If Kitty is in her golden years, don’t assume that those changes you see slowly creeping up are just normal aging changes. We now know that many of the changes we used to attribute to old age are in fact related to cognitive disorder.

When you see a number of changes in normal behavior patterns occurring together, or present in cats younger than one would expect to see changes, you need to talk to your veterinarian about this.

Signs of cognitive disorder are sometimes subtle at first. Usually, if 4 or more of these signs are evident, the index of suspicion of cognitive disorder is high.

• Vocalization (excessive night crying particularly)
• Pacing, circling, wandering
• Change in sleep patterns
• Loss of responsiveness to people they know—a far-off staring look
• Change in appetite
• Lethargy
• House soiling
• Personality changes—more irritable, less social

As more cats live a long lifespan, more emphasis is being placed on identifying and managing the various old age illnesses that creep up on Kitty. Not all of them are physical! The hospital may have you fill out an extensive behavioral history form, and run some diagnostic tests to rule out physical problems that can also lead to changes in normal kitty behaviors.