Treatment Advice
Setting realistic goals is vital. Your veterinarian can help you decide the
best choices for your cat’s health situation, your own emotional and
financial circumstances, and your “comfort level” regarding home care.
While a cure isn’t always possible, health conditions of aging cats can
often be control ed to ensure a good quality of life.
Kidney disease does not mean your cat is going to die tomorrow, says
Dr. Marks. “With proper care, we can keep these pets going,” he says, but
realistical y, it’s impossible to predict how long treatment wil help. That
depends on the individual cat and the owner’s commitment. “You have to
look at it and say, this is a ten-year-old pet that has a disease, let’s see
what we can do,” he says.
Many times, senior cats are healthy but lose their sight or hearing, or
develop a chal enge that only requires a few environmental
accommodations to keep them safe and comfortable. But for cats with a
life-threatening problem, other questions must be answered. How wil
treatment affect his condition? Is a cure possible? If not, wil a given
treatment stop or slow the progression of the condition, and for how long?
Wil it improve the way he feels, or make him feel worse? Is it worthwhile to
make him feel worse for a short time if he’l live longer? Based on these
answers, owners can then decide what care path is best for their cat.
People usual y are much more capable of handling home care than they
think. The turning point may come, for example, when you realize giving
fluid therapy several times a week can save the cat’s life. Initial y learning
that your cat has cancer can be devastating news. Yet your veterinarian
can help explain what to expect in the way of prognosis, treatment, and
side effects if any. A cat with painful cancer wil , in fact, welcome
amputation that takes the pain away, and she won’t worry that she “looks
funny” to the other cats. In almost every situation, the outcome is much
better than we fear.
You should talk with your veterinarian and other family members not only
to make informed decisions, but also to reduce any guilty feelings down
the road. “Some people are real y haunted by those kinds of decisions,”
says Barbara Kitchel , DVM, an oncologist at the University of Il inois (now
at Michigan State University). “Veterinarians offer a counseling service
based on therapeutic decisions to help decide what am I comfortable with,
and how do I get comfortable with the decision and not have the guilt.
There’s always guilt.”
The veterinarian should always explain to you the pros and cons of
pursuing treatment. “Then you have to decide for yourself,” says Dr.
Kitchel . Changes can be made, or treatment stopped altogether, anytime
during the therapy. “It’s not like human medicine where you keep people
alive on a ventilator. We don’t do that in veterinary medicine,” she says.
“It’s not life above al things, it’s quality of life above al things.”
Certain therapies are more expensive than others, and not everyone can
afford them. “Cancer therapy is very expensive. I have patients who spend
$7,000 in a year, and that’s your fun money, your vacation is gone,” says
Dr. Kitchel .
However, even when the optimum therapy is cost-prohibitive, other more
economical options may be available. “There’s a menu of options you can
select for that individual client’s needs,” says Dr. Kitchel . Each animal is
so different that it’s impossible to predict which choice wil have the best
results. Nobody can predict how much time a given therapy wil give.
“I get a lot of joy out of being able to help that animal do real y wel
throughout the rest of its geriatric life,” says Dr. Beebe. She says that
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), which includes acupuncture and
herbs, offers wonderful advantages for treatment of chronic diseases
because there are so few side effects. “The animal does so wel that lots of
people tel me it’s hard to believe they’re that old or that they have cancer
or kidney failure,” she says. When holistic treatment is combined with
mainstream Western medicine, she says the cat is more likely to remain
vital and enjoy life up until the very end—rather than experiencing a
everything they can to have a good quality of life for their animal. And when
they can no longer have that good quality of life, then it’s time for that
animal to pass on.”
A whole host of emotional issues confronts the owner who chooses
euthanasia of an aged cat, says Dr. Little. “Sometimes they’re living alone,
their spouse may have died, their kids may be in another city, and they stay
in an apartment with an elderly cat. And then the cat dies. And they’re
alone. That’s a huge social issue.”
We know that our cats won’t live forever. But we can take comfort in also
knowing our cats don’t fear death, and don’t worry about tomorrow. Cats
live in the “now.” And that frees them to greet you each day with joyful,
purring abandon.
Witnessing that freedom teaches us great lessons. “If you choose to
treat an animal for cancer, you see them die with a lot of dignity and
tremendous grace,” says Dr. Kitchel . “Death is a process. And you see an
animal go through that process. They say I love you. But it’s time for me to
go. You see them get themselves ready,” she says. “It’s so beautiful to
watch, and it’s so beautiful to be with them, and there’s so much peace at
the end that it’s a lovely thing.”
