For National Take Your Cat to the Vet Day, August 22, we asked our Facebook audience, “Are cat owners less conscientious about bringing in their pets for preventive care than dog owners?”
We received 325 responses to our poll question, and a whopping 91% replied “yes,” with less than 10% of respondents replying “no.” Cat owners who do not schedule routine checkups and vaccinations for their pets are putting them at risk from diseases caused by parasites, infectious diseases, lack of dental care, imbalanced nutrition, and more.
In the American Veterinary Medical Association’s (AVMA) latest edition of Pet Ownership and Demographics Sourcebook 2017-18, it was found that 47.2% of cat-owning households made at least one visit to the veterinarian for preventive care in 2016 compared to 78.8% of dogs. The graph below shows what percentage of cats are getting preventive care and where they’re getting it from.
How can your veterinary team improve compliance among cat-owning clients?
Begin by making sure the whole staff is properly trained on the key points of preventive care: vital vaccinations, side effects of common ailments, and the frequency with which to bring a pet in. If clients understand how important preventive care is, they are more likely to schedule wellness checkups. Recommendations for improving compliance include providing educational handouts. Check out this one from the AAHA and AVMA.
Another important part of feline owner compliance is having a feline-friendly practice. Owners are much more likely to feel comfortable taking their cat to the vet if they can see their cat is comfortable as well. Founded by the American Association of Feline Practitioners, becoming a Cat Friendly Practice® can increase not only feline owner compliance but revenue as well.