Anyone else with a cat over the age of 13?

Our oldest girl is 13 soon to be 14 here in a few days..
Was wondering if anyone else has a cat over the age of 13 and dealing with 'senior' problems?
With Auti is just a matter of time. She can eat what ever she wants, even if its our food, just as long as she eats. She cant jump up anymore so we are dealing with that, she likes to drink water out of the dish that sits on the bathroom counter, so we have to lift her up.
I was wondering if putting a heat lamp on the floor so she can keep warm (even tho I have 3 of them self warming kitty blankets, that noone likes) will help.
Any tips or ideas ??

My last two cats got to be pretty old. Calliope passed away at age 15 due to complications from a heart murmur (she caught a cold she couldn't shake). Her sister, Pyxl, lasted another 5 years and died at 20 due to complications from her hyperthyroidism.
My cats all slowed down with age, but Pyxl was the only one that lived long enough to really slow down. We started her on Cosequin (which is glucosamine & chondroitin, a supplement I also take to promote good join health). This seemed to make her more comfortable.
Speak with your vet regarding this. I have no experience with heating pads, though Pyxl did look for the warmest place in the house to rest.

I have a 15 year old tabby, Sassy. We don't have any "senior" issues yet. She does sleep alot, but she also wrestles and plays with my 2 year old tabby, Joey. Joey is the dominant cat in the house, and makes it known daily. Sometimes I worry when he gets a little rough with Sassy, but she hisses and smacks him, and lets him know that she has had enough. When she walks away, he is satisfied that he is still the "king".
Maybe having a younger cat around keeps her acting more like a younger cat. She is also content to sit on my lap or hang out with Alex, but he has been sick and in isolation for 3 weeks. ( I am hoping that he can come out in about a week )

I have had a few senior cats over the yrs...

what you are describing needs a vet visit ... I t could be something simple to fix or the beginning of a senior disorder

i have a 16 yr old

My Coco is 16 and can not jump on alot of things because her Arthritis. She has other problems but they are not because she is old. She has Asthma and Bladder Problems too and gets Colds easier. I would take them to the Vet for a Senior Panel. My Coco still plays all the time. You can tell she is old though. She gets Constipated alot and the Vet said alot of older Cats do.

My baby girl Metallica died at 16 1/2. One thing to really watch for in senior cats is CRF. That's what Metallica died from and we didn't catch it soon enough so she only lived for another 6 months or so. She had always had bladder infections so we thought the CRF symptoms were from her UTIs. Other than that she didn't really have any other senior problems. She could see fine, hear fine, walk, eat, everything was normal.

my friend has an 18 year old persian, tita. she is as blind as a bat but still gets around the house ok. she doesn't go upstairs and she can't jump up anymore.

she's funny though because as they have 2 young spaniels, cyndy feeds her on the counter. tita will meow to get up there and then meow when she is full up! cyndy stays with her the whole time but tita is very vocal about her needs!

i would agree about the vet visit, while some cats act older at a younger age than others, it could be manageable. I currently have 2 15yo's and a 17 (18 next month) yo here, one of the 15yo's is currently rolling about the bed playing with her toy, and the 17yo was doing the same this morning!! None have issues jumping.

I have a 14 year old cat and he has hyperthyroidism. He has responded really well to treatment, which he has been on for nearly a year. It was spotted when he went to have his teeth cleaned -- so picked up quickly.

Unfortunately, he has now developed cat flu -- don't know how really -- and he is really struggling (see separate thread). Until 6 weeks ago, he really didn't show his age at all. Now, I don't know what is going on -- I feel like I am counting days (but really hope not).

Don't know what to say about the heating issue as Cheeky has never really shown any interest in the heat -- even now. He loves snow and was playing in the snow even this winter.

Michelle

I forgot to say Coco temp is always below normal and she gets cold easier.

I have kitties older than 13, and have had a few seniors I lost in recent years.

My best advice is a yearly vet exam with a senior blood panel each time to track their kidney function, and to keep an eye on thyroid function.

My oldest kitties have lived right up until almost 19. A lot of us on this forum have beloved oldsters

My oldest cats now are 13. I just lost my senior girl 2 years ago she was almost 18. I also had a tortoise shell girl that lived to 20. They both passed from CRF.

