Can cats get dementia?

 

Yes. Cats, as they get older, can develop symptoms that are similar to dementia in aging humans.

 

Thanks to improved nutrition and better veterinary care, cats are living longer than ever. One of the unfortunate consequences of living longer, however, is the development of age-related diseases, like dementia.

 

Cats are actually a lot like people in that way. In fact, the kind of dementia that cats get is so similar to Alzheimer’s disease in people that cats might actually be a good model for studying this disease in humans.

 

But we’re a long way from understanding this disease in either species. Read to find out what we do know about dementia in cats, and what, if anything, you can do if your cat is diagnosed with this disease.

 

We call it cognitive dysfunction syndrome in cats

 

Let’s get a little terminology out of the way. We may call it dementia or Alzheimer’s disease in people (the two terms are not interchangeable, by the way), but we call it “cognitive dysfunction syndrome” or CDS in cats.

 

I suppose it doesn’t really matter what it’s called if your cat has this disease.

 

But I just want you to be aware of the nomenclature because this is the term your veterinarian is likely to use if your cat is diagnosed.

 

What are the symptoms of cognitive dysfunction in cats?

 

I’ll list the symptoms of CDS in a minute, but sometimes a mere list of behaviors can be overwhelming or even confusing.

 

In fact, many of the behaviors associated with this disease are the opposites of one another. A cat with CDS might refuse to eat or be eating too much. A cat with CDS might be overgrooming or not grooming at all.

 

Sometimes, it’s helpful to hear about the experience of living with a cat with dementia straight from the mouths of loving cat guardians who are experiencing CDS with their own cats. These quotes are from Reddit, on the subreddits /SeniorCats and /Seniorkitties:

 

My cat, Tiny Buttercup, is over 20 years old. Is it possible for cats to get dementia? She's never been the smartest kitty, but she now seems to forget where her water bowl is, etc., constantly.

-mollyoday

 

She yowls, wakes up confused, forgets where her litter box is, gets lost in the house. It's rather sad to see, it looks like my cat but she's no longer who she was, as if her personality is slowly vanishing.

-Mom_is_watching

 

My 16 year old starting randomly falling asleep in the most random areas and is glued to my legs walking through the house which sometimes causes me to trip. He also randomly meows throughout the night and walks aimlessly. 

-Slingblade1170[1]

 

My meanie had it for a yr or so. She lived till 20 and died in my gf arms. She used to face the wall and cry. She didn’t know how to get where she was going... Her voice changed. She was very needy. I think she was scared. She slowly stopped doing everything would just eat and sleep. It was sad. 

-DimensionPossible622[2]

 

Symptoms associated with cognitive dysfunction in cats

 

These are some of the symptoms of CDS in cats. Just because your cat has one or more of these symptoms doesn’t mean he has CDS. In fact, many common, treatable diseases share many of these symptoms. More on this below.

 

Also, a cat with CDS may display behaviors that are not on this list.

 

• Lack of interest in playing
• Disorientation or confusion
• Lack of interest in food or water
• Extreme appetite
• A change in sleep patterns, including becoming overly active at night, or sleeping too much
• Peeing or pooping outside the litter box
• Long periods of meowing or howling for no reason, especially at night
• Attention seeking or “clingy”
• Withdrawn, avoiding attention
• Poor grooming habits
• Overgrooming
• Restlessness, pacing, repetitive behaviors
  
• Irritability, aggression
• Doesn’t respond to his or her own name or commands
• Staring into space, at the walls, or into a corner for long periods of time.[3][4][5][6]

Do all cats get dementia eventually?

 

No. According to scientific studies, about 36% of cats between the ages of 11 and 21 will be affected by CDS.

 

50% of cats over the age of 15, however, will show at least some changes in behavior that can be attributed to CDS.[7][8][9]

 

Note that this isn't just an old-age disease. CDS has been identified in cats as young as seven.

 

Regarding scientific studies: one of the most unfortunate things about our understanding of cats and dementia is that it has been so poorly studied, especially compared to dementia in other species, including dogs.[10]

 

What causes dementia in cats?

 

That is the million-dollar question, for dementia in people and cats. We have some ideas about what happens when cats and people get dementia, but we don’t really know what really triggers these devastating brain changes.

 

What we know is that feline cognitive dysfunction syndrome, much like Alzheimer’s disease in humans, involves a degeneration of the brain leading to the death of neurons, which are the cells needed for memory, learning, attention, and normal sleep cycles.

 

There seems to be two things happening at once in the brains of cats with CDS.

