Dear Most Esteemed and Knowledgeable Kitties:

Last night I found my 18-year-old cat, Pinky-Boy in front of our space heater, and his whiskers and “eyebrows” are now severely burnt from standing that close. He’s going blind, so maybe he just didn’t realize where he was. I know the space heater seems like a safety hazard, but we have three other cats, and nothing like this has ever happened before. But yes, the heater is now out of reach from Pinky. Anyways, back to my question: can I cut off the burnt edges of his whiskers? I know that whiskers are very sensitive, but because they are so burnt, could the ends be cut? Thank you so much!

~ Katie and Pinky

Siouxsie shows off her whiskers to great effect. The whiskers, or vibrissae, are a vital part of the feline sensory system.

Siouxsie: Well, Katie, first of all, we want to reassure you that you’re not a bad caretaker for having a space heater! Most cats never go close enough to a space heater to burn their whiskers.

Thomas: But when Mama had a space heater in her house, I loved to get so close to it that I singed my fur more than once! It was kind of embarrassing, really … but it was just so cold and I wanted to snuggle up next to the heat.

Dahlia: An interesting thing about cats is that we comfortably endure much higher temperatures than humans do. Animal behaviorist Linda Case discovered in her research that while humans are very uncomfortable at temperatures above 112°F (44°C), cats can tolerate (and even enjoy) temperatures as high as 126°F (52°C).

Siouxsie: So that’s one reason why your Pinky is so in love with your heater.

Thomas: As cats get older, much like people, we tend to be less able to control our body temperature. You’ve probably noticed that elderly humans tend to like much warmer environments than their younger counterparts. We feel the same way.

Dahlia: But now, on to your question. We believe you should not trim Pinky’s whiskers, and here’s why.

Siouxsie: Although the whiskers themselves don’t have nerves, the reason our whiskers are so sensitive is because there are lots and lots of extra nerves in the hair follicles that grow our whiskers. It’s those nerves that react when the whiskers are touched.

Thomas: Cats whose whiskers are cut off tend to lose their sense of orientation in space. This would be extremely hard for a blind cat to deal with! Even the singed ends of his whiskers are helping those nerves to relay messages to his brain about his environment.

Dahlia: The ends of the whiskers will probably fall off on their own eventually, but meanwhile, leave them be.

Siouxsie here. I love my bed so much I didn't even wait for Mama to get it out of the box before I slept in it! If she got me a bed warmer, I'd love it even more.

Siouxsie: You can help make your sweet Pinky more comfortable — and less likely to romance your heater — by providing him with a heated cat bed. This will help keep him comfortably warm, and if he’s a bit creaky with arthritis, the heat will be very soothing to those sore joints.

Thomas: There are three common types of heated beds. One has an electric heating pad that releases a steady heat as soon as the cat gets in it. These tend to be the most expensive.

Dahlia: Beds also come with removable microwavable pads filled with buckwheat or other materials. These can retain heat for half an hour to an hour, and are the least expensive.

Siouxsie: Thermal, or self-heating beds, use insulating material to reflect the cat’s body heat back to the cat. They don’t warm up as fast as electric beds, but they are more affordable.

Thomas: If Pinky already has a bed, you can buy a pet bed warmer and insert it under the fabric cover.

Dahlia: So, Katie, we hope we’ve answered your question and given you some options to help keep Pinky nice and toasty without risking nasty injuries.

Dear Most Esteemed and Knowledgeable Kitties:

Last year, one of my cats did from chronic renal failure at age 14. Because we were concerned about our other cat, Gizzy, we had the vet give him all the appropriate tests. All the results seemed good, and we were relieved. But then last week Gizzy wasn’t acting like himself and his breath smelled bad. We took him to the vet, who said he was fine — no fever, his chest sounded good, and he wasn’t dehydrated — and since all the tests came back good last year, he probably just had a stomach bug. Gizzy got worse that night, so we took him to an emergency clinic, where the vet told us the odor of his breath was evidence of kidney failure. We took him back to our own vet the next day; she conducted another set of blood tests and confirmed that he was in the very late stages of kidney failure. She said that Gizzy was so ill there was really nothing that could be done. When we asked the vet how Gizzy could have gotten so sick, so quickly, she said, “Well, one year is seven years to a cat.” We had Gizzy put to sleep because we didn’t want him to suffer — but we can’t understand how the disease could have come on so quickly. We feel they might have gotten the results wrong last year. Is this possible?

