Tagged: preventive care - The Conscious Cat

preventive care

June 10, 2013

Signs of Illness in Cats

Cats are masters at hiding signs of illness, which is why regular veterinary exams are so important. All cats should get annual exams, and cats seven or older should be seen by a veterinarian twice a year. However, the most important person in keeping your cats healthy is you! You know your cat better than anyone, and it’s up to you to watch for any changes in your cat’s normal routine, behavior and attiude. They could be the first indicator that something is wrong.

Many pet guradians don’t realize that problems often develop slowly and cats especially don’t show symptoms until a disease is already advanced. If you can detect things early, you have a much better chance of addressing a problem successfully, and you’ll also save yourself money by avoiding costly veterinary fees for treating an advanced illness.

Look for Subtle Signs of Illness

Most signs start with a subtle change in your cat’s behavior, routine or attitude.Continue Reading

November 19, 2012

Finding a cat-friendly vet

Feline Health| 28 Comments

Cats are notoriously underserved when it comes to veterinary care. The American Association of Feline Practitioners shares the following statistics:

In the United States, there are 86 Million Owned Cats and 78 Million Owned Dogs.
Almost twice as many cats than dogs never visit the veterinarian.
Of the cats that do visit the veterinarian, they average 26% fewer visits than dogs.
41% of cat owners visit the veterinarian only for vaccinations.
39% of cat owners say they would only take their cat to the veterinarian if the cat was sick.
60% of cat owners report that their cat hates going to the veterinarian.
38% of cat owners report that they get stressed just thinking about bringing their cat to the practice.

These numbers are alarming, because they support the misconception that cats don’t need the same level of care as dogs.Continue Reading

September 4, 2012

State of Pet Health Report identifies the five most common cat diseases

Feline Health| 7 Comments

Do you think you know the five most common cat diseases? The findings in Banfield Pet Hospital’s State of Pet Health 2012 Report may surprise you.

The report captured and analyzed data from nearly 430,000 cats in 43 states over a period of five years. The driving force behind the study was a commitment to preventive care and early diagnosis. In addition to collecting medical data, the report also identified pet owner perceptions. For this part of the report, Banfield polled more than 1,000 cat owners in the United States.

The report also captured date from more than 2 million dogs. This discrepancy in cat vs. dog numbers highlights the prevalent trend that dogs get far more attention when it comes to medical and health studies than cats do. According to pet journalist Steve Dale, for every dollar devoted to cat health research, five to ten dollars are devoted to feline research.

The Banfield report foundContinue Reading