When would you consider a cat "senior"?

[JustaLilBitaLuck]

At what age would you consider a cat to be a "senior"? Someone was telling me about their 8-year-old cat the other day, and kept saying that he was an "old cat" and a "senior cat". To me, eight is middle-aged for a cat. I would consider them a senior once they hit the double digits.

 

[mrose_s]

I think of Elliot as senior these days, we got him at 9 and he's 12 now and starting to act like a grumpy old man.

 

[Maxy24]

I would probably start calling a cat old around 12. I know what you mean though, people act like the cat is a Great Dane or something, and 8 year old cat could easily double in age.

 

[DogKisses]

It's because the food companies market "senior cat food" for cats that are 7yrs old and up, its says that on almost every senior bag.

Doube digits are old for me, but not ancient old lol. That said, it is good to start senior blood panels at about 7ish.

 

[sassafras]

Personally, my cutoff is about 10y.

 

[Saeleofu]

At work we consider both dogs and cats "senior" at age 7. But I personally would say a cat is getting up there at about 10. I have seen multiple cats 20+ though too.

 

[CharlieDog]

Frankie is 9ish? Maybe 10? (can't remember) but he's starting to act a bit older. He sleeps all the time, but then, he's a cat and he has his moments. I guess about 12 is really getting up there for a cat, but then, our cats have usually made it to 19 or so years old before they've passed. Or disappeared, as cats are wont to do.

 

[vanillasugar]

To me a cat is considered senior at 10-12, leaning more towards 12 unless the cat is overweight, battling other health issues at which point it's put closer to 10.

 

[Linds]

Well, since one of our cats is in his 20s and is just starting to act like an old man I would say I wait for the cat to tell me when they're a senior

 

[Southpaw]

My cat will be 9 this month and I consider him an old man lol. He doesn't act old, at all... it just feels like he's been around forever.

For me I think part of it is that I'm way more used to dogs than I am cats. A 7, 8, 9 year old dog oftentimes IS old. It's easy for it to slip my mind that cats live longer.

Especially since most cats I see are grossly overweight, which is not helping their lifespan.

 

[vanillasugar]

Another good example is my parents cat, who is 14 years old but until the last time I visited him I couldn't have considered him "old". He's gone a bit grey in places, which helped me to realize he's a senior, but he acts basically the same as he always has. He's still playful, still cantankerous if you pet him too long, still seeks out attention when you're on the couch or he wants to lay on and he's trying to trick you into moving.

And then there was Nya. When I got her we figure she was around 10. I'd only had her a year before I considered her "senior" and from then on she went from being "my princess" to "my old girl".

Buddy is going to be 7 this year, and i think that's WAY too young to consider them senior.

 

[JustaLilBitaLuck]

Sassy's nine, and I don't consider her old. She still plays, she still runs zoomies through the house, she still climbs all over her cat tree. She looks pretty old (she has a lot of gray markings, not sure what's gray and what's coloring), but she certainly doesn't act old.

 

[LauraLeigh]

Well, since one of our cats is in his 20s and is just starting to act like an old man I would say I wait for the cat to tell me when they're a senior

I like this answer…. My childhood cat, Rascal, lived to 19, she was an outdoor/indoor cat who never used a litter box and slept in my bed every night until I moved out… I miss her still, then cats lived forever even if they were outside as well, now, here and in my hometown, you let them out, they rarely make past 5 or 6 before a coyote gets them…

I think one side effect of indoor only cats though, is so many overweight cats… They just don't get the same activity level and if the owners are not very careful in their food and diet.. They can get chubby faster, I know mine did at first, I had always had cats that were allowed out.. I lost too many, Bolts was not truly *allowed* out but he wanted out so bad he'd escape every now and then… One time he did not come back.. I no longer let them out and guard my door like a maniac even though I feel mean at times, and Nuts was packing on weight fast.. I had to adjust for his being inside more…

Nuts is 6, Mini 4 and they both still act like kittens!!