Mau Mew: How to choose a veterinarian for your cat!

Ideally, you should take your new pet for a complete veterinary checkup within 48 hours of bringing him/her home. This must be good advice but it depends upon the history of how you acquired your cat. They may well have had a checkup before you adopted him or her. And you may already have chosen your veterinarian, but if not, how do you go about finding the right one?

Choose your vet sensibly and carefully if you can. This images in the public domain.

You may simply go to the nearest one but that might not be the best method. Many veterinarians in the UK, for instance, have now been bought up by big conglomerates and therefore they have lost that individuality that you receive from independent veterinarians. It's a setback in terms of animal welfare in my opinion.

Independent veterinarian

Personally, if you can find an independent veterinarian local to you, I would select them as a priority provided that they check out as per some suggestions below. They are likely to give you a better service because they have a vested interest, personally, in providing an excellent service because they run their own business. In a chain of veterinarian clinics, the overall management is conducted by administrators remotely.

In America, the American Animal Hospital Association can give you the names of qualified veterinarians in your area. Other sources in America would be the local veterinary association or Humane Society. Don't just ask for names; be specific with your questions about these animal doctors and their specialities.

Specially qualified to deal with cats

Remember, that some veterinarians are specially qualified in dealing with cats. This might prove to be important in achieving the best outcome. You might enquire about that. In the UK, there is The International Society for Feline Medicine. These veterinarians should be better at diagnosing and treating feline health problems. If you can find one local to you so much the better. America has similar associations of feline specialists.

Emergencies

Find out whether the veterinarian recommended to you works in an animal hospital near your house, in case there is an emergency. Does he or she make house calls? Is it possible to obtain emergency care after hours, or on weekends and holidays?

See the facility

Before selecting a veterinarian, meet with the doctor and ask to be shown around the facility. Is the facility bright, clean and pleasant smelling? If not, you do not want your new cat treated there!

If the veterinarian you are interested in does not take the time to answer all your questions and address your concerns, or if you detect a reluctance to allow you to tour the hospital, he or she is not the professional to whom you should entrust the care of your cat. That sounds like tough advice but it comes from a veterinarian!

Standards and experience

You will find quite a range in standards among veterinarians. Don't presume that all veterinarians are the same and all are highly trained and very experienced because they are not all the same. And ideally, I would suggest that a veterinarian with at least 10 years' experience is going to be better than a newly qualified veterinarian. Perhaps that is common sense.

Bring a stool

When you bring your cat in for his first examination, bring along any vaccination or health records from the place you bought or adopted him. Also bring a fresh stool sample with you in a plastic bag so that your veterinarian can check for signs of internal parasites.

Checkups

A kitten should have his first checkup when he is about six or eight weeks old. The veterinarian will take the cat's history and give him a general examination. The kitten will also receive the first in a series of vaccinations to guard him against several serious illnesses.

Even if your new cat seems perfectly healthy, he should receive an examination along with the necessary vaccinations. Animal examinations and booster shots should follow. Whenever you take your cat for his yearly exam, remember to bring along a fresh stool sample.