• Increasing numbers of cats are living
to old age, and they commonly
develop behavioral changes.
• The behavioral changes reported
most frequently are loss of litter box
training and crying loudly at night.
• The most typical causes of these
problems are cognitive dysfunction
syndrome (CDS), osteoarthritis,
systemic hypertension (commonly
secondary to chronic kidney disease
or hyperthyroidism), hyperthyroid -
ism (even without hypertension),
deafness, and brain tumors.
• Almost one-third of cats 11- to 14-
years of age develop at least one geriatric-onset behavior
problem that appears to relate to CDS, increasing to over
50 percent for cats 15 years of age or older.
Cognitive Dysfunction in Cats: Clinical Assessment and Management
Gunn- Moore, D.A.