Caring for an 11 year old cat?

"Julie" wrote in message
...
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.

You are just great, saving him from the fate your neighbors had in store
for him. Bless you.

My first cat lived to be 20 with few problems. 11 is not really very old,
though you are wise to be concerned. A few things come to mind:

Howling or crying from another room may mean he is a little deaf or
a little senile or can be a sign of an overactive thyroid.

Litterbox signs are important and will tell you lots about his health.
Increases or decreases in volume can signal trouble. If he should
go outside the box it can mean a urinary tract infection, which can
be fatal in males if it leads to a blockage, so definitely take him to
the vet if that happens.

He might certainly be a little depressed because he misses his
regular humans. You don't sound like someone anyone would
have to tell to give him lots of affection. Toys are good too!
Was he the only cat in the house? In any case, some toys like
these catnip toys:

http://www.fatcats.com/html_site/catbrands.shtml

or those fishing pole feather things you can cast about
(catfishing!) or the turboscratcher will be good for him.

You surely know to get him a good scratcher, a cheapie
vertical is the Alpine Scratcher.

But you sound like you have had cats, just not older ones?

"cybercat" writes:

Howling or crying from another room may mean he is a little deaf or
a little senile or can be a sign of an overactive thyroid.

If the howling from another part of the house is a sign of problems,
I've got four furry problems! All my cats occasionally run around like
idiots and howl in a far off room, like they're listening to their own
voice echo. Petey howls at the end of the hallway while carrying toys
in his mouth. It's scary to think that my cat might grow up to be a
ventriloquist
I always thought it was play.

Stacia

"Glitter Ninja" wrote in message
...
"cybercat" writes:

Howling or crying from another room may mean he is a little deaf or
a little senile or can be a sign of an overactive thyroid.

If the howling from another part of the house is a sign of problems,
I've got four furry problems! All my cats occasionally run around like
idiots and howl in a far off room, like they're listening to their own
voice echo. Petey howls at the end of the hallway while carrying toys
in his mouth. It's scary to think that my cat might grow up to be a
ventriloquist
I always thought it was play.


Oh, that is! When there is "play prey" involved, such as a toy or a
sock or something, sure. My kitty does this with a rubber snake.
But if your cat just sits and howls, as though asking "where are you?"
that is a different thing. I've had two cats do that: one the vet said was
"a little senile" (she was 19) and the other was diagnosed with hyperT.