Did you know that pet cats out number pet dogs in the US? In fact there are a little over 86 million cats in the US compared to about 78 million dogs according to my latest statistics.
Another interesting fact is that pet cats visit the Veterinarian far less than their canine adversaries. About half as often according to statistics kept by Veterinarians.
Do cats get sick less than dogs? Do they get injured less frequently? Are they healthier than dogs?
The short answer to all three questions is no. The real reason cats visit Vets less than dogs is they don't travel as well. Seriously.
Most dogs love to get in the car and go for a ride. Not so for cats. They are more home bodies and really don't relish changes to their routines.
According to the American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP), 58% of cat owners claim that their cats "hate" to go to the Vet. Hate is a pretty telling choice of words. Not much subtle nuance there.
Owners report that cats don't like much about anything a vet visit entails. They don't like the car ride, they don't like the clinic and they don't like the treatment they get either.
No one really likes to go to the Dr's office, people included, but when we start skipping needed medical care because the process itself is onerous, we only deprive ourselves or our cats of needed medical care.
This is such a big issue in Veterinary Medicine that the AAFP assembled a task force of experts to come up with a comprehensive approach to Feline Handling aimed at helping owners and Vets get cats the care they need.
The task force made recommendations on safe and stress free transportation for cats. They also made recommendations on appropriate handling during the Vet visit itself for Vets and their staff members.
You can read the client version of their recommendations here. I implore all cat lovers to read these guidelines and put them to use. My colleagues should do the same.
Cats are very good at hiding the signs and symptoms of disease, but they can't escape the consequences. Avoiding a vet visit due to stress or a bad past experience won't do anyone any good.