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At what age is a cat considered senior?
"When I was 17, it was a very good year. We'd hide from the lights on the village green" Frank Sinatra could well be describing the life of a cat. 😺
Like us, our furry friends age and grow older, with one difference: they don't develop wrinkles. Lucky them! However, we do have some things in common. Some senior cats have graying fur, they're less nimble, their appetite becomes fickle, and their hearing and eyesight decline.
So, at what age is a cat considered senior?
Humans are considered senior from 60/65 and qualify for a bus pass and discounted train fares. In the medical field, they're somewhat kinder at 70!
It's equally unclear with our furry friends, but most vets agree that a cat is considered senior from the age of 8. Yes, that's a little younger than us.
However, this is an estimate, and some cats are more fragile than others. This is especially true for pedigree cats, who generally have a shorter life expectancy than European cats.
While may be considered elderly at the age of 8, he can very well be healthy and remain "young" at heart.
Beyond 15, however, your fluffy friend qualifies for the esteemed "geriatric" category. A slightly insulting term, since a cat can still be doing very nicely at 16, 17, or even 20!
Psst: Flossie, the oldest cat in the world is 29 years old. As we can see in this Guinness World Records video, she seems to be doing well. Despite her dull fur and hearing problems. Bless you Flossie!
The importance of a tailored diet for your senior cat
Regardless of their age, our little fluffballs are strict carnivores. To stay healthy, they need animal protein in their diet. These proteins are the source of the 11 essential amino acids essential for their good health: taurine, arginine, phenylalanine, methionine, valine, leucine, isoleucine, lysine, tryptophan, threonine, and histidine. All these micronutrients contribute to the proper functioning of their body (immunity, development, digestion, reproduction) and structure (bones, skin, fur).
Finally, in addition to animal proteins, our furry friends need fats (essential fatty acids), minerals, vitamins, and fibre in their food for a healthy bowel movement.
All cats - kittens, adults, and seniors - have the same basic nutritional needs.
However, two stages in a cat's life require special attention: when they're a kitten, and when they're senior, i.e. from the age of 8.
While still developing, a kitten needs kitten food which is richer in nutrients and calories to grow into a handsome cat (read all about it in our article “how to feed my kitten”). A senior cat's needs however, reflect his age and all those years of life weakening his little body and organism.
His joints are no longer as robust, his teeth become more sensitive, and his senses can also be affected, including smell, hearing, and eyesight. His kidneys are also more sensitive. He loses lean mass in favour of fat mass, which also results in water loss. Cats over 12 can experience significant weight loss, as well as a drop in the ability to digest nutrients, especially fats. They simply can no longer absorb them as well.
Although we can't do anything against ageing, it's possible to slow or reduce its effects with a special diet. To provide the best quality of life possible, his food, especially wet food for senior cats, must be rich in animal proteins, hydrating, low in carbs, and especially contain very little phosphorus for his fragile kidneys.
Here's what the ideal diet looks like for your elderly or senior cat.
Of course, we recommend taking advice from your vet before changing your cat's diet. Every cat is unique and requires special consideration.
Our guide to properly feeding your senior cat
Find all our advice on how to properly feed and take care of your senior cat in our guide.
Wet food over dry food.
Let's start with the product itself. What to choose? Dry food or wet food?
We recommend prioritizing wet food for your senior cat. Wet food offers numerous benefits for your senior cat (and for all cats, in fact):
1. It's the closest you can get to a "mouse in a can."
2. Rich in water, it prevents urinary problems that affect most senior cats.
3. Your beloved cat “drinks” without realizing it, consuming the water he needs directly from his food.
4. Wet food makes him feel full. Thanks to its high water content, it fills up his stomach and stays fuller for longer.
5. It's 4 times less calorific than dry food. A cat that mainly eats wet food has a much lower risk of becoming overweight or obese and of developing diabetes. Another risk factor in seniors.
6. And finally, it's easier to eat. With age, cats experience more dental issues and find it increasingly difficult to chew dry food. Their gums can also cause them pain. Wet food's ideal for their fragile little teeth and sensitive gums. By the way, dry food has no anti-tartar effect on a cat's teeth. That's a common misconception! Find out more in our article on how to take care of your cat's teeth.
