How To Care For An Elderly Or Sick Kitty

As cats age, they require more and more attention and loving care from their owners. Though cats tend to lead uneventful, happy lives, disease and discomfort increase as they age. Listed here are a few conditions and diseases to keep an eye out for that are common in elderly cats, in addition to a few tips in caring for your cat to aid in their graceful and comfortable aging.

Like humans and dogs, as cats age, they begin to show signs of degeneration. One of the most common signs of aging felines is their loss of litter box training. Some elderly cats acquire conditions such as diabetes, hyperthyroidism, or decreased proper kidney function. These health issues can in turn lead to irregular urination and elimination processes. You may find your cat relieving him or herself outside the litter box. If this becomes a common practice, it is a good idea to buy one of or two more litter boxes and place them in various locations throughout your home. This will make litter boxes more accessible to your cat and will aid in their proper elimination practices.

A common feline condition is arthritis. Arthritis is a condition in which inflammation of joints occurs. Signs of arthritis include swollen and tender joints, limping, lameness, and stiffness in joints, often occurring when they get up from lying down or when it is cold or rainy outside. You can help your cat by placing their litter box and food and water dishes in easily accessible places. If, for example, their litter box is upstairs and their food and water dishes are on top of the dryer in the laundry room, they will have difficulty getting to them when they are needed. The more you help ease the discomfort of your cat, the happier they will be!

Poor dental health and dental disease is fairly common in elderly felines. Tartar, gingivitis, and sensitive gums are often seen in older cats. Believe it or not, the tartar build up or dental disease in cats can spread to their heart or kidneys, which can cause serious problems. The best thing for you to do as an owner is to start early and clean your cat’s teeth regularly in addition to feeding them dry cat food, which will help clean their teeth on a daily basis.

Lastly, as cats age, they seem to lose interest in basic grooming practices. This may be due to arthritis or dental issues, but whatever the reason, it is something you will most likely need to help your cat with. Giving them weekly baths and gently brushing their coat will help tremendously. Cats feel better and are happier when they are clean and well groomed. Don’t forget to keep their claws trimmed regularly because their nails can become brittle in their older age.

Just as humans and dogs need extra care as they age, so do cats. By having a basic understanding of cats’ diseases and basic needs as they age will help increase their comfort dramatically. Understand your cat, and learn to take them of them properly in their mature stage of life; this will keep them happy, and will help you enjoy the final years of your cat’s life.

Home Care for the Elderly

Home Care for the Elderly: Through Laws Achieve the Freedom of Life

There are laws for rest, laws for work, and laws for play, which, if we find and follow them, lead us to quiet, useful lines of life, which would be impossible without them. They are the laws of our own being, and should carry us as naturally as the instincts of the animals carry them, and so enable us to do right in the right way, and make us so sure of the manner in which we do our work that we can give all our attention to the work itself; and when we have the right habit of working, the work itself must necessarily gain, because we can put the best of ourselves into it. And, especially after you retire, it’s no more about work so much. It is right for most people to sleep eight hours every night. The wrong way of doing it is to go to sleep all doubled up, and to continue to work all night in our sleep, instead of giving up and resting entirely. The right way gives us the fullest possible amount of rest and refreshment. It is right to take our three meals a day, and all the nourishing food we need. The wrong way of doing it, is to eat very fast, without chewing our food carefully, and to give our stomachs no restful opportunity of preparation to receive its food, or to take good care of it after it is received. The right way gives us the opportunity to assimilate the food entirely, so that every bit of fuel we put into our bodies is burnt to some good purpose, and makes us more truly ready to receive more. It is right to play and amuse ourselves for rest and recreation. We play in the wrong way when we use ourselves up in the strain of playing, in the anxiety lest we should not win in a game, or when we play in bad air. When we play in the right way, there is no strain, no anxiety, only good fun and refreshment and rest. We might go through the narrative of an average life in showing briefly the wonderful difference between doing right in the right way, and doing right in the wrong way. It is not too much to say that the difference in tendency is as great as that between life and death. It is one thing to read about orderly living and to acknowledge that the ways described are good and true, and quite another to have one’s eyes opened and to act from the new knowledge, day by day, until a normal mode of life is firmly established. It requires quiet, steady force of will to get one’s self out of bad, and well established in good habits. After the first interest and relief there often has to be steady plodding before the new way becomes easy; but if we do not allow ourselves to get discouraged, we are sure to gain our end, for we are opening ourselves to the influence of the true laws within us, and in finding and obeying these we are approaching the only possible Freedom of Life.

