Senior 7+ years

Cats hide illness well, and by the time a senior cat looks old, a lot has usually changed underneath. Seven is the conventional dividing line, though large cats and some breeds age faster. The most valuable shift in senior care is frequency: instead of an annual visit, twice-yearly checkups with bloodwork and a blood pressure reading catch kidney changes, an overactive thyroid or early diabetes while they are still manageable. Weight loss is the single most important thing to raise with your vet, especially when the cat is still eating well — that combination is a classic signal, not a puzzle to solve at home.

Small adjustments to the house make a large difference. Arthritis is common and often misread as laziness; a cat that stops jumping onto the bed may be in pain rather than slowing down generally. Add a low-sided litter box, a ramp or a stool as a halfway step, warm sleeping spots, and non-slip mats on hard floors. Raise food and water bowls slightly if lowering the head looks stiff, and consider a fountain — senior cats often drink less than they should, and mild dehydration makes everything else worse.

Grooming becomes a shared job. Older cats lose flexibility and stop reaching their lower back, so a few minutes with a soft brush each day prevents mats and doubles as a hands-on health check for lumps, sore spots or fleas. Watch for changes in sleep-wake patterns, yowling at night or confusion about familiar routes; these can be sensory decline, pain or cognitive change, and all are worth mentioning at the next visit rather than accepting as inevitable.