Monday, June 2, 2014

Flourishing Felines

Everybody wants their kitties healthy and flourishing.  Ben Franklin once said, "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure."  And with us kitties known to hide our illnesses well, this is especially true, so our mom takes us to the vets once a year.  We aren't happy about it, and sing a loud protesting kitty song all the way, but it is in our best interests to go.

Carl makes his feelings known.

Yearly preventative check ups are important.  Vets are trained to find things our parents would overlook.  And the earlier a problem is found, the easier and cheaper it is to treat.  

 Oui Oui being weighed at the vet's.
Why me?

In one study done, 59% of owners said they acquired cats without intending to, and almost 70% of cats are free.  We bet no one is surprised at this!  The kitties showed up on their doorstep, or found them in some other way.  So cats tend to be adopted without guidance or instruction in proper care.  While the majority of cats are taken in when newly adopted, after the first year veterinary care falls off dramatically.  81% of owners felt cats were independent, self sufficient and so required little attention.

 Julie awaiting her fate.
Judging from her heart rate, the vet says she isn't afraid.
Annoyed, probably.

In 63% of cat-only households, the cats are indoor cats.  But remember, most diseases like heart disease, diabetes and kidney disease, are issues whether the cats go outside or not.  At the beginning of the disease, symptoms could be so slight they might not be noticeable.  And what happens if the cat slips outside accidentally and isn't vaccinated?  Proper veterinary care is like insurance if that happens, at least kitty won't pick up a terrible disease.

Mica Moo feels safest being held.

We might not like it when our parents stuff us in the PTU, and the vet may not be our closest furriend, but we need to do some things we don't like.  Our parents can look for cat-friendly vets or maybe even ones who come to our homes.  One website to help us know what to expect, and what questions to ask the vet, even how to find a vet is at Partners for Healthy Pets.  Scroll down for all the good things!  PHP is a committee of the non-profit American Veterinary Medical Foundation.

We are going to share about the mom's health.  About a year and a half ago she went in for her annual check up, something she didn't always do.  They found she had diabetes.  Because she didn't have it long and was in the beginning stages, she was able to control it by diet without medications.  Now her blood sugar is normal.  She doesn't have any of the bad effects like macular degeneration or nerve damage because it was caught and controlled early.  Isn't that what we want for our kitties too?

The mom met PHP at Blogpaws and said she would talk about their important mission.  They offered us a fleece kitty blankie, but that isn't our motivation.  Kitty health is. 

If you'd like to read the study cited in this post, go here.

Live long and healthy, kitties!

28 comments:

Summer at sparklecat.com said...

It is really important to remind humans about this! My human is lazy about her own checkups (she hates doctors - even though she doesn't mind the dentist), and when we kitties were out of the kitten stage, we rarely went to the vet. But now that we are older, we have regular checkups, the way it should ALWAYS be!

Anonymous said...

Wees just got our reminder post cards fur out annual VET visits. And wees like Dr. C but not so much goin' in. Altho' it's better fur us when wee du. Fanks fur sharin' and what a sweet little mew. ☺

Luv and Hugs and Kitty Kisses

Dezi

Tama-Chan, Benny, Vidock, Violette, Ollie, Heloise, Momo, Ryu said...

Lots of very sound advice. We don't like being hauled off to the vet (for some reason, Tommy enjoys it!) either but we realise how important it is to have us checked out regularly.

Purrs,
The Chans

PS: IN the case of the Vs, it's the vet who comes to them!

Hannah and Lucy said...

Our vet sends a card to Mum telling her when our reviews are due so we end up going every January - it sort of spoils Christmas!!
Luv Hannah and Lucy xx xx

Pat Hatt said...

Cassie goes, sits there, lets them maul her and then is ready to leave. Orlin goes, growls at everything and everyone, goes #1 and #2 on them and fights them every step of the way. But away they go.

brokenteepee said...

It is very important

Fur Everywhere said...

Annual exams are very important for good kitty health, indeed. I hear they even recommend twice a year exams for senior kitties. Our mom always takes us to the vet. We don't like it, but we know hers just wants us to be healthy and happy.

Brian's Home Blog said...

Yep, that is just one of those things we really must do!

Katie Isabella said...

Carl darling, does your mommy know why your little voice is so tiny and high? Were you born that way? If you were here, you would be spoiled filthy rotten as I am. Mommy would be holding you constantly! MOL MOL.

