This week is the national pet week in the US, dedicated to promoting pet health care and responsible pet ownership. There’s actually a website dedicated to national pet week which you can visit here -
http://www.petweek.org/
And education on cat health care is very much needed these days. I was very concerned reading a press release by the American Veterinary Medical Association recently -
Canine companions have a paw up on our feline friends when it comes to visits to the veterinarian, leaving cats shortchanged and in need of some tender loving care.
According to a Special Report appearing in the Feb. 15, 2008, edition of the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, cats don’t get the same affection – or medical attention – from their owners as dogs do.
Pet owners, the study found, generally have stronger bonds with their dogs than their cats, are likely to be more attached to dogs and thus more attentive to their needs. That’s bad news for cats.
Study results show that pet owners took their dogs to the veterinarian for vaccinations, regular physical exams and preventive dental care more often than they took their cats.
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The strength of the owner-pet bond relates in part to the amount of time a pet spends with its owners. While dogs spent about 45 hours a week with their owners, cats only spent about 32 hours a week.
Dogs, the study says, are also seen as more affectionate than cats, and they are considered more fun to be around. Many owners thought their dogs were in need of more routine examinations because they are outside more often than cats. Cat owners were also under the misconception that cats “do not get sick and … can take care of themselves.”
Overall, the message is clear – and equally worrisome.
Cats are substantially underserved medically, which presents problems not only in terms of their health, but in terms of public health.
Worrisome indeed. I do believe that had they sampled the membership on our cat forums, they would have gotten slightly different results. Just a quick read through the board, or just browsing through the cat pages section and it’s easy to see that our cats are cherished, very much considered part of the family, not to say our babies, and most receive the very best when it comes to health care. Unfortunately, statistics show that for the general population of cat owners, things are different.
Which brings me back to the National Pet Week website. Designed to help teach the younger generation about responsible pet ownership, this site is a treasure cove of educational material. Browse the site, check out the suggested lessons, activities and brochures, and help spread the word. If you are an educator, teacher or parent, perhaps you can try and get your school involved. Or maybe print out selected brochures and share them at your place of work?
This week provides us with the perfect opportunity to try and spread the word to more cat owners about responsible cat care, so let’s do it! Oh, and don’t forget to add the web address of our website – www.TheCatSite.com – and encourage them to visit and learn more about cat care!
