5,104 answers about cats
Cats keep their people guessing — why the 3 a.m. zoomies, what belongs in the bowl, when a vet visit can’t wait. This page gathers the cat library of KinsLe Answers in one place, organized by topic from feeding and litter to behavior, health and senior care. Every answer is original, written by KinsLe, and tied to a real KinsLe feature.
398 answers in Senior Pets — page 2 of 17
Common appetite and weight changes in an aging Turkish Van include eating a little less as his activity settles, losing muscle over the shoulders and hindquarters, and gaining weight if a still-healthy appetite meets a much quieter life. This is a large, strong breed, so changes can be substantial before they look…
Common appetite and weight changes in an aging Selkirk Rex include slower, smaller meals, some loss of the breed's sturdy muscle over the back legs, and gradual weight gain if portions stay the same while activity falls. That dense curly coat can hide both gain and loss, so judge him by touch along the ribs and by…
Common appetite and weight changes in an aging Havana Brown include eating smaller amounts more slowly, growing fussier about texture, and losing a little muscle over the hips and spine even when total weight barely moves. Some senior cats gain weight instead as activity falls faster than appetite. A Havana Brown who…
Weigh an elderly Turkish Angora about once a month and check her over once a week, feeling through her long silky coat with your hands because that coat can conceal a thinning frame for months. Part the fur along her ribs and spine during grooming, check for mats close to the skin, and record appetite, water intake,…
Weigh an elderly Havana Brown about once a month and check her over gently once a week, using the sessions as the close contact this people-focused breed usually enjoys. Feel her ribs and hips beneath that glossy brown coat, watch for changes in how much she eats and how sociable she stays, and note anything new in…
Weigh an elderly Egyptian Mau about once a month and check him over once a week at home, paying close attention to muscle over his hindquarters, because this athletic, spotted breed can lose condition behind the shoulders while still looking sleek. Feel along his spine and thighs, watch whether he still stretches,…
Weigh an elderly Domestic Shorthair about once a month on the same scales and check her over gently once a week at home, since steady small losses are easy to miss under an ordinary coat until they are advanced. Feel her ribs, spine, and hips with your hands rather than trusting how she looks, watch her appetite and…
Weigh an elderly Devon Rex about once a month on the same scales, at the same time of day, and check her over gently once a week, because her slender frame and fine coat show weight loss early but also make ribs easy to misread. Run your hands over her ribs, spine, and hips, look inside her large ears, and note…
For an older Domestic Shorthair, the litter tray entry should be low enough for her to walk in with a normal step rather than a hop or a high leg lift, with the other sides kept higher to contain litter. If she steps over the low side without pausing, dragging a foot, or perching on the rim, the height suits her; if…
Make everyday routines easier for an older Norwegian Forest Cat by planning for his size and heavy double coat: give him wide, sturdy steps, an extra-large low-entry litter tray, and grooming in short floor-level sessions so mats do not pull as he moves. Keep food, water, and a cool resting place on one floor, since a…
Make everyday routines easier for an older Domestic Shorthair by keeping food, water, litter, and rest on one level, lowering entry points, and keeping times and places predictable so she never has to hunt or climb for basics. Raise nothing she must step into, soften hard floors where she lands, and do grooming and…
Help an older Domestic Shorthair that can no longer jump by removing the need to jump at all: place wide, stable steps or a gentle ramp to her bed, sofa spot, and windowsill, and bring food, water, and a low-entry litter tray onto one floor. Watch whether she hesitates, slips, or avoids a route, and shorten the climb…
For an elderly Turkish Angora, raise food and water to a height that spares her neck, choose wide shallow dishes that keep her long facial hair and whiskers clear of the food, and anchor the station on the floor where she now lives so deafness or stiffness — both common in older Angoras, especially white ones — never…
For an elderly Havana Brown, raise her bowls so she eats standing comfortably rather than bending deep over floor dishes, use wide shallow bowls her short muzzle can clear easily, and keep the station somewhere warm and close to where she spends time with you — this sociable breed eats best near her people. Add a…
For an elderly Egyptian Mau, raise her dishes to a height that suits a long-legged, athletic build now moving stiffly, and keep the feeding spot on the ground floor so she is not climbing stairs on an empty stomach. Maus are fast, reactive eaters, so choose heavy, wide dishes that will not skid when she pounces on her…
For an elderly Domestic Shorthair, lift food and water onto a stable raised platform a few inches high so she eats without crouching into her shoulders, swap deep bowls for wide shallow ones she can clear comfortably, and put extra water bowls in the rooms where she spends her days. Keep every station in exactly the…
For an elderly Devon Rex, raise food and water just enough that she eats with her head level rather than dipping to the floor — a sturdy stand or upturned tray under wide, shallow dishes usually does it — and place stations where she does not have to cross cold tiles or climb anything to reach them. Devons feel the…
A senior Turkish Van needs less intensity, not less movement: swap the high climbs and long chases of her youth for several short floor-level sessions, stepped access to the perches she still loves, and walking games that keep her heavy, muscular frame mobile without pounding ageing joints. Watch recovery rather than…
Exercise for a senior Selkirk Rex shifts from chasing to strolling: expect shorter sessions, floor-level play instead of jumps, and more rest days woven between active ones, while keeping some gentle movement daily so her joints and weight stay managed. Her plush curls can hide weight gain, so judge her condition by…
Watch how an older cat uses the senses rather than relying on one test: a cat losing hearing may sleep through the doorbell yet respond to the vibration of footsteps, while a cat losing eyesight may hesitate at a moved chair, misjudge a familiar jump, or startle when a hand appears from the side. Try quiet home checks…
A senior Turkish Van stays mentally active through the things the breed has always loved, scaled down: supervised splashing in a shallow basin if she is one of the Van cats drawn to water, fishing-style wand play at floor level, and treat hunts along the route she patrols between her favourite rooms. Turkish Vans are…
A senior Selkirk Rex stays mentally active with slow, tactile play that suits her plush, curly coat and easygoing nature: gentle wand sessions at floor level, treats tucked into a rolled towel she can unpick with her paws, and new scents — a cardboard box from a different room, a pinch of cat-safe herbs on a mat — to…
Keep a senior Havana Brown mentally active with short, gentle puzzles rather than marathon play: scatter a few meals in a muffin tin covered with balls, rotate two or three toys instead of dumping out the whole box, and let her hunt for treats hidden along her usual walking route. Havana Browns are people-focused and…
An elderly Turkish Angora still wants to move elegantly around her home, so adjustments should protect that grace rather than confine her: lower her favourite perches to step-up height, add grip to the floors she crosses at speed, and keep a litter tray close on her main floor. Her silky coat needs brief daily…
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