~ Dawn

Subcutaneous fluid therapy is a cornerstone in managing chronic renal failure in cats. Image courtesy of the Summer is a Verb blog

Siouxsie: First of all, Dawn, we’re so sorry for your loss. It’s especially hard when it’s so sudden and unexpected.

Thomas: Chronic renal failure (CRF) is a progressive and fatal disease, but when diagnosed early and managed with treatments like subcutaneous fluids, a cat with CRF can live comfortably for anywhere from one to three years after diagnosis.

Dahlia: The trouble is that cats don’t actually begin showing signs that they have kidney disease until they’ve lost at least 70% of their kidney function. By that time it’s too late to do much more than manage the illness.

Siouxsie: And when a cat presents in the late stages of kidney failure, as Gizzy did, there really is very little that can be done to prolong that cat’s life.

Thomas: Signs of early kidney disease are very subtle, and sometimes even lab tests won’t show anything extraordinary. Test results just slightly outside the normal range can be seen even in healthy cats and these are not generally viewed as alarming signs if the physical examination shows that the cat is otherwise in good shape.

Dahlia: One of the reasons vets recommend regular blood tests and urinalysis for older cats is that your vet might be able to see a trend of changes in your cat’s blood chemistry values that can indicate the early stages of diseases like CRF, hyperthyroidism, or other conditions sometimes seen in senior cats.

Siouxsie: But now to answer your question, Dawn: Can kidney failure really come on so suddenly? Could a cat really get that sick less than a year after receiving normal blood tests?

Thomas: The answer, from what we’ve been able to determine, is that it certainly is possible.

Dahlia: We haven’t found any sources that say that the progression from normal health to imminently fatal disease has to take any specific amount of time at all.

Siouxsie: The onset and progression of kidney disease seems to be determined by a combination of things from genetics to diet to environmental issues and stress. There’s really no way to know how this combination of risk factors will play out in any individual cat’s life.

This chart shows cat ages in terms of the human lifespan. Notice, too, that outdoor cats age a lot more quickly than indoor cats.

Thomas: Although cats do age faster than humans, most vets these days believe that after the first few years of life, one year in a cat’s life is the equivalent of about four years in a person’s life.

Dahlia: But that’s splitting hairs, really. The point is that because cats age faster than humans, regular vet exams are especially important for senior cats.

Siouxsie: Clearly you did all the right things by making sure Gizzy had the appropriate lab tests. Jeez, I’m 15 and even I haven’t had a full blood panel and urinalysis lately.

Thomas: Uh-oh! Mama heard you say that …

Siouxsie: *hisss* Drat! But Mama, I’m so healthy, even Doctor Jim said he wouldn’t believe I’m older than 8 if you hadn’t told him so!

Dahlia: Anyway, Dawn, there’s really no way to know if there was a mistake in interpreting Gizzy’s lab tests from a year ago. But we do want to reassure you that it is possible he was healthy a year ago and became that sick in such a short time.

Siouxsie: We know how hard this time is for you and your family, and we hope we’ve been able to set your mind at ease by at least telling you it’s possible … and by the same token, it’s quite possible (probable, in fact) that your vet did not make an error that cost your beloved Gizzy his life.

Thomas: Our blessings and purrs go out to you and your family, Dawn.

Dahlia: If any of you other readers have a cat with CRF, we highly recommend you visit the Feline CRF Information Center website. It’s a great resource for information on treatment and research, tips on how to give fluids and other home care, and a place for caretakers of CRF cats to find emotional support as they take this journey with their feline family members.

Dear Most Esteemed and Knowledgeable Kitties:

I have a 10 year old Bengal who has never had health issues. She’s a strictly indoor cat. Recently she dropped from 11 lb 8 oz to 9 lb 13 oz. It seemed to happen over a matter of weeks but may have been more gradual. I took her to the vet who did an exam and took blood. According to the results, there appears to be nothing wrong with her — no disease and no parasites, no tumors. Throughout this entire time, her behavior never changed: she eats and drinks, urinates and excretes, is interested in toys and petting, no signs of withdrawal. My question is, have you heard of anything like this? Any advice? And most importantly, what kind of high caloric nutrient rich food should I give her to increase her weight?

~ Tara

The Bengal is a naturally lean breed. Photo by V. Sauvaget, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Siouxsie: Tara, you did the right thing when you noticed your cat’s weight loss. Because you took her to the vet, you’ve been able to rule out common causes of weight loss such as hyperthyroidism, diabetes, tumors and parasites.

