Why is my senior cat sleeping more and not being social anymore?

Older cats do tend to sleep more than younger cats, but if this is a sudden increase in lethargy, then I would recommend that you have Smokey checked out by a vet. After a thorough physical exam, the vet will probably recommend bloodwork to check for internal medical illness, such as diabetes, infection, kidney disease, etc. If the bloodwork is normal, they may discuss changes that have occurred around the house, or may recommend a trial of pain medications in case Smokey is painful from arthritis.

Ajax is an older boy and while he can slow down with age, this increased sleeping could be due to a medical illness such as arthritis (it's painful to move), a systemic illness, or infection. I would have him seen by a vet today if possible for a health check.

It sounds like she is in good health for her age, but that being said, any abrupt change in behavior is a good reason to go to the vet for an exam and senior labwork, if you haven't had that done lately. Cats are excellent at hiding symptoms of illness, so this could be an early warning that she might be developing a medical condition that needs attention. If you're concerned enough to ask about it, then it is a significant enough change to warrant investigation.

I'm sorry to hear that Jinx seems painful and has been sleeping more than normal. It is possible that all of his signs are related to arthritis, but sleeping more could be due to underlying health conditions, such as diabetes, kidney disease, liver disease, cancer, among others. To answer your question, yes, you should take Jinx to the vet for further evaluation. He will certainly need a physical exam and may also need some lab testing to assess his internal organ function. I hope that all goes well!

Many cats show signs of osteoarthritis on radiographs as seniors even when they don't seem to be obviously painful. Since this is a recent change I'd recommend seeing your vet for a physical exam. If they agree that your cat may have arthritis they might recommend a joint supplement like Dasuquin or a trial of pain medication to see if it helps with mobility.

Whenever there is a behavior change in a cat, we suspect an underlying disease condition or painful area (arthritis for example). With him hunching down I would suspect a possible arthritis and recommend getting him examined by your vet to determine if x-rays are indicated here. You can also try over the counter joint supplements such as Cosequin, to see if his condition improves. Best of luck with Socks!

Certainly as cats age - and at 10 years old Jack is considered a "senior" cat - they start to sleep more. However, cats often give us almost no real signs that they are experiencing illness other than an increase in the amount of time they are asleep. So it's easy to write off what is truly "lethargy" as just more sleeping. It may sound like an unimportant distinction, but in a species that is so difficult to interpret, I'd always default to getting a checkup before just assuming that this is a normal change associated with aging.