ST. PETERSBURG CITY COURT
APPEAL DECISION
Judicial Collegium for Civil Cases of the St. Petersburg City Court on appeal B., S.N. on the decision of the Vasileostrovsky District Court of St. Petersburg dated January 27, 2014 on the claim of I. to B., S.N. about the removal of cats and dogs from a communal apartment
I. filed a claim with the Vasileostrovsky District Court of St. Petersburg against S.N., B. in which he asks to oblige the defendants to remove all cats and dogs from the communal apartment, to remove animals from the apartment at the expense of the defendants within the shortest possible time appointed by the court, to impose control for the execution of a court decision to the bailiff service, to recover from the defendants compensation for moral damage in the amount of<…>rubles
In support of the stated requirements, the plaintiff indicated that he is the owner of a room with a total area of 16.2 square meters. m, in a three-room apartment<адрес>, defendant S.N. is the owner of two rooms with an area of 13.5 square meters. m and 16.7 sq. m of the specified apartment. Defendant B.. is the grandmother of S.N. and lives in the said apartment together with his younger brother S.N. — S.I. The plaintiff refers to the fact that the defendants keep animals in their rooms, namely cats and dogs, due to which his health condition worsened, a cough appeared, a rash appeared on his body, and as a result of going to a medical institution, he was diagnosed bronchial asthma, developed on the basis of the resulting allergy disease. The plaintiff approached the defendants with a proposal to remove the animals from the apartment, which was ignored by the defendants.
By the decision of the Vasileostrovsky District Court of St. Petersburg dated January 27, 2014, I.’s claims were partially satisfied. The court decided to oblige B.S.N. remove all cats and dogs from the communal apartment located at:<адрес>. Collect jointly and severally with B.S.N. compensation for moral damage in the amount<…>rubles and collect from everyone in equal shares a state duty in the amount<…>rubles
In the appeal, the defendants ask the decision of the Vasileostrovsky District Court of St. Petersburg dated January 27, 2014 to be canceled, considering it incorrect, ruled in violation of substantive law.
Having studied the case materials, discussed the arguments of the appeal, and heard the explanations of the participants in the process, the judicial panel comes to the following conclusion.
The case materials establish that, on the basis of the agreement for the sale and purchase of a share of the apartment, the plaintiff is the owner of 16/46 shares in the right of common shared ownership of the apartment located at the address:<адрес>. In the specified three-room apartment with a total area of 67.16 sq. m, the plaintiff occupies a room with an area of 16.20 sq. m. m. S.N. on the basis of an agreement for the transfer of a share of a communal apartment into the ownership of citizens, he is the owner of a 30/46 share in the right of common shared ownership of an apartment located at the address:<адрес>, and occupies two rooms in this apartment with an area of 13.52 sq. m. m and 16.68 sq. m.
The plaintiff, in support of the stated claims, indicated that the defendants illegally keep animals (cats and dogs) in their rooms, which adversely affects his health.
From the case materials it appears that the plaintiff<дата>a letter was sent to the defendants - a proposal to remove the animals from the apartment, which was ignored by the defendants; the animals currently live in a communal apartment.
In Part 3 of Art. 17 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation stipulates that the exercise of human and civil rights and freedoms should not violate the rights and freedoms of other persons.
By virtue of Art. 304 Civil Code In the Russian Federation, the owner may demand the elimination of any violations of his rights, even if these violations were not associated with deprivation of possession.
According to paragraph 2 of Art. 1 of the Housing Code of the Russian Federation, citizens, at their own discretion and in their own interests (exercise their housing rights, including disposal of them. Citizens are free to establish and exercise their housing rights by virtue of an agreement and (or) other grounds provided for by housing legislation. Citizens, exercising housing rights and fulfilling the obligations arising from housing relations must not violate the rights, freedoms and legitimate interests of other citizens.In accordance with paragraphs 1, 4 of Article 30 of the Housing Code of the Russian Federation, the owner of a residential premises exercises the rights of ownership, use and disposal of what belongs to him on the right of ownership of residential premises in accordance with its purpose and the limits of its use, which are established by this Code.
