Keep Your Aging Cat Young with #HillsPet

It's a sad fact of life that our beloved feline companions have much shorter lifespans than we humans do. I've been fortunate that each of my cats has lived into their teens, common cat life expectancy nowadays. (I'm already telling Truffles that she'd better plan to be with me to celebrate my 50th birthday in 14 years!) You hear stories of cats living into their 20s, but I haven't been that lucky yet.

Did you know that cats aged 7-10 are considered "mature adults" and aged 11 plus are seniors? Here's a fun way to calculate your cat's age:

As we settle into the day to day routine with our fur babies, it can be easy to miss some of the subtle changes in their behavior that can indicate that the years are catching up with them: they can become less active and prefer to sleep more, their litter box habits may change and they may become more vocal. Older cats are at risk to develop any of the chronic diseases that humans are prone to, including dental, heart, and kidney disease.

As pet parents it's our duty to stay proactive and keep our old cats young. Vet checkups at least twice a year, keen observation at home, avoiding obesity, maintaining good grooming habits, keeping your cat active via playtime each day, and showering them with love and attention, are all keys to a healthier and more fulfilling life for your senior cat.

 

Another integral component to maintaining and improving quality of life is through nutrition. Thankfully we can look to the people at Hill's Science Diet so it's one less thing for us to have to worry about! Cats over the age of 7 need to have their phosphorus levels and other vital nutrients controlled to reduce kidney stress. They need a reduction in their sodium intake (just like us!) Their urine pH also needs to support a healthy urinary tract. For all of these needs Hill's has developed Mature Adult Active Longevity. For cats over age 11, the right nutrients can actually slow the aging process down! For this they recommend Senior Age Defying Food.

Every cat's needs are going to be different, so please check with your veterinarian before making any changes to your cat's diet. The most important thing we can do as pet parents is to ensure a happy and healthy life for our feline companions for as long as possible, so in my opinion anything that can make that possible is worth looking into.

This post is sponsored by Hill’s. I am being compensated for helping spread the word about Hill’s Science Diet for Cats, but Mochas, Mysteries and More only shares information we feel is relevant to our readers. Hill's Pet Nutrition, Inc. is not responsible for the content of this article.