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Nutrition

Senior cats: nutritional adaptations and practical feeding considerations

02 March 2023
Clinical
10 mins read
02 March 2023
Volume 14 · Issue 2
Figure 1. How to tell your cat's age in human years poster (International Cat Care, 2019).

Abstract

This article outlines the nutritional goals and adaptations required by cats more than 7 years of age, including nutrient modulation. The article discusses nursing interventions to help ensure optimal dietary intake and methods to help educate pet owners on nutrition for their senior cats, including practical tips on respecting feeding behaviours for cats in this life stage. It is vital to assess each cat as an individual, applying the most suitable nutritional adaptations, whether it be for a healthy senior cat, or one for whom a clinical diet may be more appropriate.

The pet cat population continues to grow. The Pet Food Manufacturer’s Association (2022) estimated in 2022 that there were 12 million cats in the UK, amounting to 28% of households owning at least one cat. The median longevity for cats is 14 years with cross-breed cats having a greater median longevity (14 years) compared to that of pure-breed cats (12.5 years) (O’Neill et al, 2015). International Cat Care (2019) displays six life stages (Figure 1) for cats, three of which pertain to the senior stages: mature, senior and super-senior. This shows that approximately half of a cat’s life is spent within the senior stages, yet pet owners may lack understanding of nutritional adaptations that are recommended at different ages. Comparing the age of cats with the human equivalent age can help pet owners to better understand their cat’s life stage and recognise changes that they may observe, both visibly and subtly, which may be more familiar to them as part of human ageing.

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cat
senior
nutrition
nutrient
feeding