Why Don’t Cats Visit the Vet as Often as They Should?
It’s very important for indoor cats to see the vet at least once a year, ideally every six months. This will ensure that they get the vaccinations they need, and enable you to detect and act on any health issues that may be developing before it’s too late.
Many theories have been proposed to explain the discrepancy in veterinary care between cats and dogs. Unfortunately, being healthier or having nine lives is not one of them.
One of the proposed theories is based on the observation that cats are masters of hiding illness. In the “survival of the fittest” world of our domestic cat’s wild ancestors, it is believed that hiding illness gave them a survival advantage by masking weakness. As a result, our domestic cats have become skilled at hiding their symptoms until problems become very advanced. Unfortunately, without the specialized training of a veterinarian, cat parents can easily miss the subtle, early symptoms, and not visit the veterinarian when they need to.
Another reason why cats are brought to the veterinarian less often than dogs is based on the fear cat parents has that a visit to the veterinarian will be a stressful experience for their cat and themselves. Cats are smart, so it doesn’t take long for them to figure out what’s going on. If they don’t want to go to the veterinarian, they will fight you tooth and nail. Anyone who has dealt with a fractious cat knows how quickly a cuddly kitty can transform into fighting, clawing, biting fury of fur.
Most cats don’t show overt signs of pain or illness until the problem is advanced. But with regular preventive care and early intervention, common feline health problems such as kidney disease, osteoarthritis, hyperthyroidism, and even cancer can be detected earlier, when they are often more treatable and less expensive.
Why aren’t cats taken to the veterinarian as often as dogs? Let’s find out.
- Routine wellness care may not be budgeted — Some people may believe preventive veterinary care is an unnecessary expense, and prefer to get help only when their pet is ill or injured, yet routine wellness care can save money in the long run. By investing in preventive care for your cat, you can ward off many potentially life-threatening—and costly—diseases.
- Cats appear healthy and normal — One of the top reasons people do not take their cat to the veterinarian is because they don’t notice any problems. However, cats are pros at hiding illness and injury; and may be silently suffering without veterinary care.
- Vaccinations are not due — As more vaccinations provide three-year protection, pet owners may not take their cat for an annual wellness exam if no vaccines are due that year.
- Transportation is tedious — Cats are homebodies, and prefer to stay in familiar territory, so convincing them that their carrier is a safe place can be a struggle. Many cats fail to receive veterinary care because of transportation difficulties, but there are ways to make the journey easier. Check out International Cat Care’s tips on transporting your cat to the veterinarian.
- An indoor cat is a safe, healthy cat — Your kitty may never step a single paw outdoors, but they are still at risk for infectious diseases, parasites, dental disease, and a host of other problems.
There is no strong excuse for not providing vital routine veterinary care for your cat, to keep them happy, healthy, and pain-free.
To help make regular checkups easier, look for a cat-friendly practice. These veterinary practices must meet certain criteria, all designed to make the visits less stressful for cats and their owners. They even provide you with tips on how to get your kitty to the clinic without a fuss, and once you arrive, they’ll use gentle handling techniques to help put your cat at ease.
With regular, preventive veterinary care, more cats can live longer, happier, and more pain-free lives.
Nothing is more important to your cat’s continued health and well-being than regular preventive care provided by veterinarians.
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