award-winning journalist and author who has been writing about animals since 1985. Mikkel Becker is a behavior consultant and lead animal trainer for Fear Free Pets. Dr. Becker can be found at Facebook.com/DrMartyBecker or on Twitter at DrMartyBecker. Kim Campbell Thornton is at Facebook.com/Kim.CampbellThornton and on Bluesky at kimthornton.bsky.social. Mikkel Becker is at Facebook.com/MikkelBecker and on Twitter at MikkelBecker.

The way dogs live with us now is not necessarily new

By Kim Campbell Thornton

Andrews McMeel Syndication

When I see dogs depicted in portraits or other art -- all the way back to cave art -- I wonder what their lives were like. What kind of relationship did they have with their people? Did they live in the house? Sleep on the bed? Eat special meals?

We tend to think of these things as relatively recent developments, but are they? A photo shared on social media of the Nimrud dogs -- clay figurines excavated from the ruins of Nimrud, a Mesopotamian city -- inspired me to investigate one of the early eras in which dogs were important.

The Nimrud dogs, which date to 645 BCE, were discovered in 1951 and 1952 by archaeologist Max Mallowan, who is perhaps more famous for being the husband of mystery queen Agatha Christie. Mallowan was one of a number of archaeologists excavating the Assyrian city (in what is now Iraq) in search of artifacts and artworks. The period was famous for exquisitely carved ivories, but discoveries of clay and bronze figurines of dogs tell us something about the roles of dogs who lived 2,500-plus years ago.

Not surprisingly, dogs were considered guardians or watchdogs, just as they are today, but in a more supernatural way. Figures of them, buried beneath or to the sides of doorsteps, were believed to have protective powers, with the purpose of scaring away angry or evil spirits. The names with which they were inscribed tell the story: “Loud” is his bark; “Biter” of his foe; “Don’t” think, bite; “Catcher” of the enemy; “Expeller” of evil. A “fierce dog” ritual accompanied the figurine burial and was meant to “awaken” the canine protective spirit. The goddess Inanna, often called on for protection, was depicted with seven leashed dogs.

Dogs were also associated with healing. In a Jan. 12, 2017, article for worldhistory.org, Joshua J. Mark writes that dog saliva was thought to have a curative effect; hence the canine association with Gula, goddess of healing, during the Old Babylonian Period (c. 2000-1600 BCE). Gula is depicted with dogs -- or as a dog -- and was considered a protector of dogs as well.

The types of dogs most common in that era were sighthounds for hunting -- probably much like Salukis -- and mastiffs for guarding properties, palaces and flocks. Mastiffs probably also played an important role in the military, just like they do today. City dogs likely roamed the streets during the day but went home to a specific place and person who fed and cared for them. As they roamed the city, we can imagine them helping to keep streets clean by scavenging the remains of dead animals.

Palace dogs lived in kennels, and while it seems unlikely that any of them shared a royal bed, perhaps some lay at the sleeping room door or the foot of the bed so they could ward off any dangers.

According to an article by David I. Owen, “Of Dogs and (Kennel)Men,” which appeared in a 2013 Cuneiform Digital Library Bulletin, texts documenting their meals show that kennel caretakers fed dogs the meat of sheep and oxen in the form of soups and stews; cooked fish; bread; and fodder, such as grain.

As seen in ancient art, such as plaques found at the site of the palace of Nineveh, collars and leashes were in use. They ranged from simple cords or ropes tied around the neck to those made of fabric, leather or elaborate precious metals. Some were decorated with tassels. The collars of dogs belonging to noble families bore not only the dog’s name, but also the family name. In addition to having their names on collars, some dogs were depicted on an owner’s personal seal -- evidence of their high standing.

You can see dog figurines and other dog art from this period at the British Museum in London; the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology in Cambridge, England; and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.

Q&A

Pet down in

the mouth?

Q: My dog is drooling a lot, and he jerks away when anyone scratches his ears, which he usually loves. What could be wrong?

A: Only your veterinarian can know for sure by examining your dog, but one thing to consider is mouth pain.

Oral problems in pets aren’t always obvious, but changes in behavior -- such as not enjoying petting or ear scritches -- can signal pain, and drooling is also a clue. The following signs -- some subtle, some not -- may be clues that your dog’s mouth is painful.

-- Inflamed gums or tartar buildup on teeth. Gingivitis or periodontal disease can cause teeth to become infected and loose.

-- Bad breath. It’s not normal for a pet’s mouth to smell bad, and that unpleasant odor can indicate dental disease or an infection of the lip folds in breeds with deep or heavy lips such as basset hounds, cocker spaniels or Saint Bernards. Bad breath can also be associated with kidney disease.

-- Drooling. This is another sign of periodontal disease, as well as of mouth infections and foreign bodies, such as splinters or burrs stuck in the mouth. Bad breath and drooling can also be signs of oral cancer.

-- Change in eating habits. If your pet is reluctant to eat, or picks up pieces of food and then drops them, his mouth probably hurts. He may have a broken tooth.

