This is Puddin and his favorite human, my son, Carson. Puddin and Carson have a very special bond, and they are often inseparable. Carson expects his special kitty to be around for a long time. One of the ways we ensure the very best in quality of life and longevity for Puddin, is to provide him with regular preventive care. Puddin gets regular examinations, immunizations, and parasite prevention. Even though he spends his life completely indoors, he is still susceptible to a number of viral, bacterial and parasitic infections; therefor, we do everything we can to keep him healthy and safe. Furthermore, by keeping Puddin healthy, we are also keeping Carson safe from certain zoonotic diseases that he could potentially get from his kitty.Cats often can be "second class citizens" when it comes to veterinary preventive care. On average, for every cat we see in our clinic for routine care, we will see four dogs. This is not because less people own cats. On the contrary, the overall number of cats kept as pets is very comparable and can exceed the number of dogs. However, there are various reasons why cats are not presented for veterinary care as often. We would like to assist owners in breaking down some of the boundaries that are preventing our feline friends from getting the care they need. February is National Cat Health Month. This month is dedicated to educating owners on the importance of regular preventive care and wellness evaluations.
Some of the common reasons we hear or encounter regarding the feline species and lack of veterinary care are as follows:
It is difficult to transport my cat to the veterinary hospital or he is easily stressed when he leaves home. We have a number of resources and solutions available to you to help make traveling with your cat less stressful. Our staff members have taken special classes in stress free handling and transporting of pets to the veterinary hospital. We are happy to discuss with you some strategies to make this experience easier on both you and your feline friend. Give us a call, and we will be glad to answer questions regarding this challenge.
It is too expensive. In general, it is much easier and less expensive to provide preventive care for our pets than to treat the illness that could have been intercepted with such services as vaccination and parasite control. In addition, our staff members will be glad to discuss options including pet health insurance and/or financing to help make cost more manageable.
My cat stays indoors only. It is a common misconception that indoor cats are immune to infection and parasitism and therefor, do not need vaccines or parasite control. On the contrary, there are a number of different ways in which indoor cats are still at risk for certain disease and parasites. In addition, cats that spend their lives inside are at higher risk for some ailments that we rarely see in outdoor kitties. As a result, regular check-ups are vital to detect disease in its earliest stages in order to provide the best possible intervention and treatment.
We hope that you will consider taking advantage of the resources and services we can offer for your feline family members. As for Puddin and Carson, our plan is that these two will be good friends for many years to come.
