Maintain your cat's health and happiness as he ages. Be aware of common ailments in older cats. Diagnosis and treatment of these problems will help your cat maintain its quality of life. Hearing loss occurs often in aging cats. Signs of hearing loss include chronic ear infections, disorientation, scratching the ear, being startled easily, no response to your voice, and meowing louder than normal.

Dental disease also occurs more frequently as a cat ages. Brushing and proper dental care can help alleviate this problem. The infection caused by dental disease can travel throughout a cat's bloodstream causing other more serious problems. Consequently, dental care is a very important issue.

Arthritis can also occur. This is usually triggered by excessive wear on your cat's joint. Look for signs of stiffness, soreness, pain and lack of mobility. Exercise and messaging your cat's joints can be helpful. Senility or confusion is also an issue for older cats.

Consult your vet if your cat exhibits any of these symptoms. In many cases your vet can either help alleviate the problem, or make your cat more comfortable as he ages.

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