Canberra Cat Vet Blog
Behaviour changes in your old cat
Tuesday, December 15, 2015
As they age, cats often suffer a decline in functioning, including their cognitive functioning. It’s estimated that cognitive decline-referred to as feline cognitive dysfunction, or FCD-affects more than 55% of cats aged 11 to 15 years and more than 80% of cats aged 16 to 20 years. Memory, ability to learn, awareness, and sight and hearing perception can all deteriorate in cats affected with FCD. This deterioration can cause disturbances in sleeping patterns, disorientation or reduced activity. A common sign of cognitive dysfunction is yowling at night or crying at odd times.
FCD can make cats forget previously learned habits they once knew well, such as the location of the litter box or their food bowls. It can increase their anxiety and make them more clingy. It can also change their social relationships with you and with other pets in your home. Understanding the changes your cat is undergoing can help you compassionately and effectively deal with behaviour problems that may arise in her senior years.
Some effects of aging aren’t related to cognitive dysfunction. Often these effects can contribute to behaviour changes that only look like cognitive decline. Be sure to report all changes you see to your cat’s veterinarian. Don’t assume that your cat is “just getting old” and nothing can be done to help her. Many changes in behavior are signs of treatable medical disorders, and there are a variety of therapies that can comfort your cat and ease her symptoms, including any pain she might be experiencing.
1
Search Blog
Recent Posts
Tags
advantage aggression cryptococcosis scratching post attack bladder stones ulcers home toxins hole collapse body language on heat worms head paralysis tick panadeine diuretics antiviral hypertrophic cardiomyopathy desex meows a lot sneeze best vet arthritis depomedrol kittens radioactive iodine African wild cat appetite hunting snuffles cat behaviour straining tooth high blood pressure holes in teeth mouth breathing blockage chlamydia mycoplasma jumping senses paralysis feline enteritis corneal ulcer bump change scratching snot goodbye IBD lump cognitive dysfunction groom carrier comfortis nails best veterinarian home visit tumour pet fleas face rub flea prevention urination lymphoma in season cough blood in urine vomiting activity appointment poisonous indoor cats stress lilly constipation rub panleukopenia open night intestine hunters sick cat kidneys sensitive stomach enclosure overweight toxic ulcerated nose unwell training foreign body litter whiskers sensitive New Year's Eve hard faeces weight spray diet paralysed poisoning slow cat enclosures Hill's Metabolic enteritis kidney disease house call cat vet renal disease insulin introductions scratch cat history outdoor cat information night introducing rough play blood heart disease lilies conflict bad breath skinny panadol best clinic rash touch roundworm desexing catoberfest hospital feline AIDS thirsty feline herpesvirus cat friendly check-up cta fight snake bite gasping when to go to vet love grass poison blocked cat introduction breathing difficult painful off food tablet cat eye dental treatment pain killer obese ACT hairball kitten abscess cat enclosure fits drinking more inflammatory bowel disease old fever bite free tradesmen vocal crytococcosus lily snuffle Canberra senior adipokines liver scale prey thiamine deficiency sucking wool fabric castration sick blindness vaccination paracetamol wool diabetes lick worming weight control eye infection cortisone gifts dry food tartar holiday visit furball furballs pheromone kibble ribbon sun hunter flu wet litter litter box best cat clinic poisonous plants teeth spraying open day herpesvirus blood test eyes new cat competition decision to euthanase snake vision fat fear antibiotics cat fight holes