Senior Cats 101: Common Health Issues in Senior Cats
Written by Small Door's medical experts
While aging itself is not a disease, as cats grow older, they may develop age-related illnesses. Here’s a list of the most common conditions senior cats may face and what symptoms to look out for.
In this article:
The kidneys have multiple important functions, including:
Maintaining proper blood pressure
Producing red blood cells
Keeping the body adequately hydrated
Filtering toxins and metabolic waste out of the body
Creating urine
If the kidneys are not working properly (also known as kidney or renal disease), it may lead to a buildup of toxins and metabolic waste products in your cat’s body.
Signs and symptoms that may occur when this happens include:
Weight loss
Lethargy or extreme tiredness
Increased thirst/drinking
Increased urination (more trips to the litter box and/or visibly larger than normal urinations in the litter box)
Darker-colored urine (which may be hard to recognize within the litter box)
Decreased appetite
Dull coat/fur
Vomiting
Diabetes in senior cats is caused by a deficiency of a hormone called insulin. This occurs when the body either does not properly produce or respond to insulin, which affects the way in which the body metabolizes sugar, or glucose.
Symptoms of diabetes in senior cats may include:
Increased thirst
Increased urination
Weight loss despite having a good appetite/eating well
Appearing disoriented or groggy
Difficulty walking (seeming “drunk”)
Plantigrade walk (walking on toes/soles of feet)
Hyperthyroidism is another hormonal condition that may impact senior cats. This occurs when the thyroid gland (a gland located within the front of the neck/throat area) produces too much of the thyroid hormones T3 and T4.
Signs of hyperthyroidism may include:
Increased hunger
Weight loss
Increased thirst
Increased urination
Diarrhea
Vomiting
Matted or greasy coats
Hyperactivity
Arthritis is a degenerative disease that affects the joints in cats. Also referred to as osteoarthritis or degenerative joint disease (DJD), arthritis is when there is a loss of cartilage within the joints. According to a study noted in Veterinary Information Network (VIN), approximately 90 percent of senior cats 12 years of age and older have arthritis.
Symptoms of arthritis you may see in your cat include:
Limping
Hiding
Lethargy or seeming more tired than normal
Decreased activity
Difficulty with normal movements (such as climbing into the litter box or jumping onto furniture they could previously jump on without any issues)
Irritability
Decreased grooming (they may be unable to reach certain areas to groom themselves due to pain)
Dental disease (also called periodontal disease) may be a common issue in senior cats. Dental disease is caused by bacteria in the mouth that creates a film called plaque over the teeth. This film of bacteria will then accumulate around and under the gumline of the teeth, causing inflammation of the gums, which is also known as gingivitis. When gingivitis is not treated, it may evolve into a more severe dental issue called periodontitis.
Signs and symptoms of these dental conditions may include:
Redness or bleeding of the gums
Hesitancy or difficulty eating/chewing, and showing a preference for eating soft foods over crunchy foods
Bad breath
Drooling (sometimes even with blood-tinged drool)
Cancer is a disease that may affect senior cats. Cancer may affect many different organs and areas of the body, such as the mouth/oral cavity, mammary glands, gastrointestinal tract, or the lymphatic system, just to name a few.
Symptoms of cancer in senior cats may include:
Decreased appetite
Decreased thirst
Lethargy, excessive tiredness
Hiding
Oral pain/pain when chewing
Gastrointestinal upset (diarrhea or vomiting)
Lumps or masses on or underneath the skin
Weight loss
Heart disease (also referred to as cardiac disease) may develop in cats at any age, or be congenital in origin, meaning it was present since birth. Heart diseases may develop on their own or may be caused by another illness (such as hyperthyroidism or high blood pressure).
The most common heart condition affecting adult to geriatric cats is called cardiomyopathy, which is a structural abnormality in the ventricles of the heart. Other common heart diseases that may be found in geriatric cats are heart murmurs, congestive heart failure, and mitral valve disease.
Cardiac disease may cause the following symptoms in senior cats:
Difficulty breathing when at rest or play
Fast rate of respiration
Exercise intolerance
Open mouth breathing or panting
Coughing
Difficulty walking or using one or both of their hind legs
Senior cats may be affected by hypertension, also known as high blood pressure. Hypertension most commonly occurs in cats secondary to another illness or condition (such as hyperthyroidism or kidney disease).
Symptoms of high blood pressure in cats may include:
Eye issues are the most common symptom of hypertension in cats, and commonly include changes to the blood vessels in the eyes, sometimes causing bleeding in the back of the eye or blindness
Neurologic changes, such as seizures, loss of balance, or changes in behavior
Weakness of the limbs
Polyuria and Polydipsia (excessive urination and excessive drinking)
Glaucoma
Can also be asymptomatic
Liver disease in senior cats may have several different underlying causes. Some common causes may be secondary to other illnesses (such as diabetes or hyperthyroidism), the ingestion of toxins, viruses or bacterial infections, or tumors.
Symptoms of the development of liver issues may include:
Decreased appetite
Fever
Diarrhea
Increased thirst
Increased urination
Weight loss
Gastrointestinal ulcers or bleeding
Jaundice or yellowing of the skin (caused by excess bilirubin in the bloodstream)
Feline lower urinary tract disease (FLUTD) refers to a group of urinary conditions in cats that affect the urethra and/or bladder. While FLUTD may develop at any age, it is still seen in senior cats, and it may sometimes quickly progress into a life-threatening situation.
Some of the conditions that fall under the category of FLUTD are urethral obstruction (when urinary crystals or debris cause a “plug” to form within the urethra and then block a cat’s ability to urinate), urinary tract infections (UTIs), and feline idiopathic cystitis (FIC).
Signs of these urinary conditions in cats may include:
Straining to urinate
Going in and out of the litter box more often than normal
Smaller than normal amounts of urine in the litter box
Painful urination, crying in the litter box
Blood in the urine
Urinating outside of the litter box
Excessive licking of the genital area
It's important not to dismiss any new signs or symptoms in your senior cat as just being due to “old age.” Many conditions affecting senior cats may be well managed. Being aware of the potential signs and symptoms and sharing them with your veterinarian may help both you and your veterinarian detect disease and start treatment as early as possible.
