Feline
Care
Heather Baumann, Veterinary Assistant
According
to the American Veterinary Medical Association U.S. Pet Ownership and
Demographics Sourcebook, 36.3% of cat owning households received no
veterinary care in 2006, compared to 17.3% of dog owning households. There
are 82 million cats in the United States (10 million more than dogs), yet
cats are twice as likely as dogs not to see a veterinarian. Overall,
veterinary visits for cats have decreased almost 11% since 2001. These are
scary statistics that any cat owner can help fix.
According
to the study, pet owners had stronger bonds with their dogs than their
cats and the strength of the bond is in part due to the amount of time
spent with a pet. Dogs spent
roughly 45 hours a week with their owners while cats only spent about 32
hours. Cats are substantially
underserved medically, which presents problems not only in terms of their
health, but in terms of public health. Cat owners were also under the
misconception that cats “do not get sick and … can take care of
themselves.” Cats are very good at hiding symptoms of an illness. Proper
veterinary care is imperative to ensure life long health.
Cat
owners, on average, have a higher educational background than dog owners
and despite the increasing numbers of cats in the United States, our
feline friends are less likely to receive proper veterinary care. Every
child has to go the pediatrician many times during their first years of
life to receive physical examinations, as well as vaccinations. Cat and
dog owners taking their pet to the veterinarian one time per year is like
taking a child to the pediatrician once every 7 years!
How can
the feline pet owner help? Cat owners can get their kittens on the right
track with a kitten plan. Kitten plans include yearly blood work, urine
specific gravity, a heartworm test, twice yearly fecal checks and
de-worming, two feline immunodeficiency
and feline leukemia tests, as well as twice yearly healthy pet
exams as recommended by the Center for Disease Control. Kitten plans also
include all of the necessary vaccinations to keep each kitten as healthy
as they can be. Microchip
identification and registration from AVID is also included in each kitten
plan. Three months of Heartgard and a free dose of frontline are also
included. All office visits are covered throughout the year and clients
who choose these plans will enjoy 10% off spay/neutering as well as
discounts on Heartgard and Frontline for the rest of the year. After the
cat has turned one year of age clients can switch their cats to a wellness
plan. The wellness plans have different levels and include age specific
tests that a nurse can go over with each client to decide which one is
right for their cat.
Cat
owners should also spend more time with their feline companion. Twice
yearly physical and fecal examinations, as well as vaccinations,
preventative dental care, and yearly lab work are needed for adequate
veterinary care. Cat owners should educate themselves about procedures
recommended by their veterinarian and the healthcare team. Ask questions
of the professionals that are recommending those treatments. Cat owners
should prepare for unexpected expenses when purchasing a cat. Kittens need
to come to the veterinarian more than once per year so invest in a
wellness plan. This will help alleviate the stress of an emergency
situation. Other ways to be prepared can include applying for Care Credit
and Veterinary Pet insurance.
Call or
email the health care team at Companions Animal Hospital for a
personalized health care plan for your cat. The first step to improving
the health of your cat is to schedule an appointment. Healthy pet exams
help improve the health and quality of life by helping catch problems
early when they are easier to treat.
To view
the report, go to, h
ttp://avmajournals.avma.org/toc/javma/232/4
Robyn’s Fund
Update
We are
pleased to announce that the two kittens that were helped under Robyn’s
fund recently found a new home together.
We would
also like to thank recent contributors which include:
the Daryl Kucala Family, Greg Paulbeck, Sharon Dalenberg, Lawrence
& Gail Kuzel, Lee Gehrls and the many anonymous people who dropped
money into the donation box at the front desk.
We sincerely appreciate
all of your donations.
We are
also still looking for a “hospice care” type of home for a senior male
cat who is heartworm positive, feline immunodeficiency virus positive and
requires a special food for his kidney disease.
He would need to be the only cat in the household.
If you might be interested in meeting him or would like more
information please give us a call.
Robyn’s
fund exists for homeless animals in need of veterinary care. It is funded
completely by donations. If you would like to help, make plans to attend
our annual Robyn’s fund rummage sale fundraiser on May 3 from 8am-3pm as
all proceeds from the sale go to Robyn’s fund.
You can also help by donating items to be used for the sale.
Donations can be dropped off at the clinic during our open hours.
MEET THE TEAM
Tameka is
our overnight animal caretaker. She
is responsible for cleaning the clinic, taking the canine boarders out for
a late night walk, and watching over any pets we have staying in the
hospital.
Tameka
has lived most of her life in Minnesota aside from a few years spent in
South Dakota. She moved to St.
Cloud after graduating from high school to attend college at Rasmussen
College. Soon after she moved
to St. Cloud she began working at Companions.
She says one of her favorite things about Companions is working
with the knowledgeable and friendly staff.
So if your pet is boarding or has to be hospitalized, take comfort
in knowing that Tameka will be there to watch over them.
