Does anyone have an elderly cat?

Question

I have an eldery cat does anyone have personal experence with them? I have had this cat for a long time and would like to keep him healthy. He is haveing trouble cleaning his back and but

Answer 1

Get him when he is calm...Baby wipes my friend

Answer 2

Trouble cleaning his backside can be a problem with arthritis, or is he over weight,  and he may require your help with grooming. A plain warm water cloth will take care of the problem just fine. If he is long haired and the feceses sticks to his fur you may need to just clip it. Should you choose to use commercial products be sure you get unscented and no chemicals that harm the oldster should he be lucky enough to get a l**k or two in.

Also for the aging fellow a product called "Cosequin for cats"  is extremely beneficial for their aging joints. It is a capsule and should be given every day. It can be sprinkled on food or just put gently down the  throat. ..some literature on it..

http://www.nutramaxlabs.com/products/ani...  

I buy from Amazon, they have the best price and the Nutramax, from my research, is the better product. My gal has been on it for 3 years. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000F4W02M?smid...

My last two kitties lived a healthy age related life until the age of 22! Also if you and your kitty are fairly well bonded he may benefit from a good daily massage along his spine from head to tail. Just GENTLY rub with the tips of your fingers in a cicular pattern the whole length of his back. You may need to start slowly increasing your time to about 5-10 min. each day. My old gal will come and present her back to me to say "I need my morning massage"  A great book on cat massage is

"Getting in touch with your cat"  again Amazon

http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/1...

Help the old fella by getting inexpensive steps to get up and down on the furniture he's allowed to lie on.  I have four sets of these and they work just great.......http://www.doggy-steps.com/?tid=811&gcli...

Well I know I gave you more info than you requested I do hope some of it is beneficial.  Good luck LEW

Answer 3

I agree that baby wipes are the best thing to clean your cat with. Just be sure that they are not cold. Hold the wipes in your hands for a couple of minutes before you use them.

There is another alternative. You could start having him groomed. I had a cat that had such long hair, sometimes he couldn't find his way around to his backside. He also had terrible mats. The only problem I see is how your cat would react to being groomed. I know, on a couple of occasions, they had to put my cat out. That probably wouldn't be a good idea since your cat is elderly. Sometimes you just have to do it. Get the wet wipes and start cleaning. And don't think he'll enjoy that much either. Try to hold him between your legs.

Good luck.

Answer 4

he'll have problems grooming himself as he gets older. Give him a good brushing every couple of days. it will make him more comfortable.