Dietary Needs of Senior Cats

This is a sponsored post*

Feeding your cat a species-appropriate diet is the most important thing  you can do for her lifelong health. You can’t control your cat’s genetics, but you can control what you feed. While cat food manufacturers would have you believe that different feline lifestages require different diets, the truth is that a cat’s dietary needs don’t change all that much over the course of her life.

Lifestages explained

There is no single definition for what age range each lifestage actually comprises. The American Association of Feline Practitioners’ Feline Lifestages Guidelines classify lifestages as follows:

• Kitten: birth up to 1 year
• Young adult: 1 to 6 years
• Mature adult: 7 to 10 years
• Senior: 10+ years
• Geriatric: 15 plus years

Only two lifestages really matter

So-called lifestages diets are marketed for kittens, young adults, mature adults, and seniors. However, when it comes to diet, there are really only two lifestages that matter: kitten and adult.

In the wild, kittens will nurse from their mother for the first three to four months of their lives. After that, the mother will gradually introduce her kittens to solid food by teaching them to hunt. The prey they learn to catch is what cats in the wild will eat for the rest of their lives.

For many years, pet food companies have mistakenly led us to believe that senior cats require less protein and fewer calories. This couldn’t be more wrong: a lack of protein in a senior cat diet can lead to muscle wasting.

How protein restriction impacts healthy body condition

Cats are unique among carnivores in that they are “hyper-carnivores.”  They cannot survive, let alone thrive, without protein. Adequate, high quality protein is essential for a functioning immune system, hormone production and many other functions. Unlike other mammals, cats can’t efficiently make energy from anything other nutrients.

When protein is inadequate, cats’ bodies start to use the protein they have – their muscles. Even overweight cats may lose muscle mass if they are getting too many calories from fat and carbohydrates. Cats who lose muscle in this way acquire more and more severe diseases, have a poorer quality of life and die sooner.

Senior cats become less efficient at metabolizing fat and protein as they age and may actually require more protein and more calories than younger cats to compensate for diminished absorption of nutrients.

Dietary protein supplies amino acids and is needed for the manufacture of antibodies, enzymes, hormones, and tissues. It provides energy and is essential for growth and development. Protein derived from meat and poultry contains ample amounts of these essential amino acids. While vegetable and grain based proteins provide amino acids, cats, unlike dogs and other omnivores, lack the enzymes required to process them metabolically.

Special dietary concerns for senior cats

As cats age, protecting kidney function can become a concern. Rather than restricting protein, it may become necessary to look for diets with reduced phosphorus content.

As cats age, their sense of smell diminishes. Slightly warming food, or using an aromatic food topper can help make food more appealing.

Some seniors may benefit from adding supplements such as omega-3 fatty acids, probiotics, digestive enzymes or fiber to their diet.

A raw diet is an excellent way to provide sufficient protein for senior cats.

Holistic veterinarian Dr. Andrea Tasi of Just Cats Naturally has been feeding raw to her now 15-year-old cat since Polly was a kitten. “I started her on raw food as soon as she was eating on her own,” says Dr. Tasi. “Kittens in nature would be brought prey by their moms, who (I’m pretty sure) would not have cooked it first!” Dr. Tasi acknowledges that the potential risk of food borne disease is far lower in prey than in commercial raw food, “so I’m not saying it’s completely risk free. Bottom line: if I trust the safety/quality of the food, I’m okay with raw food for all life stages.”

Darwin’s Natural Pet Food is appropriate for all life stages

Darwin’s raw food can be fed to cats of all ages, and they’re doing everything right, both in terms of what’s in the food and what’s not:

• 100% meat – no animal-by-products or fillers
• Ethically sourced human grade ingredients from farms they trust
• Formulated under the guidance of veterinary nutritionists
• Free range, pasture raised, cage-free meats
• No GMO
• No steroids
• No hormones
• Made fresh: you will receive your meals 4-6 weeks from production
• Ready to serve

Delivered right to your door

Darwin’s is packed in eco-friendly packaging with dry ice to ensure that food is shipped and delivered safely. The packaging can be recycled or composted. They offer a convenient autoship schedule so you’ll never have to worry about running out of food. The timing of delivery is flexible, and Darwin’s friendly customer service team will gladly adjust your schedule as needed.

Feeding Darwin’s is as easy as opening a can

The food come packaged in convenient 8 ounce sealed packs. It takes about 24 hours for one pack to thaw in the refrigerator, so feeding is no harder than feeding canned food. The only difference is that instead of opening a can, you’re defrosting a pack of food.

Special offer: Get 50% off your first 10 pounds

Darwin’s has an introductory offer that can’t be beat so you can try this for your own cats: get your first 10 pounds at half price. You can customize the proteins depending on your cat’s taste preferences.

Use code PURRSOFWISDOM to take advantage of this special offer.

For more information and to order, please visit DarwinsPet.com.

Photo via Darwin’s Facebook page, used with permission

*This post is sponsored by Darwin’s Natural Pet Products. Purrs of Wisdom is an affiliate partner of Darwin’s Natural Pet Products. This means that if you decide to purchase through any of our links, we get a small commission. We only spread the word about products and services we’ve either used or would use ourselves.