Since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, nearly a quarter of the felines PAWS rescued were senior cats, many over 11 years old.
Currently, the oldest cats in our care are 18-year-old Cornucopia and 20-year-old Amazing Maisie (pictured here).

Since most older cats have lived in the same home their entire lives, they require an experienced foster who is skilled in helping these seniors adjust to new circumstances. Although there are a lot of benefits and joys in caring for an older cat, seniors also present many challenges because they often have chronic health issues such as diabetes or kidney disease or may need dental care. These health issues can lead to costly emergency veterinary visits.
Nicky, and Twinkles, and their housemate Lily were adopted as kittens over 15 years ago. Sadly, their adopter passed away in January, and suddenly they became orphans. Family members were unable to care for the three felines, so they were all brought to PAWS, where Nicky and Twinkles began their life journey.

Since Lily and Nicky are strongly bonded, they were placed in a foster home together. Twinkles is content to be by herself in another foster home that is experienced in senior care. All three of these beautiful cats are well socialized and affectionate. They will make wonderful companions for someone who has lots of patience to help them cope with the great changes they have experienced.

Lily                    Nicky                   Twinkles
Lily and Nicky are inseparable. Lily is the more social of the two, loving the company of other cats and people. Nicky is a diva who wants to be the center of attention and wants nothing to do with other cats. She only has eyes for Lily.

Both of these girls have some medical issues that require attention:

• Nicky was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism and requires a special diet.
• Lily came to us with a severe urinary tract infection (UTI) and needed some dental work. She also recently had a serious infection that required medical attention.

Lily and Nicky were actually adopted a few months ago. However, it didn't work out, so, once again, they were returned to PAWS. Of course, this added another level of trauma for these already confused kitties. At this time they are very content in their foster home.

Twinkles is a beautiful, fluffy, dilute tortie. She is an affectionate kitty who will crawl up on her person's lap for a good snuggle or hang out on the sofa or the end of the bed. She gets along with the other cats in her foster home, as long as they stay out of her way and let her be first.

Like her sisters, she came to PAWS with some age-related medical issues. Initially, she was treated for a UTI, but further tests showed that she has chronic kidney disease, which requires treatment with a special diet.

These three felines are examples of the many challenges presented by senior cats. Because they are older and have some age-related conditions, they tend to be in foster care for a longer time than our younger cats and this can be resource-intensive:

• they need experienced foster caregivers who understand their needs, and
• their veterinary care is expensive and ongoing.

Despite these challenges, PAWS will always provide the best possible care for all of the cats in our network.

Please consider supporting our efforts to care for Lily, Nicky, Twinkles, and other older cats like them.  Thank you!