Thomas: When we looked at photos of Bengal cats, it seems to us they tend to be a bit on the lean side naturally, probably because of the Oriental breeds that were added to the mix to create the Bengal kitty.

Dahlia: That probably makes it even more alarming when they start to lose weight!

Siouxsie: Cats, like humans, tend to go through weight changes as they age. They may get a bit plump during their middle age years — between about 6 and 9 — and then start losing weight again as they age further.

Thomas: Ha ha, Siouxsie. I remember when you were 7, you were so big that Doctor Sarah threatened to put you on a diet if you gained any more weight!

Siouxsie: Don’t make me get out of my throne and smack you! Besides, 11 pounds isn’t fat; it’s … pleasantly plump!

Thomas: Too bad you wouldn’t let me snuggle with you when there was more of you to love.

Dahlia: Anyway … Tara, age 10 is about the equivalent of 56 human years, so she’s not quite what I’d consider a senior. But she is on the downhill side of middle age, and that is about the time cats start losing weight.

Siouxsie: That’s how it happened for me. I gradually slimmed down to 8 pounds, and I tend to hover around that weight these days.

Thomas: But why do older cats tend to lose weight? Well, part of it has to do with the fact that our bodies don’t process nutrition as well as they used to. Because of that, you may need to feed your cat more calories in order for her to maintain her weight.

Dahlia: Sometimes cats don’t eat because their teeth are hurting them, and that can cause weight loss. Dental disease is fairly common in older cats. However, since your cat is eating and drinking normally, we don’t think this is the case with her.

This chart shows feline body conditions. A 1 is emaciated and a 9 is grossly obese. If your cat looks like a 7 or a 9, he is at a high risk of developing Type II diabetes.

Siouxsie: So, as you’ve figured out, what you need to do is offer her a more calorie-dense food with more high-quality nutrients than she’s getting right now.

Thomas: Canned, home-made or raw diets are typically much richer than kibble. As an added bonus, these foods have more moisture, which can protect against dehydration, another common problem in older cats.

Dahlia: If you’re going to go with canned food, we’d recommend that you feed a grain-free premium product such as Wellness CORE, Evo, or Nature’s Variety Instinct grain-free (there are quite a few grain-free canned foods out there, but these are three brands we’ve tried and liked).

Siouxsie: Home-made and raw diets also offer of appropriate protein levels and moisture content. However, opinions on raw food in the veterinary community are divided. Some vets see it as a great way to keep cats healthy and give them the nutrition they need; others express concern about potential contaminants (salmonella, for instance) and the possibility of malnutrition if the owner doesn’t feed a balanced diet.

Thomas: I’m not sure the salmonella argument passes the logic test, though. We cats are evolved to eat raw meat: we have short, highly acidic digestive tracts, and that makes us naturally resistant to bacterial pathogens in our food.

Dahlia: The balanced diet issue can be addressed by using tested and proven recipes. You can find them in books like Dr. Pitcairn’s Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats and Anitra Frazier’s The Natural Cat. (These links go to our store at amazon.com — if you want to buy these books through our shop, Mama puts the money in our treat allowance jar. Please support our catnip habit!)

Siouxsie: Websites like the Feline Nutrition Education Society offer great information for people interested in feeding a homemade or raw diet. (For the sake of transparency, we should say Mama is a member. She also knows the people in charge of the website and can testify to the fact that they really know what they’re doing and are passionate about their mission to get cats eating species-appropriate diets.)

Thomas: Tara, we’d also recommend you monitor your cat’s weight. You want to make sure she doesn’t gain too much weight, and you want to know if she’s continuing to lose weight despite her richer diet.

Dahlia: There are two ways you can do this. The most accurate way involves purchasing a digital baby scale and using it to weigh her at least once a week.

Siouxsie: Alternately, you can stand on the scale and weigh yourself. Then pick your cat up and weigh yourself again. The difference in the two numbers is your cat’s weight. Unless your scale is digital, you may not get as accurate a reading as you would with the baby scale.

Thomas: We hope we’ve been able to help you. Good luck getting some meat back on your kitty’s bones!

Dear Most Esteemed and Knowledgeable Kitties:

I have been searching online for information about senior cat food, but there is a lot of conflicting advice. Carolan, a kitty in my house, is about 11 years old. I’m unsure if I should be switching his diet. A lot of sites said that the senior foods might say a specific age (usually 8 or 10 years) but that it varies with each cat. They say to watch the cat’s behavior instead.