 

Amyloid plaques build up

Amyloid plaques are a kind of abnormal, misfolded protein that collects on the brain. As the protein builds up, damage occurs to the brain, slowing blood flow, which causes the death of neurons.[11]

 

But amyloid plaques might be a bit of a red herring for dementia researchers. While it’s true that the brains of older cats contained more amyloid plaques than the brains of younger cats, merely having amyloid plaques didn’t actually predict dementia.

 

In fact, from the point of view of amyloid plaques, the brains of older cats without dementia looked very similar to the brains of cats with dementia.

 

This seems to be true in humans too. Many healthy older people have amyloid plaques in their brains, yet never develop Alzheimer’s disease. Scientists don’t yet understand why.

 

Tau proteins tangle up

Another kind of protein, called tau, gets tangled up inside neurons in cats who have dementia.[12]

 

These tau protein tangles engulf the synapses in a cat’s brain. Healthy synapses allow brain cells to communicate. The destruction of these nerve connections explains the deterioration of memory in cats with CDS.[13]

 

How is dementia diagnosed in cats?

 

There is no medical test for feline dementia, but that does not mean there is no point in taking a cat with symptoms of dementia to the veterinarian.

 

Many common and treatable, but serious illnesses share some symptoms with feline dementia. For example:

 

Hyperthyroid disease and hypertension can make a cat grumpier toward family members and more vocal at night.[14]

 

Periodontal disease can make a cat lose his appetite.[15]

 

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) can cause peeing and pooping outside of the litter box.

 

Arthritis can cause cats to lose interest in playing, to neglect their grooming routines, and to sleep more.

 

Brain tumors, deafness, and blindness can cause what appears to be disorientation or confusion.

 

Cognitive dysfunction syndrome is only diagnosed by ruling out all of the other possible illnesses.

 

What tests will my vet perform?

 

Your vet will likely conduct a physical exam, looking for changes in your cat’s health.

 

He or she will likely request bloodwork and a urinalysis, and possibly X-rays to look for arthritis.

 

Your vet may want your cat to try a trial of pain medication to rule out pain as a cause of your cat’s symptoms.

 

Even though there is no cure for CDS, having a diagnosis can help you better understand you cat’s behavior and care for them in the best way you can.

 

Is there a cure for feline dementia?

 

There is no cure for dementia, not in cats nor in humans or dogs.

 

There is no treatment for dementia that will actually help your cat become well again. Dementia is a degenerative neurological disease that will continue to progress until death.

 

There are medications your veterinarian may prescribe to help with some of the symptoms of the disease, but none will stop CDS in its tracks or cure a cat of the disease.

 

This doesn’t mean there isn’t anything you can do to help your cat feel better or to make him easier to live with. I discuss both medications and comfort care below:

 

Medications for CDS

Some of the medications below require a prescription, but all require the guidance of a veterinarian for dosing.

 

Note that some supplements designed for dogs with dementia (such as alpha lipoic acid) are toxic to cats, so seek professional advice before using any medicines or supplements with your cat.[16]

 

Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs)

MAOIs, including drugs like selegiline, are believed to be therapeutic for human Alzheimer’s patients. They may reduce amyloid plaques and inflammation in the brain, and have been shown to improve attention and memory in people.  

 

MAOIs are not approved for use in cats, but many veterinarians will prescribe the drug off label for cats with CDS.

 

Propentofylline (Vivitonin)

Propentofylline is used to increase blood and oxygen flow to the brain and increase cognitive function, but has not been approved for use in cats. Your vet may be willing to prescribe this drug off label for cats with CDS.

 

Omega-3 fatty acids

Your vet may suggest adding omega-3 fatty acids to your cat’s diet. Omega-3s possess anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective properties that can help aging-related changes in a cat’s brain.

 

You can read more about omega-3s in this post about fish oil.

 

S-adenosyl-methionine (SAM-e)

SAM-e is an antioxidant and nutritional supplement that can be used to support cognitive function in cats with mild to moderate CDS.

 

L-theanine

L-theanine is an amino acid supplement that may help manage some of the symptoms of dementia, including anxiety, confusion, and sleep problems.

 

Anxiety medications

Anxiety medicines, like fluoxetine (Prozac) can help a cat stay calm when they feel confused or disoriented.

 

Melatonin

Melatonin is a supplement that can help regulate the sleep/wake cycle for cats who are experiencing irregular sleep patterns due to CDS.

Comfort care and lifestyle changes

 

Avoid making changes to your cat's environment

Avoid moving furniture or making changes to your cat’s routine. Change that seems insignificant to humans can be extremely stressful even for a young, healthy cat.

 

But for a cat suffering from memory loss and/or an inability to form new memories, changes in her environment or routine can be devastating.

