Put a healthy diet on the menu 

As he or she ages, your cat's nutritional needs may also change. You may find that, although your pet is eating less, he/she still puts on weight. This could be due to a slowdown of metabolism or a decrease in activity. Excess weight can aggravate many feline medical conditions, including heart, respiratory, skin and joint problems. To help a portly puss reduce, try feeding smaller quantities of food or gradually switch to a diet that is lower in calories. Other cats have entirely the opposite problem-they lose weight as they age, sometimes as the result of heart, periodontal disease, diabetes or sometimes because of a reduction in their taste sensation, which leads to a loss of appetite. In either case, ask your veterinary surgeon for advice about your pet's individual nutritional requirements.

Senior cat food do's & don'ts

• Do make sure that your cat's diet is well balanced, highly palatable, digestible and contains potassium and taurine.
• Since food with high mineral and protein content should be avoided, ask your veterinary surgeon for recommendations about a type that's right for your cat. 
• Do consider, in consultation with your veterinary surgeon, increasing the level of fibre in your cat's diet, especially if they suffer from frequent constipation. 
• Do try warming food to body temperature-it may make meals more tempting to senior cats with poor appetites.
• Don't feed your cat between - meal snacks or table scraps.