Your cat used to land on the windowsill in one light spring. Lately she stops at the foot of the sofa, looks up for a moment, and climbs instead: paws on the cushion, a pause, then the back legs. The water bowl seems to empty faster than it did last year, and the clumps in the litter box are bigger.
None of these things looks like an emergency. Together, though, they are the quiet way an older cat tells you that something has changed.
A cat is considered senior from about 10 years of age, according to the 2021 AAHA/AAFP Feline Life Stage Guidelines. Many cats live well into their late teens, and the senior years can be comfortable and full of ordinary pleasures. Older cats are also good at hiding discomfort, so the small changes you notice at home are often the first clue that a vet should take a look.
This guide covers the changes worth reporting, how often a senior cat should see a vet, how to adjust your home for stiffer joints, and practical ways to help an older cat drink more water.
- Senior starts at about 10. Feline guidelines call cats over 10 senior, and International Cat Care calls cats of 15 and older “super senior”.
- Book checkups at least every 6 months. The AAFP recommends this for cats aged 10 to 15, and every 4 months for healthy cats over 15.
- Report changes early. Drinking or urinating more, weight loss, appetite changes, litter box changes, reluctance to jump and new night yowling all deserve a vet visit.
- Make the home easier. A low-sided litter box on every floor, steps or a ramp to favorite spots and a warm, draft-free bed help stiff joints.
- Make water easy to find. Several wide bowls away from food and litter, kept full, encourage drinking. A fountain or wet food can help some cats.
When is a cat a senior?
A cat counts as a senior from about 10 years old, the age used by the 2021 AAHA/AAFP Feline Life Stage Guidelines and the AAFP’s senior care guidelines.
Age labels vary a little between organizations. International Cat Care describes cats as “mature” from 7, “senior” from 11 to 14 and “super senior” from 15, and the Cornell Feline Health Center notes that many cats begin to show age-related changes somewhere between 7 and 10 years. The exact number matters less than the habit it should start: watching more closely and seeing the vet more often.
If you are not sure how your cat’s age compares with a person’s, the cat age calculator gives a rough human-years equivalent for each life stage.
Changes worth a vet visit
A change in an older cat’s drinking, weight, appetite, toileting, movement or behavior is a reason to see a vet rather than something to put down to age.
Older cats rarely show illness in dramatic ways. The Cornell Feline Health Center warns owners not to assume that changes are simply part of getting old, because many of the common diseases of older cats start slowly and are easier to manage when found early. Write down what you notice and when it started; a short note makes the appointment far more useful.
See your vet if your senior cat shows any of these:
- Drinking more or urinating more, such as a bowl that empties faster or larger or more frequent clumps in the litter
- Weight loss, even when the cat seems to eat well
- A change in appetite, eating less, eating more, or becoming fussy
- Litter box changes, such as accidents, straining, or going much more often
- Stiffness, limping, or hesitating before jumping up or down
- Behavior changes, such as hiding, confusion, grooming less, or new loud crying at night
- Lethargy, vomiting, lumps, balance problems or pale gums
Go straight to a vet if a cat strains in the litter box and passes little or no urine, stops eating, or seems weak or collapsed.
Why these signs matter
Drinking and urinating more is one of the most important changes to notice, because it can be an early sign of several illnesses that become more common with age, kidney disease among them. A slow weight loss is easy to miss under a thick coat, so weighing your cat now and then on the same scale gives you something firmer than a guess.
Stiffness often shows up as a choice rather than a limp. International Cat Care lists reduced mobility, reluctance or hesitation to jump up or down, difficulty with stairs and difficulty using the litter tray among the main signs of arthritis in cats. A cat who stops visiting a favorite high shelf may be telling you that the jump now hurts.
Loud crying at night has more than one possible cause. Cornell describes it as a common sign of cognitive dysfunction, the feline form of age-related brain changes, and notes that night-time vocalizing is also fairly common in cats with an overactive thyroid or high blood pressure. Only an examination can tell these apart.
How often should a senior cat see the vet?
Healthy cats aged 10 to 15 should see a vet at least every six months, and healthy cats over 15 every four months, according to the 2021 AAFP Feline Senior Care Guidelines.
Senior checkups are about more than vaccines. Regular checks let the vet track weight, body condition, blood pressure and blood and urine results over time, so a slow change stands out before the cat feels unwell. Cats with an ongoing illness may need to be seen more often, and your vet will suggest a schedule that fits your cat.
A visit can be stressful for an older cat, which is one reason owners put it off. A carrier left out at home with a soft blanket inside, a calm car ride and a towel over the carrier can make the trip easier.
Make your home easier on older joints
Small changes at home, like a low-sided litter box, steps to favorite places and warm beds, help an older cat keep doing the things it enjoys.
Cats with sore joints often give up on places that are hard to reach rather than complain. The changes below come from the advice of International Cat Care and the Cornell Feline Health Center, and most of them cost very little.
Simple changes room by room
Litter boxes. Use open boxes with low sides, or cut a low entry into one side of a large storage box. Cornell suggests a litter box on every floor so an older cat never has to climb stairs in a hurry. Keep the litter soft and scoop often, since a stiff cat may be reluctant to stand in a crowded box.
Steps and ramps. A sturdy box, a footstool or a gentle ramp lets a cat reach the sofa, the bed or a sunny windowsill without a big jump. Cover the surface with carpet or a non-slip mat so paws can grip.
Floors. Rugs, runners and non-slip mats make slippery floors easier to cross.
