Senior Cat Food

As cats age, their nutritional needs change.  As such, it will be necessary for you to adjust your older cat's diet to ensure your older cat's health is safeguarded.  Here are some of the top questions and answers when it comes to senior cat food nutrition.

When should you switch your older cat to senior cat food?  Is it even necessary?

Once your cat begins to approach the last third of her normal life expectancy, she is considered to be an "older" or "senior" cat.  Cats age differently, but in general, the cut-off age is about 8-9 years old.  You may want to discuss this further with your veterinarian, but it would be wise to switch to older cat food to address your cats new dietary needs, especially if she has become overweight.

What makes for a healthy senior cat diet and nutrional cat food?

As with all cat food, a high-quality meat/protein is tantamount to the food you provide your senior cat.  Make sure your cat enjoys her food and that it is made of small, easy to chew bite size kibbles.  Taurine is also a key ingredient in your cat's food, and try to look for cat foods with cranberries to ensure a healthy urinary tract.  While your senior cat won't need as much protein as a kitten, she is still a carnivore and requires a great deal of protein,  a greater percentage than older dogs even.  As such, it is important not to restrict your senior cat's protein intake.  In fact, cat food with low protein may impair your cat's immune function.

In addition to your senior cat's protein requirements, studies have shown that older cat's do not digest and absorb fats as well as younger cats.  So make sure your cat's food has has more easily digestible food in order to ensure she gets the same amount of energy.  Be sure to keep track of your cat's weight and body and adjust her diet accordingly.

What should I feed my senior cat if she has so-and-so disease or condition?

Senior cat's dietary needs are different if they have certain illnesses or conditions.  You should consult your veterinarian about what to look for in foods if your cat is suffering from a particular ailment.  In general however, here is a list of common cat health problems and the corresponding nutritional needs and recommended changes in diet:

• Colitis, constipation, or anal gland disease:  Pick foods with increased dietary fiber.
• Diabetes mellitus:  Pick a diet high in fat and protein and low in carbohydrates.
• Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and colitis: Pick foods with highly digestible sources of protein, fat, and carbohydrates.
• Heart disease: Pick foods with decreased amounts of sodium and increased amounts of the amino acid taurine.
• Chronic kidney failure:  Cat foods with highly digestible protein are important so there are fewer byproducts, which the kidneys are responsible for eliminating in the urine.
• Dental and oral disease: For cats who experience pain while eating hard food, you will probably need to switch to canned food.
• Cancer:  Increasing Omega-3 fatty acids in the diet is recommended.

What about obesity and my older cat's weight?

Just like people, an older cat will have a slower metabolism and be less active, causing her to become overweight.  Maintaining a healthy weight is important for your cat's health.  Many senior cat foods are specially formulated to help your cat stay at a healthy weight - and if she's already obese - lose weight.  In addition to the food you provide your cat, you should engage her in exercise to stimulate her cardio-vascular system and help her lose weight in a healthy way (for more tips, you can see our article on maintaining older cat health).  Exercise is good for your older cat the same way it's good for you!

My older cat is losing a lot of weight and is too thin, what gives?

Some cats tend to naturally lose weight as they age, which normally should not be a problem.  Progressive weight loss (without a change in diet/food), however, can be a warning sign for serious illnesses or medical problems that your cat may have.  It is important for you to monitor your cat's weight and look for small, gradual decreases in weight as that tends to be the first sign of illness.  Some conditions for which weight loss could be a symptom include kidney failure, cancer, diabetes mellitus, inflammatory bowl disease, liver disease, hyperthyroidism, and some other conditions.

Keep a record of your cats weight on a monthly basis, and if you notice any anamolous changes, be sure to notify your veterinarian and have your cat checked out.  He could then suggest a particular dietary change for your cat's condition.

Natural Balance pet food has come into existence to ensure good health and a balanced diet to the pets. It has been accepted wholeheartedly by senior cat owners.  It is through Dick Van Patten, the famous actor, that this product got founded.  This pet food company offers very nutritious and healthy cat food.

