Research overview: cognitive ageing and dysfunction syndrome in cats

Older cats can develop cognitive dysfunction syndrome, a decline analogous in some respects to human dementia. This overview surveys research on age-related changes in feline cognition and behaviour, including disorientation, altered social interaction, sleep disruption, and house-soiling, and the underlying neuropathology such as protein deposits and brain ageing. It discusses assessment tools, the influence of diet, enrichment, and environment on cognitive longevity, and parallels with canine and human cognitive ageing. The topic links basic feline cognition to a growing clinical concern as cats live longer, and it informs strategies to detect, slow, and manage cognitive decline in senior cats.