Cats are living longer due to improved veterinary care, making senior and geriatric cat welfare increasingly important. Proactive management of age-related conditions can maintain quality of life through the final years.
Senior cat welfare depends on proactive identification and management of multiple concurrent conditions. Unlike acute disease, age-related decline is gradual — owners adapt to changes without recognising the cumulative welfare impact. A geriatric cat may simultaneously manage kidney disease, arthritis pain, hyperthyroidism, and early cognitive changes, each affecting appetite, mobility, and comfort. Welfare-positive senior cat management involves biannual veterinary screening for early disease detection, multimodal pain management for arthritis, dietary adjustment for kidney and metabolic disease, and environmental adaptation for reduced mobility. Quality of life should be assessed regularly using structured tools, enabling compassionate and timely end-of-life decision-making before suffering becomes severe.