Cats experiencing FCD may forget the location of their litter box. Place additional litter boxes where they’re easy to find and easy to get into.Place at least one litter box on every floor of your house in case your cat is having trouble going up or down stairs. Increase the number of litter boxes available to your cat.If your cat’s veterinarian rules out medical problems, the following suggestions may help: Accordingly, the first step in treating inappropriate elimination in any cat, regardless of age, is to take her to her veterinarian for a thorough examination. In short, any disorder that increases your cat’s frequency of elimination or decreases her bladder or bowel control can cause house soiling. Any number of medical problems can contribute to inappropriate elimination, including sensory decline, neuromuscular conditions that affect mobility, brain tumors, kidney dysfunction and endocrine system disorders. In fact, it’s the most common reason that older cats are seen by behaviorists. Inappropriate elimination is a common symptom of FCD. Your veterinarian may also consider an anti-anxiety medication. This drug is currently only licensed for use in dogs with cognitive dysfunction, but some behaviorists and veterinarians have reported improvement in cats as well. There are also some medicines that may help cats with FCD, such as selegiline hydrochloride. Treatment mainly consists of making helpful changes to your cat’s environment and keeping her daily schedule consistent. If cognitive dysfunction is the only logical explanation for changes in your cat’s behavior, the next step is to seek therapy.
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If medical problems are ruled out, and if primary behaviorproblems unrelated to aging are ruled out (for example, problems that started years before your cat began aging), your cat’s behavior may be attributed to the effects of aging on the brain. Any medical or degenerative illness that causes pain, discomfort or decreased mobility-such as arthritis, dental disease, thyroid dysfunction, cancer, impaired sight or hearing, or urinary tract disease-can lead to increased sensitivity and irritability, increased anxiety about being touched or approached, increased aggression (because your cat may choose to threaten and bite rather than move away), decreased responsiveness to your voice, reduced ability to adapt to change, and reduced ability to get to usual elimination areas. If your cat shows any of the symptoms or changes listed above, your first step is to take her to the veterinarian to determine whether there is a specific medical cause for her behavior. Ruling Out Other Causes for Your Cat’s Behavior Sleeps restlessly, wakes up during the night.Sleep-Wake Cycles and Reversed Day-Night Schedule Vocalizes more and/or in a more urgent tone.Explores less and responds less to things going on around her.Needs constant contact, becomes overdependent and clingy.Less interested in petting, interactions, greeting people or familiar pets, etc.Gets stuck and can’t navigate around or over obstacles.Stares or fixates on objects or simply stares into space.Sometimes seems unable to recognize familiar people and pets.Eliminates in sleeping areas or by eating areas.
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The following behaviors may indicate cognitive dysfunction in your senior cat: Many changes in behavior are signs of treatable medical disorders, and there are a variety of therapies that can comfort your cat and ease her symptoms, including any pain she might be experiencing. Don’t assume that your cat is “just getting old” and nothing can be done to help her.
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Be sure to report all changes you see to your cat’s veterinarian. Often these effects can contribute to behavior changes that only look like cognitive decline. Some effects of aging aren’t related to cognitive dysfunction. Understanding the changes your cat is undergoing can help you compassionately and effectively deal with behavior problems that may arise in her senior years. It can also change their social relationships with you and with other pets in your home. It can increase their anxiety and tendency to react aggressively. It can make cats forget previously learned habits they once knew well, such as the location of the litter box or their food bowls. This deterioration can cause disturbances in sleeping patterns, disorientation or reduced activity. Memory, ability to learn, awareness, and sight and hearing perception can all deteriorate in cats affected with FCD. It’s estimated that cognitive decline-referred to as feline cognitive dysfunction, or FCD-affects more than 55% of cats aged 11 to 15 years and more than 80% of cats aged 16 to 20 years. As they age, cats often suffer a decline in functioning, including their cognitive functioning.