For senior cats (cats over the age of eight to ten years of age), dementia can seemingly become a problem. Some cat owners refer to this as senility as well. Feline cognitive decline or feline cognitive dysfunction is the terminology that many veterinarians and behavioral experts prefer.
Symptoms of Feline Cognitive Decline
Symptoms of feline cognitive decline can be variable.
- Commonly, cats will wake during the night and howl. They may seem lost or confused when doing so.
- Confusion may be evident during other parts of the day as well.
- Cats with feline cognitive decline may not use the litter box faithfully, even though litter box issues were never a problem in the past.
- Cats with dementia or senility may not greet you normally when you return home.
- Your cat may spend more time by himself and seek attention less often.
- Senile cats may also sleep more during the day, which may or may not lead to more wakeful hours at night.
Differentiating Feline Dementia or Senility from Other Cat Diseases
Unfortunately, there are a number of other diseases that can cause very similar symptoms in cats. These diseases must be ruled out before a diagnosis of feline cognitive decline can be reached. Some of the diseases that can be confused for senility or dementia in cats include:
- arthritis
- hyperthyroidism
- hypertension (high blood pressure)
- pain from any source
- brain disease
Diagnosing feline dementia or senility will involve investigating and ruling out other causes. Diagnosis may involve:
- blood testing, including a complete blood cell count, blood chemistries (including electrolytes such as potassium, calcium, phosphorus and sodium) and thyroid testing
- radiographs (x-rays)
- blood pressure measurement
In more complicated cases, advanced diagnostic tests such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or computerized axial tomography (CAT scan) may be necessary to diagnose disease within the brain itself. Cerebrospinal fluid analysis may be indicated in some situations as well.
Once it has been determined that your cat is not suffering from another type of disease, a diagnosis of feline cognitive decline can be reached.
Other Conditions that Can Mimic Dementia or Senility in Cats
In addition to the diseases that mimic feline dementia or senility, other behavioral issues also can cause similar types of symptoms. Changes in your routine can affect your cat's behavior as well. If your cat is receiving less attention during the day than previously, he may be sleeping more during the day and more wakeful at night. This is particularly true if your schedule has changed from being home during the day and spending time with your cat to being away for a large part of the day.
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