Joints are what allow cats to move freely about the world. Without the joints themselves, our skeletons would have no firm structure. Without the padding between these bones, any time we jumped, jogged, or simply changed positions, our bones would knock into each other and damage our skeletal structure.
Joint pain, arthritis, and bone degradation are common complaints about elderly cats because as they age, the synovium produces less lubrication. Once the cartilage is damaged, repairing the joint can be difficult and can decrease mobility in senior cats. For this reason, the importance of cat joint health cannot be understated.
Causes of Declining Cat Mobility
The two most common causes of reduced cat mobility are a decline in joint health and obesity. Obesity can speed up and worsen normal joint aging. However, cats of all sizes can experience joint issues as early as 6 months old.
The most common reason for a decline in joint health for cats is degenerative joint disease (DJD), commonly referred to as osteoarthritis. DJD occurs when a cat’s joint cartilage weakens and ultimately deteriorates. The absence of cartilage leads to the bones of the joints rubbing together, causing inflammation and pain, especially when a cat moves.
Tips for Cat Joint Pain Relief
Avoid Home Hazards
By creating accessibility changes for your cat as they age, you can reduce pain and ease their daily routine. These changes could be anything from adding a low-sided litter box to adding some ramps to your couch or bed.
Other physical modifications beneficial to cat joint pain include:
- Carpet-covered pet steps, towers, or perches
- Conveniently accessed feeding bowls and litter boxes
- Orthopedic cat beds and perches
- Pet bed warmers
- Ergonomic pet feeding bowls
Manage Weight
As much as we love to spoil our kitties with treats, adding extra weight to their joints can lead to cat joint pain later.
It is understood that cat joint pain is seen more often in overweight cats than in cats of normal weight. This is due to the extra stress on their weight-bearing joints caused by the excessive body weight bearing down on them constantly.
Here are a few tips to help control weight for the reduction of joint pain:
- Ensure your cat is getting the proper amount of exercise for its age and condition.
- Offer games and toys to keep your kitty from becoming too sedentary.
- Try a wet food that is high in protein and low in carbohydrates.
- Avoid “free feeding” or allowing your cat to graze throughout the day.
- Skip the extra treats in between your cat’s meals.
By maintaining a healthy weight, your cat has a better chance at reducing cat joint pain, as well as avoiding a slew of other paw-ful conditions associated with obesity.
Tips for Cat Joint Pain Prevention
Promote Regular Exercise
Cats aren’t exactly known for their willingness to exercise. In fact, they may be better known for their laziness than anything else!
Avoid Situational Injuries
Our feline friends are known for being inquisitive and downright sneaky! They love to climb, explore, and make daring leaps. Unfortunately, those adventures commonly lead to injuries.
The best way to avoid cat joint pain from an injury is to prevent it in the first place. Cats are naturally curious and love to jump from ledge to ledge, checking out the world outside, so in warmer climates and months, be aware of open windows and doors to the outside. You should also avoid allowing them unsupervised access to your decks, balconies, or fire escapes, as they can lose balance or fall asleep precariously, slipping through a railing or off the edge.
Provide a Balanced Nutrition
A balanced diet is key to better fur, bones, skin, teeth, and digestive health as well as to a healthy weight.
Cats have unique nutritional needs. They must have the right balance of nutrients in their diet to maintain good overall health. And since their health is affected by a variety of factors, including your cat’s weight, age, genetics, and bone health you’re going to want to keep a close eye on what they’re eating for more than one reason.
own for their willingness to exercise. In fact, they may be better known for their laziness than anything else!
Incorporate Cat Joint Pain Supplements
You feed your cat the best food, give them plenty of exercise, and make sure they get to the vet when needed. A cat joint pain supplement is a simple, easy-to-administer health boost that can be added to your daily routine with ease. We talked about how joint supplements can reduce pain earlier, but they are also great at helping prevent it in the first place, too!
Add a Cat Joint Supplement
Exercise Your Cat
The most noticeable sign your older dog is developing arthritis is when they limp or favor one side over the other. They do this t
When it comes to relieving pain for your cat, you’re going to want to have as many tools in your back pocket as possible. And one thing you can use in conjunction with the other ideas shared in this post is adding cat joint pain supplements to your kitty’s daily routine.
Joint pain comes from the inflammation caused by the bones in your cat’s joints rubbing together due to a lack of cartilage. So it would only make sense that we should tackle the problem at the source by reducing inflammation and repairing cartilage.
Key ingredients in natural joint care:
Green-lipped mussel powder or oil: Green-lipped mussels contain a uniquely rich combination of Omega fatty-acids not found in any other marine species. These fatty acids help to support the maintenance of healthy bone and joint structures. The green-lipped mussel (perna canaliculus) is endemic to New Zealand and provides a rich source of minerals and micronutrients.
Omega-3s: When looking for supplements with Omega-3, it is best to find a source that is rich in EPA, DHA & ETA).
Glucosamine: Supplements rich in glucosamine are a great addition to your Cats daily diet. Glucosamine is a natural compound found in connective tissue.
Turmeric: The anti-inflammatory effects of turmeric are well-known in both human and animal studies. Supplements containing turmeric are a good natural addition to the daily diet of your feline. Always follow the recommended feeding guidelines.
Hi Well Pet for Cats Active-One for Joint Care 120Softgel Capsules
ACTIVE-ONE for JOINT CARE contains 100% natural New Zealand sourced Green-lipped mussel oil extract and has been carefully formulated for your pets’ healthy joints and mobility. New Zealand Green-lipped mussel oil naturally contains over 30 essential fatty acids including DHA and EPA.
Green-lipped mussel oil extraction is tested for heavy metals.
Support for
- Pet’s healthy joints and mobility
Ingredients
- Premium New Zealand Green-lipped mussel oil extract 50mg, d-alpha-Tocopherol (Vitamin E), olive oil, gelatin, glycerin and purified water.
Directions
- Feed the capsule directly Or pierce and squeeze the capsule to mix the content with your pet’s food or favourite treat.
Precautions
- The daily requirements may depend on your pet’s age, weight, and general health.
- If your pet has chronic medical conditions or other health issues, consult a vet-care professional before use.
- Stop use if your pet shows any symptoms.
- Store in a cool &dry place below 25°C away from direct sunlight.
By following our simple advice, you will be able to achieve a good balance between staying healthy and being able to focus on your work.
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The information on this site is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. All content, including text, images and information, contained on or available through this website is for general information purposes only. Hi Well Healthcare is not responsibly liable for any advice, course of treatment, diagnosis or any other information services or products that you obtain through this website.
※References
1.Burgess, P. R., & Clark, F. J. (1969). Characteristics of knee joint receptors in the cat. The Journal of Physiology, 203(2), 317-335.
2.Laflamme, D. P. (2012). Nutritional care for aging cats and dogs. Veterinary Clinics: Small Animal Practice, 42(4), 769-791.
3.Hardie, E. M. (1997). Management of osteoarthritis in cats. Veterinary Clinics of North America: Small Animal Practice, 27(4), 945-953.
4.Marino, C. L., Lascelles, B. D. X., Vaden, S. L., Gruen, M. E., & Marks, S. L. (2014). Prevalence and classification of chronic kidney disease in cats randomly selected from four age groups and in cats recruited for degenerative joint disease studies. Journal of feline medicine and surgery, 16(6), 465-472.
5.Johnson, K. A., Lee, A. H., & Swanson, K. S. (2020). Nutrition and nutraceuticals in the changing management of osteoarthritis for dogs and cats. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 256(12), 1335-1341.
