- Spay and Neuter:
Spaying and neutering is an important way to keep our pets healthy. Even if your cat lives indoors, it just takes one misadventure outside and they could end up having an unplanned litter. Aside from helping with overpopulation, spaying and neutering has numerous other health benefits. Benefits of spaying include a 91% risk reduction of mammary cancer if your pet is spayed by 6 months of age. Other benefits include preventing the risk of a life threatening infection of the uterus called a Pyometra and other reproductive tract cancers. Benefits of neutering include reducing unwanted aggression and spraying around the house.
- Microchip:
Less then 4% of lost cats are returned to their homes due to the inability of identifying them. Identification can include a microchip as well as a collar and tag but unlike a collar a microchip is permanent and cannot be removed. This is not only important for outdoor cats but especially important for indoor cats – a safety net in case they ever accidently escape from their indoor kingdom. A microchip is the size of a grain of rice and is injected under the skin this procedure can be done at any time but is often done at the time of spay or neuter. Any animal that is found will be scanned for a microchip and this can be performed at any shelter or veterinary clinic. This small identification tool helps reunite lost pets with their families as quickly as possible. This one time implantation will provide a lifetime of safety and peace of mind for you and your feline companion.
- Indoor vs outdoor:
Indoor cats often live 2-3x longer then their outdoor counterparts. Living indoors provides them with safety from traffic, wildlife, extreme weather, cat fights and a stranger thinking your pet is a stray that needs a home. The local bird population will also thank you – outdoor cats hunt voraciously and it has been documented that they kill approximately 2 million birds yearly in Canada alone. If your cat does go outdoors, please ensure that it has identification and is appropriately vaccinated. Outdoor cats can be exposed to feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) and feline leukemia virus that is spread from the bites of infected cats. It is important to make sure your cat is properly vaccinated. If your cat likes to hunt mice, it may also need to be dewormed multiple times a year.
- Regular Veterinary Visits:
In Canada there are over 7 million households that have feline family members this out numbers their canine counterparts. Despite the growing popularity of cats as pets, only 50% of those companion animals have been to the veterinarian in the past year. Because cats are a prey species, they are excellent at hiding illnesses until they become quite sick. Regular veterinary visits help detect early signs of illness and ensure that your pet is up to date on their vaccines. Even indoor cats need to be vaccinated. Wellness bloodwork also helps to determine early signs of illness and therefore treatment can be started much earlier.
- Nutrition:
With over 80% of cats being overfed their daily caloric requirement, obesity becomes a very real problem for cats. Obesity predisposes cats to metabolic diseases such as diabetes and also increases the risks associated with mobility issues. The best way to control this is to meal feed and accurately measure out the appropriate amount of food for your cat’s energy requirements. If you are unsure of the amount to feed your cat, please call us at the clinic, we will gladly help you determine a feeding amount and offer you support in your quest to keep your cats weight under control. A Weight Watchers program specifically tailored to your cat’s needs.
Here at Fairmont Animal Hospital we are always available to discuss any questions or concerns you may have regarding your cat’s health and well-being.
Please call Fairmont Animal Hospital if you have any questions we can help you with.
Stay tuned to our web page for information on our upcoming microchip clinic. More information to follow next month.
