Nutritional Considerations for the Aging Cat

Improved veterinary care, nutrition and lifestyle have collectively improved the life expectancy of dogs and cats over the last 20 years. Nutrition and appropriate nutritional management have been shown to alleviate, postpone, slow down and even prevent diseases commonly associated to the process of aging, allowing a better quality of life in older pets.

Vincent Biourge
DVM, PhD, Dip. ACVN, Dip. ECVCN
 

Denise Elliott
BVSc (Hons), PhD, Dip. ACVIM, Dip. ACVN
 

Introduction

Improved veterinary care, nutrition and lifestyle have collectively improved the life expectancy of dogs and cats over the last 20 years. Nutrition and appropriate nutritional management have been shown to alleviate, postpone, slow down and even prevent diseases commonly associated to the process of aging, allowing a better quality of life in older pets. Veterinary practitioners should thus assess the diets and dietary management of the aging pet and make recommendations based on the latest scientific knowledge. 

Many age-related feline diseases (e.g., chronic kidney disease, osteoarthritis, diabetes mellitus, hyperthyroidism) are more frequently observed after ten years of age, and with most of these diseases (and especially in cats) obvious clinical signs occur rather late in the pathophysiological process. Diets for “healthy” senior cats should therefore integrate aspects that will help prevent diseases associated with aging in their formulation. Cats tend to live longer than dogs and it is not uncommon for veterinarians to see cats that are more than 15 years of age. However, as with humans, the genetic and environmental background of each animal means that the chronological and physiological ages do not always match. The nutritional recommendations for the older healthy cat must therefore take into account the specific requirements of the feline species and the impact of aging on physiology and metabolism, and include dietary strategies that could help prevent or slow down disease processes commonly associated with aging (Table 1).
 

Although this paper will focus on the nutritional needs of the healthy aging cat, longevity requires a healthy start from an early age. Both nutritional deficiencies and excesses will significantly affect lifespan, and it is important to maintain optimal body condition in cats for their entire life. This might be a challenge, especially following neutering, but feeding diets formulated for neutered cats (e.g., less energy-dense) and adjusting the ration for the body condition have clearly been shown to contribute to achieving life-long optimal body condition (Figure 1).
 

The most precisely formulated diet will only help an aged cat if it is willing to eat it. Special care should thus be taken to ensure maximum palatability by a combination of quality ingredients, and careful selection of aroma, kibble size and the texture of the diet. Note that older cats are at increased risk of suffering from diseases that cause polyuria/polydipsia and are more likely to suffer from lameness, and it is therefore essential to provide them with easy access to fresh water. [...]