The nutritional needs of cats change over the course of their lives. In addition to the changed nutritional requirements, other challenges can arise when feeding older cats. Our tips will show you what to look out for when feeding senior cats.

WHEN IS A CAT OLD?

Cats don't get old overnight. This is a slow process. Outwardly, you will hardly notice any difference at first. Maybe at the age of seven the cat is no longer quite as playful, moves a little less, has initial dental problems or seems to be a bit more picky about eating. The causes of these small changes are often age-related and are related to processes in the body. It is typical that the activity of the metabolism is reduced with age. Various organs, such as the heart, liver and the digestive system, no longer work to the usual extent. In addition, it must be expected that the cat's sense of smell will decrease, which is why it may no longer eat the food it is used to.

DIET TIPS FOR OLD CATS

Due to their advanced age, older cats aged seven and over may experience increasing problems. These are noticeable, among other things, in the fact that the cat no longer likes to eat its usual food. With our tips we would like to help you to support the older cat in eating:

Avoid Large Servings
An old cat's digestion is slower. It therefore makes sense to divide the daily feed ration over several small meals.

Chopping up food If your cat has dental problems, you should cut wet food into smaller pieces. This makes it easier to pick up the feed.

Problems with dry food
As the cat gets older, it smells worsens. As a result, the feed intake of dry feed can decrease with age. It is therefore advisable to switch to wet food if necessary.

Older cats often drink too little Older cats often drink too little. In this case, feeding wet food can make more sense than dry food, since a larger amount of liquid is already absorbed with the wet food.

Warming up the food  
If cats suffer from loss of appetite, this may be related to a reduced smell capability. Warm up the food a little. As a result, it smells more intense, which often tempts them to eat.

FEEDING OLD CATS

If older cats experience nutritional problems, it is a good time to see a veterinarian. He can clarify whether there is a disease and therefore a change of feed is recommended. Maybe he advises you to a special prescription diets or suggest switching from one food for adult cats to senior cats. It takes into account the changing nutritional needs of an old cat. On the one hand, this concerns the often reduced energy requirement due to less activity. On the other hand, the composition of vitamins and minerals is adapted to provide the older cat with all the essential nutrients.

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