Cat Health Problems Common Among Older Cats

With age, a cat becomes more vulnerable to diseases. There are certain cat health problems that are more commonly seen in older cats. The reason for this is that with age, the immune system of a cat degenerates, making it more prone to diseases. Knowing about these illnesses would keep you ready for any emergencies that might occur.

Arthritis is one of the common cat ailments that can be found in the older felines. This disease will affect its joint, making walking, exercising and jumping painful. Cats with arthritis will show an aversion towards these physical activities. You may often find your cat limping, which is another sign of this condition.

An older cat may also start urinating more often. This situation is called urinary incontinence. This could be caused due to injury or cat urinary tract infection. Sometimes tumors can also cause such problems. If you find your cat suffering from such a problem, take it to the vet as soon as you can for a checkup.

Older cats are also susceptible to liver diseases. A diseased liver will mean that the cat will have problems living a normal life. Liver supplies many proteins to the blood while regulating the levels of other chemicals in it. It goes without saying that a healthy body will require a healthy liver. Incessant vomiting, diarrhea, weight loss, lack of appetite and weakness can indicate liver infection. This infection can be caused by parasite attacks.

Cats too can become diabetic. If your cat is obese, it will run even greater risk of turning into a diabetic pet. Diabetes occurs when the body of a cat produces more insulin than what is required. There is also a second type of this disease where the cells fail to control the amount of insulin. Most notable symptoms of this disease include too much urination, reduction in appetite, vomiting, weakness, dullness in coat color and bad skin, dehydration, and breathing problem.

Your kitty may also have kidney problems. Signs of feline kidney disease may include bad breath, diarrhea, oral ulcers, appetite loss, vomiting, and black and tarry feces. The cat may also develop hepatic lipidosis. This is seen more in obese cats. The cat will lose appetite and become depressed as well as suffer from weight loss.

With these cat health problems in mind, the best thing you can do once your pet reaches old age is to take her for regular health checkups with the vet.

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