Dementia in cats

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Lisa and Witn (GA)

Lisa and Witn (GA)

Member Since 2009
Does anyone have experience with caring for a cat with dementia? I suspect that Indie is showing early signs of it. He had a full senior bloodwork done a couple months ago and everythng was normal. He is 13.

The symptoms have been going on for several months but I am noticing an increase in them. Mainly he will go into a room or hallway where no one is at and start meowing like he is lost. Once he sees me, he is fine. I had several relatives with dementia and with people confusion is an early sign.

I will be scheduling a vet visit for him just to rule anything else out, but since this is his only symptom, is suspect that it may be dementia. Otherwise he is eating and acting normal.

If you cared for a dementia cat, do you know if there are any supplements or medication that could help slow down the progression of it? Dementia is a cruel disease in people and I want to give him the best quality of life as long as possible.
 
Lisa and Witn (GA) said:
Does anyone have experience with caring for a cat with dementia? I suspect that Indie is showing early signs of it. He had a full senior bloodwork done a couple months ago and everythng was normal. He is 13.

The symptoms have been going on for several months but I am noticing an increase in them. Mainly he will go into a room or hallway where no one is at and start meowing like he is lost. Once he sees me, he is fine. I had several relatives with dementia and with people confusion is an early sign.

I will be scheduling a vet visit for him just to rule anything else out, but since this is his only symptom, is suspect that it may be dementia. Otherwise he is eating and acting normal.

If you cared for a dementia cat, do you know if there are any supplements or medication that could help slow down the progression of it? Dementia is a cruel disease in people and I want to give him the best quality of life as long as possible.
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Oh Wow! my Corky lately, has also been doing the same at night once I go to bed he sits in the living room sofa crying loud, I ask him to come in with me, but eventually I have to pick him up and put him in bed, It's weird because he is not too vocal, I figured that he hears his meowing at that time when all is quiet or to get my attention or is a new habit, but I have not seen any disorientation any where around the house only at bed time, and then his sister Coco joins in as a duet
 
CORKY said:
Oh Wow! my Corky lately, has also been doing the same at night once I go to bed he sits in the living room sofa crying loud, I ask him to come in with me, but eventually I have to pick him up and put him in bed, It's weird because he is not too vocal, I figured that he hears his meowing at that time when all is quiet or to get my attention or is a new habit, but I have not seen any disorientation any where around the house only at bed time, and then his sister Coco joins in as a duet
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When Indie first started it, I thought it was for attention also. It wasn't until I watched an episode of Pets & Pickers on Animal Planet and one of the cats on the was diagnosed with dementia and I realized Indie had similar symptoms.
 
I have a cat who had done that for years. As soon as the last light goes out, he howls. I swear, he is calling out "Helloooo? Helloooo?" So I answer back, Hello Lambors, Hello. It's okay, go to sleep. And he does. He's old now, but he's done it for years. Never was the brightest cat to begin with, and he's certainly lost some brainpower now that he's old. But we just go with it and cater to what he needs, whether it's reassuring him that he's okay once the lights go out, or not changing where his particular food bowl goes.
Had a couple of previous cats who obviously went senile, one had been incredibly intelligent and clearly lost that; another had never had much going on inside her furry head, and got worse. We just went with what they now needed. #2 could no longer handle any kind of change--she would walk her known pathways through the house (but she wasn't blind, we had it checked more than once) but if something interfered, like a dropped toy or shoe in her path, she'd turn around and go back to where she started, then turn back and try the path again, encounter the obstacle, turn around and go back, then turn around and try again....until someone noticed and moved the offending thing so her path was clear and she could head to where she intended. She had gotten used to drinking from a dripping bathtub faucet, finally we had the drip fixed, but she kept going to the bathtub to look for water, even tho she passed right by the waterbowls just inside the kitchen doorway that she passed on her way to the bathtub. So, we put a waterbowl in the bathtub, just for her, and made sure it was always clean and full, for her.
You just do what they need you to do for them so their life is still working within their capabilities.
 
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