Choosing A Veterinarian For Your Cat

Do not wait until an emergency arises before you look for a vet. It is wise to have made arrangements before you bring a new animal home. If you found the kitten locally, ask the sanctuary, home or breeder.

You may be able to continue with the vet a kitten has already visited for its initial check ups and inoculations. If the kitten is from a different area, ask friends in the neighborhood who already own cats, or a local cat club for recommendations, addresses and telephone numbers are available from the governing council of the cat fancy.

Which vet? Selecting the right vet for your pet is just as important as finding the right doctor for your family, but there is one great difference. While doctors only deal with one species, the human one, vets have to cope with a wide range of different animals, from hamsters to cows.

They are unlikely to be specialized in all fields, and not all will be up to date with feline ailments. This may be a problem if you live in a rural area, as veterinary practices may be geared to large animals such as cattle and horses.

In urban areas, most surgeries are small animal practices, devoted to the care of cats, dogs and other small domestic pets. If you have time contact a number of different practices, telephone first if you wish to visit.

Ask for a list of fees for consultation, and the cost of routine care items such as inoculations, blood tests, flea and worming products. If your pet is to have an anesthetic, the vet may advise taking it in the night before. In this way, the surgery can control food intake and the cat has time to settle down.

A cat has its annual check. This is an opportunity for comments on general condition, any necessary booster inoculations and restocking of worming and flea treatments.