CARING FOR YOUR SENIOR CAT: RIP ROCKY =^^=

Hey,

Another slightly different post from me today but it's a subject I thought was important to share. We are a huge nation of pet lovers which has become particularly apparent this week after we've collectively contributed nearly £1.5 million to the Manchester dog sanctuary which tragically got set on fire. What a huge achievement, I hope the home will be able to get back on track and put this massive amount of money to a great cause. Obviously this doesn't distract our attention away from the fact that over 60 dogs have unfortunately died. How anyone could justify doing this is beyond me...

Anyway, as lot of you already know, my poor little kitty cat Rocky (you've probably spotted him in a few outfit posts) died after approximately 19 strong years last week. This week I got approached by (Argos Cat Insurance) and thought it would be a great opportunity to collaborate and share some advice on how to look after your senior cat. Rocky came a massive way from when we first rescued him from the cat sanctuary where he was previously beaten,burnt and cut all over. He slowly learnt to trust and love us, becoming the sweetest natured animal ive ever known.

Cats are incredibly loyal and loving animals and really do become part of the family, so it's important to act accordingly to their age and notice when they need a bit of extra care. I've put together a few handy tips below from my experience to help you and your senior cat live a long and happy life:

Food: Firstly it's important to realise that when your cat reaches around 8 years it's adviced to change their food onto a 'senior' line. Your cat's nutritional requirements change and greater care has to be taken to give them all the vitamins and antioxidants they need. Your cat requires more calories to prevent him/her becoming too thin. I know Rocky got very thin very quickly and we cut up chicken breast into very small pieces to fatten him up a little.

Dental Care: Tooth or gum problems (and smelly breath!) become a lot more common as the cat grows older so they might not be able to chew harder foods. Most senior foods have smaller softer pellets to help them. Rocky struggled to eat anything that wasn't mushed up for him and then the food would just fall out of his mouth! So when you feed your cat mush up their cat food even more than it comes with a fork to help them!

Lifestyle: As your cat gets older he/she won't be able to defend themselves as well as they used to. We have a couple of neighborhood bully cats who always tried to fight with Rocky so I was very cautious to let him outside towards the end. Give them an indoor litter tray so they aren't forced to go outdoors if they don't want to.

Water Intake: Keep an eye on how much water your cat is drinking. I noticed Rocky was drinking his whole bowl of water in one night which was particularly out of character for him, so this was an easy sign to recognize he was ill. Common problems associated with an increase in thirst include Kidney disease and Diabetes.

Lumps: I guess as the same as humans, get into the habit of checking your cat for any lumps, bumps or abnormal swellings. Not every lump will be something to worry about but it's better to take him/her to a vet and get it checked out early. Rocky had a huge tumor on the side of him and unfortunately the kindest thing was to put him down. It's really important to get insurance for your pet to give him/her the best chances as nobody fancies an unexpected £2000 vet bill!

I think what helped Rocky live to such a great age with a healthy life was the huge amount of attention, love and care he received from everyone. I hope this post helped any cat owners out there and that your pet lives a long and happy life. RIP Rocky ❤

J x

In association with (Argos Cat Insurance)