-- Swelling. A tooth may have an abscessed root filled with pus, which can cause pain and swelling. Depending on where the abscess is located, the swelling may appear beneath the eye, giving the impression that something else is causing the problem.

To keep your pet’s mouth happy, check it monthly for signs of problems, such as redness, loose teeth and painful areas. -- Dr. Marty Becker

Do you have a pet question? Send it to askpetconnection@gmail.com or visit Facebook.com/DrMartyBecker.

THE BUZZ

Urgent care

pet clinics new

-- Urgent care veterinary practices are filling a need for people whose pets need care for minor injuries or illnesses. Maybe they can’t get an appointment right away with their regular veterinarian, but the problem doesn’t rise to the level of an emergency that requires hospitalization. An urgent care clinic can provide treatment for such issues as diarrhea, minor wounds, skin or ear infections or limping. They don’t offer procedures such as vaccinations or spay/neuter surgery. Once the pet is treated, the primary care veterinarian can take over any necessary follow-up care.

-- Carrying too many pounds is the No. 1 nutritional disorder in cats and is linked to feline health problems that include arthritis, diabetes, nonallergenic skin conditions and urinary tract disease. To help healthy cats stay slim and trim, encourage play and activity throughout life, from chasing a flashlight beam to climbing a cat tree, using a scratching post to chasing a Ping-Pong ball down the hall. Keep a single cat moving during the day by dividing their normal amount of food into six or seven portions and hiding them throughout the house for it to find. Change hiding places regularly so the cat can’t dash to the same ones every day and gobble the food all at once. When you’re home, schedule five to 10 minutes of interactive play two or three times a day. This is a good time to bring out that favorite fishing pole toy or giant feather for your cat to stalk, bat at and chase. A bedtime play session may help both of you sleep better.

-- Dalmatian puppies look white when they are born. Their spots, which can be black or liver-colored (ranging from a light reddish-brown to a dark chocolate brown), don't start to appear until they are approximately 2 weeks old. -- Dr. Marty Becker, Kim Campbell Thornton and Mikkel Becker

ABOUT PET CONNECTION

Pet Connection is produced by a team of pet care experts. Veterinarian Dr. Marty Becker is founder of the Fear Free organization, co-founder of VetScoop.com and author of many best-selling pet care books. Kim Campbell Thornton is an award-winning journalist and author who has been writing about animals since 1985. Mikkel Becker is a behavior consultant and lead animal trainer for Fear Free Pets. Dr. Becker can be found at Facebook.com/DrMartyBecker or on Twitter at DrMartyBecker. Kim Campbell Thornton is at Facebook.com/Kim.CampbellThornton and on Bluesky at kimthornton.bsky.social. Mikkel Becker is at Facebook.com/MikkelBecker and on Twitter at MikkelBecker.

An expert in feline behavior and communication shares her insights in a new book

By Kim Campbell Thornton

Andrews McMeel Syndication

Humans have been intrigued by cats for millennia. Well before Egyptian civilization raised felines to the level of furry overlords and gave them an honored place in the home, archaeological evidence dating back 9,500 years showed a commensal, or symbiotic, relationship between the two species. Cats provided rodent control for humans, and humans had an easy food source for cats.

That evidence, the burial in Cyprus of a wildcat and a human together, suggests a strong association between cats and humans, at least on a symbolic level. Cats were not yet domesticated -- some argue that they still aren’t fully -- but some may well have been tamed.

It would seem, then, that we would be as familiar with cats as we are with dogs, but many people find cats to be mysterious and difficult to know. Fortunately, a plethora of new studies and books by cat-loving experts is revealing the secrets behind feline relationships, interactions, purring, movement, socialization, communication and more.

One of those experts is cat behavior scientist Sarah Brown, Ph.D., who earned her doctorate studying the social behavior of neutered domestic cats. Her new book, “The Hidden Language of Cats: How They Have Us at Meow,” was published last week and is her fourth on the subject of cats. I asked her to weigh in on what we know about cats, their history and why they’re currently of so much interest to science.

Cats descend from North African wildcats, which likely were attracted to early farming communities some 10,000 years ago in the area of the Near East known as the Fertile Crescent. Picture a wildcat -- about the same size as the tabby napping on your sofa -- feasting on the rodents attracted to stored grain crops.

“As these farming communities spread to new areas, the wildcats followed, and the wildcat-human association became stronger,” Brown says. “A similar relationship developed between wildcats and humans in ancient Egypt; Egyptian paintings show that cats were living with people there by 3,500 years ago. The latest scientific evidence suggests that both the Egyptian and Fertile Crescent wildcat populations contributed to the gene pool of today’s cats.”

While cats have played important roles in human history, dogs have the advantage when it comes to garnering the interest of scientists, whether they’re studying aging, behavior, disease or some other topic. But cats are starting to catch up.

“I think scientists have realized more and more over the years that cats are not as uncommunicative as they are so often portrayed to be, and that there are many exciting new discoveries to make about them,” Brown says. “Alongside this, advances in technology have given us new and better ways of studying cats more closely, enabling us to look at previously unexplored areas of their behavior, recording and analyzing their vocalizations in detail, and investigating their scent deposits.”

