Creature comforts: accessories and processes for an older cat

After years of making you happy, older family cats deserve to be comfortable, relaxed and content with their surroundings. To return a favour to your moggy friend, it's worth investing in a number of treats and accessories that will remind it that you care. Whether it's little changes around the home to fixings, or great investments such as heated cat beds, you only have to spend a little to give your cat a lot.

While many felines do not need special treatment, they'll still appreciate extra considerations regarding their comfort. Above everything else, you should ensure that older cats have a warm, comfortable bed and a draught-free area where they can sleep undisturbed. Older cats like to stretch, so bean bags and hammock beds can be very popular with your elderly furry friends. To get to their bed, also consider using cushions or stools as steps for them to reach higher areas.

Some older cats may not be as at-ease with their cat flap as they once were. For this reason, you may want to consider tying the flap open at certain points of the day, or fitting a step. It is also worth putting a collar with a name and address on if the cat still goes outdoors in its old age, in case it gets lost. Alert your neighbours of the possibility, too, so they can keep an eye out for your moggy.

Pay attention to an older cat's nails as they become gradually less easy to retract and can get trapped in carpets and fabrics. If overgrown, they can even stick painfully into the pad. Additionally, cats are less able to groom themselves effectively and may need to instead be groomed by you, so check for lumps, parasites such as fleas, and any bodily fluids that it may no longer be able to address itself.

Additionally, it may be very helpful to provide a number of new litter trays indoors, as control over bladder and bowel movements can become gradually worse with age; obviously, reduced mobility may also produce a reluctance in your cat to need to walk far to the toilet. Bigger, shallower trays with will give it easy access and soft litter such as sand will be much more comfortable.