| As your kitty ages, cat food nutrition can be | | | | functions and adjust to tensions in their environment. |
| important to the quality of her life. In general, your | | | | Illness and weight changes are common during the |
| cat will probably live over fifty percent of her life as | | | | senior years. Cats are at risk of weight gain in their |
| a senior. So what does this mean in terms of finding | | | | adult years due to the decline in activity levels and |
| the best cat food to keep her healthy? | | | | the slowing of their metabolism. |
| First off, how do you know when your cat reaches | | | | But by the time they reach 11 years of age, weight |
| "senior status"? You might see a sprinkling of gray on | | | | loss becomes an even bigger concern. The 11-plus |
| her chin; a small cloud forming over once-clear eyes. | | | | years are especially difficult for cats because their |
| Perhaps there's a touch of stiffness in what was | | | | sense of smell and taste tend to diminish at this time, |
| once a frisky gait. Any of these can be tell-tale signs | | | | which in turn has an adverse affect on their interest |
| that your fuzzy feline friend is entering her "golden" | | | | in food. The power to absorb key nutritional |
| years. | | | | elements and digest fat begins to declines, making |
| The old saying that one year in a cat's life is equal to | | | | eating itself less efficient. |
| seven "human" years isn't entirely accurate. Pets | | | | The unwelcome result is that more food goes |
| mature quickly during the first two years of life, level | | | | straight to becoming waste product, and less is |
| out for their middle years, and then begin to age | | | | utilized for energy, causing a drop in lean muscle mass |
| more rapidly once more during the final third of their | | | | and subcutaneous fat, leading to an often dangerous |
| life span. | | | | reduction in weight. As well as providing a healthy and |
| Technically, a cat qualifies as a senior once she's | | | | well balanced diet, owners of senior cats should |
| achieved 7 years of age or more. Factors that have | | | | closely monitor their cats' activity levels, weight, food |
| an impact on how individual cats age include body | | | | intake, grooming and elimination habits and report |
| weight, nutrition, environment, and overall health. | | | | anything new or unusual to their veterinarian. |
| Thanks to advances in veterinary care and improved | | | | The good news is that owners of senior cats can do |
| nutrition, cats are living longer than ever, giving those | | | | a lot to aid their aging felines in the maintenance of |
| of us who love them many more years of their | | | | an ideal body weight throughout their senior years by |
| affection and warm companionship. This longevity, | | | | feeding them a diet that addresses their unique |
| however, means that senior cats, just like their aging | | | | nutritional needs. For example, holistic cat food, |
| human companions, become more vulnerable to a | | | | nutrition from all natural products and processes, is |
| variety of health issues and ailments: weight gain and | | | | one excellent option for boosting the flagging energy |
| decreased mobility; heart, kidney, and liver diseases; | | | | of any cat, but especially a senior. Switching to a raw |
| diabetes; dental problems and periodontal disease; | | | | cat food diet as early as possible in your cat's life will |
| behavioral problems and cancer. | | | | help to keep her golden years much more vibrant |
| Though advances in animal care, better nourishment | | | | and healthy. When it comes the health of your cat, |
| and better educated owners have helped improve | | | | senior food doesn't have to be any different from |
| the quantity and quality of these years, studies have | | | | the food she's been eating all along, as long as it was |
| shown that senior cats continue to fight with weight | | | | the best and most natural food to begin with. |
| as the result of reduced activity levels and a steady | | | | Though many of the changes in your cat are |
| decline in senses, nutrient absorption and the ability to | | | | standard to the aging process we all go through, |
| digest fat. | | | | others may appear that can indicate a much more |
| "One of the most important goals when feeding | | | | critical issue. Scheduling veterinary visits at least twice |
| senior cats is maintaining an ideal weight and keeping | | | | yearly is good practice for older cats as many |
| that weight stable," says Dr. Arnold Plotnick, who | | | | potentially serious conditions are treatable if detected |
| pioneered a senior wellness program specifically | | | | early. Fortunately, if you started your kitty off from |
| intended to address the unique needs of aging cats | | | | the beginning by giving her the best quality holistic cat |
| at his veterinary hospital, Manhattan Cat Specialists in | | | | food, nutrition alone will have played a significant part |
| New York City. | | | | in helping her maintain glowing health when she enters |
| As cats age, there is a steady decline in their body's | | | | her senior years. |
| capacity to heal itself, maintain standard bodily | | | | |