AIDS old cat return home enemies marking spey rigid head abscess,cat fight kidney blind xylitol anxiety mass panamax dental check sore ears sore eyes echocardiography client night annual check socialisation allergy diarrhoea rolls mental health of cats lame aerokat massage brown snake blood pressure vomit stare into space behaviour virus prednisolone allergy, FORLS sense of smell pill vaccine headache pica new year bladder itchy pain health check photo competition checkup aggressive obesity urinating wobbles stiff panleukopaenia fireworks urinating outside litter unsociable joints heavy breathing kitten play dilated pupils hungry revolution strange behaviour dymadon anaemia eye ulcer cancer ulcer kitten deaths sore mince hyperactive holidays FIV petting cat fight heaing polish pancreatitis opening hours drinking a lot hyperthyroidism poisons salivation flea treatment pain relief microchip urine hiding yowling cat flu blue biopsy pred not eating cystitis dental euthanasia exercise new kitten nose scabs pet meat plants string snakebite plaque thyroid food puzzles urinating on curtains or carpet skin sudden blindness vet visit bed moving calicivirus hearing cranky dementia aspirin noisy breathing permethrin fluid pills restless computer hunched over physical activity behaviour change christmas cat worms breeder odour seizures tapeworm Canberra Cat Vet cage award runny eyes train hypertension learning asthma urine spraying weight loss grooming cat containment birthday signs of pain pet insurance changed introduce skin cancer snakes runny nose examination tick twitching feliway
- abscess (3)
- abscess,cat fight (2)
- ACT (1)
- activity (1)
- adipokines (1)
- advantage (1)
- aerokat (1)
- African wild cat (1)
- aggression (4)
- aggressive (1)
- AIDS (2)
- allergy (2)
- allergy, (1)
- anaemia (1)
- annual check (4)
- antibiotics (1)
- antiviral (1)
- anxiety (8)
- appetite (4)
- appointment (1)
- arthritis (6)
- aspirin (1)
- asthma (2)
- attack (1)
- award (1)
- bad breath (1)
- bed (1)
- behaviour (4)
- behaviour change (1)
- best cat clinic (1)
- best clinic (1)
- best vet (1)
- best veterinarian (1)
- biopsy (2)
- birthday (2)
- bite (1)
- bladder (1)
- bladder stones (1)
- blind (3)
- blindness (1)
- blockage (1)
- blocked cat (1)
- blood (1)
- blood in urine (1)
- blood pressure (2)
- blood test (1)
- blue (1)
- body language (2)
- breathing difficult (1)
- breeder (1)
- brown snake (1)
- bump (1)
- cage (1)
- calicivirus (5)
- Canberra (1)
- Canberra Cat Vet (3)
- cancer (5)
- carrier (3)
- castration (1)
- cat (1)
- cat behaviour (1)
- cat containment (2)
- cat enclosure (2)
- cat enclosures (1)
- cat fight (1)
- cat flu (2)
- cat friendly (1)
- cat history (1)
- cat vet (1)
- cat worms (1)
- catoberfest (1)
- change (1)
- changed (1)
- checkup (4)
- check-up (1)
- chlamydia (2)
- christmas (1)
- client night (1)
- cognitive dysfunction (1)
- collapse (1)
- comfortis (1)
- competition (1)
- computer (1)
- conflict (1)
- constipation (1)
- corneal ulcer (1)
- cortisone (1)
- cough (4)
- cranky (1)
- cryptococcosis (1)
- crytococcosus (1)
- cta fight (1)
- cystitis (2)
- decision to euthanase (1)
- dementia (1)
- dental (6)
- dental check (1)
- dental treatment (1)
- depomedrol (1)
- desex (2)
- desexing (1)
- diabetes (7)
- diarrhoea (6)
- diet (4)
- dilated pupils (2)
- diuretics (1)
- drinking a lot (1)
- drinking more (1)
- dry food (1)
- dymadon (1)
- echocardiography (1)
- enclosure (1)
- enemies (1)
- enteritis (3)
- euthanasia (2)
- examination (1)
- exercise (2)
- eye (1)
- eye infection (1)
- eye ulcer (2)
- eyes (2)
- face rub (1)
- fat (3)
- fear (2)
- feline AIDS (1)
- feline enteritis (1)
- feline herpesvirus (1)
- feliway (4)
- fever (1)
- fight (1)
- fireworks (1)
- fits (2)
- FIV (3)
- flea prevention (1)
- flea treatment (1)
- fleas (4)
- flu (4)
- fluid pills (1)
- food puzzles (1)
- foreign body (1)
