Research carried out at the University of Edinburgh in 2006 suggests that more than half of all cats over the age of 15 years are affected by feline or cat dementia – but what exactly is it and how can it be treated? Read on to learn everything you should know about dementia symptoms in cats, feline dementia treatments, and more.
What is Cat Dementia?
Dementia in cats, which is also frequently referred to as cognitive dysfunction syndrome (CDS), occurs as your cat gets older, with first changes in abilities beginning to take place around the age of 11 to 12 years and dementia setting in by the time the cat is around 15 years old.
Related to dementia in humans, CDS is caused by a combination of:
- Decreased flow of blood to the brain.
- Increased production of free radical molecules, which damage your cat’s sensitive brain cells.
- Protein deposits around nerve cells that make getting signals to and from the brain harder.
- As the condition progresses, it becomes extremely difficult to maintain normal brain function and your cat will find it increasingly difficult to do even the simplest of things that were once perfectly natural for him/her.
Ultimately leading to awareness changes, loss of memory, learning difficulties, and lack of responsiveness to stimulation, CDS typically involves gradual cognitive decline, which means symptoms initially tend to be mild and will gradually get worse as time goes by.
Dementia Symptoms in Cats
So, what are the symptoms of CDS? Well, as this condition’s onset progresses slowly, the most common signs and symptoms you are likely to notice are behavioral changes. Usually first becoming noticeable in cats aged around 10+ years, CDS symptoms are represented by DISHA, an acronym standing for:
- Disorientation,
- Interaction with others (or, to be more precise, changes therein),
- Sleep-wake cycle changes,
- House soiling, and
- Activity level changes
This symptom categorization means you may, for instance, notice behavioral changes including:
- Anxiety/restlessness
- The apparent disregard for previous training/house rules, such as, for example, soiling and/or urinating away from his/her litter tray
- Changing sleep cycles (your cat may, for example, sleeping more during the day and spend most of his/her nights awake)
- Confusion/disorientation (your cat may, for instance, become unable to follow even the most familiar of routes around the house, garden, etc.). Endlessly pacing to-and-fro or sitting staring at a wall for ages, for example, are both signs of your cat being lost and confused.
- Decreased desire/inclination to play
- Excessive licking or lack of self-grooming
- Extreme irritability and aggression
- Faecal and/or urinary incontinence
- Inability to learn or slowness in learning new tasks
- Increased vocalisation – particularly at night, when so-called “cat dementia howling” can drive both you and your neighbours mad
- Loss of appetite (i.e. anorexia)
- No social interaction
As it is, many of these symptoms could also be signs of other medical conditions and not least the presence of pain, so diagnosing cat dementia invariably involves ruling such conditions out to begin with.
How is CDS Diagnosed?
To diagnose cat dementia, your vet will most likely need your cat’s full health history, complete with the nature and onset of symptoms and any potential incidents that may have precipitated your pet’s unusual behaviours and/or complications. Recording any abnormal activities/behaviours you have witnessed will also come in extremely useful.
Having looked over your records and your feline companion’s medical history, your vet will then conduct a full physical examination to thoroughly evaluate your furry friend’s overall state of health and cognitive functions.
This physical examination is likely but certainly doesn’t have to, to include numerous routine blood tests, as well as x-rays and ultrasound tests to rule out any underlying conditions likely to present symptoms like those of CDS. Many times, it is possible for an experienced palliative care vet, such as our vets here at Vets2Home, to make this tentative diagnosis based merely on a careful and full history, observing behaviour, full examination and just observing your cat in his or her normal environment at home. This would be much more tolerated for your elderly kitty especially a frail or easily confused and nervous feline which he or she would be at this stage. We believe this would be the best way to help your kitty and assess the situation certainly at first. We would always suggest more tests as an option at your vets after if this seems likely to change the situation and the chosen approach. But we will only suggest this if we believe it’s likely to be a medical issue underlying the problem behaviour and we have a medical solution available.
If having ruled out such conditions, which include arthritis, blindness and brain tumours; deafness, hyperthyroidism and kidney disease, and diagnosed CDS, your vet or our vet will suggest the most suitable course of action and give you all options going forward.
Feline Dementia Treatment
There is, unfortunately, no cure for dementia (FCDS) in cats, so any treatment your vet is likely to suggest will aim at slowing your precious pet’s cognitive decline down and making his/her life as comfortable and happy as possible, for as long as possible.