These cat foods are prepared by the Natural Pet Food Company in the laboratories of Pacoima in California. The ingredients that you shall find in the Natural Balance cat food are, chicken, duck meal, dried egg, lamb meal, potassium chloride, spinach, zinc sulfate, salmon meal, taurine, potassium iodide and lots more. Natural Balance cat food are rich in protein content and are easily available in the market both in dry and canned form at an economical price.

Some of those that you can opt for are Natural Balance Original Ultra Premium Dry Cat Food, Natural Balance LID Limited Ingredients Diets Green Pea & Duck Formula for cats, Natural Balance Green Pea & Chicken Dry Cat Food.

Keys to Older Cat Health

In addition to providing nutritional older cat food, there are a number of things you can do to prolong your aging cat's life and keep your older cat in good health.

Because cats are very good at hiding their emotions and pains, it's very important for you to observe your older cat closely and make mini-physical examinations a part of the way you normally interact with your cat.  You can ask your vet for tips, but generally some things you can do include:

• Raising the cat's upper lips to examine its teeth and gums and look for abnormalities.
• Lifting the ear flaps and checking the ear canals, making sure they're clear.
• Feel for lumps or bumps on your cat as you pet him or her.
• Look for changes in your older cat's skin and coat.

If you find anything out of the ordinary, be sure to bring it up with your vet.  Early detection of problems is key to ensuring the longevity of your older or senior cat.

Other important items for your cat's health include:

• Daily brushing and grooming - It helps your cat avoid hairballs while promoting blood circumation and stimulating sebaceous gland secretions which helps your older cat maintain healthy skin and a shiny coat.  Be sure to check your older cat's nails weekly, too, and trim them if necessary, since they probably don't use scratching posts as often as when they were younger.
• Exercise - In addition to weight control, exercise is as beneficial for your older cat as it is for older people!  As arthritis develops and muscles begin to atrophy, cats become less agile.  By encouraging your cat to play and exercise, you're helping your senior cat maintain its muscles, increase blood circulation and stay at a healthy weight.  If your cat has trouble breathing or gets tired extra quickly, take note of it as it may be suggestive of disease.
• Reducing Stress - As cats age, they become less adaptable to change.  As such, if you're going to board your senior cat for an extended period of time, be sure that she has a familiar object such as a blanket or toy.  Ideally, however, the cat should be cared for by a friend or neighbor in your home.  Another key to reducing stress is not introducing new pets in the home.  One thing you can do to reduce stress in unavoidable situations is giving your senior cat more attention and affection to help ease her emotions.

A big key to your older cat's health, however, is the food you feed your senior cat!  Check out our article on senior cat food nutrition.

Nutritional Food is Key to Cat Health

Proper nutrition is vital for ensuring the health and happiness of your cat.  But what should you look for when picking a dry or canned food for your cat?

First and foremost, the brand of food you pick should have a label from the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) that verifies the nutritional balance of the food.  The association regulates nutrition and labeling in cat food products and you're only guaranteed that the food is complete if there is an AAFCO label on the food you purchase.  For your convenience, all foods reviewed on this website are AAFCO approved.

Next, since cats are carnivores by nature, you want a meat to be the primary ingredient in the food you purchase.  Just like with regular human food ingredients, the first item listed is the one that is found in the greatest quantity, then the next, and the next and so on.  The last ingredient is the one with the smallest quantity in the food.

Make sure your cat foods also has the nutrient taurine which is important for your cats health.  Quality cat foods should have this along with a lower amount of carbohydrates.  Carbs are inexpensive fillers for cat food manufacturers and the best cat foods are mostly made with meats and proteins, not carbs.

If your cat has a history of urinary tract problems, try to avoid foods with fish in them and try to provide your cat with wet or canned food.  Other things to look for are foods that advertise a pH balance and include cranberries.

Finally, choose a cat food that your cat enjoys and stick with it.  Changing your cats diet stresses her out and could cause her to become ill.  Sometimes changing her food is necessary (to prevent or treat urinary tract diseases, help her lose weight, etc) in which case the food should be changed gradually.

Be sure to consult your veterinarian about what the best food for your cat is at her stage in life.  As cats age, senior cat foods helps them remain healthy in their older age and address their changing nutritional needs.

Check out our articles on switching your cat from dry food to canned food, and which cat foods are best for a healthy urinary tract, too.