What to expect as she grows older
As you'd expect, health complaints become more and more regular the older your cat gets. Your vet will become more and more important to you, but there's a lot you can keep an eye out for yourself. Health problems that affect older cats include urinary tract problems, heart problems and joint problems. They can also develop cataracts and poor oral health. Lots of care and attention from you will help in identifying when there's a problem, and treating it properly.
Senior senses
Older cats often develop cataracts. A cataract is a clouding of the lens of the eye. You'll be able to see a sort of misty, grey blurring in your cat's eye if she's developed this problem. Your cat, on the other hand, will be able to see less and less as the cataracts develop.
She might also start to have trouble hearing. As a natural born hunter, your cat has developed a huge reliance on her senses during the course of her life. If you have a blind or deaf cat, make sure you're more careful than usual to make sure there aren't any potential hazards just lying about in the house, and keep a close eye on her to make sure she doesn't get herself into any difficult situations.
Open wide
Poor oral health, including sore gums and missing teeth, is something a lot of cats have to deal with in their old age. The problem here is that there comes a time when an operation involving anaesthetic just isn't possible, so she just has to put up with the problem. As do you, if bad breath is a symptom. In these cases, all you can do is make sure she's as comfortable as possible, and wet food like Whiskas® Pouches Senior or Whiskas® Oh so… Senior are ideal. Alternatively, you could soak her dry food in a little water to make it softer on her gums.
What you can do
When a cat's immune system starts to deteriorate, you may find she's picking up more illnesses than before. Unfortunately it's sometimes difficult to spot a problem as there may be no visible signs. The best thing you can do is make sure your vet's number is always to hand so you can take your cat for treatment if she needs it. Otherwise, just keep her comfy and happy as normal!