Did you know that February is National Cat Health Month?
While cats outnumber dogs as companion of choice in the United States, we see less of them at the vet than we do our canine companions. When it comes to our feline friends, one of the most common statements that we hear in the office is “She’s fine. She’s an indoor cat so there hasn’t been a reason to bring her to the vet”. We look at our cats as independent, self-sufficient little buddies, but the truth is, they need regular physicals just like their human and canine friends!
Bayer’s Animal Health division did a study and found that while 83% of new cat owners take their kitties to the vet in the first year for initial exams only 48% of cats have been to the vet in the past year. 81% of owners believe that cats are independent and require little attention, leading people to think that it just isn’t necessary to have that annual checkup.
We are here to explain why it is important to keep up with the healthcare of our kitties. Cats can be masters at hiding things from their owners. Changes in their health can happen quickly and they do not always show their owners outward signs of illness. Annual (and bi-annual exams for our senior buddies) can give us the chance to closely monitor minor changes in behavior, as well as changes in labwork values to help avoid medical emergencies.
A very common reason people give for not bringing their cat to the vet is that their kitty hates coming to the vet and gets too stressed out. We understand that and aim to make our visits calm and stress free. Did you know that My Vet’s very own Dr. Robin is a member of the American Association of Feline Practitioners and we are an AAHA accredited practice? We aim to reduce the stress of feline visits by training our staff to handle and approach out feline friends in ways that ease their stress and increase their comfort. We have very high standards when it comes to veterinary care and understand the unique needs of our cats and strive to make each visit a comfortable one. If your kitty gets especially grumpy when coming to the vet we encourage you to call us and discuss options for making the process easier- we are always here to help!
According to the ASPCA the average lifespan of an indoor cat is up to 17 years (it is not uncommon to see some reaching 20 years!- our cover cat, Smudge, is 18 1/2!). Our goal is to work with and educate our kitty parents so that our feline babies can live their healthiest, happiest lives. Together we can create paws-itively purr-fect vet visits!