Elderly and Young: We Learn from Each Other

Grandparents and grandchildren are natural allies, but when their homes are too far apart, or other barriers intervene, their alliance weakens. Everybody loses, including the youngsters’ parents-the generation in the middle. When you want to get in touch with your grandchildren, it is vital to keep within the youngsters’ range of comprehension and imagination, and about living things, objects, activities and places to which their imaginations could relate. In fantasy stories, when my grandchildren were very young, for instance, I animated toys familiar to them, or modified characters from their favorite books and sent them off on adventures that did not frighten or cause them apprehension for the toy’s safety. At the story’s conclusion, the toys and characters were back in a familiar and comfortable setting. Deliberate destructive behavior in stories and anecdotes for the very young, I believe, serves no useful purpose. The young are already exposed to far more negative forces in the general run of storybooks, television shows, Internet games and the real world. Grandpas and grandmas don’t need to pile them on. To the contrary, grandparents can influence a young mind toward reason and compassion. The tales they tell can be stabilizing forces in the day-to-day bustle and high excitement of the very young and, by the nature of a grandparent’s role, suggest channels for positive values.

Care for the Elderly: Can They Still Learn?

At least they would like to, wouldn’t they?

Ok, there might be certain extent of resentment towards ‘anything new’ but why not to learn something useful, something what would make their lives easier, and maybe even nicer?

How to use a computer, how to listen to an iPod… Weird? Why not? Come on, they are not dead, they also want to enjoy life and to use the stuff we have available - for pleasure, entertainment - and learning new things!
BTW, if you don’t believe, rather ask your parents and see what they tell you. But, to be honest - would you have time and patience to teach them how to use modern electronics?

Would you be volunteering to spend your precious time teaching your parents how to do a mouse click?

And what if you could at least do something, that would enable it to them? What if there was somebody patient enough, a skilled teacher, who would spend their time and take them through the process? And what is more important, they would become their real friend, as they would do the job with real passion?

Elderly People Also Have Birthdays!

So when was your mother’s last? How did you spend the day? Was it just a text you sent her or did you take her out for a coffee or just for a walk? Did you see her eyes smiling quietly?

Or even better, did your whole family gathered around the fire and you had a great time, talking your heads off, maybe even tell a story or two?

When was it, that you really listened to your Mum last? When was it last time, that you asked her how she was or how she enjoyed the day? Do you know what she’s getting through at the moment?

As they grow old, it’s not just the high number they celebrate. And usually, the older they get, the less they care about numbers and achievements - all they want is love. And your presence.

So be with them, love them till the very end, and prove that you are really grateful for all they did for you when you needed it.

Home Care for the Elderly: Don’t Leave Them Alone

Can you imagine a day spent without talking to anyone? Can you just imagine spending whole weeks or months like this? There have been people who were found in their homes days after they died…

Can you imagine the loneliness of an old person who doesn’t want to be a burden to their family and who simply stays on their own? Can you feel the quietness of their home, maybe just the clock ticking - and that’s it, day by day, just sleep, eat, read, maybe some television…

Can you imagine what happens if they get sick? What if they just fall down and cannot get up without help? What if they just want to… to talk with somebody?

Our parents, grandparents or great-grandparents have spent their whole lives looking after their kids, they gave us a lot - now it’s our turn to look after.

Care For Elderly Parents

In many families, there comes a time when adult children find themselves caring for their elderly parents. This can be an exhausting, rewarding task that certainly has its ups and downs. Care of elderly parents requires patience, tolerance and remembering to take care of yourself as well as your family and your parent. That can be a mighty big job and it can be overwhelming at times. It is important to remember that people who care for elderly parents need a good support system - and a respite from time to time. You can't do it all and you won't be perfect, so take some time for yourself now and then. It is also important to remember when caring for elderly parents is to remember that they are human. They still have feelings, desires and needs, even if they are unable to express them well.

