Your Cat Does Not Have to Dread Visiting the Veterinarian

Aug 22, 2012 by Dr Jane Brunt    No Comments    Posted under: Tips & Advice

(THE COMFY SOFA, My House, Annapolis, Maryland) August 14, 2012—Saturday marks the beginning of National Take Your Cat to the Veterinarian week, and to celebrate, I thought I would share tips on making the trip to the veterinarian more pleasant for everyone.

As a cat, I totally sympathize with your cat; going to the vet can be stressful. In fact, disrupting my schedule for any reason is an offense to which I do not take kindly. But I have come to understand that semi-annual checkups are necessary to ensure I remain the lean, healthy, Adonis-like creature that I am. I am sharing the following tips to help your cat come to the same understanding:

1. I’ve said it before, but just in case you missed it, I will say it again. Get your cat to like its carrier. It can be done, and your cat will thank you for it because it will give him an additional place to snooze. My carrier is always left out and open with my favorite blanket it in, and I can frequently be found napping inside. Check out this video to learn what else you can do to help your cat get over its fear of the carrier.

   

2. You might want to consider finding a cat-friendly veterinarian. The American Association of Feline Practitioners has developed a program that certifies veterinary practices as “cat friendly,” and has a list of them on their website. I love my cat-friendly veterinarian! She knows that I want to stay in my carrier if at all possible when she is examining me, and the waiting rooms at her practice are segregated by species so I don’t have to come nose-to-nose with a curious collie while I’m waiting to see her.
3. Make the trip fun. I love hearing how wonderful I am. Even better, I love it when you pet me and reward me for how wonderful I am. Tell me and show me frequently during the trip that I am the most amazing creature in the world for putting on my brave face and allowing my schedule to be disrupted for a trip to the veterinarian. I’m a complete sucker for that.

Your cat is an important member of your family – I know I am — and, as such, needs regular preventive health care, no matter how much he or she may protest. Did you know that dental disease affects 68% of all cats over the age of three? That most cases of diabetes could be prevented if the 53% of cats that are overweight were on the proper food? A simple checkup can help detect and treat preventable diseases and conditions that can cut a life short. Yikes! It hurts to even type that.

Even if you can’t get your cat into the veterinarian during Take Your Cat to the Veterinarian week, you can work on getting your cat used to its carrier and that make that important appointment for a preventive healthcare examination by your veterinarian. Some veterinarians even make house calls! So don’t delay … you work on that appointment and I’ll work on talking my owner into that house call thing. (Hmmm…never leaving bed. Sounds good.)

The CATalyst Council is a national organization which includes a wide variety of animal health and welfare organizations as well as corporate members of the animal health industry that are working together to improve the health and welfare of America’s favorite pet. It was founded in response to troubling statistics released by the American Veterinary Medical Association that indicate an increase in our nation’s pet cat population coupled with a decline in veterinary care for those cats. More information about the CATalyst Council is available at catalystcouncil.org.

For more information on CAT Stanley, including how he got his name, visit his section on the CATalyst Council web site.

Dr Jane Brunt

Dr. Jane Brunt, founder of Cat Hospital at Towson (CHAT), is the pioneer of feline exclusive practice in Maryland. She received her DVM from Kansas State University (go, Cats!), and since 1984 has advocated the necessity of an outstanding facility and staff dedicated to practicing the highest quality of cats only care and medicine at CHAT.

She is a Past-President of the American Association of Feline Practitioners and the Maryland Veterinary Medical Association. In 1997, Dr. Brunt was named one of Baltimore’s “Top Vets” and featured on the cover of Baltimore Magazine, and in 1998 she served as Chair of the Host Committee for the AVMA Annual Convention in Baltimore (attended by a record 8,000 veterinary professionals and supporters), receiving several awards and accolades. A national advisor on feline medicine, she is also an active supporter of local, state, and national feline organizations, especially of the new generation of veterinary professionals.

Building on her clinical cat commitments and organizational passions, she serves as the Executive Director of CATalyst Council, a not-for-profit coalition of organizations and individuals committed to changing the way society cares for cats, “Promoting the Power of Purr…” across veterinary, sheltering, and public/civic communities. She owns a wayward standard poodle named Luka and three hilarious, keyboard-keen cats- Paddy, Freddie and CAT Stanley!

Cat Hospital at Towson
6701 York Road
Baltimore, MD 21212

Phone: (410) 377-7900
Email: cathospital@catdoc.com

Website: http://www.catdoc.com/
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