The kitten or young cat that made his home with you and your family all those years ago, is now showing signs of age.  Your own family are older, perhaps away at university or even married, and now it’s just you and the cat.

Curled up on the sofa together, you take afternoon naps, or watch the game at the weekends, or a rom-com with a box of tissues nearby.  The cat accompanies you as you trundle around the garden, checking for signs of aphids or leaf mould, while he completes his ablutions discreetly.

It’s a well-known fact that just as humans are living longer, so, too, are our pets.  This is due, in part, to better quality food, and advances in medical knowledge and technology, keeping our pets and us humans alive longer.

But living longer comes with a price.  Creaky joints, aches and pains, and if overweight, a whole raft of ongoing (but treatable) problems. 

Cats living to their early teens were thought to have had ‘a good life’, but now, it’s quite common for cats to live well into their twenties.  My own cat, Garfield, was 20 years and 3 months old, when he told me it was time to move on.  That was eleven years ago, and I miss him – as I miss all my beautiful feline companions.

Thanks to Garfield, I learned a lot about caring for an elderly cat and in this new column, I will be sharing his wisdom and you, too, will be able to take care of your senior citizens into their twilight years.  Just a few simple changes can mean the difference between a poo in the litter tray or just outside on the paper!  There’s no reason why the two of you can’t spend your autumn years together in blissful harmony and comfort.