Why cats – and not mice – “are the perfect model” to study dementia in humans

Cat looking at the camera — Photo foot, “Our findings highlight the amazing similarities between feline dementia and Alzheimer's disease in people,” said one of the researchers who conducted the study.

- Author, Calum Watson
- Author's title, BBC News
August 14, 2025

Cats develop dementia in a similar way to humans with Alzheimer's disease, which allows hopes of great advance in the research of this disease, according to scientists.

Experts from the University of Edinburgh performed a cerebral autopsy to 25 cats that presented symptoms of life in life, such as confusion, sleep disorders and increased vocalization

They found an accumulation of beta-amyloid, a toxic protein and one of the defining features of Alzheimer's disease.

The discovery has been qualified as “perfect natural model for Alzheimer's” by scientists, who believe it will help them explore new treatments for human beings.

Dr. Robert McGeachan, director of the Study of the Royal Veterinary School of the University of Edinburgh, said: “Dementia is a devastating disease, already affects humans, cats or dogs.

“Our findings highlight the amazing similarities between feline dementia and Alzheimer's disease in people.

“This opens the door to explore if new promising treatments for human Alzheimer's disease could also help our pets that age.”

Model

The microscopic images of major cats that had shown symptoms of feline dementia revealed an accumulation of beta-amyloid in synapse, brain cell unions.

Synapses allow the flow of messages between brain cells, and their loss causes a reduction in memory and the ability to think about humans with Alzheimer's.

The team believes that the discovery in cats could help them better understand the process, offering a valuable model to study dementia in people.

Senior woman sitting a chair in the room of her house, with a thoughtful face. — Photo foot, The disease has devastating consequences for those who suffer it and also for the patient's relatives.

Previously, researchers had studied genetically modified rodents, although this species does not suffer from dementia naturally.

“As cats naturally develop these brain changes, they can also offer a more precise model of the disease than traditional laboratory animals, which ultimately benefits both species and their caregivers,” says McGeachan.

Will this research benefit from cats?

The researchers found evidence that brain support cells – called astrocytes and microglia – engulfed the affected synapses.

It is what is known as synaptic pruning, an important process during brain development but contributes to dementia.

Professor Danielle Gunn-More, an expert in feline medicine at the Faculty of Veterinary, said that the discovery could also help to understand and treat feline dementia.

Two cats lying on the ground, very close to each other. — Photo foot, The finding could also be beneficial for cats.

“Feline dementia is very distressing for the cat and for its owner,” he says.

“Encourage studies like this we will understand what is the best way to treat them. It will be wonderful for cats, their owners, people with Alzheimer and their loved ones.”

The study, funded by Wellcoma and the United Kingdom Dementia Research Institute, was published in the European Journal of Neuroscience, and scientists from the Universities of Edimburg and California, the Institute for Research of the United Kingdom and Scottish Brain Sciences have participated in it.

This article was written and edited by our journalists with the help of an artificial intelligence tool for translation, as part of a pilot program.