As such, your vet is likely to suggest ongoing therapy involving:
- A special, balanced and vitamin rich diet supplemented with antioxidants (i.e. vitamin C and E; carotenoids like carnitine and beta-carotene; flavonoids and selenium) and omega-3 – all of which are considered excellent for helping to improve your pet’s cognitive functions (learning ability, memory, etc.).
- Establishing a healthy, stimulating environment by creating a daily schedule including regular play, training and exercise routines.
- Regular check-ups (or just check-ins) to monitor symptom progression and your furry friend’s response to these therapeutic measures. If your cat’s condition is stable, these check-ups will most likely be scheduled at 6-monthly intervals or as you agree when you feel comfortable with your cat, but if you notice any new problems or behavioural changes, you should let your vet know immediately.
Drug therapy is still a comparatively novel concept in terms of cat dementia treatment, but, as the condition is getting more widely recognised as a process of disease and the approach to treating this progressive condition continues to evolve, your vet may also suggest some form of medication.
Such medication may, for example, consist of:
- Anti-inflammatory non-steroidal drugs and antioxidants to help reduce neuronal (relating to neurons, i.e. nervous system cells) damage.
- Selegiline, a MAO inhibitor (an enzyme blocker) that slows the breakdown of natural substances (neurotransmitters like serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine) within the brain. This type of medication is, however, not appropriate for the treatment of all cats with dementia, so your vet will have to determine whether it is suitable for your furry friend.
- Cholinesterase inhibitors, which help increase acetyl choline (an organic chemical functioning as a neurotransmitter within the body and brain of many animals and humans) availability at neural synapses (nervous system structures that allow neurons to pass chemical or electrical signals on to other neurons or so-called target effector cells like the effector T-cell, which actively responds to specific stimuli, for example).
There are also many things you can do to manage your furry companion’s condition and improve his/her quality of life, including:
- Maintaining a daily routine without changes and with a regular feeding schedule.
- Placing additional water and food bowls around your house.
- Placing more, easy-to-access litter trays (with sandy litter) around the house.
- Using an anti-anxiety spray or plug-in to help your cat if he/she is anxious.
- Minimising confusion/disorientation by avoiding changes to your home (i.e. new furniture, moving furniture around, etc.).
- Providing multiple comfortable resting and hiding places throughout your home – if necessary, with ramps to help your precious cat access them.
Finally, give your beloved companion all the love and attention he/she needs to feel reassured and comforted (while at the same time allow him/her to have some time to him/herself):
- Exercise his/her mind and body by playing with him/her.
- Groom him/her (especially important if he/she has given up doing so him/herself).
Even simply sitting and petting him/her will let your potentially confused and frightened cat know that he/she can count on you to be there whenever he/she needs you most.
Feline Dementia Life Expectancy
As dementia is a slowly progressing condition, it may take years for symptoms to take hold and affect your four-legged friend’s quality of life. Given a healthy, balanced diet and stable (i.e. unchanging) living conditions, your cat may consequently continue to live a comparatively happy and reasonably content life for many years to come.
There may, however, come a time when all that confusion, restlessness and anxiety mean your poor companion has far more bad days than good ones. What’s more, as CDS progresses, your precious friend’s organs may begin to fail, which may cause chronic lack of appetite and nausea.
When this happens and both your companion’s mental and physical conditions are reducing his/her quality of life to an extent where all he/she knows is suffering, it is time to consider having him/her euthanised.
Home Pet Euthanasia
We here at Vets2Home love cats and understand how difficult the decision to put an end to your beloved furry companion’s suffering can be.
We understand that, having shared a truly unique bond with your furry friend for many years, you will find it incredibly hard to imagine life without him/her – and that the thought of ending his/her life fills you with grief and even guilt.
We do, however, also know that giving your pet a peaceful end free of stress and pain is the kindest, most loving thing you can possibly do for your cat at this point when he or she just isn’t coping anymore and acting very out of character.
Based on this understanding, knowledge and years of experience as palliative pet care & home pet euthanasia specialists, we can help you make the best decision at the best time and when the time to put an end to your beloved pet’s suffering is upon you, help him/her pass away peacefully, surrounded by loved ones and in the comfort of his/her own home – so, if you believe your cat is approaching the final stages of dementia, please do not hesitate to contact us today to learn more.