The Influence of Treatment of Age-Related Diseases on Behavioral Changes in Aging Cats

Several studies have previously described disease-specific behavioral changes; however, the development and the influence of these and their response to treatment has rarely been evaluated, which is the focus of this study. Four prominent age-related diseases were examined: 1. osteoarthritis, 2. chronic kidney disease, 3. hyperthyroidism and 4. cognitive dysfunction syndrome. A total of 594 German cat owners with a cat aged at least 10 years participated in an online questionnaire. The prevalence of treatments (pharmacological, dietary, nutraceutical), statistical associations inter-diseases, inter-treatments and between disease and treatment were ascertained using Chi-Quadrat test. Multiple linear regression was used to determine pre- and postdiagnosis behavioral changes; the diseased group was divided into treated and untreated. Half of the cats were given at least one type of treatment (49.8%; n = 278/568); with an average of nearly two treatments received. Most cats received disease-specific treatment. This exploratory, association-based study identified behavioral differences in relation to treatment status in osteoarthritis, chronic kidney disease and hyperthyroidism. The absence of treatment for cognitive dysfunction syndrome limits conclusions about treatment effects. Mild conditional effects by owners were observed for food intake, house-soiling, time of interaction and vocalization. These findings highlight the relevance of timely diagnosis and therapeutic intervention, as distressing, quality-of-life-reducing, disease-related behavioral problems may be associated with treatment.