Hi, I'm Dr. Carrie Burhenn from The Feline Medical Clinic in Vancouver, Washington, and I'm here today to talk to you about cat health questions. A lot of people acquire a cat, it maybe a stray cat that has wandered up or one that a friend has given them, or maybe they've just got a first kitten. And they'll have many questions about this pet. Even if you've owned a cat before, every cat is new to you, every cat is an individual, and every cat is going to have different health needs. The place to start is to actually have the cat examined initially by a veterinarian, to make sure that it's healthy. They can tell you a little bit about how old the cat is, about what your cat's health needs will be for the age grouping that it's in. Whether it's a male or a female, if it needs to be spade or neutered. If it's wearing a microchip that you didn't know about. There are many things that we can screen for. The veterinarian may want to go ahead and test, do some blood tests or stools tests at the initial exam. To make sure that the cat is not carrying parasites, which is a common health issue. Beyond that, the veterinarian will also recommend basic tests and diets for a cat to eat and stay healthy. You may also have questions regarding behavior, especially if you've never owned a cat before. Or if you've owned a cat but it was a long time ago and you're not familiar with normal cat behavior. There are some very good books on cat behavior that your veterinarian can probably recommend, one of several that are currently on the market. If you have additional questions, try and write them down ahead of time, before you go into the appointment. So you can make sure that all your questions are answered adequately by the veterinarian at that time. You may want to know what kind of food to feed your cat, you may want know what kind of litter boxes or water dishes to provide. And these are all very common questions. There is no stupid question, only the question that you never fail to ask the veterinarian. So it's very important to make sure that all your questions are answered at that appointment. If you have additional questions, most veterinarians are very happy to answer them afterwards, if you simply call them on the phone. And their staff can answer questions for you too. So the bottom line is, you may not know every sign that there is, about why a cat maybe healthy or ill. But if you start with a health exam, then your veterinarian can tell you what would be specific for that particular cat. And keep your cat well and healthy for a lifetime.
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