Research overview: quality-of-life assessment in geriatric cats

Assessing quality of life in aging and chronically ill cats is an important but challenging aspect of geriatric care, and structured tools and frameworks have been developed to help owners and veterinarians evaluate factors such as pain, appetite, mobility, hygiene, social engagement, and overall wellbeing. These assessments support decisions about treatment intensity and end-of-life care. This overview compiles the welfare literature rather than one source, describing the dimensions considered in quality-of-life evaluation, why objective frameworks help counter the difficulty of judging a hidden-pain species, and how repeated assessment tracks trajectory over time. It matters because thoughtful quality-of-life assessment guides compassionate, individualized care decisions for senior cats, helping owners and clinicians balance length of life against comfort and wellbeing in the management of age-related and terminal disease.