Multiple health problems were common in aging cats
Among 209 cats followed for up to seven years, 175 (84%) developed at least two conditions or abnormalities found during veterinary examinations.
Limit: 59 cats (28%) were lost to follow-up, potentially skewing estimates of multiple health problems
Edited by Boris Djordjevic · AgingResearch.News
In an observational cohort study, researchers followed 209 domestic cats, most enrolled at ages 7 to 10. Cats attended veterinary examinations every six months for up to seven years. Median follow-up was 4.4 years.
Over the study period, 84% developed two or more conditions or examination abnormalities. Dental disease affected 84%, while 82% had abnormalities during examinations of their bones, joints and movement. Heart murmurs—extra sounds heard when listening to the heart—occurred in 59%. Fifty-nine cats (28%) died during follow-up. Pedigree cats had a higher relative rate of death than mixed-breed cats. Muscle loss at middle age was also linked to a higher relative rate of death compared with cats without muscle loss.
Why it matters
The authors suggested that efforts to support healthy aging in cats should begin in middle age, with attention to body condition, muscle condition and pedigree status.
Caveats
This observational study identified associations, not causes, and 59 cats (28%) were lost to follow-up. The health-problem tally included examination findings, such as heart murmurs, as well as diagnosed diseases.
The paper
University of Liverpool
Frontiers in Veterinary Science, Jun 24, 2026, Open access