VeterinarianA veterinarian is your partner in maintaining kitty’s good health. By visiting the vet regularly you are able to get professional advice about your cat’s health. Use the visits to set up a disease prevention program as well through the vaccinations that your vet can provide.Choosing a VeterinarianJust like with a family doctor, choose a vet that you are comfortable with and who will answer your questions about kitty. With so many veterinarians out there to choose from, the best way to do this is by word of mouth. Ask your friends and relatives who they would recommend. Alternatives are to check with the humane society, breeders clubs, or feline adoption groups to see who they might suggest. You may also want to make sure that the vet you pick offers 24 hour emergency services. There are even some vets who will only look after felines, but they may be harder to find.The CheckupAlthough kitty may look healthy, she should have a physical at least once a year. This way the veterinarian can determine if there are early signs of possible health problems. If there is a problem, early detection can lead to a longer life span for kitty. By keeping kitty healthy, the vet will also ensure that kitty’s quality of life, health wise, will be good. Once your feline is over the age of seven, your vet may suggest visits every 6 months. Also if kitty is pregnant, you may need to see the vet more often.As the vet performs the checkup, she will ask you questions about kitty’s health to see if there are any problem areas to address. The vet will check kitty’s eyes, ears, face and mouth. While checking the mouth, she will also check kitty’s teeth. Don’t be surprised if the vet tells you that your kitty has plaque or gum disease and that you need to brush her teeth. Over 85% of cats over the age of 4 have some form of gum disease. Now the veterinarian will check kitty’s coat / fur for signs of parasites. At the same time the vet will determine if kitty’s fur is too dry or too oily. It could be a sign of diet imbalance if the cat’s fur is not right. Once this is done the vet will use the stethoscope to listen to kitty’s heart for any sign of heart or respiratory problems. She may have a problem hearing kitty’s heart if the cat starts purring as a defense mechanism at this time. Don’t worry; most vets are veterans when it comes to overcoming the purring in the stethoscope. The final checkup step will be to check kitty’s weight. If kitty is loosing weight and is not on a diet or weight loss program, it could indicate that there is some other health problem to address. If kitty is overweight, the vet will usually suggest a change in diet to try to avoid future health problems that can arise from obesity like heart disease, or respiratory problems. Vets are reporting that they are finding at least one third of all cats are obese. This is the most common nutritional disease found in cats and dogs today.
Don’t forget to use the checkup time to ask the vet about your concerns regarding kitty or to demonstrate how to do things like brushing kitty’s teeth, etc.
VaccinationsVaccinations are needed to protect kitty from potentially serious and deadly diseases. Even indoor cats should be vaccinated. The first set of vaccinations is usually done at about 6 to 8 weeks. Vaccinations need to be redone periodically as the vaccine’s effectiveness can decrease over time. It’s just like getting a flu shot once and expecting it to last forever. Flu shots for humans are given annually as their effectiveness decreases over time. Your vet will set up a vaccination schedule for kitty to ensure all her necessary protection is up to date. Some vaccinations (medicines) can be administered at home (worm medicine) Ask the vet for instructions on how to give kitty the medicines that she supplies for kitty.Vet CostsYou should be prepared to handle the routine costs for kitty’s annual examination and vaccinations. Accidents and major illnesses can happen and having pet / cat insurance is one way to control those costs. If you don’t have pet insurance and you find the bill is large, you can ask if you can make monthly payments instead of one large payment.
Remember being a veterinarian is a business. They have the same expenses as a doctor’s office plus the expense of stocking vaccines and medicines. Be prepared to look after kitty financially.
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