Feeding the Older Cat to Optimize Health and Longevity

So your cat turned 10 and you are thinking it’s time to switch to a diet specifically marketed toward older cats.  Remember, just because a food is marketed for older cats, doesn’t mean it’s right for every older cat.  Many older cats will do very well by continuing to eat a good quality commercial adult cat diet.

The title of “senior” or “geriatric”, when attributed to pet foods, generally implies lower protein, lower phosphorus, and lower caloric content.  These levels will vary by manufacturer, but what is right for your cat?

Briefly:

Reduced protein diets are indicated for cats with either renal or liver disease.  It has not been proven that protein contributes to the development of these diseases, but cats should not be fed a low protein diet just because it is “old”.  

Phosphorus can contribute to the progression of renal disease and is therefore restricted in cats with significant kidney disease. 

Calorie adjustment will help prevent weight gain as cats age.  Many cats do tend to gain as they age, but not all.  If your cat is one that is gaining weight as it ages, then a reduced calorie diet is in order to reduce the possibility of other diseases occurring too.  If you happen to own a cat that loses weight as it ages, then a more calorically dense diet that is also low in fiber (high fiber foods are low in calories) should be selected.

Dietary modification can help optimize health in the healthy cat and to modulate disease in cats as they age.  As the interest in geriatrics grows among pet food companies, a new niche is developing for special diets and better research into their unique requirements.

Proceedings, Waltham Feline Medicine Symposium, 2003.

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