At that age, you should request a senior panel (lab work), just as a
precaution to catch any problems "early."  However, 11 years really is not
all that old.  Holly will be 11 years old in June, and she looks and acts
like a young cat.  I had a cat that lived to be "just shy of" 20, and my
next cat lived to be 16.  Be sure to use premium cat food, preferably
canned.

Good for you for adopting this cat!!  I simply can't understand people who
treat pets like disposable objects.  To me, my cats are family and will be
with me forever.

MaryL

You are just great, saving him from the fate your neighbors had in store
for him. Bless you.

My first cat lived to be 20 with few problems. 11 is not really very old,
though you are wise to be concerned. A few things come to mind:

Howling or crying from another room may mean he is a little deaf or
a little senile or can be a sign of an overactive thyroid.

Litterbox signs are important and will tell you lots about his health.
Increases or decreases in volume can signal trouble. If he should
go outside the box it can mean a urinary tract infection, which can
be fatal in males if it leads to a blockage, so definitely take him to
the vet if that happens.

He might certainly be a little depressed because he misses his
regular humans. You don't sound like someone anyone would
have to tell to give him lots of affection. :) Toys are good too!
Was he the only cat in the house? In any case, some toys like
these catnip toys:

http://www.fatcats.com/html_site/catbrands.shtml

or those fishing pole feather things you can cast about
(catfishing!) or the turboscratcher will be good for him.

You surely know to get him a good scratcher, a cheapie
vertical is the Alpine Scratcher.

But you sound like you have had cats, just not older ones?

I would have blood work done annually at least at this age.  Especially
look for liver and/or kidney failrue and hyper thyroidism and possibly
diabetes.  Just keep the blood work up to date.

 My vets have said that any cat over 7 is considered geriatric.  They
recommend a twice yearly checkup, but I have to admit that only one of
my two older cats gets that.  I've got a 14 year old who goes in to the
doc pretty often, but the 12 year old and the two 5 year olds go in once
a year or when they're ill.  
 Cats differ greatly.  Indoor cats can live to be over 20.  I
personally haven't seen a cat live past 15, but I'm positive it happens.
I'm hoping my 14 year old proves it!
 If your new guy hasn't been to the vet in a while, the checkup is a
good idea.  Your vet will know what to look for.  With my oldest, I
noticed things like slowing down, lack of movement, missing the cat pan,
and crankiness when he started getting older, but he's also got a few
health problems.

Stacia

Wonderful of you to take this cat. Shame on the neighbors. Eleven is not old
for an indoor cat. He should be seen by a vet once yearly for a physical and
innoculations. May he give you joy for many years to come.
Gail

I'm going to disagree with some of the good folks here. 11 is pretty
old for a cat. Plenty live longer but according to my vet and many
others, the majority of cats, even indoor, are dead by 13. You're
doing the right thing by taking him to the vet so let's see what the
vet says. Is that his regular vet? It would be good to use the same
one. Having a chart is one thing but I think the continuity helps them
get a feel for the cats.

It was very kind of you to take him in. I can never understand how
someone can abandon an animal that has shared their lives. It's better
to bring him to the pound than just leave him to fend for himself and
likely die miserably, but not much better.

Very kind of you to him in; your neighbour certainly doesn't sound like
he/she cared about him!  I would definitely get a blood profile and a urine
test done.  Even though a senior cat looks and acts healthy doesn't mean that
there isn't a health issue going on on the inside.  My 13 year old cat has
kidney disease of which she displayed no symptoms; she was diagnosed via
tests at 9 years old.  Some vets also do a T4 test on seniors to check for
hyperthyroidism but this usually has symptoms (eating a lot but still losing
weight, fast nail growth, etc., as the thyroid is running faster than it
should be).  

Anna

Catdom needs more people like you! It takes a very special person to take in
an older cat.

Best of luck to you both.

Phil

11 is starting to get up there, but isn't all that old for a cat.
Besides a physical/hands-on exam at the vet appt. - looking for any
clinical signs/symptoms, it's a good time (say, after 10 yrs. of age)
to also ask for a full panel, re: blood work. Chronic renal failure,
hyperthyroidism, diabetes, etc. are pretty common among older cats, &
the earlier they're caught, the better they can be treated.  OTOH, he
may be perfectly healthy for years to come.

BTW - thanks for taking him in. Sounds like he lucked out. :-)

Cathy

Actually, 11 years for a cat amounts to only 60 years using the measuring
sticks they use to relate human and cat years. I say "only" because I am
63 and I don't feel like I am over the hill ;-)

See http://cats.about.com/cs/healthissues/a/agechart.htm for this and other
information.

I have never had a cat that lived to be less than 15 years old.  I
currently have two cats, or maybe I should say my wife has two cats, and
they are 11 and very healthy, but down right ornery to each other.

I used to have a neighbor that would go on extended trips around the
Country and would leave their cat "Snoopy" to fend for himself.  The
neighbors took care of Snoopy, during these five or six week trips.  When
they moved from the neighborhood they abandonded Snoopy and never came back
for him.  Snoopy was adopted by another family in the neighborhood and is
still a real joy to have around.  I personally think he really interviewed
all possiblities for permanent housing and took his choice.  

The people who abandoned him are both now pushing up daises.

Enjoy your pet!