When you are caring for your elderly parents, keep in mind that their physical health is important, but their emotional health is just as important. A person who can no longer care for himself or herself can become frustrated and depressed. This frustration and depression can give way to anger and as the caregiver and person closest to them (thus safe) you may become the target for their anger. Don't take it personally. Do not allow yourself to be abused, but let a lot of it roll right off of your back.

You may find that your patience is tested sometimes because your elderly parent may struggle to get the right words out when they speak or move very slowly. Though they may not function like they did when they were young, your elderly parents still have dignity - and feelings. Tread softly and try not to allow your impatience to get in the way of your compassion. Put yourself in their position. They are having difficulties and some patience and love will go a long way in warding off depression. Show them respect and allow them to maintain their dignity as much as possible.

If you do get irritated and frustrated with your elderly parents, take a moment to consider what they are experiencing. This is particularly true if they were forced into retirement or are impaired in some way. In such cases your elderly parents may experience any or all of these:

1. low self esteem

2. no self identity

3. no self worth (jobs give you a feeling that you help society)

4. boredness

5. loneliness

6. have some financial burdens

7. no motivation to get up in morning (this is not clinical depression although it that is a very real possibility)

8. poor health (even just aches and pains can drag a person down)

Elderly Cat Care

Most pet supply stores sell specially formulated cat foods that are designed to provide proper health and nutrition to elderly cats. Some formulas assist with proper digestion, since this can often be a problem with older cats. Senior cats cannot assimilate their food in their digestive tracts in the same way that they did when they were youngsters.

Older cats can also have problems with their teeth that cause them to eat less. This is why it is important to maintain good dental hygiene in cats at a young age by either brushing, taking them to the veterinarian for a cleaning, or feeding them snacks that clean their teeth. If your elderly cat eats less, it may be due to a toothache, thus it is sometimes ideal to feed them softer foods, mostly wet, canned foods, so that chewing their dinner won't be as much of an obstacle.

Many cat owners find that their cat's coat becomes dull with age. This is due to poor nutrition. Feed your older cat a diet rich in essential fatty acids to fix this problem. When organisms, including cats, get older, they have an increased production of free radicals in the body. Free radicals contribute to the degeneration of cells in the body. Help build up the immune system of your beloved cat by increasing his or her intake of vitamin C and E.

Finally, you want your cat to remain active in old age. The more energetic activities your cat participates in the better health it will remain in. If you allow your cat to become obese it will lay around the house and have reduced quality of life, as well as a decrease in general health. Watch your pet's eating habits and assure that it is not overeating, or eating as a recreation as some cats do.

Grooming Elderly Cats

Another element of proper Elderly Cat Care is grooming. When cats age, they sometimes stop grooming themselves with the same frequency as they did when they were younger. This can create a matted fur coat that is dirty and smells bad. Bad hygiene will eventually lead to bad health. Because of this, it is important that you groom your eldery cat yourself. Purchase a good cat brush that doesn't just brush the outer coat, but one with bristles that reach down to the skin to pull up old hair.

It sometimes helps to give your cat a bath, even though most cats hate them with a passion. The best way to wash a cat is to place them in the tub and gradually introduce water. You certainly don't want to throw them into the tub with hot water running inside! You may get a deep claw mark in the arm that will never heal and remind you to never do that again. If you apply water gradually to the cat's coat until they are completely wet and then work in some shampoo quickly, you should be able to accomplish that goal.

Vet Visits and Medication

When your cat grows into old age, it may have health complications that require regular medication. You should schedule a regular vet appointment for your elderly cat to assure that you are keeping up with all details of its health regimen. In older age, cats may seem fine but still have complications. Ask your veterinarian to give your cat a blood and urine test to find out if there is anything to be concerned about to head off any future problems. Going back to dental care, most older cats develop gum disease which can lead to health problems down the line. Gum disease can be treated by your veterinarian.

Just as with a human who has to take daily medication, if your cat has been prescribed to take medications on a daily basis it is helpful to keep everything in one place as a reminder. You do not want to miss a day of any crucial medication as the system of your older cat is much more delicate than those of younger cats.