Even though she has studied them for years, Brown says she learned many new scientific facts about cats in the course of researching and writing her latest book, but what stood out was just how much cats communicate not only among themselves, but also with humans. Some readers may be surprised to learn that cats meow primarily to us, not to other cats, she says. “These meows are pitched around the same level as the cries of human babies,” she says, “which is probably why their meows are so hard to ignore.”

Readers will learn about feline personalities, subtle signs of stress, how to pet a cat and why it sometimes goes wrong (who hasn’t been swatted by a cat who’s had one pet too many?), and what cats’ eyes tell us, among many other things.

Brown hopes her book encourages people to sit and watch their cats for a little while each day and to think about the world from their point of view.

Q&A

Getting a

fecal sample

Q: I’m taking my pet to a new veterinarian, and they’ve asked me to bring in a fecal sample. What’s the best way to collect and store it, and how “fresh” does it need to be?

A: That’s great. Fecal exams are important, as they can detect the presence of parasites such as roundworms, whipworms, hookworms, giardia and coccidia, which can cause pets discomfort and disease. Worse, some are transmissible to humans.

A fecal exam should be performed at least twice a year, even if your dog takes parasite preventives monthly. Adult cats need a fecal exam at least annually, more often if they go outdoors.

Ideally, you’ll collect a stool sample the same day you deliver it to the veterinarian. Take your dog out as you would normally, and when they poop, gather it up with a plastic bag, turn it inside out, then place it inside another plastic bag or disposable plastic container and seal it tightly. If you’re not going straight to the veterinary clinic, store it in the refrigerator -- inside yet another plastic bag -- for up to 24 hours. Remember, though, that fresher is better.

For cat owners, the procedure is similar. It’s best if you can get a sample uncontaminated by cat litter. For dogs or cats, you don’t need to provide a full-size stool; the equivalent of a teaspoon is plenty.

Of course, wash your hands thoroughly after collecting the stool sample, even though they were protected by the plastic bag.

Normally, a fecal exam is a routine test, not an emergency situation. However, if your pet is constipated, strains to defecate or is passing a stool that is bloody, black, extremely hard or extremely liquid, get to the veterinarian right away for care. -- Dr. Marty Becker

Do you have a pet question? Send it to askpetconnection@gmail.com or visit Facebook.com/DrMartyBecker.

THE BUZZ

Cat wins pet

insurance award

-- A cat named Giles was awarded Nationwide’s 15th annual Hambone Award -- recognizing the company’s most unusual pet insurance claim of the year -- after being smooshed beneath a sofa bed. Some stitches at the nearby veterinary hospital fixed him right up. Runners-up were Jax, a pug with heatstroke, and Sunny, a Labrador retriever who shimmied his crate across a room so he could ingest three phone charger cables.

-- When your dog gets diarrhea, do you call the veterinarian for an antibiotic prescription? That may be counterproductive or even useless, according to a study by the U.K.’s Royal Veterinary College published earlier this month in the journal PLOS One. While antibiotics are prescribed for more than half of dogs presenting with uncomplicated diarrhea, the large observational study found no association between prescribing antibiotics and resolution of the condition. The majority of acute, or sudden onset, cases of diarrhea in dogs last two days or less, and regardless of the treatment prescribed, nearly 90% recover after the initial veterinary visit. Most dogs get diarrhea as a result of getting into something they shouldn’t -- dietary indiscretion -- and typically respond well to supportive treatment, such as a bland diet. The researchers note that companion animals may act as a source of antimicrobial-resistant enteric bacteria or resistance genes for their owners, given the close quarters they typically share. The gut microbiome can also be negatively affected by antibiotics. Fergus Allerton, co-author of the paper, says “Rational antimicrobial use is critical to defend ourselves and our pets against the growing threat from antimicrobial resistance. This study provides vital evidence to strengthen recommendations to withhold antibiotics when treating dogs with acute diarrhea.”

-- In their homeland, Turkish Angoras are considered national treasures. A special breeding program at the Ankara Zoo helped protect the breed from extinction in the early 20th century. -- Dr. Marty Becker, Kim Campbell Thornton and Mikkel Becker

ABOUT PET CONNECTION

Pet Connection is produced by a team of pet care experts. Veterinarian Dr. Marty Becker is founder of the Fear Free organization, co-founder of VetScoop.com and author of many best-selling pet care books. Kim Campbell Thornton is an award-winning journalist and author who has been writing about animals since 1985. Mikkel Becker is a behavior consultant and lead animal trainer for Fear Free Pets. Dr. Becker can be found at Facebook.com/DrMartyBecker or on Twitter at DrMartyBecker. Kim Campbell Thornton is at Facebook.com/Kim.CampbellThornton and on Bluesky at kimthornton.bsky.social. Mikkel Becker is at Facebook.com/MikkelBecker and on Twitter at MikkelBecker.