Senior Maine Coon Care Checklist

A practical guide to daily, weekly, and long-term care

This checklist is designed to help Maine Coon owners monitor, support, and adapt care as their cat enters senior years. It does not replace veterinary advice – it helps you notice changes early and act appropriately.

For detailed explanations behind each item, see the full guide:
👉 Senior Maine Coon Care

🐾 Daily Senior Maine Coon Checks

Tick through these mentally each day.

• ☐ Is my cat moving comfortably after resting?
• ☐ Any hesitation standing up, walking, or climbing?
• ☐ Has appetite remained normal?
• ☐ Drinking habits unchanged?
• ☐ Using the litter tray normally (frequency + posture)?
• ☐ Grooming normally, without excessive licking or bald patches?
• ☐ Seeking warmth, comfort, and familiar resting spots?
• ☐ Behaviour and affection level consistent?

👉 Sudden changes = vet check recommended

• ☐ Weigh your senior Maine Coon at least once per month, using the same scales where possible, and note any consistent upward or downward trends

😴 Sleep & Rest Behaviour Check

Changes in sleep location and duration are often the earliest signs of discomfort or decline.

• ☐ Sleeping longer than usual (normal with age, but track changes)
• ☐ Choosing warmer or more enclosed spaces
• ☐ Avoiding previously favoured high resting spots
• ☐ Difficulty settling after lying down

🦴 Mobility & Joint Support Checklist

Review monthly, or sooner if changes appear.

• ☐ Reduced jumping onto high surfaces
• ☐ Slower or more deliberate movements
• ☐ Stiffness after sleep
• ☐ Preference for ground-level routes

Action steps:

• ☐ Introduce or maintain joint supplements (vet-approved)
• ☐ Add omega-3 (e.g., salmon oil) if tolerated
• ☐ Replace tall cat trees with lower-perch options
• ☐ Provide ramps or steps to favourite areas
• ☐ Add warm bedding or heated pads

Related reading:
👉 Maine Coon Health And Wellness

🩺 Subtle Signs Of Pain In Senior Maine Coons

• ☐ Sitting in a loaf position more often than usual
• ☐ Reluctance to be picked up or touched in specific areas
• ☐ Increased irritability during grooming
• ☐ Tail flicking when resting
• ☐ Reduced tolerance for handling
• ☐ Moving away rather than vocalising discomfort

➡️ These signs often appear before limping or obvious stiffness.

Sensory Decline Monitoring (Eyes, Hearing, Smell)

Owners often misinterpret sensory decline as “behavioural change.”

• ☐ Bumping into furniture more often
• ☐ Delayed response to visual cues, such as toys, hand movements, or people entering the room
• ☐ Increased hesitation at steps, thresholds, or unfamiliar surfaces
• ☐ Delayed response to sounds
• ☐ Startling easily
• ☐ Reduced interest in food due to smell changes
• ☐ Changes in response to sound (once responsive, now delayed)
• ☐ Staring into space or confusion at thresholds

The latter are subtle indicators of cognitive change, not just sensory.

➡️ Sudden sensory changes warrant veterinary assessment.

Eye & Vision Checks

Veterinary sources highlight vision changes in senior cats as a regular part of ageing.

• ☐ Watch for signs of vision changes (bumping into objects, reluctance to navigate obstacles)

🍽️ Diet & Hydration Checklist

Reassess every 3-6 months.

• ☐ Weight stable (no unexplained gain or loss)
• ☐ Muscle tone maintained
• ☐ No vomiting, diarrhoea, or appetite drop
• ☐ Drinking enough water
• ☐ Ribs, spine, or hip bones becoming more visible through the coat
• ☐ Muscle loss over the shoulders or the hips despite a stable appetite
• ☐ Sudden loss of previously present “belly fat”

Action steps:

• ☐ Prioritise high-quality protein
• ☐ Increase wet food if hydration is poor
• ☐ Use urinary or senior diets if recommended by a vet
• ☐ Avoid sudden food changes
• ☐ Multiple fresh water sources placed around the home
• ☐ Consider a cat water fountain to encourage drinking, especially if appetite remains good, but urine volume drops
• ☐ Weigh your senior cat at least monthly
• ☐ Track weight and body condition on a simple log

Senior feeding guidance:
👉 Maine Coon Diet And Nutrition

🌡️ Temperature & Environment Check

Senior Maine Coons are far more sensitive to cold.

• ☐ Warm bedding available year-round
• ☐ Heated pad used safely and supervised
• ☐ Drafts avoided
• ☐ Extra warmth provided in the winter months

🚽 Urinary & Litter Box Checklist

Check weekly.