The owner of a residential premises is obliged to maintain the premises in proper condition, preventing mismanagement of them, to comply with the rights and legitimate interests of neighbors, the rules for the use of residential premises, as well as the rules for maintaining the common property of the owners of premises in an apartment building.
Clause 1 Art. 31 of the Housing Code of the Russian Federation stipulates that family members of the owner of a residential premises include his spouse living together with this owner in the residential premises belonging to him, as well as the children and parents of this owner. Other relatives, disabled dependents and, in exceptional cases, other citizens may be recognized as members of the owner’s family if they are settled by the owner as members of his family.
Family members of the owner of a residential premises have the right to use this residential premises on an equal basis with its owner, unless otherwise established by an agreement between the owner and members of his family. Family members of the owner of a residential premises are obliged to use this residential premises for its intended purpose and ensure its safety (clause 2 of Article 31 of the Housing Code of the Russian Federation).
Based on clause 3 of Art. 31 of the Housing Code of the Russian Federation, capable and legally limited family members of the owner of a residential premises are jointly and severally liable with the owner for the obligations arising from the use of this residential premises, unless otherwise established by agreement between the owner and members of his family.
According to paragraph 2 of Art. 288 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation, residential premises are intended for the residence of citizens. A citizen who owns a residential property can use it for personal residence and for the residence of his family members.
In parts 1 and 4 art. 17 of the Housing Code of the Russian Federation also stipulates that residential premises are intended for the residence of citizens. The use of residential premises is carried out taking into account the rights and legitimate interests of citizens living in this residential premises, neighbors, fire safety requirements, sanitary and hygienic, environmental and other legal requirements.
By virtue of Art. 8 Federal Law dated March 30, 1999 N 52-FZ “On the sanitary and epidemiological welfare of the population,” citizens have the right to a favorable living environment, the factors of which do not have a harmful effect on humans.
In accordance with paragraph 1 of the Decision of the Executive Committee of the Leningrad City Council people's deputies No. 229 dated 05.082 “On regulating the keeping of dogs and cats in Leningrad”, currently in force, citizens living in Leningrad and its suburbs are allowed, from January 1, 1983, to have no more than one dog and one cat per family (from offspring up to three months of age) subject to the “Rules for keeping dogs and cats in cities and other populated areas RSFSR", put into effect in 1981
Keeping dogs and cats in separate apartments occupied by one family is permitted subject to compliance with sanitary and hygienic and veterinary rules and the “Rules for keeping dogs and cats in cities and other populated areas of the RSFSR”, and in apartments occupied by several families, in addition , only with the consent of all residents (clause 1.2 of the Rules). It is not allowed to keep dogs and cats in common areas of residential buildings (stairwells, attics, basements, corridors, etc.) and communal apartments, as well as on balconies and loggias.
This principle is also enshrined in Art. Art. 246, 247 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation, according to which the ownership, use and disposal of property in shared ownership is carried out by agreement of all its participants, and if agreement is not reached, in the manner established by the court.
According to the technical condition inspection report, it follows that next to I. in one room there are 5 cats with a persistent zoological smell, and in another room there are 2 dogs and citizen B. and her grandson S.I., who are not registered at this address, live.
During the trial in the court of first instance, M. Shch. was questioned as witnesses, who confirmed that B. lives in two rooms, animals are also kept in the rooms, and there is a strong smell of animals in the apartment.
K. and D., questioned as witnesses, confirmed that as part of the commission they went to the plaintiff’s apartment to inspect the technical condition, there was a strong specific smell of cats in the apartment, there was fur and complete unsanitary conditions; The apartment needs renovation.
The court of first instance reasonably accepted these testimonies as evidence, since the witnesses were warned of criminal liability, their testimonies do not contradict each other, and are confirmed by the case materials.
During the trial in the court of first instance, the defendant’s representative referred to the absence of cats and dogs in the disputed apartment, however, in violation of the provisions of Art. 56 of the Civil Procedure Code of the Russian Federation, no evidence has been presented that reliably confirms the absence of cats and dogs in the disputed apartment.
