Getting old is never easy, especially for a pet who is known for hiding signs of illness and discomfort. As your feline friend ages, they are likely to suffer from osteoarthritis, particularly in the elbows and back, which can make many daily activities difficult or painful to accomplish. However, your senior cat still requires environmental enrichment for their mental and physical health. To help your cat navigate your home and enjoy their typical routine, adjust your pet’s environmental enrichment the following five ways, to meet their changing needs. 

#1: Provide safe outdoor time for your senior cat

Venturing outdoors provides your cat with excellent environmental enrichment through stimulating sights and smells. However, many cats do not like leash-walking, which can be dangerous if unleashed dogs roam your streets. Keep your cat safe and happy with an exciting new view by creating a “catio,” or screened-in porch. A bird feeder or bath nearby can help boost mental enrichment, and a butterfly garden can provide hours of entertainment. 

#2: Brush up on your senior cat’s tricks with daily training sessions

For less mobile senior cats, a few minutes each day spent on reward-based training is excellent mental stimulation without too much physical exertion. Clicker training your cat to touch a target is much easier than teaching “Sit,” “Down,” or “Shake.”  Cats have shorter attention spans than dogs, so keep training or trick sessions brief, such as the time a commercial or two take on TV.

#3: Encourage gentle play in your senior cat

If your cat enjoys playing with other animals, ensure their play partner is at the same activity level and does not pester or harm your senior pet. However, most cats prefer one-on-one playtime, with minimal exertion, with their owner. A feather wand is a great play choice for your senior cat, as you can limit their leaps and bounds as they chase their prey. 

#4: Provide sensory stimulation for your senior cat

Olfactory, visual, and auditory enrichment may be particularly beneficial, especially for ill or poorly mobile senior cats. For example, take your cat outdoors in a pet stroller, allowing them to soak in the sights and smells without ever having to lift a paw. 

Introducing new odors and unfamiliar items can offer olfactory stimulation. Try sprinkling a little catnip on pieces on paper, crumple them up, and place them in a shallow-sided cardboard box for your cat to explore. You can also use strong-smelling treats or your cat’s kibble to encourage them to sniff out their snacks in a maze or a cardboard tube, or in hidden, yet easily accessible, spots around your home.

For increased visual and auditory stimulation, consider setting up your senior cat with their own tablet or TV show. Many cats show interest in moving animals on TV, and various channels and apps can entertain pets, especially those with cartoon or real mice, fish, or birds. If you want to keep your cat away from electronic screens, you can install a bird feeder or bath outside a window perch, or a covered fish tank in your home.

#5: Create easy-access perches and towers for your senior cat

Your senior cat’s aching bones and joints can make leaping onto their favorite perches or scaling their climbing towers difficult. Continue to provide access to these vital environmental enrichment pieces with ramps, or placing the items in easily accessible areas. Cats are both prey and predator, and height satisfies their need to hide and to survey their territory, but they must be able to comfortably do so in their older age. 

Play and activity in senior pets may stave off cognitive dysfunction and improve cognition in those already starting to slope downward. Implementing environmental enrichment changes in your home also encourages your senior cat to stay active, which helps maintain the muscle mass and joint function that are vital for older pets. 

If your beloved senior pet has an advanced medical condition, you may choose to support them through their final moments with hospice care. Learn more about in-home euthanasia to prepare yourself for the inevitable, or contact a Lap of Love veterinarian in your area for more advice on keeping your senior cat comfortable through their golden years.