Caring for an 11 year old cat?

I've recently acquired an 11 year old cat. I took him in because my
neighbors were moving and were going to dump him at the pound. Going
by dog years it seems like he's getting on a bit. Are there any health
issues I should be watching for? I've got a vet appointment scheduled
for next week just to check things out. He seems pretty mellow, likes
to sleep a lot, and sit on my lap.

Very kind of you to him in; your neighbour certainly doesn't sound like
he/she cared about him! I would definitely get a blood profile and a urine
test done. Even though a senior cat looks and acts healthy doesn't mean that
there isn't a health issue going on on the inside. My 13 year old cat has
kidney disease of which she displayed no symptoms; she was diagnosed via
tests at 9 years old. Some vets also do a T4 test on seniors to check for
hyperthyroidism but this usually has symptoms (eating a lot but still losing
weight, fast nail growth, etc., as the thyroid is running faster than it
should be).


Anna

--
Message posted via http://www.catkb.com