Moreover, at the trial<дата>the fact of cats and dogs living in the disputed apartment was confirmed by defendant B., who told the court that she has 2 cats and 2 dogs living in her room, they are in her room all the time, the dogs were brought in in 2007, and the cats have lived since 2005, dogs live in one room, and cats live in another, cats go to the toilet on a tray in the room.
Under such circumstances, the judicial panel agrees with the conclusion of the trial court that the fact of residence in the property owned by the defendant S.N. rooms of a communal apartment located at:<адрес>cats and dogs were installed without the permission of the plaintiff, who is the owner of one room in the said apartment.
The argument of the appeal that B. is an improper defendant in the present case is untenable and contradicts the materials of the case.
According to certificate Form 9, defendant B. was registered in the property owned by defendant S.N. rooms of the disputed apartment during the period from<дата>By<дата>, deregistered due to a change of residence:<адрес>.
Meanwhile, in the court of first instance, B. did not dispute the fact of living in the disputed apartment, and therefore the court of first instance rightly recognized this fact as established.
Act No. submitted to the case materials<…>from<дата>, compiled by employees of Zhilkomservis LLC No. 2 of Vasileostrovsky District, and the testimony of witnesses Shch. M., K. and D. also confirm residence in the apartment at the address:<адрес>, B., who is the grandmother of defendant S.N. - the owner of two rooms in this residential premises.
Based on the above, based on the provisions of Art. 31 of the Housing Code of the Russian Federation, the court of first instance rightfully concluded that defendant B. is the proper defendant in this case.
The argument of the appeal that the plaintiff did not provide evidence confirming that the plaintiff’s health is affected by harmful effects the presence of animals in an apartment cannot be taken into account by the judicial panel due to the following.
According to the medical documents submitted by the plaintiff to the case file, including a referral for consultation, an advisory opinion from<дата>, certificate issued to the plaintiff by City Clinic N<…>after examination by an allergist, a certificate from St. Petersburg State Budgetary Institution “Dermatovenerologic Dispensary N<…>“, it follows that the plaintiff was diagnosed with bronchial asthma, allergic, mild persistent, uncontrolled sensitization to epidermal allergens (cat fur); complication of DN I; allergic dermatitis; A hypoallergenic lifestyle is required, excluding pets and staying in damp and dusty areas.
Thus, the trial court rightfully came to the conclusion that in this case The defendants' keeping of cats and dogs in a communal apartment violates the plaintiff's rights because it poses a threat to his health, and therefore, the plaintiff's demand that the defendants be obliged to remove the animals from the apartment must be satisfied.
The panel of judges agrees with the conclusion of the court of first instance that the plaintiff’s demands to remove animals from the apartment at the expense of the defendants within the shortest possible time appointed by the court and to entrust control over the execution of the court decision to the bailiff service by virtue of the provisions of Art. Art. 209, 210 of the Civil Procedure Code of the Russian Federation cannot be satisfied, since these requirements are related to the execution of a court decision that has entered into legal force.
According to Part 1 of Art. 150 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation: life and health, personal dignity, personal integrity, honor and good name, business reputation, inviolability of private life, inviolability of home, personal and family secrets, freedom of movement, freedom of choice of place of stay and residence, the name of a citizen, authorship, other intangible benefits belonging to a citizen from birth or by force of law, are inalienable and cannot be transferred in any other way.
In accordance with Art. 151 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation, if a citizen has suffered moral harm (physical or moral suffering) by actions that violate his personal non-property rights or encroach on intangible benefits belonging to the citizen, as well as in other cases provided for by law, the court may impose an obligation on the violator monetary compensation the specified harm.
According to the explanations of paragraph 8 of the Resolution of the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of December 20, 1994 “On some issues of application of legislation on compensation for moral damage”, the amount of compensation for moral damage depends on the nature and volume of moral or physical suffering caused to the plaintiff, the degree of guilt of the defendant in each specific case and other noteworthy circumstances.
When determining the amount of compensation for harm, the requirements of reasonableness and fairness must be taken into account. The degree of moral or physical suffering is assessed by the court taking into account the actual circumstances of causing moral harm, individual characteristics the victim and other specific circumstances indicating the severity of the suffering he suffered.
