Advice needed: Stimulating Superseniors (22)
Hey there fellow Senior Kittizen Supporters!
I have four cats, two of which are seniors. My 17 year old orange boy Jones is a non-issue, he still plays and likes to sit in the garden (he goes out alone when I’m home, but we have a virtual fence set up so I can go and grab him if he leaves the garden - has never happened though)* so stimulation is not much of an issue. However, my girl Mia is 22 and it’s more difficult with her. She doesn’t play much anymore, which is mostly down to her senses slowly dwindling. She can’t see well, she’s a bit deaf, and her sense of smell also seems sub-par (she often has trouble finding food). Her preferred method of stimulation is being in the middle of things, she thrives when we go hiking or sailing or on road trips, or when we sit in the garden together. I’ve talked to her vets because I obviously had quality of life concerns; I was wondering whether I’m just telling myself she has fire and wants to participate in family life, but the vets wholeheartedly agreed with me (especially after I brought her to their summer fest and she was the star of the show).
Lotsa yapping to outline what clearly still brings her joy, but the problem is: I can constantly hike or take her to parties (though she often joins for coffee dates with my friends).
Do we have any ideas what I could do to enrich and stimulate her during the day?
Sniff carpets don’t super work, she often can’t find the treats. I sometimes use matatabi spray, she seems to like that. I just feel there has to be more I can do.
*please note we’re not in the US. There are no cat-eating predators here that could snatch my cats out of the garden, unless you count the magpies that sometimes enjoy messing with them ;)