Feline Alzheimer's risk for cats

Ageing cats can develop a feline form of Alzheimer’s disease, a new study has claimed.

Researchers at the Universities of Edinburgh, St Andrews, Bristol and California identified a key protein which can build up in the nerve cells of a cat's brain and cause mental deterioration.

In humans with Alzheimer's disease, the protein creates 'tangles' inside the nerve cells which inhibit messages being processed by the brain. Researchers said that the presence of this protein in cats is proof that they can also develop this type of disease.

Researchers already thought that cars were susceptible to dementia because previous studies had identified thick, gritty plaques on the outside of elderly cats' brain cells which are similar to those found in humans.

Dr Danielle Gunn-Moore at the University of Edinburgh's Royal School of Veterinary Studies said: "This newly discovered protein is crucial to our understanding of the ageing process in cats. We've known for a long time that cats develop dementia, but this study tells us that the cat's neural system is being compromised in a similar fashion to that we see in human Alzheimer's sufferers. The gritty plaques had only hinted that might be the case - now we know.

"The shorter life-span of a cat, compared to humans, allows researchers to more rapidly assess the effects of diet, high blood pressure, and prescribed drugs on the course of the disease. However, we also need to understand more about our geriatric cats for their own benefit, so we can slow down the degeneration the disease brings and keep them as happy cats for as long as possible."

Experts suggest that following a good healthy diet, mental stimulation and companionship could help reduce the risk of both humans and cats developing dementia.

(KMcA)