What our feline companions can teach us about growing older
New university findings highlight potential implications for dogs, one health, and veterinary practice.
New Auburn University-led study ‘translates time’ across species At first glance, cats and humans may appear to have little in common.
But new research led by scientists with Auburn University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, the University of Bath in Great Britain and École Nationale Vétérinaire de Toulouse in France suggest our feline companions may hold surprising clues about how and why we age.
In the study published in Biology Open , researchers analyzed more than 3,700 data points collected across humans, cats and other mammalian species.
Drawn over a five-year period from a variety of sources, including blood chemistry profiles, non-invasive brain imaging and developmental milestones, the data led the researchers to the following conclusion: Cats age in ways that closely match the process in humans, particularly when it comes to the brain.
“There’s a lot of controversy about whether animals age differently,” said Dr.
Christine Charvet, assistant professor of neuroscience in Auburn’s College of Veterinary Medicine.
“There’s some description of brain atrophy in animals, but it’s not very extensive.
We were really surprised to see so much atrophy in cats, and it really mirrored the pattern we see in humans.” At the center of study is a framework known as “Translating Time,” which aligns biological milestones and aging markers across various species.
Rather than simply comparing ages by years, Translating Time accounts for the pace at which different species develop and age, providing a more accurate and detailed biology-based picture.
The brain age of a 15-year-old housecat, for example, equates to that of an 80-year-old human.
“When we want to find a model system to study aging or Alzheimer’s, we need to study them at the right age,” Charvet said.
The report adds to ongoing university-led research relevant to veterinary medicine, animal health, and clinical decision-making.
Source university website: Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine
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