Senior Cat Comfort & Care

Quality of life can mean different things to different people. One of the hardest parts of having a pet is being responsible for evaluating their quality of life and making decisions for them. Luckily, there are tools to help.

A quality-of-life scale was developed as a measurable set of guidelines to evaluate a pet's well-being. The scale examines seven different categories. You score them 1 to 10, with 10 being the best. A total score above 35 is a good indication that your cat has an acceptable quality of life.

As the total decreases, you can more clearly see how your cat is changing and in which categories they may be suffering.

The scale results aren't meant to tell you what to do or when. But it can give you some substantial and clear information to inform your decision. And don't underestimate the value of your own gut instinct and connection to your pet to help guide you. These, along with the quality-of-life scale, can relieve some of the pressure you feel about making the "right" decision.