Werewolves and Old Age

[Ronkonkoma]

what do you think happens to Werewolves when they get old and elderly?

I think that when a werewolf starts to get into their 'golden years' and their health and body condition is starting to decline (60s to 80s) , that some Werewolves might choose to change into a full wolf form, and remain that way as the family 'pet'
Other Elderly werewolves might not go this route and remain in human form, but because of the stress on the body, an old werewolf might be only able to partially shift parts of themselves, and shifting becomes more a conscious effort. Probably would take longer periods of time to undergo a change into gestalt form and probably would have to remain in gestalt form for longer periods of time in order to recover the energy needed to revert back to human form

[Figarou]

Well, I'm not sure what would happen to an old werewolf. I know this. Regeneration won't last forever. So that means arthritis, osteoporosis, and maybe diabetes can settle in.


An old werewolf will eventually die of old age. But how old will it get before it does die of old age?

[Ronkonkoma]

Well, I'm not sure what would happen to an old werewolf. I know this. Regeneration won't last forever. So that means arthritis, osteoporosis, and maybe diabetes can settle in.


An old werewolf will eventually die of old age. But how old will it get before it does die of old age?

I know in Silvers Corner, Silver mentions a Werewolf's lifespan is longer than the average human's and goes up to about 120.


I think i incorrectly stated what i meant to say

probably a better question i should have asked is what do you think happens to an elderly werewolf's ability to shift?

[shey]

well I just dont want to see a werewolf with a walker but I think they would not shift as often and stay more in full wolf than genstalt but the family pet is ok but a diabedic werewolf would be kind of odd

[Anubis]

i think it just becomes harder and harder for them to change but they never really lose the abillity but choose not to when the shifting becomes unbarible because of arthritis

werewolves like humans their bodies won't work as well they used to. sences start to become less aqute. their strenghth, stamina, and speed won't be as they used to. like humans they slow down and start bodies start to shut down.

[Kzinistzerg]

keep in mind that some of old age problems can be alleviated via better previous life (good diet, ogood exercise), and that soem of the problems are caused by an upright stance (so being wolfie would help those). but some, obviously, i wouldn' want to see, like senility and the ability to shuift.

[Darth Canis]

I am pretty sure we have discussed the need for shifting... and i do believe we decided that werewolves need to shift to remain in control of their other side. If not please correct me. If that is true then once a werewolf begins to reach a certain age i would think that necessity to shift would still be there. We also have to remeber shifting is alot of physical and mental strain and i think that a shift would probably kill an elderly werewolf. But in my opinion if a werewolf did live long enough to get to this stage they would react much the way that normal wolves do in the wild. When a werewolf knew that his was getting ready to die i would believe he would shift in to true wolf form go out into the woods to die alone away from the pack. To die during a shift would embarassing and painful and i think when a werewolf new he/she was on their last leg they would make this decision and leave.

On another note i think it would be very rare for them to reach such an elderly age anyway... in most aspects wouldn't the life of a werewolf be a violent one? From shifting to pretecting territories i would think it would be very rare to have an elderly werewolf.

[23Jarden]

What happen's to other things when they get old? They get frial and crumbly and hunched and smell funny.

[Figarou]

probably a better question i should have asked is what do you think happens to an elderly werewolf's ability to shift?

I asked something similar a while back.


http://calypso-blue.com/werewolf/viewtopic.php?t=203

[Grayheart]

Haven't thought about what would happen to the shifting ability when a werewolf becomes older, yet. But some of you mentioned arthritis, osteoporosis and other oldage-diseases. From what I know these diseases appear when the regenarationability starts to get weaker (in some cases they're genetical, but let's leave out them for now). But it seems to me that we all agree that werewolves have a much greater regenarationability than normal humans. In addition wolves and other animals as well start to show signs of a high age only in the last months of their lives (from what I know). Accordingly to that, wouldn't it be logical to say that a werewolf first starts to show signs of 'oldness' when he/she is in the last months of his/her life

[outwarddoodles]

Heh, I thought of this some time back, aparently the topic I created didn't start a conversation. Yet here is my postthat covers the questions I have.

