BY: SAMANTHA BARTLETT, DVM
The 2021 AAHA/AAFP Feline Life-Stage Guidelines has been released by the American Animal Hospital Association and the American Association of Feline Practitioners. The task force of feline medicine experts that authored the guidelines include 5 life stages (down from 6 in the 2010 guidelines). The life stages include Kittens up to 1 year, young adults from 1-6 years, mature adults from 7-10 years and seniors 10 years and older. The final life stage, end of life, can occur at any age. Defining these life stages can provide guidance to veterinarians to tailor healthcare strategies for individual patients. The guidelines were published in the Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery and the Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association.
The Guidelines contain quick reference tables to help veterinarians manage health related factors for a cat’s life stage. The life stage categories are broken down into behavior and environmental needs, elimination, life-stage nutrition and weight management, oral health, parasite control, vaccination, zoonoses and human safety and recommend diagnostics for each life stage. In addition, the Guidelines recommend a life stage assessment at each examination office visit.
Ats are currently the most popular pet in the United States and, while most pet owners consider cats are part of the family, cats are notoriously underserved in veterinary primary care. Because of this healthcare imbalance, the Guidelines also list discussion topics for each feline life stage and provides a tool for the clinician to educate cat owners on the importance of preventive care for their pet. The Guidelines also place strong emphasis on feline friendly handling techniques in the veterinary clinic to reduce the hurdles and barriers to feline healthcare.
In addition to the Guidelines, supplement resources have been created for clients including a brochure and chart explaining the life stages. There is also a Feline Lifestyle Assessment Form for use by the veterinary team. AAHA has a free RACE-approved webinar to provide an overview of the guidelines available at https://www.aaha.org/aaha-guidelines/life-stage-feline-2021/resource-center/free-web-conference/ . The 2021 AAHA/AAFP Feline Life Stage Guidelines can be accessed online at aaha.org/felinelifestage. Cat owner resources can be downloaded from catfriendly.com/life-stage.
