Just like humans, cats can also get dementia. This is at least partly due to the increased life expectancy of the animals. Because improvements in veterinary medicine and high-quality cat food have meant that an age of around 20 years is no longer an isolated case for cats. This is basically a great thing for cat owners, but it also inevitably leads to an increase in various age-related problems, such as dementia.
In the following we explain how you can recognize dementia in your cat and what measures can help your four-legged friend in this case.
Key facts at a glance
- Just like humans, cats can also develop dementia as they age.
- Typical symptoms of dementia include disorientation and forgetfulness.
- If you suspect that your cat is suffering from dementia, it should be examined by a veterinarian as soon as possible.
- A few age-appropriate household adjustments and an attentive owner will help cats with dementia to find their way around better.
- Thinking games can help train brain function in affected cats.
Possible symptoms of a demented cat
Dementia can vary from animal to animal, making it almost impossible to pin down the disease to a specific symptom. You will probably only notice the onset of dementia in your cat at first through isolated behavioral problems, which become more and more common over time.
Of course, the supposed symptoms of dementia can also simply be normal signs of aging. However, if you observe certain behaviors regularly, it is quite possible that your cat has dementia.
Typical symptoms of dementia in cats include:
- Difficulties with spatial perception
- disorientation
- Meowing or screaming at night for no apparent reason
- Unprovoked aggressiveness or fear
- Altered sleep patterns
- Restlessness and aimless walking about
- Declining urge to move and increased need for sleep
- Frequent mishaps outside the litter box
- Obvious forgetfulness
- Decreased response to direct speech
- Difficulty applying learned skills
Diagnosing dementia in cats
If you observe possible symptoms of dementia in your four-legged friend, a timely visit to the veterinarian is advisable. The vet can examine your cat and find out if the problems are actually due to dementia.
Finally, other health problems may also be present. An increased need for sleep can, for example, be due to numerous diseases, aggression is in many cases simply a sign of pain and incontinence can also be triggered by a bladder infection, among other things. Changes in behavior can also be triggered by advanced kidney failure, among other things.
It is therefore very important that your supposedly demented cat is thoroughly examined and other possible diseases are first ruled out or, if necessary, treated accordingly.
Tips for dealing with demented cats
If your cat actually suffers from dementia, sooner or later it will lead to significant cuts in everyday life.
However, as the owner, there are a number of things you can do to make your cat’s life as comfortable as possible. Start by adapting your apartment to the needs of the four-legged senior.
Easy-to-reach berths and a flat litter box are not only beneficial to your four-legged friend in terms of his progressive dementia. At the same time, they also help to avoid unnecessary injuries and relieve the cat’s decrepit joints. If your cat sometimes forgets where the litter box is, offer it another one somewhere else.
Cats with dementia need affection
Unfortunately, you have to assume that your cat’s dementia is associated with ever-increasing impairments and that your four-legged friend will therefore need more and more support.
In order for your cat with dementia to feel comfortable, it needs a lot of attention and affection. Apart from that, you should ensure that your daily routine is as fixed as possible, as this can make it easier for your four-legged friend to find his or her way around in everyday life.
Mind games for demented cats
As you may know, brain games can help slow the progression of the disease in people with dementia. The situation is similar with demented cats, which is why games of skill and thinking should not be missing in the everyday life of your four-legged friend.
For example, try to keep your house tiger busy with a self-made fiddle board. Even if such games do not go down equally well with all four-legged friends, you should at least try it again and again for the sake of your cat with dementia.