Modifications to an ageing cats environment Part Two

Anxiety
Older cats can suffer from anxiety, they are less well able to defend themselves from other animals, this can be exasperated by poor sight and hearing. To reduce your cat's anxiety, try using a synthetic plug-in pheromone diffuser (Feliway), which mimics the facial pheromone that cats produce when they feel relaxed. 
Pheromones may also reduce stress in cats with chronic pain.

Create safe spaces
Consider limiting your cat's night-time environment to a couple of rooms. Provide lots of hiding places - such as an igloo-style bed or cardboard boxes with blankets inside - and actively encourage their use with treats and familiar-smelling bedding will make your cat feel secure in her core territory.
Give your pet access to plenty of warm, safe places to sleep. Make sure your cat can still reach favourite areas - particularly those up high - by providing ramps or footstools, and add cushions as crash pads in appropriate places. Keeping radiators switched on in cold weather, will also help your cat to relax.

Play
Sticking to a daily schedule will help make your cat more alert and less anxious. Daytime play and stimulation is still vital for older cats. Adjust your play style if your cat isn't very mobile - but simply watching a toy move in a prey-like way can keep your cat happy and alert. Activity feeders are another good solution to mimic natural hunting behaviour and will keep your cat's mind busy.
For those times when you aren't able to engage in one-on-one activities, try looking on YouTube for videos and cat-friendly content, such as Cat TV, which can help to keep your pet mentally stimulated.

Physical therapy
Increasing activity can be helpful in cats with OA. Interaction with owners via play, or a gentle walk around the garden can provide exercise for sore joints. 

Physiotherapy Passive range of motion exercises are sometimes used, but advise from a veterinary physiotherapist is desirable. 

Acupuncture: although there is currently no evidence of a bene t, many owners feel their cats are more comfortable following treatment. The treatment us usually very well tolerated.

Easily available resources: water, food, litter trays and beds should be easily accessible, and this may mean putting them at ground level, or providing steps up to the resources.

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A comfy bed: igloo beds for example, are comfortable but also importantly provide a place to hide and have some peace. Important for older cats and any cat with chronic pain.

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Steps and ramps: a cat may love to look out of the window, but be unable to now they cannot jump up. A simple ramp or steps can allow the cat to get to a favourite perch or bed.

Make sure the cat  ap is easy to go in and out of: it may need tying open and step putting either side.

• Accessible litter trays with soft litter: litter tray problems are often a sign of OA. Trays should be large enough, and have lowered sides ( gure 4) so the cat doesn’t need to climb in. Litter should not be hard underfoot , but of a more sandy type and deep enough.