Carolan still has plenty of energy and there haven’t been any changes in his behavior, but he has gotten into the habit of leaving a bite or two of kibble in his dish, even when we feed him less. Another issue: he has a urinary tract crystal problem and has to eat special food to treat that issue.

So my question is, is it OK to leave him on the same foods and not switch to a senior diet? And what signs should I look for to let me know if/when I should switch?

~ Ourika

Siouxsie: Well, Ourika, there’s a lot of passion in the cat community when it comes to diet and nutrition, and we’re going to run the risk of opening a big can of worms by answering your question, because it’s an important one.

Thomas: Let’s start out by explaining the philosophy behind the development of “senior formula” diets. Cat food manufacturers began to make these products in reaction to increasing concern about obesity and disease in older cats.

Dahlia: Senior diets are made to be lower in calories and fat and higher in fiber, in order to address the obesity issue and help prevent constipation.

Siouxsie: The problem with this is, by reducing calories and fat, the manufacturers also reduce the tastiness of the food — which then leads to decreased appetite, which can cascade into a whole series of other problems as your cat loses lean muscle mass and loses his ability to effectively fight off illnesses.

Thomas: Senior foods used to have less protein than average adult maintenance diets, too. But because cats are obligate carnivores, they need a high level of protein in their diet to remain healthy.

Dahlia: It’s our opinion that the best way to keep your cat healthy is to skip the senior diet and feed a high-quality grain-free or raw diet. There are lots of great pre-made grain-free cat foods on the market these days — in fact, there are even a number of kibble brands that are made without grain!

Siouxsie: I’m 15 and I don’t eat senior formula food. My vet says I’m a fine, healthy kitty and he wouldn’t know I’m 15 unless Mama had told him.

Thomas: I’m 10, and I don’t eat senior food, either. I’m healthier on that grain-free diet than I ever was on anything else!

Dahlia: There are a lot of holistic vets and raw-food advocates that say feeding grain-free will also go a long way toward eliminating urinary tract issues in cats. That makes sense to us, because if you’re not feeding excess carbohydrates (and we can’t even digest carbohydrates because we don’t have the right enzymes in our saliva) and you’re feeding a meat diet that has the right acid-alkaline balance, that makes a big difference in urinary tract health, too.

Siouxsie: Another thing about canned and raw food is that it smells good and this will help to stimulate our appetites.

Thomas: In addition to feeding your cat high-quality grain-free food, be sure to monitor his weight: if he begins gaining weight, scale back the food a bit, and if he starts losing weight, bump up the amount a little bit.

Dahlia: If your cat keeps losing weight, take him to the vet! Weight loss can be a sign of a number of age-related illnesses including diabetes, hyperthyroidism and kidney failure. If he keeps gaining weight, work with your vet to get him on a nutrition and exercise program.

Siouxsie: Of course, now would be a good time to remind our readers that we’re not veterinarians and we are not saying that you should stop following your vet’s orders on the advice of three blogging cats! We’re also talking about generally healthy cats here. If your cat has an illness, it’s really important to work with your vet so you don’t harm your cat. Do your own research, talk about it with your vet, and come to your own conclusions.

Thomas: Speaking of vets, here’s a brochure from the Cornell Feline Health Center on the special needs of senior cats.

Dahlia: As cats live longer and healthier lives, the general point at which a cat is considered to be a senior has changed, too. Cats are considered senior between the ages of 11 and 14 and geriatric at the age of 15 and older.

Siouxsie: Geriatric? I’ll show ya some geriatric! *hissss*

Thomas: Take it easy, Siouxsie. Those are only general terms, and we all know that you are not at all geriatric — you’re noble and wise!

Dahlia: Kiss-up!

Siouxsie: The Conscious Cat website article How to Care for Your Older Cat has a good round-up of other health, nutrition and environmental factors to take into consideration as your cat gets older.

Thomas: If you’re interested in learning more about raw foods and the importance of a grain-free diet, we’d recommend checking out the Feline Nutrition Education Society. They’ve got lots of information about feeding your cat a species-appropriate diet, recipes, articles, and tip sheets on how to do it right so your cat gets all the nutrition he needs.

Dahlia: So, Ourika, we don’t think it’s necessary for you to switch Carolan to a senior diet. As long as he’s healthy and maintaining a good weight, just feed him a high-quality (and preferably grain-free) diet — and he’ll be with you for many years to come!