Caring For Older Cats – Teeth

Brushing your cat's teeth on a weekly basis is a good idea.

It is a fact that older cats require more care than their younger counterparts. As we get older we slow down, don’t tolerate heat or cold as well as we used to, get tired easily, lose our appetite or some of our teeth. We can be plagued with arthritis, hearing and sight problems. These problems also afflict our aging cat and they are unable to tell us what hurts.

If you have established a long and lasting bond with your cat over the years, you should be ‘in tune’ with it and be aware of what is happening.

Just as our senior citizens need to visit the doctor more often, our ‘senior cat’ will most likely need to see the vet more frequently. This will help make sure that any problems are dealt with before they become a major concern.

One of the biggest problems that you need to consider as your cat ages is to have its teeth checked on a regular basis as teeth problems are one of the biggest causes of ill health in older cats.

They can get a buildup of plaque on the teeth and this can cause gum problems. These gum problems can cause infections that lead to the deterioration of their internal organs and reduction in the quality of life and the length of their life, so try to get your cat’s teeth checked at least once every six months as they get older.

Some breeds of cats and more prone to teeth problems than others and a lot of this depends upon the type of food you are feeding them and also the way that they eat as some cats like to chew more than others, with the chewing helping to clean plaque off the teeth.

If you find your older cat not eating properly, or it has trouble chewing, make sure there is no buildup of plaque and that the teeth and gums are healthy.  If disease is present in the gums, it can infect the whole body, giving your aging cat a whole host of other health problems.

Not only will your cat lose condition through not eating, it will become even more lethargic which will stiffen up any aching joints. This will cause a drastic reduction in the quality and length of life for your beloved cat.  In fact it is often said that cats that live longest are those that don’t have any teeth left.  For more ideas on how to care for your older cat, I suggest investing in *Veterinary Secrets Revealed. This excellent ebook will become a valuable resource for you.

Older cats will also need a little more comfort as they are not as limber as they once were and giving them a nice soft surface to sleep on, away from drafts and in the warmth, will ensure that they remain in good health for longer.

Quite often cats will find a favorite place to sleep and as they are very clean animals, this place will need to be cleaned on regular basis or they will tend to move to other sleeping areas after a while.

There are some excellent cat beds available on the market which are designed to be very comfortable for older cats. They are relatively cheap and most of them are designed to wrap around the cat as they lie in their natural curled up sleeping position.

This gives the cat support and also a sense of security and the good beds are made of materials that can be easily washed and dried to help maintain cleanliness and ensure that your cat stays in that same place most of the time.

Cat Food Nutrition

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