Veterinarian’s Advice

Advice from Vancouver Animal Hospital Veterinarians  How to Recognize a Healthy Cat  Whether you are buying a kitten or cat from a breeder or adopting one from a shelter, you want it to as healthy as possible.  Optimally, kittens should be at least eight weeks old before being taken from their mom and littermates.  If you are getting a kitten or cat from a shelter, try to find our as much as you can about its past and its personality.

The Healthy Cat Scan

• Eyes should be clear of film or discharge – and look alert.
• Ears should be clean (white or light pink) and not sensitive to touch.
• Nose should be clean with no discharge.
• Mouth should have healthy pink gums, and no offensive odour.
• Coat should look healthy
• Kitten fur should be fluffy and glossy,
• Vet’s hint:  Use your hand to check the cat’s coat.  Start from the tail area – which should not feel greasy – and brush backward to the head, making sure the skin is a normal greyish white, with no reddened areas or little black flecks, which would indicate the excreta of fleas.
• Whiskers should be long and unbroken.
• Skin should be free of lumps, growths, or swellings – above and below the surface.
• Paw pads should be uncracked.
• Cats should be responsive, energetic, and curious.

Vet’s hint: Some breeds, like the British shorthair, are naturally laid back, other, like the Somali, are anything but.  Nonetheless, there’s a big difference between an active cat and an aggressive one.  Responsive, energetic, and curious does not mean biting, scratching, and hissing.  So if your potential pet starts out on the wrong paw before you can say, "here, kitty, kitty,” you might want to rethink your selection.

Read more on Killarney Animal Hospital Blog or visit our Vancouver Animal Hospital.