I personally think the werewolf would just change slower and less as they age, or if they're weak, untill they no longer can.

[Set]

Old age brings up quite a few issues. The first thing this topic brought to mind was my argument with Lupin.

Any thoughts on that guys?

[Ultraken]

I always figured that werewolves live no longer on average than normal people, though they can stay active longer because they're generally much healthier. If anything, werewolves should live less long than normal people, as they "burn the candle at both ends". I was never quite sure where the notion of werewolves living much longer than normal people came from aside from Vampire Envy.

In any case, eldery werewolves should be to elderly people as younger werewolves are to younger people: healthier and stronger in general, but not exorbitantly so. As for shifting, I suppose it depends on how "difficult" the change is. Since I treat lycanthropy as purely hereditary, shifting is not that big a deal--it's a natural ability, something werewolves are meant to do, not some unnatural, grafted-on "curse". Changing does become slower and more difficult with age--just like everything else.

[Lone_Wolf]

It's my opinion that as werewolves would get older, they would not be as readily be able to shift, and possibly lose ability to make a full human-> wolf form transition at one clip, or even one form-> gesalt at one time. I mean, everything eventually dies of old age. Even if it is a slower aging process than normal human beings or wolves. Of course, also, as they age I would imagine they would go bald and become more wrinkly in human form and perhaps their fur coloration would fade. Arthritis and other old age complications I think might also develop, and indeed they might be even more prone to it due to the shifts.

[Scott Gardener]

Some ponderings

Some problems associated with aging in humans would be solved by being part canine. The 120 year life expectancy makes sense when you consider that heart disease and stroke are among the most common causes of death; canines don't suffer from atherosclerosis as humans do. Their arteries are perfectly clean, even with a typical cholesterol level of about 300.

Cancer is the number two killer across the board among humans--more than stroke but less than heart attack. I would consider werewolves more likely to get cancer--or at least pre-malignant neoplasias--but less likely to die from it. Shifting infrequently increases your risk, while shifting promotes the body's modified healing mechanisms and helps prompt the body to purge early precancerous cells before they have a chance to get out of hand.

I would expect shifting to be a bit harder with age, both into and out of wolf form.

Bone density loss would be delayed, but would still eventually happen. It's pretty hard to regenerate loose, broken bones that aren't aligned together, and it's rather difficult to take a half-wolf creature down to the ER.

Dementia most commonly originates either from Alzheimer's Disease or multiple strokes, accumulating brain damage over time. As mentioned earlier, strokes aren't likely to be as much a problem in werewolves. Alzheimer's Disease is still getting researched, but current evidence points to the development of amyloid plaques in the brain over time, and some have suggested a prion--a protein that behaves like a virus, replicating itself--could be contributing to the problem. The prion is not an external invasion, but instead an erroneous protein design created within our own genome, that adds onto itself. Lycanthropy wouldn't fix the original gene, but it might break down the proteins with each shift--another reason why if you've got lycanthropy, you're better off living with it than trying to fight it--you'll live longer and healthier. Still, one can postulate a sort of "dementia" in which one's mind becomes progressively more lupine and less human over time, becoming increasingly feral. The lycanthropes in my story (regardless of age) can experience this if deprived of human social interaction for prolonged lengths of time, though it takes about five years to lose one's self completely, and it's reversable if interrupted before then, so it very rarely becomes an issue.

[Silverclaw]

I think werewolves would age a bit more gracefully than your average human. Becoming senile would be very very rare with them, and they would overall usally be more healthy than if they were 'normal'.
Shifting would become more slower for one. And they may not be able to stop from shifting on full moons like they used too.

[Renorei]

@Set: Link doesn't work.



In regards to an elderly werewolf's shifting ability, I don't think shifting is ever something that they can't do anymore. But, then again, I don't view shifting as some massive ordeal that takes up loads of energy either. Maybe a little bit of effort and a little energy, but not much. After all, shifting is a natural thing for werewolves to do, why should it be so hard?

