Little Guy, the oldest of my three cats, at age 19, spent most of his youthful years on the move with me. We lived in various houses and apartments in Florida, Pennsylvania, and California. Each time, Little Guy was a sport and quickly adjusted to his new surroundings.

Through the years, he welcomed the arrival of two other cats, Callie and Murphy, plus a feline-loving dog, Chipper.

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My aging cat, Little Guy, welcomes reassuring hugs when he becomes disoriented in our home.

For the past five years, we've lived in a two-story home in Oceanside, California. Little Guy, who also answers to the nickname, Dude, knows his way around every room. He has always been a master at manuevering to his favorite napping spots — even in dim light. He has always been the most quiet of all three cats.

Until now. Several times a day — and sometimes in the middle of the night — he makes a mournful call that sounds much like a "where am I?" cry. He wanders aimlessly all around the living room, abruptly stops and sits, or seems to have trouble getting out of a corner. He hollers in a loud, long, urgent tone. He acts confused.

In response, I call out his name, approach him slowly — so as not to startle him — and gently pet him. He takes a few seconds to recognize me. His tense body relaxes and his cries turn to purrs. I've even trained regular visitors to my house to reach out and reassure Dude when he begins his disoriented vocalization.

I take Little Guy to my veterinarian on a regular basis to make sure he receives necessary tests to identify any possible medical condition. He also eats an appropriate prescription diet to meet his aging body's needs.

Some senior cats may vocalize due to discomfort from arthritis or other painful conditions. The latest senior wellness test conducted on Little Guy ruled out these causes. In his case, sadly, the cause is senility, for which, there is currently no cure.

I share this with you because I would like to hear from Catnip readers who are also fortunate to share their homes and lives with older felines like Little Guy.

Thanks to advances in medicine, improved nutrition, and keeping cats indoors, our cats are living longer and healthier lives. But like us, they must deal with age-related issues.

What are some behavior changes in your senior cats? What are some ways you show your compassion for them? How do you keep them safe? What are some ways you cope with these 'senior moments' in your cats? How do your younger cats react to the actions of oldest one in the household?

Please e-mail your comments to me at catnipeditor@tufts.edu. I would like to share them with our readers. Together, we can make our cats' final years truly golden ones.

Arden Moore
Editor