Dear Sinéad, Siouxsie and Thomas:
My 14-year-old cat, Mac, keeps crying for food all the time. Then, after each meal, he jumps onto the kitchen chair, puts his two front paws one the arm, and keeps crying for a few minutes. While he's crying, he looks as though he seems to be in pain. Do you have any idea what this is about?

Many thanks.
~June

Sinéad: Well, June, the first thing you should know it that it's fairly common for older cats to experience a variety of behavior changes, including increased crying and vocalization.

Siouxsie: A 14-year-old cat like Mac is at the same life stage as an 80-year-old human, so your boy is quite venerable. And older cats are also subject to a variety of age-related health problems such as hyperthyroidism, high blood pressure, diabetes, and even senility.

Thomas: The first thing we'd suggest, if you haven't done this already, is to get Mac in to the vet for a checkup. This is particularly important since you say that Mac looks as though he's in pain when he's crying. Any behavior change in a cat of Mac's age is a legitimate reason for a visit to the veterinarian.

Sinéad: Some cat authorities even recommend that senior cats -- those age 10 and older -- should have vet checkups every six months instead of every year. I'm 10, and I don't know if I'd want to have a checkup every six months! But at the same time, I know Mama would want to make sure I'm healthy and take good care of me if I needed extra support.

Siouxsie: So, June, if after you take Mac in for a physical (which should include blood tests to check his liver, kidney and thyroid function) and he gets a clean bill of health, then the odds are that the crying behavior is from age-related cognitive changes.

Thomas: Our grammie Shaughnessy and our great-grammie Iris, may they frolic happily in the Mouse-Filled Fields of Kitty Heaven, would occasionally cry at the top of their lungs for no particular reason. That started when they were around 15 years of age.

Sinéad: But when our human mama and grandma would say, "Shaughnessy, it's okay," or "Iris, I'm here," they'd stop crying and come to a human to be comforted.

Siouxsie: Mama figured the reason they cried is because they'd forgotten where they were, or they were alone in a room and got scared for a minute.

Thomas: There's a great book that can help you understand the changes Mac is going through as he ages. Complete Care for Your Aging Cat, by Amy D. Shojai, is full of information about how cats' bodies and minds change as they age. The book also discusses some common age-related illnesses and treatments available for those illnesses. It even has a chapter about saying good-bye to your cat friend when the time comes.

Sinéad: Just in case you're curious, we've located a chart that compares cat age to its equivalent in human years, and we're going to reproduce it here:

Cat's Age	In Human Years
1 month	6-8 months
3 months	4 years
6 months	10 years
8 months	15 years (Cats reach sexual maturity around 8 months of age, although Oriental breeds such as Siamese or Oriental breed crosses can reach sexual maturity as early as 6 months.)
1 year	18 years
2 years	24 years
4 years	35 years (Cats reach social maturity between 3 and 4 years of age.)
6 years	42 years
8 years	50 years
10 years	60 years
12 years	70 years
14 years	80 years
16 years	84 years

Siouxsie: Naturally, a well cared-for indoor cat will have a longer and healthier life than a barn cat who only visits the vet for emergencies. A stray cat would be old by age 4, for example.

Thomas: It's not uncommon for indoor cats to live to be at least 17 years old. In fact, Grammie Shaughnessy lived to be 17 and Great-Grammie Iris lived to be almost 19. And our cat friend Asti, who lives in the house next door, is 16, and she doesn't look a day over 8!

Sinéad: We look forward to living a good long time, too, because Mama takes such good care of us!

Siouxsie: So, June, take Mac to the vet and make sure he's physically okay. If everything looks good there, then just keep in mind that Mac is a venerable kitty and his behavior changes may be due to cognitive changes. Be sure and take extra care of him; he may need accommodations as his senses decline (just as with human, cats' vision and hearing tend to get worse as they get older) and be very vigilant about any behavior or physical changes.

Thomas: If Mac starts getting arthritic, give him a nice warm bed to sleep in, and help him avoid pain by giving him steps or a ramp up to his favorite resting places.

Sinéad: Good luck, June. Please let us know how things go for you and Mac!

Got a question? Need some advice? E-mail us at advice@paws-and-effect.com. None of the material in this column is meant to be a substitute for regular veterinary care.