Warm resting places. Older cats often seek warmth. Offer soft, washable beds in quiet spots out of drafts, warm but not hot. International Cat Care suggests a thermal blanket, and an enclosed bed can feel warm and secure. If you add padding under a narrow windowsill, a cat who loses its balance has a softer landing.
Everything on one level. If stairs become hard, put food, water, a bed and a litter box on the floor where the cat spends most of its time.
Grooming help. Older cats find it harder to reach every part of their coat. Gentle brushing helps, especially for longhaired cats, and a sudden drop in grooming is worth mentioning to your vet.
Helping your cat drink more water
Several bowls of fresh water placed away from food and litter, in wide containers kept full, are the simplest way to encourage an older cat to drink.
International Cat Care points out that senior cats are at greater risk of dehydration, especially cats with kidney disease. Cats tend to prefer water that is separate from where they eat, so a combined food and water dish can actually put some cats off drinking. The aim is to make water easy, pleasant and close by, wherever the cat happens to be.
Ways to make water more inviting:
- Put out several water stations, for example one on each floor, away from food bowls and well away from the litter box.
- Choose wide, shallow bowls of glass or ceramic, so whiskers do not brush the sides.
- Keep bowls full to the top and change the water daily.
- Place bowls in quiet spots away from busy doorways and noisy appliances, where the cat can drink without its back to the room.
- Try a raised bowl for a cat with stiff joints, who may find crouching uncomfortable.
- Offer room-temperature water, and try a different type of drinking water if your cat seems unimpressed.
Fountains and wet food
Many cats are drawn to moving water. A pet water fountain is one option worth trying, but introduce it gradually next to a familiar bowl rather than replacing the bowl at once, and keep it clean according to the maker’s instructions. Some cats never take to fountains, and a plain bowl in the right place works just as well for them.
Wet food is another way to add water to a cat’s day. Cornell notes that canned cat food is at least 75 percent moisture, and International Cat Care says wet food generally increases a cat’s fluid intake compared with dry food. Wet food is not the only choice, though, and an older cat may have health needs that affect what it should eat. Talk to your vet before changing your senior cat’s diet, and make any change gradually.
Avoid offering milk, salty stock or gravy, or anything containing onion as a way to tempt a cat to drink. Milk often upsets cats’ stomachs, and onion is toxic to them.
Kidney disease in older cats
Chronic kidney disease is one of the most common illnesses of older cats, and only a vet can diagnose it, usually with blood and urine tests.
The Cornell Feline Health Center estimates that kidney disease affects up to 40 percent of cats over 10 and up to 80 percent of cats over 15. The disease often develops slowly. According to the Merck Veterinary Manual, it can continue for many months or years before a cat shows any signs, which is one reason regular senior checkups include blood and urine tests.
Signs owners may notice
In the early stages, many cats look completely normal. As the kidneys lose some of their ability to concentrate urine, a cat may start to drink more water and pass more urine, which you might see as bigger clumps in the litter box or a water bowl that needs filling more often.
Later, a cat may lose weight, eat less, seem tired or withdrawn, and look unkempt because it grooms less. Some cats vomit. Cornell also lists pale gums, which can come from anemia, and sudden changes in eyesight, which can come from high blood pressure linked to kidney disease.
Every one of these signs can also have other causes. That is why the answer is a vet visit rather than a guess at home: the vet will examine the cat, run tests, and explain the findings and the options. Do not change your cat’s diet or give any product for the kidneys without your vet’s advice.
Frequently asked questions
At what age is a cat considered a senior?
A cat is generally considered senior from about 10 years old. International Cat Care also uses “super senior” for cats aged 15 and over. Many cats start to show gradual age-related changes somewhere between 7 and 10.
How often should a senior cat go to the vet?
The 2021 AAFP Feline Senior Care Guidelines recommend a checkup at least every six months for healthy cats aged 10 to 15, and every four months for healthy cats over 15. Cats with ongoing health problems may need more frequent visits.
Is it normal for an old cat to drink more water?
Drinking noticeably more water is not something to accept as normal aging. An older cat that drinks or urinates more than usual should see a vet, because the change can be an early sign of kidney disease or other illnesses.
How can I get my senior cat to drink more?
Put several bowls of fresh water around the home, away from food and the litter box, and use wide bowls kept full. Some cats drink more from a fountain, and wet food adds moisture to the diet; ask your vet before changing food.
Why does my old cat yowl at night?
Night yowling in an older cat can come from age-related brain changes, but it is also common in cats with an overactive thyroid or high blood pressure. A vet visit is the way to find the cause.
For more on daily care, see why cats pee outside the litter box, the cat age calculator and the pet food calculator.
The cat who now climbs instead of leaping is still the same cat. With a step by the sofa, water in a few more places and a vet who sees her twice a year, she can keep finding her way to the warm spot by the window.
Sources
- American Association of Feline Practitioners – 2021 AAFP Feline Senior Care Guidelines, Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery, 2021
- AAHA/AAFP – 2021 AAHA/AAFP Feline Life Stage Guidelines
- Cornell Feline Health Center – The Special Needs of the Senior Cat
- Cornell Feline Health Center – Loving Care for Older Cats
- Cornell Feline Health Center – Chronic Kidney Disease
- Cornell Feline Health Center – Cognitive Dysfunction
- Cornell Feline Health Center – Feeding Your Cat
- International Cat Care – Special considerations for senior cats
- International Cat Care – How to encourage your cat to drink
- International Cat Care – Arthritis in cats
- Merck Veterinary Manual (Cat Owners) – Noninfectious Diseases of the Urinary System of Cats
This guide is general information and not a substitute for veterinary advice.