- FORLS (1)
- free (1)
- furball (1)
- furballs (1)
- gasping (1)
- gifts (2)
- goodbye (1)
- grass (1)
- groom (1)
- grooming (2)
- hairball (2)
- hard faeces (1)
- head (1)
- headache (1)
- heaing (1)
- health check (1)
- hearing (2)
- heart disease (1)
- heavy breathing (1)
- herpesvirus (5)
- hiding (3)
- high blood pressure (2)
- Hill's Metabolic (1)
- hole (1)
- holes (1)
- holes in teeth (1)
- holiday (2)
- holidays (1)
- home (1)
- home visit (1)
- hospital (1)
- house call (1)
- hunched over (1)
- hungry (2)
- hunter (1)
- hunters (1)
- hunting (1)
- hyperactive (1)
- hypertension (4)
- hyperthyroidism (3)
- hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (1)
- IBD (2)
- in season (1)
- indoor cats (1)
- inflammatory bowel disease (2)
- information night (2)
- insulin (1)
- intestine (2)
- introduce (1)
- introducing (1)
- introduction (3)
- introductions (1)
- itchy (1)
- jumping (2)
- kibble (1)
- kidney (1)
- kidney disease (3)
- kidneys (3)
- kitten (5)
- kitten deaths (1)
- kitten play (1)
- kittens (1)
- lame (2)
- learning (1)
- lick (1)
- lilies (3)
- lilly (1)
- lily (3)
- litter (1)
- litter box (1)
- liver (1)
- love (1)
- lump (1)
- lymphoma (2)
- marking (3)
- mass (1)
- massage (1)
- mental health of cats (1)
- meows a lot (1)
- microchip (1)
- mince (1)
- mouth breathing (1)
- moving (1)
- mycoplasma (2)
- nails (1)
- new cat (5)
- new kitten (4)
- new year (1)
- New Year's Eve (1)
- noisy breathing (1)
- nose scabs (1)
- not eating (1)
- obese (2)
- obesity (3)
- odour (1)
- off food (2)
- old (1)
- old cat (2)
- on heat (1)
- open day (1)
- open night (3)
- opening hours (2)
- outdoor cat (1)
- overweight (3)
- pain (6)
- pain killer (1)
- pain relief (1)
- painful (2)
- panadeine (1)
- panadol (1)
- panamax (1)
- pancreatitis (1)
- panleukopaenia (2)
- panleukopenia (1)
- paracetamol (1)
- paralysed (1)
- paralysis (1)
- paralysis tick (1)
- permethrin (1)
- pet (1)
- pet insurance (1)
- pet meat (1)
- petting cat (1)
- pheromone (1)
- photo competition (1)
- physical activity (1)
- pica (1)
- pill (1)
- plants (1)
- plaque (1)
- poison (3)
- poisoning (1)
- poisonous (1)
- poisonous plants (1)
- poisons (1)
- polish (1)
- pred (1)
- prednisolone (1)
- prey (1)
- radioactive iodine (1)
- rash (1)
- renal disease (1)
- restless (1)
- return home (1)
- revolution (1)
- ribbon (1)
- rigid head (1)
- rolls (1)
- rough play (1)
- roundworm (2)
- rub (1)
- runny eyes (1)
- runny nose (2)
- salivation (1)
- scale (1)
- scratch (2)
- scratching (1)
- scratching post (1)
- seizures (1)
- senior (2)
- sense of smell (1)
- senses (1)
- sensitive (1)
- sensitive stomach (1)
- sick (4)
- sick cat (1)
- signs of pain (1)
- skin (1)
- skin cancer (2)
- skinny (1)
- slow (1)
- snake (2)
- snake bite (1)
- snakebite (1)
- snakes (1)
- sneeze (3)
- snot (2)
- snuffle (1)
- snuffles (2)
- socialisation (1)
- sore (3)
- sore ears (1)
- sore eyes (1)
- spey (3)
- spray (1)
- spraying (1)
- stare into space (1)
- stiff (1)
- straining (3)
- strange behaviour (1)
- stress (6)
- string (1)
- sucking wool fabric (1)
- sudden blindness (1)
- sun (1)
- tablet (1)
- tapeworm (3)
- tartar (1)
- teeth (7)
- thiamine deficiency (1)
- thirsty (1)
- thyroid (1)
- tick (1)
- tooth (1)
- touch (2)
- toxic (2)
- toxins (1)
- tradesmen (1)
- train (1)
- training (2)
- tumour (1)
- twitching (2)
- ulcer (1)
- ulcerated nose (1)
- ulcers (1)
- unsociable (1)
- unwell (1)
- urinating (4)
- urinating on curtains or carpet (1)
- urinating outside litter (1)
- urination (3)
- urine (5)
- urine spraying (1)
- vaccination (7)
- vaccine (3)
- vet visit (2)
- virus (2)
- vision (3)
- visit (1)
- vocal (1)
- vomit (4)
- vomiting (10)
- weight (1)
- weight control (1)
- weight loss (12)
- wet litter (1)
- when to go to vet (1)
- whiskers (1)
- wobbles (1)
- wool (1)
- worming (1)
- worms (3)
- xylitol (1)
- yowling (4)