Wow its nice to know that their are a lot of you with older kitties.
Miss Auti is our first to live as long as she has, As a matter of fact Miss Psalms n Miss Buggy have also lived as long as they have as well..
Its just hard to see them get old.

Chynna will be 16 years in May.

I took her to the vet at the end of February due to vomiting, diarrhea and weight loss.

Turns out that other than bad teeth (more on that in a minute), and high blood pressure, that she's pretty healthy. Her blood tests indicated that she also had "renal insufficiency". It's not kidney failure, but it's early stages of kidney disease and she needs a kidney diet to slow down the progression of the disease.

I took her back for a follow up at the end of March. She had further weight loss. It turns out that her teeth were so bad and one was infected, that she wasn't getting her fill of food due to the pain.

She had surgery on the 9th to extract most of her teeth, and now she's back to eating again. However, there is a chance that the anesthetic worsened her kidneys so that has to be monitored closely.

But she's still spry. She doesn't jump up high on things. Basically only as high as she can comfortably reach with her front legs when she semi stands, and tends to use the furniture as stepping stones to get to other higher places. But she still loves to play and cuddle and occasionally gets a kitten moment and goes tearing through the apartment.

So far as warmth goes. Most cats like "warm" whether they are old or young. I have waterbed. Chynna absolutely loves to sleep on the bed in the cooler months, but won't have much to do with it in the warmer ones. Same with Abby, my other kitty who is going to be 10 years in June.

My oldest cat will be 14 this year and she does not have any health issues. She jumps fine and plays with toys. She even runs around the house with the *kitten crazies*.

I have/had two cats both over the age of 13 years old. I also have one that just turned 8 years. I would have a senior blood panel done once a year (may be done more often if they are following something) as well as check-up 1-2 times a year. A heating pad might help along with steps or ramps up and down from her favorite spots. Ask your vet about what else might help. Joint meds might make her more comfortable and some even suggest accupuncture.

My RB cat Sphinx was 18 years old when he passed from cancer. He had other issues as well (including arthritis) but he did well enough, even chasing he other kitties around.

My other senior Kuce (15 years old) has arthritis and asthma and despite her arthritis progressing, does pretty well - even playing.

It nice others have old Cats too.

Originally Posted by SileJ1970

Our oldest girl is 13 soon to be 14 here in a few days..
Was wondering if anyone else has a cat over the age of 13 and dealing with 'senior' problems?
With Auti is just a matter of time. She can eat what ever she wants, even if its our food, just as long as she eats. She cant jump up anymore so we are dealing with that, she likes to drink water out of the dish that sits on the bathroom counter, so we have to lift her up.
I was wondering if putting a heat lamp on the floor so she can keep warm (even tho I have 3 of them self warming kitty blankets, that noone likes) will help.
Any tips or ideas ??

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Well, I haven't read all the replies to this thread, but our cat, Simon, is eighteen. He's definitely a little grayer these days, and he's going through some health issues at the moment. I would say the best thing that's really made Simon's life significantly easier over the last few years, is the milk crate (covered by a nice towel and some heavy books on the inside) we put by the bed so that he can get up there on his own, since jumping is sometimes hard for him too.

On the other hand, I have seen him jump up there from time to time on his own, without the step, which leads me to believe that he's using his age and my bleeding heart to manipulate me sometimes. "Oh...I'm an old man...wouldn't you do anything for a poor old fellow like me?" </ old sad voice> Simon also runs through the house every once in a while, usually with Gryffin, or just because. He also still runs after the "red bug," which is just a laser pointer.

Simon also likes to have his water from a clear glass tumbler (not plastic, and not the blue ones), which is my fault for turning him on to that idea. We keep it on the bedside table for him. Maybe for Auti you could get a step or something to help her get up there on her own? May not be feasible if you have a tiny bathroom.

Otherwise, like the vet said to me the other day, age is not a disease, and it's like you said, you just have to deal with whatever comes up as best as you can.

Coco has some Grey to but not alot. I feel bad because Oreo really loves Coco and she is only 8 Months. She acts like Coco is her Mom. Coco really likes her too.