Nutritional requirements change significantly as cats age, and appropriate dietary management in senior cats prevents muscle loss, supports kidney function, and maintains quality of life.
Senior cat nutritional welfare is complicated by outdated recommendations that have persisted in practice despite revision. The previous advice to feed low-protein diets to senior cats as prophylaxis against kidney disease is no longer supported — the evidence shows that protein restriction in cats without confirmed renal impairment accelerates muscle loss without protecting kidney function. Senior cats with sarcopenia benefit from highly digestible, high-protein diets that support muscle maintenance. Identifying the right nutritional approach requires knowledge of the individual cat's health status: a senior cat with confirmed Stage 2 CKD has different dietary needs than a healthy 13-year-old with normal kidney function. Regular veterinary assessment including blood chemistry enables diet recommendations tailored to individual health status rather than age alone.