Four out of ten dogs and cats are aged seven years and older. This
aging population constitutes more than 50 percent of patients seen by
veterinarians—about 45 mil ion pets, according to the American Veterinary
Medical Association and others. The numbers wil climb as loving cat
owners continue to provide the best care possible for their aging
companions.
Golden Moments: Loving Hershey
Linda Parker of Pittsburgh went looking for a kitten at the local pound.
“At the time we were very poor, living on one income, and my first husband
was going through col ege,” she says. She thought a cat would be less
expensive, and also they wouldn’t need a kennel if they went away on
weekends. “We got Hershey. She’s a chocolate brown Burmese and she’s
gorgeous.” Al the other kittens seemed ordinary next to Hershey. “I felt
pretty fortunate to find her. We brought her home, and stil haven’t gotten
used to her incessant talking 16 years later,” says Linda. “She needs to be
talking. If she’s awake, you know it because she’s talking to you.”
When Hershey was adopted at 6 months of age, Linda had a one-year-
old baby. “I’ve since had three more children, other pets, and she’s been
through two husbands, five moves, and various and sundry things, and
doesn’t seem daunted by it. She’s more like a family member than a pet.”
Hershey has always been a lap cat, and wants to be near people or
&
nbsp; at least in the same room. She recently celebrated her 16th birthday, and
has never had any health problems. Hershey isn’t picky about her food, but
does insist on cool (not warm) water, with no floating hairs, if you please.
She even has a special meow-demand when the water has run out. “She’s
very purposeful about that,” says Linda.
Hershey visits the veterinarian once a year for routine vaccinations,
and Linda says they’re always amazed by her age. She did not have any
gray hair until recently, and now has only a few on her face and a couple
wispy ones where her col ar would be. “She stil jumps up on anything she
wishes, no matter how high it is,” says Linda. “I haven’t noticed any
increased sleeping or anything. She does do a little more random
meowing.”
Her “talking” has always been part of a conversation with someone. “She
always wanted the last word. If you wanted her to stop, you had to stop
talking to her.” Now, every once in a while, Hershey wil meow in rooms
when nobody’s there. “It’s not as important to her to have an audience for
her meowing now,” she says. “But it gets a little annoying because she’l
always find a room that echoes.”
Linda takes for granted that Hershey is so healthy. She tries not to
think about ever losing the cat. “Part of me says when Hershey goes, I
disappointed it’s not Hershey,” she says.
“She has seniority over three of my children. I don’t even think of her
as a pet, real y. She’s just here. She’s obviously one of the members of the
family.”
CHAPTER 2--THE AGING PROCESS
Cats grow very quickly during their first 12 to 18 months of life.
Their bodies build new tissue and repair injuries at a rapid rate. That fast
growth slows and stops once adulthood is reached. Yet even when the cat
has stopped growing, nothing is static at the microscopic level. Cel s are
continuously created, function a short time, then die and are replaced
natural y. Organs such as the liver have built-in redundancies and reserves
that al ow the healthy cat to adapt to both internal physical stresses as wel
as those from her environment.
The older the cat gets, the less her body is able to replace cel s that die.
This interferes with the ability of the cat to maintain health or recover from
il ness. Normal reserves are depleted when cel turnover slows down or
stops altogether.
The aging cat’s old organs can’t keep up as wel with normal demands.
Because these systems are interrelated, a deficit in one part of the body
can cause problems elsewhere. For instance, the aging heart has a harder
time pumping blood, and blood vessels begin to lose elasticity, and the
combination contributes to high blood pressure. This, along with reduced
oxygen getting to the brain, may add to behavioral changes often attributed
to senility.
The aging process is not ful y understood. One theory suggests that cel s
can replicate—reproduce themselves—only a certain number of times.
This genetic aging is dictated by the cat’s breed and inherited tendencies
from her family. Just as in people, members of certain families tend to live
longer than others. Siamese cats often enjoy a very long lifespan, whereas
Persians seem to have a shorter lifespan than some other cat breeds.
Many experts believe oxidation influences the speed at which cel s age.
Oxidation is a normal part of living. The cel s of the body swim in oxygen,
which is necessary for many normal functions. But prolonged exposure to
oxidation causes cats to age prematurely and develop disease, in the
same way that metal oxidizes or rusts when exposed to air.
How does oxidation occur in cel s? Their energy is produced through
respiration by mitochondrion, tiny structures inside each cel which are rich
in fats, proteins and enzymes. This energy-generating process also
creates highly unstable and reactive atoms and molecules cal ed free
radicals. Oxidation in living tissue results when free radicals try to combine
with normal atoms and molecules of the cel s. This damages the cel wal s
and DNA, causing disease and accelerated aging.
