Did you know that 8th August every year is International Cat Day? This day was established to raise awareness of the health and well-being of cats, and has been celebrated since 2002. Since 2020, campaigning for International Cat Day has been organised by International Cat Care, which also runs the Cat Friendly Clinic scheme.
Cats are the second most popular pet in the UK – while the UK dog population is 12 million, cats are not far behind, with 11 million pet cats in the country. And it’s not hard to see why – cats are often prized for their independent nature, but they are also playful and affectionate companions. In fact, owning a cat is good for you – petting a cat reduces your stress levels and blood pressure, and studies have shown that cat owners are 30% less likely to die of a heart attack or stroke than non-cat owners. A cat’s purring can even help muscles, bones and tendons to heal.
Here at Orchard Vets, we are passionate about helping you and your feline friend access veterinary care and have the best health they possibly can. Unfortunately, cats are taken to the vets much less frequently than pet dogs, and are less likely to receive medical treatment. This can be due to a number of reasons, none of which suggest that cat owners are less attached to their pets than dog owners! Cat behaviour can be challenging to interpret – while cats are predators, they are also small enough to be prey animals, so will often mask signs of illness, making it hard to detect in the early stages. Cats are also generally homebodies – they are most comfortable in their home territory, and they can find being put in a carrier, transported to the vets, and visiting a clinic with strange sounds and smells quite stressful, which means it is also stressful for their owners! For this reason, some cat owners will try to avoid taking their cats to the vets unless they feel it is really necessary. Unfortunately, those cats then miss out on the benefit of a regular veterinary examination which can help to maintain them in the best of health.
A regular annual health check for your pet cat can be useful for many reasons. We can weigh them, and advise whether they may be overweight (unfortunately between 40% and 50% of pet cats are), or alternatively detect weight loss in senior patients which may be an early sign of ill health associated with old age. A dental examination can detect tooth problems which can be very painful or put their general health at risk. They will also have their heart and lungs ausculted with a stethoscope, their abdomen palpated for any changes, and be checked for any lumps or bumps. You’ll also find the vet asks you a lot of questions about their health and behaviour at home – helping us to give you the best advice about preventative health care for them, or to pick up on subtle changes that may not be obvious in the consultation room.
We know that seeing a vet for regular health checks, or promptly in the case of ill-health, is good for our feline friends. So how can we make visiting the vet less stressful for them?
As an International Cat Care Cat Friendly Clinic, we’ve taken steps to try to keep visiting the vets as stress free as possible for cats. When you arrive at the clinic, you’ll notice that the waiting area is divided into an area for cats to wait, and an area for dogs to wait, so that cats are less disturbed by the sight, sound and smell of dogs nearby. In the cat area, you’ll also find a box filled with blankets, so you can place one over their carrier to help them feel more safe and secure, and we recommend the carrier be placed on the bench beside you rather than on the floor.
All our staff have had training in low stress handling for cats, so you can rest assured that in the consultation room you’ll be seeing someone who will treat your pet gently and respectfully, and advise you if they feel a different approach is needed to reduce their stress levels. Some of our staff members also have additional qualifications in feline medicine for more complicated cases.
Should your cat need to be hospitalised – either for the day or overnight – they will be housed in a dedicated cat ward, away from dogs. In their secure, cozy kennel as well as comfy blankets and a mattress they are provided with a spot where they can either perch and observe the world, or our more timid patients may prefer to hide underneath. We use feline pheromones in our cat ward to help them to feel more secure.
But what can you do at home to help your cat find visiting the vets less stressful? Getting your cat used to the carrier in advance can be really helpful. A lot of us have to fetch the carrier from the garage, shed or attic (spiders and all), leaving us flustered and stressed, and meaning that the carrier smells very strange to the cat. Ideally, the carrier should be part of the furniture at home, with a comfy blanket in it so your cat learns to treat it as a cozy spot to hide and nap at any time. You can also try feeding some treats or even the occasional meal in the carrier to get them used to it.
Choosing a good carrier design can be helpful once you get to the vets. If we can only access the carrier from the front, getting your cat out for an examination can be difficult and a bit frightening for them. It’s much better if we can open the top of the carrier and gently lift them out. Best of all is if the whole top half of the carrier can easily lift off – look for simple, wide clips rather than small peg fastenings or screws. This means your cat can stay in the base of the carrier where they feel safer and more secure for most of their examination.
You can find a lot more information about making visiting the vet with your cat on the International Cat Care Website.