Since the court of first instance established that the actions of the defendants violated the Rules for keeping dogs and cats in cities and other populated areas of the RSFSR, approved by the decision of the Executive Committee of the Leningrad City Council of People's Deputies of the Year N 229 of 04/05/1982 “On regulating the keeping of dogs and cats in Leningrad ", the non-property rights and intangible benefits of the plaintiff were violated, namely, the plaintiff’s right to favorable and safe living in residential premises was violated, then the court of first instance reasonably came to the conclusion that the defendants should jointly and severally collect compensation for moral damage in the amount of 30,000 rubles.
The argument of the defendants' appeal that the plaintiff did not prove a cause-and-effect relationship between his illness and the actions of the defendant is unfounded.
The panel of judges draws attention to the fact that, according to the presented medical documents, the plaintiff was diagnosed in 2011 with bronchial asthma, allergic, mild persistent, uncontrolled sensitization to epidermal allergens (cat fur); complication of DN I; allergic dermatitis.
The case materials establish that the plaintiff addressed the defendants with a letter - a proposal to remove the animals from the apartment, due to a sharp deterioration in his health, but the defendants did not voluntarily fulfill the plaintiff’s request.
Considering that the plaintiff’s right to comfortable living in an apartment has been violated, the plaintiff experiences physical and moral suffering caused by the inability to live safely in his residential premises due to the fault of the defendants, the court’s decision to collect compensation for moral damage is legal and justified.
The panel of judges believes that the court's conclusions are based on a comprehensive, complete and objective study of the evidence available in the case, the legal assessment of which was given by the court according to the rules of Art. 67 of the Civil Procedure Code of the Russian Federation, and complies with the norms of substantive law governing controversial legal relations, and therefore, the arguments of the appeal that the court did not give a correct assessment of the evidence presented are untenable.
Taking into account the above, the court's decision meets the requirements of the law; there are no grounds for its cancellation based on the arguments of the appeal.
Based on the above, guided by art. 328 Code of Civil Procedure of the Russian Federation, judicial panel
determined:
The decision of the Vasileostrovsky District Court of St. Petersburg dated January 27, 2014 - upheld the appeal of B., S.N. - without satisfaction.
Cat owners often wonder how old their pet would be if she were human. Is it possible to convert a cat's age to human age? The table “A cat’s age by human standards” will allow you to find out what stage of maturation the animal is at and will help you better understand it.
How to determine the age of a cat
The owners of a cat do not always know its exact age. Often an animal comes to new owners from a shelter or from the street. If you have just a toddler or a teenager, even a non-professional can determine the approximate age. But most often such questions arise when a fully mature animal enters the house.
An experienced breeder or veterinarian can determine the age of an adult cat with an accuracy of one year. To do this, you need to study the animal's teeth. A one-month-old kitten’s teeth are just emerging, while a six-month-old kitten’s milk teeth are replaced by molars. Next they look at the wear of the upper and upper incisors lower jaw, fangs. The more worn the teeth are, the older the animal.
How analogies are made
How is the correspondence between a cat and a person? The intelligence of humans and animals cannot be compared, according to physiological development they are also very different. Therefore, when comparing ages, emotional and social characteristics are taken into account first of all.
For example, both a cat and a human baby are a helpless creature that is entirely dependent on the mother. The teenager is active, but has little experience. And the old man gradually loses interest in life, becomes passive, loses the acuity of his feelings.
Based on this principle, scientists have compiled a comparative table “The age of a cat by human standards.” There are several various systems age transfer. The simplest is to multiply the animal's age by 7. It is easy to see the uselessness of this method. Is it possible to compare a one-year-old, already mature and independent cat with a seven-year-old child?
Therefore, the table “A cat’s age by human standards” has been improved. It compares a one-year-old cat with a fifteen-year-old teenager, and a two-year-old animal with a 24-year-old person. In the future, for each cat year, 4 human years are given.
According to another system, until a cat reaches the age of five, each of its years is counted as seven human years, up to twelve - as four, and after - as three. The most accurate system uses a series of complex coefficients. To better understand the development of an animal and compare it with a person, let's consider the stages of growing up a cat.
Infancy
A cat develops and matures much faster than a human. The kitten's infancy period lasts only a few weeks, while the baby takes a big step in its development. A cat baby is born absolutely helpless, deaf and blind.
