When converting a cat’s age to human years, felines seem “old” much too early. Even many in the veterinarian field labels cats as ‘senior’ at the age of ten – but for many cats, 10 years isn’t even middle age. Cats have a different calculator than dogs – you can’t just multiply the years by seven for cats. Curious about your cat’s age? Click HERE to calculate your cat’s age in human years.
While we don’t know how scientific this fun cat calculator is, it’s obvious that it reflects an escalated aging scale for our kitties. But, we don’t agree with the ‘elderly cat’ labels. The word ‘elderly’ paints a picture in our minds that our kitties are near the end of life. Not only is this not normally true at all, this stereotype contributes to many cat parents just accepting that their cats will decline in health at this young age – and may not do anything about it because it’s expected. Worse than this, the old cat stereotype also disqualifies (essentially) many shelter and rescue cats from ever being adopted, even though they have many wonderful and healthy years left to share. The euthanasia rate of ‘older’ cats is truly heartbreaking.
How Old Is My Cat Really?
Our advise? Never think of your cat as old or entertain negative stereotypes. Cats have been known to live into their 30s and your cat doesn’t have to be any different. Think positive and be proactive. All cats (older cats especially) should be given extra love, supplementation and a high quality diet – but they’re so worth it!
Adding antioxidants into your cat’s food helps to slow down (and sometimes reverse) much of the “aging” process and the degeneration that comes with it. Our 21 year old still jumps on counters and runs up and down stairs. Most vets call him “senior” but he’ll always be our baby. Supporting the joints of older cats is very important. Omega 3 fatty acids are also a great supplement to add into your older kitty’s dish each day. You’d be surprised at how these small additions to the diet make large changes in overall health.
So always remember – age is simply a number, not a state of mind. Keeping this positive perspective will lead to a healthier you and a healthier cat!
Reverse Aging In Your Cat With CATalyst
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