It's no secret that humans have an emotional attachment to their cats. For some senior citizens, their cats represent the only reason they get out of bed in the morning. But what happens when the cat becomes a senior citizen?
"When I graduated from veterinary college in 1954, an 8-year-old cat
was considered old," said veterinarian, Dr. Steven Shaff (Cats
Exclusive Veterinary Hospital in Ridgefield, NJ). "Today, many of my patients
are 17, 18, and 19, and I have at least four who are 20."
Advances in veterinary medicine have grown exponentially in the last 10 years. Today, your veterinarian can do almost anything your doctor can do. We have ophthalmologists, dermatologists, dentists who do root canals. You name it, it`s pretty much the same in veterinary medicine today as in human medicine.
These hi-tech pet procedures are similar to people medicine in another respect. They`re pricey. Knee surgery can run $2,000. Cancer treatment, if it involves surgery, chemo and radiation, can top $5,000. It`s a price not everyone can afford to pay.
In response to this growing need, some pet health insurance companies are now offering coverage for senior pets. And major pet food and health-care companies are sponsoring seminars on the advances in senior pet health care. Informational web sites, such as Pet Insurance Info are making efforts to educate owners of geriatric felines.
Pet Insurance Info webmaster, Eric Lynch, says "it's important for cat owners to know what their options are. Just because a cat is getting old doesn't mean they can't be treated. With Pet Insurance, you don't have to choose between saving your pet's life or paying the mortgage next month."
According to a 1996 survey by the American Veterinary Medical
Association, of the 59.1 million cats in the United States, 13.3 percent
were age 11 and older.
Lynch goes on to say "I've found that most major cat health problems happen in the last two years of a cat's life. And, like human health insurance, pet health insurance usually excludes pre-existing conditions. So if you are thinking about insuring your pet against a catastrophic illness (no pun intended), you're better off doing it sooner rather than later."
Another significant problem for older cats is the lack of regular checkups.
Dr. Robert Gordon, former President of the New Jersey Veterinary Association says that some pet owners don't take their cats in for regular veterinary checkups. The most common excuse he hears is going to the vet becomes more stressful for older cats.
However, he responds this way:
"I'm afraid sometimes people use this as a crutch, and they get more
stressed out than the animals do," Gordon said. "There are certainly
feline and canine patients who get stressed, but would you rather deal
with stress once or twice a year, or come to us when we can no longer
help your pet?"
Lynch adds "regular checkups are just as important for cats as they are for humans. And with pet health insurance, you can buy vaccination and routine care coverage." As always, check with the pet insurance company of your choice to make sure this option is available.
When you have lived with animals for so long, there's so much stuff you've been through together. There's a nostalgia when an older cat begins to fade. The last thing you want clouding your mind is money issues. Do yourself and your aging cat a favor. Get regular veterinary checkups and seriously consider pet insurance.
For more information, visit http://www.pet-insurance-info.com or your local veterinarian.
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