happening to our cats (and to us!) as the years pass. Your cat's fur starts to lose its shine, the skin becomes less elastic and a few white hairs appear. Hearing, sense of smell and sight deteriorate and eventually your cat's memory may be affected. Sleep increases and activity decreases as the muscles and bones weaken and the immune system becomes less effective.

As the body grows older your cat's behaviour will also change as he adjusts to the deterioration in his ability to hunt, fight, climb, jump and generally defend his territory. In the Elderly Cat Survey, in which owners of 1,236 cats over twelve years of age took part, general trends in the behaviour of older cats were noted.

• • They go outdoors less (reported by 55% of surveyed owners).
• • They hunt less (47% had stopped completely).
• • They sleep more (40% slept eighteen hours plus and 57% slept for up to eighteen hours a day).
• • They vocalize more (66% of owners reported increased sounds to get food, attention, etc.).
• • They become more sociable and affectionate (81% of owners reported this).
• • Grooming becomes less frequent and less effective (24% groomed only occasionally or not at all).
• • They play less (63% of owners reported that their cats played only occasionally or not at all).
• • Their toilet habits change (29% of the cats had toilet 'accidents' in the house).

If you understand the likely physiological and emotional changes that take place in your cat you should be well equipped to deal with them. It's important to remember that old age is not