Over the past many years as cat parents, we’ve learned that finding the best vet for our cats is one of the most important decisions we make.
Veterinarians are an integral part of our cat-care team. It’s crucial that we build our cat’s health history by committing to annual (or bi-annual) vet visits. Building a communicative relationship with our veterinarian is also foundational for our cat’s best care. And in emergencies, it’s critical we know exactly where we’re going – and have a cat-care teammate ready to help.
But did you know that only 15% of cats go to their annual appointments each year? That’s on us cat parents to improve, but it brings up an interesting point:
How often do most vets see cat patients?
Feline only veterinarians are rare, so it’s worth asking your vet how comfortable they are handling cats. Believe it or not, many are admittedly scared of our feline friends. A scared cat sensing fear from a scared human is a recipe for disaster. A friend of ours recently experienced this. Her scared cat was forcefully restrained by scared humans – resulting with one human being bit and her cat thrown in a covered bucket. It was traumatizing for everyone. Especially her cat.
A good way to avoid this situation is by seeking out a Fear Free clinic. This is a method of veterinarian care trained in understanding a cat’s body language and gentle cat handling. A Fear Free clinic will also (usually) provide separate entrances, waiting areas, and exam rooms for dogs and cats.
Vet visits are already a stressful situation for most cats. Taking a little extra time to ask some simple questions make big difference in the best care for our cats.
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