As cats turn about 10 years old, they enter their golden years and start to slow down, spending most of their days sleeping instead of jumping and playing around. The years of wear and tear causes their body to slow down and become more prone to health problems. Their digestion and metabolism becomes less efficient so it is important to feed them a diet that is appropriate for their lifestage to help them keep their weight within a healthy range. The integrity of their immune system also reduces thus they can easily be affected by a heavy parasite load, both external (fleas and ticks) and internal (worms).

Some of the common health problems in senior cats include kidney disease, arthritis, heart disease, and hyperthyroidism. Your senior pet will have to make more visits to the vet clinic so that existing health problems may be regularly monitored. Any changes that you notice in your senior cat should be checked out by your Niwot, CO veterinarian.