cats: old age?

Question

my boyfriends cat has just turned 21 (4th nov) and doesnt have ne signs of old age. she been de-wormed and de-flea... she hasnt had injections for a while.. she doesnt go outside and hasnt done for past 4/5 years. she looks like a little kitten.. she is the size of a 14mth old cat. the questions are what the signs of old age? is 21 old for a cat?

NB* she hasnt had injections because boyfriend feels that the shock of injection would kill her.. she has all the medication she needs via drops. so before you ask she is getting all the right stuff, the vet told me injections are mainly for older cats.

vets said for cats that go out.. not older cats like i said..

Answer 1

I have one cat who is 21 and one who is 20. I also have three who are in their mid teens. The 20 and 21 year old are still interested in playing and in good health. A lot depends on the type of care their have received. Since people have become more conscious of the medical needs of their pets, and medical facilities for animals have become better, the life expectancy for pets has increased greatly.

As far as immunizations are concerned, that is best left to the judgement of his vet. Some vets don't like to "rock the boat" with immunizations, for fear of reactions. If the cat is fine and the vet says this is the course to follow, then all should be well.

Answer 2

Actually 14 isn't that old for a cat. My friend just lost a cat that was 17 and she still has the mom, who is 19 or 20! If she's lost alot of weight it could be many things, both treatable and not. But it you don't have the money to put her to sleep you certainly won't be able to afford to get her treated. You COULD ask the vet if they do payment plans. Simple bloodwork will pinpoint anything like kidney failure, diabetes, liver disease, etc. Diabetes is manageable, so is thyroid disease. The others can be managed but will be ultimately fatal. She MUST eat and drink or you are slowly starving her. Try mashing up some nice stinky tuna and mixing in some water. My old cat stopped eating this weekend but that made him want to eat. Now, 3 days later, he's eating again, anything I put in front of him. He's still recovering and moving slow, but he's more perky. He's at least 16 (found him when he was about a year old so I don't know his EXACT age). If she refuses the tuna and the vet won't work a payment plan with you, you really should take her to a shelter and have her put down. Its the kindest thing.

Answer 3

As others have said don't worry about injections. Overall, the oldest cats I have personally known of were about 17-19 when they died, with the best of care. So you are certainly doing everything right. Enjoy you friend!
BTW injections, probably stress would do her more damage that pricking with needle, but I would not bother, agreeing with Boyfriend, why do it?
The only exception would be if she reaches a point where she can not absorb medications via drops. Then you, in consultation with your vet, will need to choose what to do. If healthy otherwise, I would certainly rather risk the injections than risk her life by having her do without what she needs.

Answer 4

Twenty-one is not too old for a cat... but that is definitely a great age for a cat to attain. I think that your boyfriend should continue doing what has worked for the cat all these years. Therefore, I wouldn't start any vaccinations or anything new that might disrupt the cat's body or habits. Apparently, she has done wonderfully with the care that she has been given and keeping her inside will definitely help to keep her healthy. The only three signs that I would definitely watch for are weight loss, a change in appetite, or inactivity. Our cat, who was almost nineteen when she passed away, began losing weight from a urinary tract infection, and although she recovered from it, it took her health way down. Also, we made the mistake of getting her vaccinated at her old age, and it definitely hurt her physically. Therefore, I wouldn't do anything different than what has been done for her in the past since it seems to be keeping her happy, healthy, and active.

Answer 5

multiply her age by 7. This is to compare her age to ours. yes she is old. Sounds like he takes excellent care of her. Cats and dogs age more rapidly then humans. Signs are getting up from laying at a slower pace as well as not playing as much. Hair thinning, eye change, sleeping longer periods of time. Longer time to respond to noise or commands to come to you. Disease can been brought in on your shoes. Their are diseases for no cure. Leukemia, distemper, hepatitis, parvo flu. and a 7 way shot can make sure she doesn't' get these, at her age. They have a 3 year rabies vac now after the 1 year. And the 7 way can now be given for a 2 year after the 1 year. She is a older cat. The drops can not have vaccines, because they are injection. If she acts like a kitten, then she seems like like she is healthy and strong enough for the shots. Did his vet say that it would be hard on her?

Answer 6

I would say that as long as the cat is healthy and not in any pain that you are doing all that you can. My childhood cat lived to be 13 as an outdoor cat and the only signs of age that I saw was blindness. He was almost completely blind for a year before he died, but, he did fine just with his keen hearing. My mother made it a point to make it easier for him by buying softfoods (canned or baby food) and hand feeding him as his sight went. Other than that, he only went to the vet once throughout his life. Your kitty sounds healthy, she should have a few more good years!

Answer 7

Cats often don't show signs of old age the way dogs do, as far as getting cataracts, becoming arthritic, hair loss, etc. All of the cats I've seen looked perfectly healthy and happy all their lives. 21 is pretty old for a cat, but I think the record is somewhere around 30, so you could still have many happy years to go.

Answer 8

Awwwwwwwww that's brilliant. I lost my cat who was 19 a few years ago so your boyfriend has done well. Dont worry about injections if the cat doesn't go out and mix with other cats. The main injection for cats is feline aids etc which if she is a house cat now then there is no fear of her contracting it. Obviously yr boyfriend is doing well by her, so i wouldn't worry. May she enjoy her retirement. Bless

Answer 9

I have a cat who is 22. She does show signs of old age. She is very arthritic and has trouble getting around. She still does though. She was enjoying lying in the sunshine today. Next week we are expecting rain and it will be hard on her then. I hope she makes it through the winter and she may not.

She gets regular vet care - had her teeth cleaned this spring. And no shots. Vets don't give shots to older cats (after about 15). She doesn't need them and they might be hard on her.

Answer 10

The average age for a cat is 14 or 15 so at 21 - wow he's doing great xx