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Senior Cats & End of Life terms
Older cats: senior cat care, cognitive decline, hospice and euthanasia, pet loss and grieving, the oldest cats.
EuthanasiaA veterinarian's painless medical procedure to end an animal's life peacefully when suffering cannot be relieved.Geriatric catA cat aged about 15 or older, who needs closer monitoring, a comfortable home and a focus on quality of life.Hospice careCare for a cat with an incurable illness that focuses on comfort, pain relief and quality of life rather than cure.Night howlingLoud calling, wailing or yowling at night, common in older cats and in cats in heat, and sometimes a sign of illness.OsteoarthritisWear and inflammation of the joints that is very common in older cats and often shows up as subtle changes in behavior.Quality of lifeA way of judging whether a sick or elderly cat is still comfortable and enjoying life, used to guide end-of-life decisions.Senior catA cat from about 10 or 11 years old, when joint, kidney, thyroid and dental disease become more common and check-ups should be more frequent.Senior dietFood marketed for older cats, which varies widely, so the right choice depends on the individual cat's weight, teeth and health.Vestibular diseaseA disturbance of the balance system that causes a head tilt, stumbling, rolling and flicking eye movements.