Senior cat welfare requires proactive management addressing the multiple age-related conditions that typically develop simultaneously, with integrated approaches that maintain quality of life across the full senior life stage.
Senior cat welfare requires abandoning the assumption that behavioral and physical changes in older cats are inevitable and untreatable. While aging is universal, the rate and experience of age-related decline is significantly affected by proactive management, early detection of conditions, and appropriate treatment. Senior cats who receive comprehensive twice-yearly health screening are more likely to have conditions detected when treatment is most effective, preventing the welfare consequence of advanced untreated disease. The goal of senior cat welfare management is not life extension regardless of quality but maintenance of the best achievable quality of life for as long as possible.