Within a week after birth, the film protecting the baby's delicate ears disappears. The eyes open on the 5-10th day after birth, but vision develops gradually, and it is normal to see the world the kitten will only start in a few weeks.
Two-week-old kittens begin to cut their teeth. For comparison, in human children this stage occurs only at the age of 6-8 months. Already one month old kittens are running around, actively exploring the surrounding space. Children behave this way at 1-1.5 years old. The table “Cat age by human standards” shows that a one-month-old kitten is developed like a six-month-old child, two cat months are equal to ten human months, and a three-month-old animal can be compared to a two-year-old baby.
Childhood
Cat cubs develop so rapidly that during this period it is most difficult to compare their age with the age of children. After three months of age, the kitten actively communicates with its brothers and sisters and establishes contact with its owners. Recognizes friends and strangers. He can groom himself, clean his fur, absorb certain rules behavior, focusing on the mother. The baby feeds independently, knows where the bowls, bed, and tray are. He already has an idea of what he can play with and what objects he shouldn’t touch.
The age of a cat by human standards (a table by month is presented in the article) indicates that in the first year of its life the animal goes through stages that a person will go through for 18 years.
Compared to humans, cats mature several years in a short period of two to three months. If a three-month-old kitten is compared to a 2-3-year-old baby, then a six-month-old kitten looks like a fourteen-year-old teenager. Therefore, it is important not to miss this short period and be actively involved in raising your pet. Right now he is learning the rules of behavior that he will use throughout his life.
Adolescence
Inexperienced owners may treat kittens like small three-year-old children. They forgive them pranks, aggression, puddles, damage to things and expect that with age bad habits will disappear by themselves.
The table “The age of a cat by human standards” shows that in fact a five- to six-month-old kitten is comparable to a developed teenager. Serious changes appear in the character of the animal. He becomes active, playful and sometimes really resembles a teenager in adolescence.
The fluffy kitten looks cute and his bad behavior is often forgiven. However, the young animal tests the limits of what is permitted. The owner must be firm and suppress rebellion.
At this age, cats begin puberty. Kitties begin to “flirt” at the age of 5-7 months, their first heat begins. Cats are also capable of mating. Pregnancy may occur. However, such young animals are not yet ready for parenthood, so mating should not be allowed.
So, the age of a cat by human standards (the table up to a year is given below) will look like this.
Youth
The table “The age of a cat by human standards” shows that a one-year-old animal can be compared to an 18-year-old person. It is precisely this age that corresponds to the psychological and physical development. The cat seems already grown up and serious, but often behaves like a child, plays a lot, hides, etc.
The cat has already grown to an adult size, has lost the childish fluffiness of its fur, its movements no longer seem funny and clumsy, grace and predatory appear.
The speed of maturation also depends on the breed of cat. For example, oriental breeds They form early and are fully developed by the age of one year. And here large breeds can reach maturity only at 1.5-2 years.
Youth
How to calculate the age of a cat by human standards? The table indicates that a cat at 18 months (1.5 years) corresponds to a 20-year-old human. Youth is coming, the very prime of a cat’s life. It lasts up to 5 years, which corresponds to 36-40 years by human standards.
During this period, the cat is stronger than ever, dexterous and tireless. It is animals of this age that most often become winners of exhibitions; they are optimally suited for breeding. At the age of 7, purebred pets are already taken out of breeding, as the risks for the mother and offspring increase.
Maturity
When is catastrophe by human standards? The table states that the period of maturity occurs at 6-10 years, which corresponds to the age of 40-56 years in humans. An adult animal can also play and fool around, but most time behaves respectably and sedately.
The activity and playfulness of a cat depends on its origin. There are breeds that behave like kittens into old age. But regardless of activity in adulthood, flaws in the content begin to manifest themselves, the first signs appear chronic diseases. Malfunctions in the functioning of the kidneys, liver, and gastrointestinal tract begin. Animals that have not been sterilized suffer from hormonal imbalances.
