he's not senile. Cats dont get that problem. He must just prefer the floor. For what ever reason. Warmer, Colder or quieter. Who knows. If he is looking confused or off balance did you ever think to get him a vet checkup? many things can cause that. Inner ear infection, tumors, seizures. He might want to just change up the routine that he's had for 8 years. There could be other factors, have you changed anything in your home recently? gotten any electrical equipment that is emitting higher pitched frequencys? Anyone new in your life? These things can affect a cat in positive and negative ways. I think it wouldnt hurt to get him in for just a routine check up

Cats can live to be between 18 and 20 years of age, depending on the cat and other factors. Your cat is relatively young, so senility does not sound like what is going on. It could be that the chairs and beds are just too warm, but your cat may be sick and this is the behavior he is showing. When our cat was sick, he just laid around when he usually 'finds things to do' during the day. He just laid in one place and did not want to go anywhere else. Watch to see if your kitty is eating and drinking in his normal pattern, or showing any other signs of unusual behavior. Cats and dogs can suffer from seizures, too, and some signs might be having accidents after a confused episode, seeming to lose control of their legs, falling down, etc. Watch him - if he does not seem normal, call the vet and see what they think. They will usually talk to you over the phone to help you decide if the kitty needs to go in, or not. And, sometimes it is much less stressful to bring the kitty in, on someone's lap, with a collar and a little leash. They sometimes find the box more worrisome than the actual car ride. Wrapping in a towel can help to keep them from jumping out of your arms while at the vet - jsut be sure all the paws and legs are well inside the towel so the kitty stays inside the towel and does not escape.

Cats can and do go senile. I've seen it with my own eyes. My own beloved cat went senile at the end of her life.

I don't think that's what's happening with your cat.

I think it could be a medical issue. Remember, cats instinctivly hide sickness from the most beloved humans. Staring at you could mean "Something's wrong, I don't know what, but you're the humans, so help me".

At this point, I'd wait and see.
It could be new "quirks" the cat developed, it could be the earliest signs of sickness.
Sickness will get worse within a week, and you'll know for sure.

The exact definition of "senile" is "old"... it's a pet peeve of mine when people use it interchangebly with "demented". It's correct use with this problem would be the condition of "Senile dementia" which cats can and do get in their twilight years.

In a sad way it's really kind of cool- the protein tangles that cause dementia in felines is very similar to the tangles that appear in the brains of humans with Alzheimer's disease. In feline's it would fall under the diagnoses of "CDS", or "Cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome" and is most commonly identified in felines between the ages of 11-14. while your cat just sounds like he's acting like a cat (perhaps a very contrary cat) it's certainly something to continue monitoring and I would contact your vet if it continues to get worse.

Interesting article on feline dementia: http://cat-care…

http://aiyanast…