Embracing Early Detection). If verbiage used in veterinary practices includes some version of “She only has a tiny bit of tartar so she might need a dental next year,” there is an immediate opportunity to ask your co‐workers why, and as a team explore how that cat, their owners and even the veterinary practice could be better helped with earlier care (see 4.9 Periodontal Disease). A single, simple circumstance such as that could provide the pivot point for all team members including owners and managers, veterinarians and veterinary nurses, assistants and caregivers to be aligned and on board with pet‐specific care.
1.5.5 Feline Friendliness Starts at Home
The educated and engaged veterinary team is knowledgeable about helping owners understand cats' needs and environment enrichment by engaging in conversations using open‐ended questions such as “How many litterboxes do you have… where are they…how often are you able to clean them…?” and “Tell me about mealtimes in your home…” Note: the most important part of asking open‐ended questions is listening to the answers (see 9.2 Asking Good Questions). Therein are the clues for true patient status.
Regarding mealtimes, we know that cats are solitary hunters and as such, their normal feeding preference is without oversight or interruption by other animals, including cat housemates. If a client describes feeding their cats within eyesight of each other, during the nutritional assessment and recommendation, information on how to feed (location, frequency, puzzle/foraging feeders) is as important as what to feed.
It is also important to know that simple changes in a cat's routine have been shown to induce stress‐related illnesses. Sickness behaviors have been documented and include gastrointestinal (vomiting, diarrhea) and lower urinary tract signs (feline interstitial cystitis) [5]. All are common presentations to veterinary clinics and environmental stress should be carefully explored in these cases.
Many cats will benefit from anxiety abatement in advance of collecting the cat for travel. Having carriers out in advance of transport, using synthetic facial pheromones in and around the carrier and bedding, nutritional supplements and diets to promote calmness, and even antianxiety therapeutics are examples of tactics and treatments used widely (see 6.6 Fear Free Concepts). Gabapentin can help prevent and diminish arousal and is routinely used in advance of travel for this purpose. It is important to recognize that tranquilizers merely diminish the cat’s ability to respond to fear and arousal, and do not help the cat feel less stressed or fearful.
1.5.6 It's All About the Cat, and Their Person
As knowledgeable advocates for cats, veterinary teams that have made the sustained commitment to understanding cat behavior and handling cats appropriately represent the ethos of feline‐friendly, client‐centered, and pet‐specific care. That, along with celebrating the bond between people and their cats, will help ensure lifelong care for cats with your practice.
Sunshine, a 12‐year‐old spayed female brown tabby DSH, presented for the first time to a feline‐exclusive veterinary practice. She had received no veterinary care after her kitten vaccines and sterilization. She was reported to have a “good appetite and thirst,” and the owner brought her in because she noticed she was losing weight. On subjective observation, she was emaciated, agitated, and vocalizing. On examination, she had a 2/9 body condition score (BCS), stage 3 periodontal disease, a grade 2/6 systolic murmur, and a unilateral thyroid nodule. The owner was counseled on the likelihood of hyperthyroidism, which is treatable, and could be the primary reason for her weight loss and heart murmur. Since the condition was treatable, the owner agreed to laboratory work to confirm the presumptive diagnosis. Sunshine was taken to the inpatient area of the clinic where the veterinarian and assistant performed a jugular venipuncture while holding the cat in sternal recumbency. Immediately upon completing the sampling, Sunshine collapsed, and did not respond to resuscitation.
It is important to consider that if Sunshine had been handled in a more feline‐friendly manner, a better outcome might have been achieved.
The current undermedicalization of companion cats presents a significant opportunity for veterinary practice teams.
Recognizing and understanding normal cat behavior is a critical skill in companion animal practice. Cats thrive when they can exhibit normal cat behaviors including hunting and hiding.
Because of cats' unique relationships with their environment, feline‐friendly care is the foundation of pet‐specific care for companion cats.
Transitioning our mindset from “diagnose and treat” to “predict and prevent” will enhance cats' well‐being, health, and longevity, as well as client compliance and satisfaction.
Caring for cats in feline‐friendly ways enhances the human–cat bond, and it is the right thing to do.
1.5.7 Cautions
1 “Look all ways before crossing …” In the context of cats – observation in advance of any intervention.
2 Think twice before laughing at viral videos showing cats and cucumbers.
Abbreviations
AVMAAmerican Veterinary Medical AssociationDSHDomestic short hair
References
1 1 AVMA (2007). US Pet Owner and Demographics Sourcebook. Schaumberg, IL: AVMA.
2 2 AVMA (2017–2108). Pet Owner and Demographics Sourcebook. Schaumberg, IL: AVMA.
3 3 Hoyumpa Vogt, A., Rodan, I., Brown, M. et al. (2010). AAFP/AAHA feline life stage guidelines. Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery 12: 43–54.
4 4 Ohio State University Indoor Pet Initiative for Cat Owners. https://indoorpet.osu.edu/cats
5 5 Stella, J., Lord, L., and Buffington, C. (2011). Sickness behaviors in response to unusual external events in healthy cats and cats with feline interstitial cystitis. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 238: 67–73.
Recommended Reading
1 American Association of Feline Practitioners. Cat Friendly Practices. https://catvets.com/cfp/cfp
2 Cat Healthy. http://www.cathealthy.ca
