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Shout out to all the OAP’s (Old Aged Pussycats) out there – 9 lives in and still thriving, gorgeous.
Whether they’ve observed the last decades of your life (moved houses/countries with you, experienced boyfriends and girlfriends coming and going, survived children entering the universe) or you found each other later in life, here’s everything you need to know about looking after your senior cat.
How to help my old cat maintain weight
Once our cats edge closer to retirement, maintaining a healthy body weight and keeping energy levels on point are the main focus, as well as keeping a good balance in their diet so your cat can continue to live their best life right through the wonder years.
At Republic of Cats, we divide our vintage moggies into two categories, Mature and Senior. Here’s how to choose food that gets your old cat what they need to grow old gracefully.
- Mature cats – like a fine wine, our 7-11 year old chums
During this time of their life, cats tend to gain weight a little more easily (we can relate) so it is important to provide a dry blend of kibbles with the perfect energy density and calories, as well as exact portion sizes for your cat.
You can work this out with a calculator and pen/paper from the back of the supermarket food bags. Republic of Cats customers get it calculated precisely for them – we take into account all the extras about your cat, like how much they exercise, what they like to eat, etc as well as their age.
It’s a good idea to keep a conversation going with your vet as your cat gets older – our in-house Cat Nutritionist, Ele, is also on-hand to chat through any specificities for your cat and adjust their diet to keep them sleek and healthy as they age.
- Senior cats – the wonder years, kitties aged 11 years plus
And now we flip the script entirely. Once a cat turns 11 and they enter full-on retirement, they often begin losing weight. This is often due to their digestive system being a little less efficient than it was back in the day, maybe losing some teeth and being less active than their former selves, zoomies aren’t so common past the 11th birthday for most of our grandcats.
Now it’s time to increase their calories by 10% to make sure they’re still absorbing the right amount of nutrients. A more calorie dense dry food blend is a great idea, especially if you can find one that’s softer on the palate, so that they can pack that nutritional punch without having to make munching a full time job.
Keep your cat healthy when they’re older
Keeping your old age cats comfortable and healthy is key to ensuring they live a long and happy life, curled up and snoozing in their favourite spot. The right ingredients and portion size are essential to prolong those purrs and keep your housemate as agile in both mind and body as they have always been.
Our community is packed full of grandcats like yours – share your tales here.
