National Take Your Cat to the Vet Week

August 22-28, 20011 is National Take Your Cat to the Vet Week. According to a 2011-2012 National Pet Owners Survey conducted by the American Pet Products Association the number of cats in a home far out weighs the number of dogs in a home. There are approximately 86.4 million owned cats in the United States, as compared to 78.2 million owned dogs. Even though there are more cats in homes than there are dogs, it seems dog guardians are more likely to pay regular visits to the vets than cat guardians.

There are a variety of reasons why cat guardians are not taking their cat to the vets. Some of those reasons are:

• the cat has an immense dislike for the cat carrier,
• the cat is not showing any visible signs of illness,
• cats can take care of themselves, right?

Let’s take a closer look at these reasons.

The cat has an immense dislike for the cat carrier. There are a variety of reasons the cat might dislike the carrier. For example, it may have never experienced being in one before. New experiences can be frightening to cats. It may have also had previous experiences with a carrier that you’re unaware of that were not pleasant for him. It’s also possible that the only time the cat was ever in the carrier was to go someplace he didn’t like. All of these things are valid reasons to a cat, but you can desensitize him from that fear and train him to think of the carrier as a safe haven. You should check out the Petfinder.com website for tips on how to train your cat to like the carrier.

The cat is not showing any visible signs of illness. Cats are masters of hiding their illness. By the time they are showing visible signs of being sick, chances are good that their illness is in an advanced state. By taking your cat to the vet on a regular basis you will be able to screen for diseases before they become a problem. Check out the video below for helpful information about taking your cat to the vet for a wellness exam.

Cats can take care of themselves, right? While cats are an independent species and are really good at keeping themselves clean, no…they can’t take care of themselves. They also need vet care for vaccinations that will prevent them from getting diseases like Feline Leukemia, Feline Distemper or Rabies. They need regular blood work done to monitor the health of their kidneys and thyroid as well as check for diabetes. All of this holds true for indoor or outdoor cats.

As it happens my Franklin is due for his annual vaccinations and I’ll be taking him to the vet this week. He’ll also be getting a microchip as he’s a sneaky little guy. I fear one day he’ll sneak right out the back door without me ever knowing it. He’s the first pet I’ve ever microchipped, so stay tuned. I will let you know how that whole process goes in a future post.