Tell your mommy that this was a very important and informative blog and thank you for it. xxoox Pee Ess. MMM, you stir my mom's cat- maternal instincts too with your sweetness.

Angel Prancer Pie said...

Whew! Aren't you glad that's over for another year???

That's how we feel about it, too.
MOL!

Layla Morgan Wilde ( Cat Wisdom 101) said...

Great post!I'd like to add how important it is for geriatric cats to have vet visits twice a year.

ANGEL ABBYGRACE said...

Yep it's yearly check ups for us too. WE fully agree.

Marg said...

That is such good advice. Back in the days when I only had 2 or 3 cats, I did do that. But now with so many, I cannot do it. But I do recommend everyone doing it. Take care.

Kitties Blue said...

Excellent post kitties. Carl, you have an itty bitty voice for a big boy. Glad efurryone had a good check up. XO, Lily Olivia, Mauricio, Misty May, Giulietta, Fiona, Astrid, Lisbeth and Calista Jo

da tabbies o trout towne said...

veree good post guys with grate add vize....N carl...dood...we couldna heer ya buddy...de sound card on de PC iz spazzin two day...we hope ya roared like a lion de entire way ther N home !!

Cats Herd You said...

Vet visits help with early detection of lots of diseases, especially as we age.

Memories of Eric and Flynn said...

That is good advice. I don't like going to the vet and sing my warrior songs as loud as I can. I know mum does it for my good, but that doesn't make it okay.
Well done to your mum controlling her diabetes with diet.

BeadedTail said...

Even though we hate the v-e-t, this is a great reminder since we want to stay healthy and around for a very long time! We're glad that your mom is doing well too!

Timmy Tomcat said...

Well we also hate going to he stabby place but, well, they do help. Our Rumpy has Asthma and we thought it was done after some medicine but... He has to go back again. Dad will keep the medication down to the least needed but goodness, it does help.
Now I will sing the song of our people a bit louder than Carl but in the long run I am happy Dad cares enough to listen to me.
Thanks fur this great service
Timmy

Cat and DOG Chat With Caren said...

Because of my allergies, I see the vet WAY more than just yearly! That being said, Mom is a stickler for wellness exams! Love, Cody

Colehaus Cats said...

We let our mom read about your v-e-t checkup because we didn't want to. She said we have a couple coming up but she won't tell us who exactly. Extra purrs to sweet Mica Moo! PURRS....

The Island Cats said...

Y'know, we don't like going to the vet either, but we agree that it is a good thing to do...at least once a year. For instance, this time when I went for my annual checkup, the mom had the vet steal some of my bloods and they found that my potassium level was below normal. Low potassium isn't a good thing and can cause problems. So now I take a potassium supplement. Had I not gone to the vet and found this out, I probably would have started having some real problems caused by low potassium. So getting checked out regularly is a good thing...though we still don't like it. ~Ernie

Katnip Lounge said...

Even though Mommy does not subscribe to yearly vaccs we still get our wellness checks and the oldsters a Senior panel; it helped find The Baby's infection before it got worse! Carl, nice solo, dude...

meowmeowmans said...

Nice singing, Carlos! We all have to go to the vet on a regular basis -- Mom and Dad insist. Good thing, too, because it really helps when things come up, like with Moosey!

Big hugs to you all.

Off to go check out that PHP link!

Furries said...

I agree, it's so important to have an annual checkup. The nervousness of having to sit through an exam is well worth it to know that a professional is giving me a thorough once-over. Even though I'm an indoor kitty, I still get my annual rabies vaccine, but that's it. And the vet and vet tech always tell me what a calm kitty I am and how nice my furs are. All in all, it's not a bad experience.

The Swiss Cats said...

Even if we don't like it at all, we have tried to trust Mum when she said that it was good for us. We realizes that it's very impawtant ! Purrs

Kitty Cat Chronicles said...

This is a great reminder. Our mom never goes to the doctor… and we mean never. She does take us to the vet though. Maybe not exactly on schedule, but she has gotten better. Posts like this are great reminders for her.

www.shelter-cats.com said...

This post is a great public service. I am amazed how many cat lovers think that the yearly check up isn't necessary because "they would know if their cats were sick." The signs can be so gradual and subtle even when we pay attention.
Glad you caught your diabetes so early and don't need meds.
Maggie