Is my 7-year-old cat senior? Should I transition to senior food?

I typically recommend a senior food when a cat is around 10 years of age, but that depends on the health status of the cat. This is because their nutritional requirements change as they age. Aging is typically associated with lower energy requirements, and the tendency to lose muscle and gain fat. Immune function and kidney function also decline with age. Because senior cats can be susceptible to gaining weight, and being overweight leads to health problems, senior cat foods are lower in calories to meet their lower energy requirements. With all of this being said, if Boomie is a normal weight (not obese), in good body condition, and is overall healthy, you can give him an adult cat food. Should you notice he starts gaining weight on it, however, I would speak with your vet about switching him to an appropriate senior cat food. I hope this helps!

Hi. No, you don't need a specific breed type food for Caterina. If she is 6 years old or more, any adult or senior food is ok. You will want to feed a high quality food such as science diet, royal canin, or iams for best results. Good luck.

A cat is considered geriatric/senior after about the age of 7. So, with Pi being 11 years old I would say she fits into this category. An 11 year old is basically 60 years old in human years. Hope this answers your question.

Typically i would say 12 to 14 or older but the cat life span can vary. Sometimes disease presents in middle age (5 to 10ish) and other cats live in to their 20s. So it all depends on the cats health status. I hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Jasper looks like he has fairly normal weight, however I would indeed feed him a better food that he may like better. Try feeding him Hill's or Purina Proplan or Iams biscuits or feed him tinned food twice daily. At 10 or 11 years old is not very old yet. Cats often can live to 17-20 years and I once had a kitty that made it to 26 years old. He will likely have arthritis, which may be a reason why his hind legs may be losing muscle. He is also at the age where cats can get hyperthyroidism or kidney disease. With hyperthyroidism cats tend to lose weight, their heart rate is high, and they often have bouts of vomiting or being very vocal. This is a disease that can be diagnosed or ruled out via a blood test. Kidney disease should be ruled out also. I suggest you make an appointment with your veterinarian for a geriatric wellness exam with some blood work. There is no rush, however make the appointment now for shortly after you return from your trip.

Hello, & thank you using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. The most important thing for you to consider is the palatability of food for Tony. The best food for the kidneys will do him no good if he will not eat it. That being said, I think the Sci. Diet Adult 7+ is an excellent choice. The phosphorous level is actually a bit lower or about the same than in some of the Royal Canin renal diets. He should do quite well on this. Take care.

I would get them a senior cat food to feed the senior cats. Brands I recommend include Royal Canin, Hill's Science Diet, Purina ProPlan, and Iams. I would not be surprised if these cats want to go outside, as they have been used to going outside. I would get a cat tree and place it by a window so they can sit on it and look out. Get some toys as well to play with, and be sure to feed them according to the instructions on their bag of food. Being indoors they won't have as much exercise as outdoors, and you don't want them to become overweight. Best of luck, I hope this helps!