Have we seen your cat lately?

Did you know that cats are the most popular pet in the U.S. according to the U.S. Pet Ownership & Demographics Sourcebook conducted by the AVMA? Interestingly enough, this same study also discovered that three times as many dogs as cats sought routine veterinary care in the last year. There were 82 million cats in the U.S and there were only 63 million veterinarian visits in 2006 (most recent statistics). Conversely, there were 72 million dogs in the U.S. and a total of nearly 190 million visits!

We believe this fundamental discrepency is based on the false belief that cats simply do not require the same level of wellness care as dogs for a multitude of reasons: they are indoor only, they are self sufficient, veterinary visits are more stressful for cats then for dogs, cats are naturally more healthy and problem free then dogs.

The truth is that cats require the same, perhaps even more veterinary care than dogs do. Cats are highly adept at hiding signs of illness and as such, routine annual exams become even more important to detect early signs of disease or illness.

For starters, we suggest cat owners become well versed in the behavioral changes that may occur from an illness. Such changes can include;

• Decreased food or water consumption
• Urinating outside the litter box
• Excessive coughing up of hairballs
• Excessive sneezing

Many of these conditions may be mistaken for every day behavior but may be signs of a deeper issue. For example, urinating outside of the litter box could be a sign of a lower urinary tract disease, a urinary tract infection, kidney disease or diabetes milletus. Please visit Healthy Cats for Life's wellness checklist for behaviors and seeemingly everyday occurances to be aware of.

Obviously, cats are going to sneeze and cough up hairballs every so often but it is important to separate when this is an occasional occurrence from when this happens a little too often for comfort. Behavioral changes should also be paid particular attention and warrant a prompt visit to the veterinarian. "Anything subtle and different is something to take note of" advises Dr. Annie Price of Ormewood Animal Hospital in Atlanta.

We hope that this article has shed some light on the importance of regular veterinary wellness exams for your cat. They are quite adept at hiding their ailments and we do not want to see a preventable issue turn into a life threatening situation for your cat. For more helpful feline resources please visit:

• Healthy Cats for Life
• Catvets.com