Aged cel s are less efficient. Old mitochondria are less efficient and
produce less energy but generate more toxic free radicals, says Dr. Blake
Hawley, a veterinarian with Hil ’s. “The nervous system tissue is especial y
vulnerable to attack by free radicals. It’s real y important that as the cel
ages, we find ways to absorb or attack those free radicals that are
produced.”
Other influences outside of genetics also speed up the aging process.
For example, diseases caused by feline leukemia virus and feline
immunodeficiency virus suppress the immune system and make cats
prone to other diseases including certain kinds of cancer and fungal
infections such as ringworm. Exposure to sunlight and toxins in the air,
water, or food are considered environmental influences that impact aging.
Injuries, such as a fracture, speed up the age-related joint degeneration
known as arthritis. Improper nutrition can interfere with cel regeneration.
Emotional stress suppresses the immune system and al ows damage from
parasite or viral infections, which can irreparably damage the body and
contribute to early aging.
How Age Affects the Body
Most cats begin to slow down a bit by the time they reach seven to
ten years. These changes are very gradual and subtle, though, and often
we don’t notice any significant changes. For instance, the cat may begin
seeking out warm spots that help creaky joints feel better, or sleeping an
extra hour or so each day. Even the veterinarian may not detect aging
changes without special tests, until they become obvious, at which point
the damage may be irreversible.
Understanding how age affects the different body systems wil help you
become alert to subtle changes that may point to serious problems.
Catching medical problems early offers the best chance of successful y
treating them, and keeping your cat happy and healthy.
The Senses
Cats rely on their senses to a much greater degree than do people. They
use touch, taste, scent, sight, and hearing to learn about the world around
them, and connect with their people. They rely particularly on hearing and
sight, and scent and taste to a lesser degree.
Normal aging in the sensory organs affects al cats. In addition, exposure
to environment insults often causes damage to the sensory organs, which
means they dim over time. Taste bud numbers decline, and the sense of
smel is often the first to show the effects of age, often with loss of appetite.
As far as we can tel , though, the cat’s enjoyment of the touch sensation—
petting, snuggling, and contact with beloved owners—does not change
with age. Cats that develop problems regulating body temperature may, in
fact, become more likely to want to snuggle in a warm human lap as they
get older.
Al cats suffer from a certain amount of v
isual and hearing impairment,
says Benjamin Hart, DVM, a veterinary behaviorist at the University of
California-Davis. “Certainly that’s an impact on behavior.” Yet sensory loss
usual y bothers owners much more than it bothers the pet. Cats are able to
compensate for vision or hearing loss to such an extent that we often don’t
recognize there’s any problem until very late in the game.
Aging Eyes
A cat’s eyes are designed for a night predator. Vision is arguably the
most important feline sense of al . “Visual acuity in the cat is fairly close to
that of the human, probably a little less,” says Lawrence Myers, DVM, a
professor of anatomy at Auburn University. Cats pay exquisite attention to
the world around them, and are particularly adept at discerning motion out
the corner of their eyes.
Cats with prominent eyes such as Persians are more prone to damage
and chronic inflammation from scratching or bumping their eyes, but this
can happen at any age. Cats do not have a particular age-related eye
problem, other than nuclear sclerosis, says Harriet Davidson, DVM, an
ophthalmologist at Kansas State University (now at Michigan Veterinary
Specialists). That is a normal change of age that causes the lens in the eye
to turn hazy. “It’s the reason humans have to get glasses when they turn
about 40,” says Dr. Davidson. “Your lens is not as flexible so you can’t see
up close anymore because it can’t accommodate. Elderly animals wil
have a pupil that looks somewhat bluish or milky in appearance.”
Cats can see through the haze and stil function wel . Nuclear sclerosis is
different from cataracts, which ultimately result in complete opacity of the
lens and blindness. “Cataracts occur at al ages, but there’s more
likelihood as an animal ages, just as a person, that cataracts develop,”
says Dr. Paul A. Gerding, Jr., DVM, chief of the ophthalmology section at
the University of Il inois veterinary school.
Glaucoma is another eye problem more typical of older cats. It is
extremely painful and, similarly to cataracts, can result in blindness.
Loss of sight doesn’t stop her from being a good pet, though. Vision-
impaired and blind cats tend to rely more on their other senses, such as
hearing, as wel as memory of certain landmarks to get around safely.
“You can stil give them a pretty good quality of life,” says Dr. Myers. “Don’t