Post by DOG on Jun 5, 2008 19:00:15 GMT -5
From Warriors Wish.
I did NOT write this article.
This article I wrote after Cat Behavior because many of the books I used as reference there also had good sections on the Aging Cat, which seems to be a topic of interest to cat owners. It may also be an interest to you as a Warriors, fan, as the care of Elders is an important part of Clan tradition, albeit unrealistic in terms of real feral cats.
The aging of cats is different of course between feral cats and house cats, because the wear and tear lifestyle of wild cats is more taxing then a pampered house cats. Even in Clan lifestyle were the cats can depend on each other, the amount of cats within the Clan that survive to the age of elder is generally small, as the average life of a feral cat is about 2 - 3 years. This translates to roughly 24 - 36 moons, which maybe another year or so can be added because of the safety within the Clan. The result is an average 52 moons, which might still be considered unusual. The exceptionally realistic Warriors role-play, Children of StarClan, considers cats above 52 moons to be elders, but there are exceptions within the books when a cat is especially reluctant to join the elders den.
As a cat ages, their senses and body may begin to fail somewhat. Mobility, including their ability to make high leaps, climb, run or fight may be depleted. Because the cat can no longer preform such vital tasks for escaping threats (the survival of a cat is very much based on threat) they tend to be more cautious and satisfied with sleeping. At the same time, dignity and power is also an important element in the temperament of a cat. As we see in Warriors it is sometimes difficult for a cat to accept that they can no longer preform tasks with the best of their ability. The treatment of elders by apprentices and the Clans leans heavily on his idea -- Elders are to be treated with utmost respect, which perhaps is a way of compensating and defending the elderly cats from feeling helpless and less dignified.
A cats senses will also become less keen as time goes on. Sight may be the first sense to decline, but can vary from less sharp vision to blindness. Hearing also goes, since cats have such sharp senses many small things they are used to hearing they will not will able to sense. Sometimes this makes older cats easily startled, or like One-Eye in Into The Wild they can't hear the other cats in the Elders den, frustrating for the other elders, but certainly amusing for us.
An aging cat becomes less sensitive to the taste of foods, and sometimes cat owners must add some stronger smeller foods, like gravy or fish to a cat's dish to tempt it into eating. We can see the books the elders shock and extreme distain of eating crowfood -- whether that has anything to do with depleting senses of taste or elderly snottiness, we may never know. The final sense to lose sensitivity is touch, which extends to the stiff or aching joints, a common ailment for elders treated with daisy. An older cat is less flexible and nimble then a young cat.
An older cat may pay less attention to grooming, so a pelt can lose it's sheen and become a bit more shabby. In Warriors the elders pelts are often described as patchy, dull or scarred, since they bear the marks from many battles. Older cats, like aging humans and other animals, are also more susceptible to disease and sickness as their immune system breaks down. Sometimes cats develop asthma, which creates heavier breathing, coughing and eventual death if they are targeted by a respiratory-related sickness (green-cough is a cat form of pneumonia in the Warriors books).
The temperament of older cats, like in Warriors changes from cat to cat. Some get cankerous and bad-tempered in old age, like Speckletail or Smallear. Others in constant, become complacent and kind-hearted, like Patchpelt or Goldenflower.
I did NOT write this article.
This article I wrote after Cat Behavior because many of the books I used as reference there also had good sections on the Aging Cat, which seems to be a topic of interest to cat owners. It may also be an interest to you as a Warriors, fan, as the care of Elders is an important part of Clan tradition, albeit unrealistic in terms of real feral cats.
The aging of cats is different of course between feral cats and house cats, because the wear and tear lifestyle of wild cats is more taxing then a pampered house cats. Even in Clan lifestyle were the cats can depend on each other, the amount of cats within the Clan that survive to the age of elder is generally small, as the average life of a feral cat is about 2 - 3 years. This translates to roughly 24 - 36 moons, which maybe another year or so can be added because of the safety within the Clan. The result is an average 52 moons, which might still be considered unusual. The exceptionally realistic Warriors role-play, Children of StarClan, considers cats above 52 moons to be elders, but there are exceptions within the books when a cat is especially reluctant to join the elders den.
As a cat ages, their senses and body may begin to fail somewhat. Mobility, including their ability to make high leaps, climb, run or fight may be depleted. Because the cat can no longer preform such vital tasks for escaping threats (the survival of a cat is very much based on threat) they tend to be more cautious and satisfied with sleeping. At the same time, dignity and power is also an important element in the temperament of a cat. As we see in Warriors it is sometimes difficult for a cat to accept that they can no longer preform tasks with the best of their ability. The treatment of elders by apprentices and the Clans leans heavily on his idea -- Elders are to be treated with utmost respect, which perhaps is a way of compensating and defending the elderly cats from feeling helpless and less dignified.
A cats senses will also become less keen as time goes on. Sight may be the first sense to decline, but can vary from less sharp vision to blindness. Hearing also goes, since cats have such sharp senses many small things they are used to hearing they will not will able to sense. Sometimes this makes older cats easily startled, or like One-Eye in Into The Wild they can't hear the other cats in the Elders den, frustrating for the other elders, but certainly amusing for us.
An aging cat becomes less sensitive to the taste of foods, and sometimes cat owners must add some stronger smeller foods, like gravy or fish to a cat's dish to tempt it into eating. We can see the books the elders shock and extreme distain of eating crowfood -- whether that has anything to do with depleting senses of taste or elderly snottiness, we may never know. The final sense to lose sensitivity is touch, which extends to the stiff or aching joints, a common ailment for elders treated with daisy. An older cat is less flexible and nimble then a young cat.
An older cat may pay less attention to grooming, so a pelt can lose it's sheen and become a bit more shabby. In Warriors the elders pelts are often described as patchy, dull or scarred, since they bear the marks from many battles. Older cats, like aging humans and other animals, are also more susceptible to disease and sickness as their immune system breaks down. Sometimes cats develop asthma, which creates heavier breathing, coughing and eventual death if they are targeted by a respiratory-related sickness (green-cough is a cat form of pneumonia in the Warriors books).
The temperament of older cats, like in Warriors changes from cat to cat. Some get cankerous and bad-tempered in old age, like Speckletail or Smallear. Others in constant, become complacent and kind-hearted, like Patchpelt or Goldenflower.