Making Your Home Easier for Cats 13 and Older: Ramps, Warmth & Layout
๐จ Check first
About 80โ90% of cats aged 12 and older are said to show some degree of osteoarthritis (joint pain) on X-rays. Because cats hide pain, the signs are often dismissed as 'they just sleep a lot now.'
๐ The answer in 3 seconds
- Hesitating before jumping onto a favorite sofa, windowsill, or bed, hooking their claws in to clamber up, or landing with a heavy thud when getting down are signs of joint pain.
- The basics of a home for super senior cats are lowering heights (adding ramps and steps) and bringing the litter box, water, food, and bed within a radius of 2โ3 m (6.6โ9.8 ft) of each other (a compact layout).
- Older cats lose muscle mass and have a harder time regulating body temperature, so create 'temperature escape zones' that block cold rising from the floor and keep them out of direct air-conditioner drafts in summer.
๐ Flowchart
- Step 1In front of the sofa, the human bed, and any bay window your cat often climbs, set up pet stairs with steps no higher than 15 cm (6 in) (soft foam steps or a ramp with a non-slip surface).
- Step 2So your cat's hind legs do not slip on hard floors and strain the hip joints, lay carpet tiles, yoga mats, or cork mats along the routes your cat walks.
- Step 3Add an extra water station and a low-entry litter box right next to the bed (within 3 seconds' walk) so your cat can drink and eliminate without holding it in, even on days when their joints hurt.
- Step 4Line the bed with a slightly firm, pressure-relieving mat (a high-resilience pet mattress), and place a pet heater that will not cause low-temperature burns under only half of it so your cat can adjust their own temperature.
โญ Step-by-step fix
Step 1 ยท What you can do at home right now
In front of the sofa, the human bed, and any bay window your cat often climbs, set up pet stairs with steps no higher than 15 cm (6 in) (soft foam steps or a ramp with a non-slip surface).
Step 2
So your cat's hind legs do not slip on hard floors and strain the hip joints, lay carpet tiles, yoga mats, or cork mats along the routes your cat walks.
Step 3
Add an extra water station and a low-entry litter box right next to the bed (within 3 seconds' walk) so your cat can drink and eliminate without holding it in, even on days when their joints hurt.
Step 4
Line the bed with a slightly firm, pressure-relieving mat (a high-resilience pet mattress), and place a pet heater that will not cause low-temperature burns under only half of it so your cat can adjust their own temperature.
โ Never do this
- Keeping the same tall, slippery wooden cat tree your cat used when young (missed steps leading to falls and fractures are common).
- Rearranging the room in a big way with good intentions (super senior cats whose vision or cognition is starting to decline can become confused and stressed when furniture moves, so keep everything in place and just add steps).
๐ Make notes for the vet
Your notes save automatically on this device, so they stay even without a signal at the clinic.