Read a gradual drop in jumping height correctly
A senior cat whose jumping height has eased down over several months is usually adapting, not failing. Instead of one clean leap to the windowsill, she may hop to a chair first, choose lower shelves, or pause and gather herself before a jump she once made without thinking. Slow change over months most often reflects stiffening joints, weakening hindquarter muscle, sore paws, or vision that judges distances less confidently, and only the vet can sort which of these is driving it in her case. Your role before the appointment is to make daily life cost her less while you gather the specifics that help the vet pinpoint the change.
Bring her essentials down to the level she trusts
Start with the jumps she cannot avoid. Add a stable, wide step, low stool, or ramp to her favorite perch and to any bed she still chooses, placed solidly so it never wobbles under her, because one slide can end her willingness to try. Move food and water to the floor she spends her day on, and give her a litter tray with one low entry side on that same level so she never has to climb or leap to reach a toilet. Run through her daily routes the way she travels them, from bed to bowl to tray to sun spot, and remove any point where the only option is a jump that has clearly become hard for her.
Keep weight and muscle working in her favor
Extra weight is the heaviest burden aging joints carry, so feed measured meals rather than leaving food down all day, and weigh her regularly to confirm she is holding steady rather than creeping up or down. At the same time, muscle lost to inactivity makes jumping weaker, so keep gentle play in short, floor-level sessions that invite her to stretch, turn, and pounce without demanding height. A wand toy drawn along the floor suits a cat whose jumping days are fading far better than one flicked overhead. Note honestly what she still does easily and what she has quietly stopped doing, because that contrast is exactly the evidence a vet examination builds on.
Record the pattern, then watch for reasons to call sooner
Write down which jumps have disappeared, which ones she now breaks into stages, and when you first noticed, then film one short clip of her attempting a familiar route if you can do so without encouraging her to try something unsafe. Bring that timeline to the appointment rather than a general impression that she seems slower. Most gradual cases can wait for the booked visit, but some changes cannot: a cat who suddenly cannot use a back leg, cries out when moving, stops eating, or cannot get comfortable at rest needs the practice contacted the same day. Those sharper turns suggest something beyond slow joint change and deserve prompt attention.
Give the vet her movement history in one packet
Judging a months-long mobility drift depends on comparison with her past: earlier weights, previous joint findings, and any earlier notes about her activity level all help the vet decide what is new and what is progressing. If those records are scattered, the gradual story you have lived with can sound vague in a short appointment. Assembling your jumping notes, the clip, and her past visit records before you go keeps the consultation focused on her actual pattern. KinsLe holds that material together in the Pet Passport, so the notes, weight history, and earlier checks for your senior cat travel as one clear record to this appointment and the next.