That being said, I think a lot of factors come into play. If you do something frequently during your young life, it's easier for you to do when you're older. If said werewolf hardly ever shifted, I suppose shifting might be difficult with old age. But, if said werewolf was a very frequent shifter, I think shifting in old age would be much easier.

I don't really see the 'family pet' scenario happening. After all, the mind of a werewolf is more human than animal, in all forms. Would they really be able to live with not being able to communicate anymore? Sure, they could maybe make signals, etc., or maybe a sort of 'bark twice for 'no'' kinda thing, but they wouldn't truly be able to communicate. Unless we allow werewolves to talk in nonhuman forms, which I'm in favor of anyway. Someone mentioned in another thread that if werewolves can shift individual parts of their body, maybe a werewolf in wolf or gestalt forms could shift their tongue and vocal cords and be able to talk. If this is a possibility, I see a 'family pet' being much more likely. After all, a really old wolf form is probably an improvement over a really old human form.

[Set]

@Set: Link doesn't work.

What in Hades...? That's not the link I posted! It's completely different now! Which one of you changed it? *looks at the staff*

Anyway, it was in the Hereditary Lycanthropy topic. Here:
http://calypso-blue.com/werewolf/viewto ... 9067#69067

[Jamie]

Senile werewolves: the pack's worst nightmare.

Oh no! They're out peeing on the neighbor's lawn and digging holes in gestalt form! The police are coming and they're too senile to run away!

[vrikasatma]

Personally I'd think that shapeshifting would have a mildly regenerative effect as a side-perk.

I just read on LiveScience that as one ages, more and more cells stop functioning and just become baggage (the term they used was "undead cells"). Perhaps shapeshifting would allow the body to metabolize out those cells, or keep them functional longer?

I agree that a werewolf's life span would probably be longer than the average human's, assuming they don't get hunted down by humans or die in a pack battle.

Another thought: as aging progresses, werewolves have more trouble changing back, and/or retain more and more wolflike characteristics. Until one day, they're a wolf, they're reset at adult wolf, and they go to live out their days as a wolf (which may give them about ten years tacked on at the end of their lives).

[wolfbound]

i think they would age. just alot more slower and more healthy

[W0LVERINE]

I think they will just grow with the human, for example say the human part of them is... 70 the wolf part is 70 (not counting in dog years and stuff) so bacisly I think that they just grow together.

[Herpscott]

I like the idea that if I were a werewolf, I would want to be healthier and live longer, but I also liked the idea that was explained in the book "The Wolf's Hour." In this book, the werewolf ages quicker while in wolf form. If he remained a wolf for a year then his human side would have aged 6-7 years. This gives the werewolf something to think about in regards to being in wolf form.

This was an excellent book by the way, by Robert R. McCammon.

[CrewWolf]

After all, shifting is a natural thing for werewolves to do, why should it be so hard?

You could ask the same thing about human pregnancy. Sometimes...natural things are just hard.

[Kirk Hammett]

I'm not sure what to put on this topic. In my stories there are several breeds of werewolves. Some have very different abilities and different physiology. Some age a little slower than people but not much slower. Others live simply forever. They feed on energy (Not like a vampire, I didn't get the idea from there). They are werefolk, really, because various diffferent shifters. The energy shifters are much rarer. (many reasons for this in the various stories. Mine have a lot of fantasy, balanced with science, but not overly so, it keeps the element of 'what if that could happen' in it, I guess then again science fiction does that).

For the 'common' lycanthrope, I'd go with the 120-200 perhaps lifespan and their lifestyle as well. And I'd also rather end my days in wolf form. The pack, if they have a pack, would care for the elderly and respect them. They may be storytellers especially, and teachers. If they have no pack, they must fend for themselves, and this may either mean the wild, and death, or...or...confined to the elderly hospitals...and having blood tests confirm you're not a human. Or perhaps a wolf foundation or a zoo adopts the old wolf and they live out their lives there. Haha better plan before they get too old to walk!