Does Your Cat Need to See the Vet?

If you’re asking that question, then the answer is YES!

by Linda Hall and Rita Reimers, Cat Behavior Experts

“What’s wrong with my cat?” As behaviorists, we are often asked this question, and we always suggest a vet visit before we start to assess behavior. When talking about these issues you will hear us say often, “I am not a vet but …”. At the Cat Behavior Alliance we are totally obsessed with cats and their behavior. Unwanted behaviors are very often caused by external factors that we can help with, and we have helped many! It’s a great feeling! Unfortunately, so called “bad” cat behaviors can also be caused by physical factors.

Is it Behavior or Medical?

Recently a client shared that their cat was lethargic, experiencing a lot of hair loss and not eating well. Of course the wanted to know what was wrong with their cat, thinking it must be a behavior issue.

Our answer? Go to the vet first! If the vet gives your cat a clean bill of health, then we can get to work to discover the origins and correct cat behavior. Odd behavior in cats is usually stress related. Stress is common in cats and can cause a myriad of symptoms. However, Feline leukemia could also cause that. Lack of taurine could cause that. A bad tooth can make kitty not eat which messes up nutrition. If nutrition is incomplete, that can cause excessive shedding and certainly could be the reason that tabby is tired. There are so many possibilities and even if we were veterinarians, we couldn’t diagnose without running a few tests.

Sometimes, the Answer is Simple

Recently, a client called from Florida and said her cat was suddenly peeing on the bed. What’s wrong with my cat? The first question we asked her was, “When was Jazzy to the vet last?” The peeing behavior could be caused by a UTI or other medical issue such as Diabetes or Hypothyroidism. As we chatted, we discovered the client had recently changed the type of litter she were using. We suggested that she make a vet appointment to rule out medical issues, but also recommended they go back to the litter they were using before this issue came up.

Low and behold, it was the litter that caused Jazzy to pee on the bed! Problem solved!  But, what if we assumed the behavior was the only due to the litter type, and they only changed that? There could have a very bad ending!

Taking Cats to the Vet can be Difficult

At times, people have seemed a tad annoyed with our “vet” answer. We get it. No one wants to take their cat to the vet. First, you have to catch the cat. Then you have to wrangle the cat into the carrier, which they hate. Once in the car, you’ll have to listen to the cat singing the song of his people for the entire ride, and the look in his eyes… He seems to be saying, “I know where you sleep and I will punish you for this!” Of course, then comes the dreaded vet bill. Money is tight, we get it! If you go through all of that and the kitty gets a clean bill of health you can easily feel like you wasted your time and money, and those scratches you may have received trying to get that cranky cat into the carrier were for naught.

However, what if we treated it as a behavior issue without the vet visit first, and it’s something physical… medical… maybe even life threatening?

If you wonder if your kitty has an issue, get thee to the vet! Let’s rule out any physical problems first, and then we can figure out a behavior plan for your fabulous feline! Meow!

At Home Vet Testing

Getting your cats to the vet can be a daunting task. But Affordable Pet Labs is helping by offering at-home tests you can administer yourself, and send back to get analyzed. The results of the test are then shared not only with you, but with your veterinarian as well.

Avoid the unnecessary trip to the vet and try Affordable Pet Labs today!

Linda and Rita talking with the founders of Affordable Pet Labs, Dr. Rory Lubold and Dr. Joe Menicucci