Old age
Veterinarians consider an animal aged 10-12 years old. However, this does not mean that death is approaching. Much depends on the conditions of detention and heredity. Cats living outside are usually not even 10 years old. But pets often exceed the 16-year mark. Many cats live to be 20 years old, which is equivalent to a human's 100th birthday.
Therefore, you should not be afraid of old age, equaling the age of a cat by human standards. Photos show that even twenty-year-old pets look and feel great. Older cats require special care. Do not expose the animal to unnecessary stress, do not change the location of the bowl, bedding, or tray. Keep your pet safe when he becomes clumsy.
A table by year will help you determine the age of a cat by human standards. Photos of fluffy beauties will prove to you that they look charming at any age.
Long-lived cats
It has been documented that a cat can live up to 29 years. However, there are centenarians whose age was determined by the testimony of their owners. These are mongrel pets who did not receive documents at birth. Thus, the cat Pushinka from Texas lived for 38 years, and a resident of Foggy Albion, Lucy, celebrated her 40th birthday.
It's always interesting to know how old a pet would be if it were human. Such a comparison allows owners to better understand their tailed friend and provide age-appropriate care.
How old is your pet? Ten? More? Then this is definitely the place for you! Because after 8-10 years, various age-related changes begin to occur in the cat’s body, which you need to be aware of and take into account. May your four-legged pet live happily ever after!
By the way, previously the age limit for our pets was much lower - 12-year-old cats were considered long-livers. It was man who raised the quality of life, and with it its duration, by one and a half to two times.
And now it is easy to meet cats that have reached 16-19 years of age, or even more. For example, in our clinic we see two cats, each 21 years old, and the most significant thing that worries them is their teeth, or rather, tartar, which is removed from time to time.
Well, the age of cats from the Guinness Book of Records generally exceeds the 30-year mark.
So, among pets, the number of “elderly” pets (approximately 30%) who need optimal care is increasing.
It is a fact that with the increase in the number of years lived, everything changes (and not only for cats :-)). Age-related changes concern all functions of the body. For now, we will consider only behavioral ones.
Reasons for behavior changes can become a number of diseases (including systemic ones) acquired by the animal over the years of life, brain pathologies, as well as CDS - cognitive dysfunction syndrome. First, let's look at medical ailments, and then move on to the most interesting part.
Osteoarthritis (joint disease) can be observed in 65% of cats over 12 years of age (ulnar and hip joints, less often - knee and shoulder). Joint pain leads to decreased mobility and the appearance of aggressiveness when communicating with people and other animals.
Systemic hypertension (high pressure) often causes the pet to scream at night, disorientate them in space, lose consciousness, meaningless circular movements and even seizures.
Chronic illness kidney most strongly influences behavior change: polyuria (increased volume of urine) entails urination in the wrong places, and with a lack of water, dehydration of brain tissue. Polydipsia (increased thirst) causes cats to drink from containers that are not intended for this purpose. The development of acidosis (increased body acidity) causes weight loss and drowsiness. And severe uremia (self-poisoning of the body with nitrogenous waste from urine) leads to uremic encephalopathy, a non-inflammatory disease of the brain. In addition, kidney disease is often accompanied by hypertension (see above).
Hyperthyroidism (increase in hormones thyroid gland) leads to the same consequences as chronic renal failure. In addition, it affects the concentration of thyroxine in the brain (manifests as anxiety and aggressiveness), causes polyphagia - the cat’s taste and appetite change.
Diabetes has the same consequences as chronic renal failure and hyperthyroidism. In addition, it can cause sensory or motor neuropathies (irritability, increased sensitivity to external influences (touch), muscle pain).
Urinary tract infections cause pain and discomfort in the animal bladder or kidneys. The result is “incorrect” urination, anxiety, aggression, and depression.
Changes in appetite, weight loss, gastrointestinal diseases appearing due to physiological changes and pathological processes, are associated with deterioration of smell and taste, pain in oral cavity, for example, due to periodontal disease.
Hearing and vision loss Cats quickly adapt to blindness. With deafness the situation is worse. Cats with hearing loss begin to vocalize loud sounds(possibly at night) because they can’t hear their voice well.
Brain tumors more common in older cats (11 years and above). Meningioma, lymphoma, glioma, pituitary tumors are expressed by restlessness, circular movements and convulsions.
