By Olga, Ernie and Eliza* (The Double Bay Vet Clinic Cats)
olga getting snotty
We have a complaint to make! So listen up you humans! This blog has been very canine focused recently and it’s time us cats got some attention!
The Aussie Companion Animal Council has released their 2010 report, ‘Contribution of the Pet Care Industry to the Australian Economy’. The headline we’re worried about is the BIG DIFFERENCE in the way you owners are treating dogs versus us cats. This makes our mind boggle because cats are clearly the superior animal and quite frankly we deserve more.
Stupid Dogs
Now, we are happy to concede that dogs are stupid and as a result, may require more attention. But between this report and our vet’s experience, cats are more likely than dogs to miss out on loads of things that keep us healthy. Health checks, vaccines, wormers, tooth brushing….
We are lucky enough to live in a vet clinic so we must admit, we receive great veterinary care. We get monthly flea and worming treatments, we have special food to look after out teeth each day and the grooming….OH THE GROOMING! We hope that all cats are well looked after like us, but this report suggests otherwise.
There are 3.41 million dogs and 2.35million cats in Australia. But almost three quarters of the cash spent on pets is blown on dogs. Leaving a measly 24% is spent on cats. OUTRAGEOUS – it’s enough to curl our whiskers. No wonder were considered grumpy by some.
Cats Have Feelings Too
Now, the three of us have thought long and hard about how this has happened. We cats are very good at hiding pain, often preferring to sleep in the sun and forget about our troubles. So, our vets recommend an annual check up (which often includes a vaccination) for all young and adult cats. For older cats (over nine years of age), we should be checked every six months (remember, for every human year we age, our body is really aging a whopping seven years).
As you read this blog, we ask you to promise your cat that you will look after them, just as you would look after a dog. In fact, cancel that. Kick them out and lavish all your attention on us because WE’RE WORTH IT!
In return, we promise, on behalf of all cats out there, to keep the biting and the scratching to a minimum. And for those really, really good owners, we won’t leave a fur filled vomit on your bed this week!
[While we completely agree that cats get a slightly raw deal when it comes to pet care, readers should note that the extreme anti-dog views expressed by the Double Bay Cats are not necessarily endorsed by the clinic] – Ed.
We see a lot of pets with cancer at the clinic so we know how devastating it can be. But cancer doesn’t just affect our furry friends; it can affect us all – including our children.