• ☐ Normal urine volume
• ☐ No straining or crying
• ☐ Normal urine output should remain regular, pale yellow, and produced without visible straining, hesitation, or repeated box visits
• ☐ Sudden changes in frequency, volume, or effort may indicate urinary discomfort and should be monitored closely
• ☐ No frequent box visits
• ☐ No over-grooming of the genital area

Action steps:

• ☐ Keep boxes easily accessible
• ☐ Seek veterinary advice for any sudden change
• ☐ Low-entry litter trays are used to reduce joint strain
• ☐ Trays placed on non-slip surfaces
• ☐ Soft, fine-grain litter chosen for sensitive paws
• ☐ Additional trays added to avoid long walks or stairs
• ☐ Monitor for signs of hesitation before urination (can signal discomfort)

This is a frequent early indicator vets watch for urinary discomfort.

🪮 Grooming & Coat Care Checklist

Senior Maine Coons often struggle to groom fully.

• ☐ Check behind hind legs and under the belly weekly
• ☐ Look for mats forming near the backend
• ☐ Watch for irritation, redness, or dandruff
• ☐ Note defensive reactions during grooming (often pain-related)

Action steps:

• ☐ Short, gentle grooming sessions
• ☐ Remove small mats early
• ☐ Consider professional grooming if tolerance is low

More grooming guidance:
👉 Grooming And Care

🐾 Paw & Nail Care Checklist

Reduced activity = less natural nail wear → pain + altered gait

• ☐ Nails checked monthly
• ☐ Overgrown nails not catching on fabrics
• ☐ Paw pads free of cracking or dryness
• ☐ No limping caused by nail overgrowth

Action step:

• ☐ Trim nails more frequently in senior years
• ☐ Nails checked and trimmed more frequently in senior years
• ☐ Overgrown nails not catching on bedding or carpets
• ☐ Paw pads checked for dryness or cracking

🦷 Dental Health Checklist

Even if no problems are visible.

• ☐ No bad breath
• ☐ No drooling
• ☐ Eating normally
• ☐ No pawing at the mouth

Action steps:

• ☐ Schedule regular dental checks
• ☐ Budget for potential dental work
• ☐ Don’t assume “good teeth” in one cat applies to another

❤️ Heart & General Health Monitoring

Maine Coons are predisposed to certain silent conditions.

• ☐ No sudden weakness or collapse
• ☐ No unexplained breathing changes
• ☐ No sudden paralysis or pain

Action steps:

• ☐ Maintain regular vet checks (often twice yearly for seniors)
• ☐ Investigate subtle changes early
• ☐ Understand breed-specific risks

Regular Veterinary Test Reminders

Veterinarians recommend senior cats get bi-annual wellness exams with bloodwork, urinalysis, etc. to catch hidden diseases early.

• ☐ Schedule wellness exams every 6 months with bloodwork and urinalysis to screen for kidney, thyroid, heart, and other age-related conditions

🧠 Behaviour & Emotional Wellbeing Checklist

Normal senior changes include:

• ☐ Increased affection or clinginess
• ☐ Preference for routine
• ☐ Sensitivity to noise or disruption
• ☐ Increased sleeping

Action steps:

• ☐ Keep routines consistent
• ☐ Avoid unnecessary stress
• ☐ Prioritise comfort over stimulation
• ☐ Meals served at consistent times
• ☐ Sleep, play, and interaction routines kept predictable
• ☐ Household changes introduced gradually where possible

Cognitive & Behaviour Changes

Senior cats can experience cognitive shifts (disorientation, staring into space, altered interaction), which owners often misinterpret.

• ☐ Observe for confusion, repetitive behaviour, or changes in interaction patterns
• ☐ Note any disorientation (e.g., bumping into furniture or walking past familiar spots)

This helps catch early cognitive decline.

💊 Supplement & Medication Review

• ☐ Supplements are still well-tolerated
• ☐ No digestive upset after dosing
• ☐ No behaviour change linked to new products
• ☐ Review supplements with vet at least annually

When To Book A Vet Visit Immediately

• ⛔ Sudden weight loss
• ⛔ Persistent pain or stiffness
• ⛔ Excessive grooming with hair loss
• ⛔ Litter tray avoidance
• ⛔ Sudden behavioural change
• ⛔ Collapse or paralysis

End-Of-Life Planning

🕊️ Quality of Life Considerations

• ☐ Eating willingly
• ☐ Able to rest comfortably
• ☐ Seeking interaction
• ☐ Pain managed effectively
• ☐ More good days than bad

If several of these change over a short period, it’s a sign that a supportive veterinary conversation may be needed to reassess comfort and care options.

Quality-of-life assessments are about kindness, not timelines. Quality of life should always guide care decisions.

Final Note

This checklist is not about extending life at all costs – it’s about maintaining comfort, dignity, and quality of life as Maine Coons age.

Used alongside the full guide, it helps ensure nothing important is overlooked.

👉 Full senior care guide:
Senior Maine Coon Care