Ageing in Animals

On average animals age quicker than humans but still need the same need, care and attention as they grow older. Animals can and will suffer from the same elements as the elderly like the loss of hearing, vision, arthritis and dementia among others.

For example my cat Molly is now 16 and she is now showing signs of old age, she has a limp due to arthritis and a non cancerous lump (which we can't take out but don't worry she isn't in any pain), she can't really see (I know this because sometimes she doesn't see her food in front of her face haha) and her hearing is going. Us as a family believe she's got dementia like symptoms as she forgets that she's just been fed and cries when she can't find anyone - she likes to be with someone. Sometimes we all think she's lying because she will then run up and down the garden and climb trees like she's 4 again. Molly is old but she is still young, she doesn't have grey fur - it's still the most beautiful tortoiseshell hair that I've seen from when I first got her. She still acts like a princess and she should do, she loves the little things like sitting in the sun, eating grass, sleeping, eating a dorito or a digestive if she manages to get one as well as having the hairdryer being blown in her face!

Does anyone else have an pet? Please may you share your pet stories relating to age. 

Ageing isn't just in humans, here are a few facts.

• Mayflies 1-24 hours
• Gastrotrichs live only three days but their life is uneventful, they spend the day floating in the water, occasionally attach themselves to a rock but mostly eat (I wouldn't want to be a Gastrotrich).
• Dragonfly only 4 months
• Ant just half a year
• Chicken 15 years (I didn't chickens lived that long!)
• A Dwarf Lemur can live up to 20 years but spends 7 months hibernating a year which means in its lifetime it sleeps just over 11 and a half years!
• Cows live up to 22 years
• Horses live up to a short 25 years to 30
• Camels live to 40-50
• Asian, adult Elephants who live in the wild live until 70 but in captivity they only live until they reach the age of 33 (half there lifespan)
• Nile Crocodile can live from 70-100 years old
• Lobsters 100+
• A Galapagos Land Tortoise can live up to 193 years
• A Freshwater pearl mussel live up to 210-250 years
• It's rare but a Bowhead Whale can live up to 250 years (oldest living mammals)
• Ocean Quahogs (calm like creatures) are usually around 400-500 years old

These are rather funny facts about different types of animals. I had a thought that you could link them back to old age humans vs animals. You could make it into a quiz within the leaflet given before the show so through out the performance we would tell them the answers and drop hints to the questions and in the end we could give out a prize (maybe made in the show) to the person/s who has got them all right. We could do this as a test of their visual and listening skills - testing the audience. 

Any thoughts?

...But do you really want to do that when a Victoria sponge cake is sitting right there in front of you?

...Well they told me I talked a lot

...Well if I ever broke a arm or a leg at least they would come back and if I had an extra arm that would be handy!

...Well that wouldn't work, I would have to watch someones tail then they would have to turn around to look at my tail...I think we would get dizzy!

...That's sad, lovely but sad

...Now that's more like it!

...What would you do to win over your lover? Do a romantic gesture, sing a song, bring them some food...

...Or bring them a pebble? No way you must be joking, although if I was a penguin I think I would prefer a pebble to a fish. 

...Well at least I would be a good diver!

...You know when you have your grandparent over and they just kind of nod off on the sofa, on the kitchen chair, anywhere well they are like a panda!

...What about if we all started old but got younger? Or what about if we all started out looking old but were young but developed young but looked old. What would you decide?