 

Groom your cat

If your cat is forgetting to groom or unable to reach all of his body parts when self-grooming, you might need step in. Mats and tangles can form even in cats with short hair and can become a painful health crisis.

 

Make sure your cat can rest and hide

Your cat may spend more time sleeping, but paradoxically may have a harder time finding or getting to her usual places to rest. Provide extra blankets, soft pillows, or cat beds.

 

Provide ramps to hiding and resting places, if necessary.

 

Get an automatic feeder

(*Note: As an Amazon Associate, I may earn from qualifying purchases)

If your cat is demanding food at all hours of the night, consider buying an automatic feeder and having it dispense tiny meals at multiple intervals. It may or may not work but it is worth trying.

 

I like this automatic feeder by PetLibro which allows you to program six meals per day.

 

As an aside, this is not a time to try training a cat to stop demanding food at ungodly hours. A cat with dementia may forget that he has already been fed and is thus beyond training.

 

Make his world smaller

Cats who wander and get “lost” at night might benefit from being kept in a smaller space with access to food, water, and a litter box.

 

If you believe your cat might be having trouble seeing in the dark, consider leaving a light on to help her locate what she needs.^[17]

 

When should you consider euthanasia for a cat with dementia?

 

If you’re reading this section because you’re at this particular crossroads with a cat you love, I want to first say how sorry I am. There is nothing easy about what you are going through, and no decision that you make that will every feel fully like the right one.

 

There are some things to consider as your decision about euthanasia comes into clearer focus, which I’ll discuss next. But a couple of points about the decision-making process first:

 

You can take time to decide

Cognitive dysfunction syndrome in cats typically progresses slowly. Just because your cat is beginning to show signs, or your vet has confirmed a diagnosis of CDS, doesn’t mean you have to make a decision today. It may be years before the dementia begins to really impact your cat’s quality of life.

 

Try to take each day one by one. Enjoy your cat. Focus less on the disease and more on everything else you love about him. Revisit this question (and possibly even this passage) sometime further down the road.

 

There’s no right answer

It may feel like the weight of the world is on your shoulders and that it’s on you to know exactly the right thing to do. Is today the right day? Should I wait a month? Have I waited too long? Do I even need to consider euthanasia at all? It’s easy to be haunted by your desire to do right by your cat.

 

No one knows the right thing to do, and there is no one right answer. One hundred loving cat guardians (or veterinarians) could easily look at your cat and come to one hundred completely different conclusions about the right thing to do.

 

As long as you are trying to decide what is in the best interest of the cat you love (along with your own needs and the needs of your family), nothing you do will truly be the wrong thing.

 

So, the points to consider about CDS in cats:

 

CDS is not painful

Unlike other debilitating diseases which cause physical pain, a cat with dementia is not in pain from this disease. Your cat may have other pain-causing conditions related to aging, but CDS itself is not painful.

 

If your cat is not suffering from other painful illnesses, you can take more time to make a decision.

 

A declining quality of life does not mean you should euthanize

Just because your cat is not the cat he once was, does not mean that it’s time for euthanasia.

 

Everyone who has the privilege of living a long life will experience declining quality of life eventually. We will all experience losses the more years we live, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that there will be no joy in living. The same holds true for your cat.

 

Discuss palliative care with your veterinarian. Palliative care focuses on providing symptom relief, comfort, and support, even if it can’t address the cause of the condition.

 

If, at some point, what you are doing is no longer working and your cat seems uncomfortable or unhappy, euthanasia should be a consideration.

 

CDS could be emotionally or mentally distressing to a cat

It is impossible to know with certainty what a cat is thinking or feeling as he experiences some of the symptoms of CDS.

 

Advanced CDS could be very frustrating or confusing for your cat. Your cat might feel lost or unsafe, even in places that used to feel familiar. Your cat might be experiencing anxiety or restlessness related to the brain degeneration that is the hallmark of this illness.

 

You will have to make your best judgment, on behalf of your cat who cannot speak for himself, whether the mental distress of CDS outweighs the joy of living for him.

A final word about euthanasia

The term “euthanasia” comes from the Greek words for “good death.”

 

“Good” seems an unlikely adjective to describe death, but there it is.

 

So long as you are thinking about this question for your cat: am I giving her a good death? -- you should allow yourself to make peace with whatever path you choose.

 

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Dawn LaFontaine

Dawn LaFontaine is a lifelong animal lover who always seems to have a little pet hair in her keyboard. Her blog, Kitty Contemplations, helps cat guardians better understand and care for the special beings they share their lives and homes with, and is a Top 10 cat blog on Feedspot. Her cat-products business, Cat in the Box, sells beautiful, well-made, and award-winning products that she designed to meet the biological needs of cats.