Your cat is depending upon you to stay healthy. Unfortunately, when a cat gets sick, it does not have an easy time of it. And it is not easy for a cat to recover from being sick. So the best thing to do is for you to do is keep your pet well. These pets are like people, they need to go to the doctor for preventive health visits. A good veterinarian who loves cats can be your best friend to help you meet the goal of keeping your pet healthy.
When should you take your pet to the vet? You should make the first veterinarian appointment within one week of the adoption. If you adopt a shelter cat, the staff will instruct you about the next vet visit. Your cat should be neutered or spayed because it does not need to have kittens. There are too many homeless cats and you do not want to add to the supply. The number of cats available for adoption is considerably larger than the number adopted. It is estimated that only 24 percent of the cats brought to shelters are adopted, the rest are euthanized. The Humane Association estimates that approximately 3.7 million animals were euthanized in the nation's shelters in 2008. Be a responsible cat owner, neutering or spaying your cat will help it maintain its health and ensure that you do not add to the number of homeless animals. If you do not adopt your cat from a shelter, you may be able to obtain these services from an inexpensive spay or neuter clinic. Ask your veterinarian or contact your local humane society, they will be able to direct you to a clinic near you or provide information.
Cats love to wander and if you live in an urban area, it could get lost. Make sure that you get your cat a collar, and put its name, address, telephone and your name on that collar so that you don't lose your pet. 71 percent of cats that enter animal shelters are euthanized because the cat had no identification and the owners could not be notified. Since the estimates indicate that only 2 percent of cats that enter animal shelters are reunited with their owners, your cat needs identification.
Your cat's medical record is an important document. If you move, you want to keep a copy of this record if you need to get a new veterinarian and as your cat gets older this record will be more important. Elderly cats have similar complaints like elderly people. Your cat can develop arthritis, diabetes or other diseases. A veterinarian who knows your cat can help your cat age gracefully.
