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Cognitive Dysfunction in Older Cats
By Melissa Bain, DVM, DACVB
As a function of better veterinary care, advances in
nutrition, and protection from accidental death, cats
are increasingly living longer lives. With this longer life
span comes age-related changes in various systems,
such as the visual, auditory, kidney, and muscle and
joint systems. Degenerative changes also occur in the
brain, which can result in noticeable loss of full cognitive
function. As many as 40% of cats older than 17 years of
age can show severe impairment in their cognitive ability.
Relatively little research has been done on cognitive
impairment in older cats, but the few studies do indicate
that cats develop behavior changes as they get old. The
most common behavior problem related to cognitive
dysfunction is inappropriate elimination. Some other
common signs that have been documented are excessive vocalization, changes in the
sleep-wake cycle (when the cat is asleep all day and awake and agitated at night), and
disorientation.
Research into the physical changes in the brains of cats affected by cognitive
dysfunction has just begun, but preliminary results indicate that affected cats show
changes similar to dogs with cognitive dysfunction and people with Alzheimer’s disease.
Excessive amounts of a specifi c type of protein are deposited in the brain, which impairs
its ability to function as effectively.
There is treatment available for cats with this problem. First, though, other medical
problems must be ruled out. Since there is currently no test to diagnose cognitive
dysfunction in animals, the diagnosis is made by excluding all other potential causes of
dementia. Cats with medical disorders such as other neurological diseases, kidney and
liver disease, feline leukemia (FeLV), feline immunodefi ciency virus (FIV), blindness,
hearing impairment, and arthritis can show signs that can be mistaken for cognitive
dysfunction.
Treatment for cognitive dysfunction involves making