Cats outnumber dogs as pets in the
Many people don’t believe that cats need to see the vet every year like dogs do. This is couldn’t be more incorrect. Cats age just as fast as small dogs, and can live 15-20 years with proper care. Although many cats live inside 100% of the time, they still need to see the vet.
Why?
Cats who live strictly indoors still need vaccines. Rabies vaccines for cats are required by law in many places, including
The feline distemper/upper respiratory vaccine is recommended for all cats, indoor or out, by the American Veterinary Medical Association and the American Association of Feline Practitioners. Commonly known as the FVRCP vaccine, it protects against several common upper respiratory infections that are easily spread. You may visit someone’s home whose cat is a carrier. A stray cat may try to sit in your window or approach your door. You may find a cute kitten and decide to bring it home. Your cat may slip outside by accident. All are reasons that your cat should have this vaccine.
Vaccines aside, routine yearly exams are a must for all pets, cats included. Most animals, especially cats, are excellent at hiding that they don’t feel 100%. Waiting to bring a cat in until he’s ‘sick’ means the cat has, in reality, likely been ‘sick’ for awhile and is just now showing symptoms. To wait and bring kitty in now that he’s showing signs of being ill makes it harder, or impossible, to treat the illness.
Yearly preventative care exams ensure that your pet is healthy and not harboring an underlying problem. Common issues found during routine well visits include heart murmurs, fleas, dental disease, ear infections, and weight gain/loss. And these are when the pet is showing zero signs of a problem. As pets age, we recommend yearly blood work to monitor for kidney disease, liver disease, heart disease, thyroid disease, and more. Monitoring yearly blood work, even when kitty feels fine and appears healthy, helps detect changes in the body that could signal disease, and allow us to implement a treatment/management plan sooner.
There’s another big reason why many cat owners don’t bring their cat to the vet as often as they probably should….the cat hates it! The carrier comes out, the cat disappears, and the chase is on. When and if the cat is caught, it’s a fight to get into the carrier. The cat yowls or cries the entire drive to the vet. While at the vet, some cats just want to hide and shake, while others take out their frustration on the veterinary staff, embarrassing the owners. No pet owner enjoys making their pet upset and miserable just to get to the vet.
But wait! There’s hope!
You can train your cat to accept the pet carrier and not view it as evil! Consider leaving the pet carrier out in the open. Put a towel or blanket in it, and even a toy or some treats. If your carrier is one that opens on the top as well as the front, cover the top with another blanket or towel. Give your cat time to investigate. I personally have done this with my cats, and have found both of them lying inside or on top of the carrier many times. The carrier is not nearly as scary when it’s out all the time with familiar, comfortable smells. And it’s now easier to load them into the carrier when we do have to make a trip to the vet. Also recommended is Feliway spray inside the carrier (www.feliway/com/us.)
For the car ride, try to keep voices and the music soft and calm, and the windows up, especially if traveling at high speeds. Loud noise will only increase your cat’s anxiety.
Once at the vet, try to sit away from the dogs. Even a cat who lives with dogs at home will not appreciate being nose to nose with a dog at the vet, especially when it has no escape route! Place your carrier on the seat beside you or on your lap as cats prefer to be up off the ground. In the exam room, allow your kitty to remain in the carrier as long as possible. You may open the door to the carrier, but don’t immediately pull or dump him out. Also, use quiet voices in the room. The calmer you are, the calmer your cat will be.