A complete wet food!
Wet food is ideal for your senior cat. You can give him 100% wet food, provided that his wet food is COMPLETE and not just complementary.
What's the difference? Complete wet food, like our Ziggy wet food, contains all the nutrients your cat needs to be healthy: proteins, fats, fibres, as well as vitamins and minerals. They can be given on their own as a cat’s only food.
In contrast, complementary wet food does not cover all of your cat's nutritional needs. It may contain high levels of certain substances or lack nutrients. A complementary food must be paired with other foods to form a complete meal to avoid nutritional deficiencies.
Here's more on the difference between complete and complementary wet food.
Some wet food mixed with a few dry food biscuits.
If your senior cat has no specific jaw problems (chewing, missing teeth), you can also give him dry food, but this dry food should remain a small part of his diet. And above all, it must be of good quality: contain premium proteins, be low in carbs and phosphorus. We'll explain everything in the rest of this article.
A protein-rich diet to maintain a healthy weight
As we've seen, animal proteins are essential for your cat, regardless of their age. However, with age, the senior cat experiences a loss of lean mass, which leads him to draw on his body's protein reserves.
Contrary to popular belief, senior cats don't need a lower protein intake. Quite the opposite! Their food must be rich in proteins to maintain their muscle mass.
Without sufficient intake, they could catabolise their muscle mass and lose weight. This effect can cause an increase in creatinine in their body, which will then need to be "washed out" by the kidneys. Note that senior cats are particularly sensitive to chronic kidney disease; so you should watch out not to overwork their kidneys!
Of course, the protein intake should not be excessive either. It's all a matter of finding the right balance.
Watch out for protein quality!
The protein level may be high, but pay attention to the quality. Some foods don't contain any premium organ meats or proper muscle pieces that your cat needs to meet his nutritional needs. These instead contain reconstituted meat, carcass scraps and cartilage - none of which provide any healthy benefits to your furry friend.
Your cat will not metabolise these low-quality animal proteins. Amino acids will also be passed through urine, and the more of these proteins your cat has to process, the harder his kidneys have to work. In the long term, this can lead to chronic kidney disease and senior cats are most at risk!
Also, some proteins can be plant-based rather than animal-based. Plant proteins come from cereal grain (wheat, rice, corn, barley) and legumes (peas, soy). These do not provide all the essential amino acids or need the nutritional needs of your senior cat. Taurine and arginine are notably absent from plant source proteins.
How can you tell if proteins are good quality?
You need to look at the crude ash and phosphorus levels. Read more about this in our article on the role of protein in your cat's diet.
At Ziggy, we only use high-quality proteins from premium organ meats and real muscle meat. To best feed your senior cat, we have developed a wet food specifically suited to our fluffy companions over 8 years old. Our senior wet food has a PCR of 89.6 g/Mcal, which perfectly meets your senior cat’s needs.
But don't take our word for it, do the easy maths yourself 😸
A low-phosphorus diet to protect their kidneys.
Senior cats, particularly breeds such as Maine Coons and Birman cats, are especially at risk of developing kidney impairment, a serious condition that affects their kidneys.
It's important to watch how much phosphorus is in your senior cat's diet. As outlined in our article on kidney impairment in cats, several studies, including those by Böswald (2018) and Dobenecker (2018), have demonstrated that foods too high in digestible phosphorus can have a harmful effect on the renal function of our furry friends. Like urea, phosphorus is processed by the kidneys. And the higher the amount, the harder these organs have to work to get rid of it.
Phosphorus can be found in grains and meat, but it is present in larger quantities in carcass scraps, cartilage, and fish bones.
However, phosphorus shouldn’t be altogether banished from their bowl. This nutrient is essential for development and cell differentiation, energy metabolism, fatty acid transport, and the synthesis of amino acids and proteins. It also works in combination with calcium (two inseparable nutrients). Without phosphorus, calcium would not be absorbed. A balanced intake is required; not too little, nor too much.
Good fatty acids for their joints (arthritis)
Over time, our little companions may have increasingly difficult time moving around and jumping from place to place. They may suffer from arthritis!
