Mental deterioration in geriatric animals

[panache45]

Do non-human animals suffer from mental deterioration when they age?

My cat is almost 19 (92 in human years). Obviously he's a lot less physically active than he used to be, and sleeps a lot more. But often he seems to be not quite all there, mentally. He doesn't seem to take as keen an interest in things, and never wants to play anymore. He also doesn't respond as quickly to his feedings. It's almost like he's not sure where the food is, till his face is right in the bowl.

Other changes that may be relevant: He's been getting more and more vocal over the last few years, just random wailings. And he keeps wanting me to pick him up and hold him, then he gets restless and jumps down. He never wanted to be held at all when he was younger.

[Shagnasty]

Of course they do.

"Cognitive Dysfunction - Cats, like people, can experience age-related dementia. There is a treatment available that may help some cats. Most of the studies and data on this condition and medical treatments for it are for dogs, but information on cats is starting to become available. Common signs (and treatment available) are outlined in this previous article."

http://vetmedicine.about.com/cs/catg...triccats_2.htm

[Lissa]

Some of these symptoms could be caused by physical problems. Animals can be weird when they're not feeling well. If your cat's joints are bothering him, it could explain why he doesn't want to play, and if he's uncomfortable, he won't really seem interested in food. (And his sense of smell may have decreased from age.)

I would suggest you have a vet do a soup-to-nuts checkup on your cat, including blood tests to check the liver and whatnot. It could be a simple medical issue which could be cleared up with medication.

[MerryMagdalen]

Lissa gives excellent advice.

I had a cat who lived with my parents until expiring a year or so ago at the age of 22 (!!). She started doing the random yowling vocalizations too, and we eventually figured out she'd gone deaf. (Nobody was in the financial position to take her to the vet for a checkup, unfortunately.) She was also blind or mostly blind - she could find her way around well enough, but I think it would have gone hard for her if we'd rearranged the furniture. So if your cat's sense of smell and sense of sight have decreased, he might just be having a hard time finding his food.

<off topic, slightly> She also had arthritis. The napping parts of the house were upstairs, but the food and litter were downstairs. In order to go up and down, she'd "walk" with her front paws and "slalom" with the back ones because they were stiff. It was cute, and she could move fast!<ot,s>

[zoogirl]

I'm also wondering about his sight. If he's not wanting to play, he may simply not see the toy or for that matter, the food dish.

Nineteen is pretty darn good! Congrats on you for keeping him safe and healthy for so long.

[Ceejaytee]

Originally Posted by MerryMagdalen

I had a cat who lived with my parents until expiring a year or so ago at the age of 22 (!!). She started doing the random yowling vocalizations too, and we eventually figured out she'd gone deaf. (Nobody was in the financial position to take her to the vet for a checkup, unfortunately.) She was also blind or mostly blind - she could find her way around well enough, but I think it would have gone hard for her if we'd rearranged the furniture. So if your cat's sense of smell and sense of sight have decreased, he might just be having a hard time finding his food.

You could have written this about my cat. She's almost 21 (2 more weeks) and she's blind, deaf, and has arthritis. She's a yowler, and since she's Siamese, she's pretty loud. She is also suffering from age-related dementia. I'm sure it's not connected to her lack of sight and hearing.

When she first went deaf (she has been mostly blind for some time), she could find her way around very easily, but as time passed she became more and more confused about where things should be, even though we hadn't moved anything. For example, she should know then when she comes out of her cat door from eating, she should turn right and walk directly to her cat bed in the warmest spot in the house, but she forgets and starts wandering. We've taken to putting up barriers so she won't get lost. It's sad watching your geriatric cat walk in circles until you rescue her.