"Jerry Bank" wrote in message
.. .
My beloved companion of 16 years (she is 17) has the symptoms of what
would be Altzheimers in a person. She is geneally confused and often is
either agitated or lethargic. Does anyone know if there are any
treatments for this? I very much miss the personality of her as she was
previously.

The first order of business is getting her in to the vet for a thorough
geriatric exam including bloodwork (CBC + chemscreen inc. T4) and urinalysis
to rule out any medical causes for the change in her behavior. Problems
creep up quickly and silently in older cats.

If your vet gives her a clean bill of health, ask him about L-deprenyl
(Anipryl). L-deprenyl has been used in geriatric dogs with canine cognitive
dysfunction with a lot of success. There aren't any published studies (at
least I haven't found any) on the efficacy of L-deprenyl in older cats with
cognitive dysfunction , but there have been a lot of anecdotal success
reports from vets around the world. Its also safe to use in cats and has no
adverse side effects-except vomiting and salivation at very high doses. Just
don't use it with an antidepressant.

The things she needs the most right now are your patience, understanding,
and most of all, love.

Best of luck,

Phil