Pet Check: Cat Health
By: Mark MacGregor
Updated: October 15, 2012
Meg Marshall - We're
here this week with Dr. Ray Ramirez with the Peoria Area Veterinary Association.
Doctor Ramirez, we focus a lot on dog health in previous topics, but a lot of
cat owners out there want to know what they can do for their cat's health.
Dr. Ramirez -
That's very true, Meg, And one of the
biggest, most important things you can do is keep your cat indoors. We know
that, on average, our indoor cats live to be 13, outdoor cats live to be three.
There's a lot of hazards out there, and a lot of chances to pick up different
diseases.
So, keeping them inside
is very helpful. A lot of clients say, 'but doctor, my cat likes to go outside.'
This is a great time to get a little collar, or harness, and a leash to take
them outside. That way, they're outside, but it's controlled and he doesn't
have exposure to the other kitties.
Meg Marshall - You can
take him for a cat walk!
Dr Ramirez - Exactly!
Meg Marshall- What are
some other health concerns cat owners should consider?
Dr Ramirez -
As we look at our indoor kitties, some of the
biggest things are the preventative vaccines. Of course, rabies is a concern
for all our animals, so they should be vaccinated against that.
Upper respiratory
viruses are things people usually call distemper. Those are airborne, so even
though they don't come in contact with other kitties, we can still get those.
We can bring those virus particles in on our clothes. Those are probably the
two biggest things from a preventative standpoint.
The other thing is good nutrition. Make sure
you have a good quality cat food, there's a lot of them out there. If you have
questions, ask your veterinarian. There can be certain medical issues that can
come up and may need some dietary modifications to help prevent that from being
an ongoing problem.
The other thing that's real important is flea
control. We don't think of it as much being inside, because we think of fleas
as being outdoors. Oliver doesn't want to be around anymore.
But, fleas can be an issue even with our indoor
kitties. In 2010 we had six of our indoor cat households that were dealing with
fleas. We think the fleas probably jumped on the clients as they came in the
house, then the fleas were like, there's a cat, I'll jump on that. Then they
end up with fleas in their home. So getting on a good flea preventative is
really important. Again, ask your veterinarian because your situation may vary
from others.
Maybe you have a dog, maybe you don't. Maybe
you take your pet out on a leash for his cat walk. That can help you get the
best solution for what you need at home.
Meg
Marshall - thank you so much, Doctor Ramirez for helping our cat lovers out
there.
