.

Above: Senior cats inactivity can lead to obesity and other problems.

For some reason the topic of senior pets most often concerns dogs so I thought it was time to give senior cats some focus.

Subtle changes in behavior and activity can alert cat owners to potential problems facing their older felines.

Now most people expect aging animals to show changes in activity level, less inclination to jump, stiffness, and difficulties in getting up. These mobility difficulties may indicate inflammation or early signs or arthritis.

There are other changes to pay attention to. For instance, sudden shifts in body weight should concern you—quick loss or gain should motivate you to visit the veterinarian for a wellness checkup.

More subtle shifts in eating habits or toileting habits are other indicators of a potential problem.

Even the change in something as simple changing sleeping locations and patterns can be early indicators of a health issue.

Older animals may develop new bumps and lumps that should be checked out by a vet but will also experience changes in their hearing, vision, and breath.

You many witness a sensitivity to temperatures.

Any signs of respiratory difficulty such as increased panting or sneezing, and difficulties chewing or swallowing should motivate you to get the animal to the veterinary clinic as soon as possible.

I wrote about Cinderella not too long ago, she is estimated to be between 16 to 18 years of age and a sudden change in weight alerted us to a problem which turned out to be hyperthyroidism.

Other veterinary medical problems include dental disease, liver disease, bladder stones, cancer, and others.

Did you know that one out of 400 cats develops feline diabetes? So it is important to make sure that you pay attention to diet and be aware that obesity and inactivity will put a cat at risk to this disease.

Daily touch can help you to monitor the health of your cat. Get familiar with the weight and check the gums and teeth because it is estimated that about one third of older cats develop dental disease.

Senior cats often do not wear down their claws or use scratching posts as they once did so check the claws because you might find that your cat may need to have his or her claws clipped on a regular basis.

Now just like with senior dogs, there are many products for senior cats and I’ll discuss some useful senior cat products in the next part of this series but let me mention a few standard pet supplies that you should have in your home pet kit.

Grooming supplies should be a standard and if you cannot groom your cat, make sure the feline visits the groomer.

Dental care products and hair ball remedies should be standards and the addition of fatty acid supplements are a good idea.

Dietary needs change over time so changing the diet gradually to meet the activity and age needs is a great way to help manage organ health, skin and coat condition, avoid diabetes, and to mitigate urinary tract infections.

Finally, additional attention to litter box management is important. Daily scooping, once a week cleaning, and additional boxes will help avoid inappropriate elimination and house soiling.

Unfortunately, many pets arrive into a new home with little advanced planning. For instance, a friend of mine recently had to euthanize her retriever. Although he was a young dog he was riddled with bone cancer.

They currently have a home on the market and are living in a motor home—so imagine her surprise when her husband brought home a new puppy.

Not exactly the best timing.

In most cases people are ruled by emotion when adopting a pet. In this case the husband had good intentions but the timing could have been better for bringing a new puppy into the family.

I imagine that the new movie, Beverly Hills Chihuahua will probably spark a big wave of breed purchases by people who become enamored with the small critters on the big screen.

Every animal movie tends to spark that interest and then tons of the ill placed pets end up abandoned in animal shelters because they were not a good fit.

It is more practical to learn about a pet before getting one and understand how it will fit into your lifestyle. Size, energy levels, and personality are really important.

This is where a background check can be of benefit.

A background check means looking into the breed of the pet you want to adopt and what skills and traits that animal will have BEFORE you get a pet.

In the case of adopted dogs, getting as much information from the shelter or foster home is crucial.

Taking a guess at breed mixes of rescued pups is sometimes all you can do. Best guesstimates can help.

For instance, a new client called me for help with a “German shepherd mix.” When I arrived, I found it to be a Belgian malinois mix.

The body type, marking, and traits were clues. Armed with this knowledge it helped to get the new owner to understand the habits that her dog was exhibiting. Having the right information helps mold proper behavior and gets an animal integrated successfully.

The national favorite in the United States is the mixed breed—both dogs and cats.

Consider visiting one of the many animal shelters around the nation. You can volunteer to help exercise shelter dogs or play with the shelter cats before you adopt one.

If you are looking for a great pet this is the place to see a variety of animals (about 25% are purebreds) while helping mold them into better adoptable critters.

In general, I don’t recommend purchasing young puppies or kittens from backyard breeders or pet stores due to the puppy mills and humane issues.

If you are set on a purebred, the breed rescue groups are great sources of information. They can tell you what problems are most exhibited by the breed and what type of household they need.

Often you can get a complete history on the dog or cat and they help you decide on what animal might be the best match.

If you are not sure what purebred critter you are looking for, attend professional dog shows or cat fancier events. It is a great way to meet handlers, breeders, and the purebreds.

In addition, you can chat about the challenges and traits of the breeds that catch your eye.

In most cases, adopting agencies or breeders will require that new pet parents sign a contract that obligates you to return the pet if it is not a good fit.

Taking a bit of time to do a background check on the pet that attracts your eye is a humane action.

If you are looking for a dog you might read the following dog books of interest:
Choosing a Dog for Dummies, Successful Dog Adoption, and Adopting a Dog: The Indispensable Guide for Your Newest Family Member

I remember when I tried to get clients to purchase pet insurance back in the early 1990s. Then it was pretty much unheard of and people weren’t too interested.

Today with the rising costs of veterinary care, less people dismiss the options.

Early this year I read that in North America the pet insurance market is estimated to grow from the $248 million in 2007 to over $1.1 billion by 2012—only four years down the road.

That is quite big jump. Especially since only a few years ago there weren’t as many plans as there are available today.

Several of the existing pet insurance companies have obtained millions of dollars of venture capital funding which seems to indicate that it will boom in the not too distant future.

Particular branding of such policies such as the ASPCA Pet Health Insurance is helping with growing awareness.

Concerns voiced by some of my clients and local professionals are that many claims have not been covered by their insurance.

Another fear is that the insurance will mirror the nightmare faced in the human medical insurance—where paperwork and other administration will create havoc and a wedge between practices and their clients.

The fear is that insurers will try and dictate how veterinary clinics practice medicine, impact the rates charged, or burdened in similar ways to managed care.

An alternative to pet insurance is to set up a pet emergency fund where regular deposits are made for care.

Some pet owners use this method to pay for pet veterinary care while others use it to pay premiums for their pet insurance but in my experience most people really don’t save regularly nor do they think about their options.

In 2007 a few of the pet insurance companies joined together to form the North American Pet Health Insurance Association. The group plans to educate the public about the value of such insurance.

I didn’t have pet insurance when my dog was diagnosed with cancer. It might have helped with some of the stress from coming up with the money in order to pay for the imminent surgery.

Would pet insurance have helped? Maybe but I don’t think the clinic accepted it at the time. This was not unusual until recently.

In fact when the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) published a statement on “Meeting the Cost of Pet Care” it included such methods as using savings, credit cards, budgeting, and urged people to “consider” pet insurance.

I am wondering if they will rewrite the statement again to “encourage” pet insurance instead of just considering it as an option.

AAHA also took a look at pet insurance earlier this year. The group encourages high deductable policies for coverage of catastrophic incidents so that the premiums would be lower and more accessible for the average pet owner.
As I see it, pet insurance is not going to go away. I am glad to see it becoming an option versus fifteen years ago. As more and more veterinary professional groups and pet owners get more comfortable with the concept I expect it will become the norm instead of the exception.

Pet insurance is still a new industry and one that is growing quickly. There are about fifteen groups that offer pet insurance—and you can be sure I’ll write more about this in the future.

So, now I want to know if you have pet insurance…let me know in the comments below. If you want get a quote for pet insurance now.