Why Seniors Should Adopt Senior Cats

June is Adopt A Cat Month! Now is the perfect time to get a companion cat for your senior loved one. Cats are fantastic companions for seniors. It’s been shown that pets can help seniors by increasing their happiness, helping to fight off depression, and lowering their stress levels. And a senior cat is the perfect match for your senior parent. Senior cats are often abandoned because their previous family decides they want a kitten instead. Or they are surrendered by shelters by people who can’t take care of them anymore. Some of the reasons why senior cats are ideal companions for seniors are:

Senior Cats Are Calmer

Companion Care at Home in Lake Forest, IL: Seniors and Cats

 Companion Care at Home in Lake Forest, IL: Seniors and Cats

Kittens are adorable, when they are sleeping. When they are awake they become nightmare balls of chaos that are in constant motion. They get into everything, and keeping them safe requires a lot of time and attention. Senior cats aren’t going to race around the house, dump a potted plant, get stuck behind the TV, or need to be rescued from the top of the fridge or a heating vent. Senior cats do still play and they have plenty of interest in life but they don’t have the extreme energy that kittens have. 

Senior Cats Love To Nap

Cat naps are the best, and your senior loved one will enjoy having a nap with their senior cat. If your senior loved one has trouble sleeping at night because they struggle with anxiety or depression snuggling with a cat can help them feel less anxious and afraid. The purring of cats has been proven to help lower stress and being around a cat could be the perfect way to help your senior parent sleep. If you have companion care at the home the provider can make sure that the cat is fed and has water and doesn’t go outside. 

Senior Cats Are Usually Better With Kids

If you take your kids over to visit your senior parent and they often spend time with your senior loved one a senior cat will be a better fit than a kitten. Kittens can be wild and sometimes they play inappropriately or roughly. Your senior parent doesn’t need the stress of trying to make sure that both cat and kid are playing together nicely. And if your parent has companion care at home make sure the care provider isn’t allergic to cats before you bring one home. 

Senior Cats Cost Less To Adopt

The cost of adopting an animal can be quite high. Even though that fee usually includes medications and a neuter for the cat some seniors may not want to pay hundreds of dollars for a cat. Senior cats often have a lower adoption fee than kittens. And they will have already had their vaccinations and a neuter so they won’t need a series of expensive shots like kittens do. If your senior loved one has thought about getting a cat, adopt one during National Cat Month to celebrate all cats, including lovable senior cats.

If you or an aging loved one are considering Companion Care at Home in Lake Forest, IL, contact the caring staff at Companion Services of America today at (847) 943-3786. Our home care service area includes Northbrook, Highland Park, Deerfield, Glenview, Buffalo Grove, Evanston, Des Plaines, Skokie, Lake Forest, Wilmette and the surrounding areas.

Jamie Shapiro