Pain, especially constant, greatly exhausts the animal. Chronic pain most often occurs with artiritis, as well as with inflammatory processes in other organs, for example, with periodontal disease and diseases digestive tract(obstruction). Cats, due to their evolutionary development, are able to cope even severe pain.
Infectious diseases (viral immunodeficiency, viral leukemia, infectious peritonitis, toxoplasmosis) are the cause of neurological disorders and, consequently, behavioral changes.
So, for behavioral problems in older cats, there are many medical reasons. And identifying them often requires a whole series of diagnostic studies. But if diseases are excluded, that is, when there is no obvious cause, then it is believed that the animal’s behavior changes under the influence cognitive dysfunction syndrome(SKD)
Alzheimer's? In cats?!
Yeah, something like that. Everything is like the big ones.
In cats with cognitive dysfunction syndrome, changes occur in the brain that lead to decreased mental abilities. This affects the processes of thinking, memory, learning new things, and using acquired skills.
Cognitive dysfunction syndrome is a progressive disease with increasing signs of senile behavior
A third of 11-14 year old cats have at least one of the behavioral disorders caused by CDS, and in 15 year old cats the number of such problems is no less than 50%.
The most striking symptom of cognitive dysfunction is disorientation. The cat seems to get lost in the apartment, hides in a corner or under furniture, bumps into door frames in an attempt to find the door, does not recognize the owners or other animals, and does not respond to calls.
The sleep-wake pattern is often disrupted (as a rule, the cat sleeps more during the day and much less at night).
The proportion of purposeful actions decreases and the frequency of aimless wandering increases. There may be movements in a circle or involuntary oscillatory movements - tremor, or, conversely, immobility, weakness.
An older cat may go potty less often and go to inappropriate places more often.
The quality of communication with the owners deteriorates, the animal asks for less and less affection and attention.
Where does SKD come from?
- disturbance of cerebral blood supply - change circulatory system brain due to hypoxia caused by heart disease, hypertension, anemia, blood clotting disorders, formation of blood vessels minor hemorrhages, arteriosclerosis
- tissue damage from free radicals As cells age, they become less efficient at processing nutrients, the amount of energy decreases, the number of free radicals in the cells increases, which the body’s antioxidant defense does not have time to neutralize. An excess of these radicals leads to tissue damage, with brain tissue being especially sensitive.
ACS diagnostics
For precise definition The reasons for changes in behavior in a cat require a complete examination. Unfortunately, both diagnosis and treatment of behavioral problems are often complicated by the presence of various diseases. And sometimes a combination of pathologies makes behavioral disorders especially severe.
On the other hand, sometimes behavioral symptoms that are actually caused by a serious illness are attributed to cognitive dysfunction syndrome.
The owner’s task is to identify “abnormalities” in the pet’s behavior and promptly report them to the doctor. In addition to changing behavior, it is important to monitor the amount of food and water consumed, weight loss, frequency of bowel movements and urination, etc.
And, of course, older animals need to regularly (1-2 times a year, more often with significant deviations) visit the veterinary clinic for a comprehensive examination (measurement of body weight, blood pressure, determination of the condition of the retina, concentration of thyroid hormones, physical activity, orthopedic and neurological examination, ultrasound diagnostics, tests and blood tests (general and biochemical), urine, etc.).
Dear owners! Timely detection of the disease and its correct treatment mean extended years of life for your pet.
Treatment of SCD
Treatment depends on the disease, this is understandable. What to do with “feline Alzheimer”?
Alas, if dogs diagnosed with SCD were started to use drug treatment(L-deprenyl is a drug used for people with Parkinson's disease), and only in the US and Canada, there is no approved drug for cats (some human remedies sometimes give positive result, but everything is still at the experimental stage).
Changing your diet may help. Ideally, food for older cats should contain antioxidants (a set of vitamins C, E and beta-carotene), essential fatty acids, as well as chondroprotectors (methionine, glucosamine, chondroitin) and the amino acids L-carnitine and lysine.
Someday!... In the meantime, we can offer our wards all possible treatment, comfort, peace, good food, and, most importantly, our love and care. Let our pets age gracefully!