As explained in our article on arthritis in cats, this osteoarticular condition is due to ageing and affects 80% of cats over 10 years old. It's characterised by the destruction of the articular cartilage, the small membrane that allows joints to move against one another. With arthritis, the cartilage thins, cracks, and eventually disappears altogether, leading to significant pain and limping in cats.
For prevention or treatment (if arthritis is diagnosed), opt for a diet rich in fatty acids, particularly long-chain Omega 3, EPA, and DHA. At Ziggy, our recipes are enriched with all of these. We add them in the form of small fish.
We also offer Omega Boost, a fish and seaweed oil for cats, concentrated in very high quality Omega 3 EPA & DHA.
Omega 3 EPA & DHA help cats to secrete anti-inflammatory molecules. A diet enriched with EPA & DHA via Omega Boost helps to reduce joint pain or pain linked to osteoarthritis and arthritis.
And what about their nervous system!
Note that as they age, our cats may suffer from cognitive dysfunction: experiencing disorientation, becoming disheveled, or behaving oddly. It's proved and well documented that DHA - in combination with antioxidants - have a positive effect on the nervous systems of senior cats (2013 study).
Low carbs
Besides kidney impairment, it's also important to watch out for diabetes in senior cats, and opt for a diet low in both phosphorus AND carbs! A carb-rich diet can increase insulin secretion, putting your cat at risk of developing diabetes mellitus.
So, keep an eye out for this for your senior cat. These can be excessive in regular industrial foods: between 10 to 50% in wet food, and 20 to 50% in dry food!
Our Ziggy wet foods contain less than 3% carbs / dry matter. And our Ziggy Vet Diabetes wet food contains less than 1% sugars and starch / dry matter. As for our dry food with chicken and dry food with salmon, they contain only 25% and 23% carbs, respectively.
Appetizing food for their fickle taste buds
Finally, as they age, our senior cats may also suffer from sensory disruptions and gradually lose their sense of smell. However, smell is essential for their appetite and is crucial for them to recognise and accept their food.
Your senior cat's diet must be high-quality, but it must also be tasty, and make your old furry friend want to eat their wet food and/or dry food.
You'll come across wet food prepared as sauces or mousses that cats love. But watch out, as they often contain flavor enhancers. Manufacturers add them to make their products tastier. The downside is that these enhancers provide absolutely no nutritional value.
At Ziggy, we prefer to add thyme, an aromatic plant, and fish oil to make our foods taste great. Fish oil is particularly beneficial for your senior cat: it provides good fatty acids, including Omega 3 and 6. Omega 6 helps your furry friend maintain a beautiful coat. Which is important given that older cats tend to develop dull and coarse fur.
Tips: if your senior cat's being fussy with his food, add a spoonful of warm water to his bowl. This will enhance the smell of their wet food. You can also add a bit of tuna brine.
How much dry food and wet food should I give my senior cat?
Several factors should be considered, such as their age (if they are 8, 10, or over 15 years old), their physical activity, their weight, and so on. Use our portion calculator to find out their ideal portion size.
"My cat is old, I'm worried about changing his diet."
As they get older, our furry friends can become a bit more finicky and they don't like their eating habits being interfered with! But don't worry, senior cats can definitely change their diet. The important thing is to carry out a dietary transition, which consists of gradually adding their new food to their existing food. This transition allows them to gradually accept their new food and does not overly disturb their digestive system.
Read our article on dietary transition. We explain step by step how to go about it and, above all, how to make it work.
You now know everything about feeding senior or elderly cats. If you have any questions or need support, Xinaïs, Émilie, and Lysa, our amazing Cat Parents, are here to help you. Contact them by email at hello@ziggyfamily.com.
Other considerations to take best care of your aging cat
A premium and suitable diet is essential for your senior cat, but remember not to overlook their environment.
- Make sure his bowl's easily accessible.
- Continue to physically and mentally stimulate him by playing with him.
- Use boxes or steps so he can climb on the window sill and keep up with what's happening in the neighborhood.
- And of course, keep those cuddles coming!
Find more tips on how to take care of your senior cat on our blog.
