Lots of America’s cats could also be suffering in the course of the pandemic – and the issue might be an excessive amount of love.
“It’s all about stress behavior in cats,” says Jenni Grady, DVM, who works on the community medical center that is a component of Tufts University’s Cummings Veterinary Medical Center in North Grafton, Mass. Dr. Grady says stress in cats may mimic a urinary tract infection, where cats go out and in of their box rather a lot.
“Any change that’s unusual, even when it’s a positive change, may be stressful,” she says. “And cats who’ve been alone, but suddenly find a whole lot of people around due to pandemic, that might be stressful. Dogs thrive on all that extra attention, but cats? Probably not.”
In other words, the Covid-19 pandemic, with its lockdown, modified work patterns, and homeschooling hasn’t been easy on our pets, either. Vets across the country report an uptick in stress-related ailments, in addition to things like kennel cough and a bacterial disease called leptospirosis, brought on by exposure to standing water. Cats, specifically, can have found themselves in situations they’ve never seen before of their lives – like too many individuals who wish to hug them.
The Covid-19 pandemic, with its lockdown, modified work patterns, and homeschooling hasn’t been easy on our pets Photo: sdominick/Getty Images
Listed below are the pandemic trends vets tell us they’re seeing:
A rise in some immunizations, especially for leptospirosis and kennel cough. Kerry Young, DVM, with Rutherford Veterinary Clinic in Dallas, says she is advising patients to pay particular attention to shots for his or her locations, like Lyme disease in the event that they will likely be within the Northeast.
Busy clinics and emergency rooms in some parts of the country. Traffic was down as much as 25 percent at the start of the pandemic, reports the AVNA, but quickly rebounded. Dr. Young says she hasn’t seen that in Dallas, but Drew Sullivan, DVM, says it has been common in his Chicago practice, a part of the University of Illinois clinic. In the course of the early days of the pandemic, restrictions meant vets scheduled fewer appointments, while a rise in puppy and kitten adoptions last 12 months meant more patients to see. Says Dr. Sullivan: “We’ve been crazy busy, and that’s been a surprise.”
Continuing well care, and particularly for heartworms and fleas. Owners haven’t stopped giving treatments, despite the fee. Dr. Grady reports that flea topical stays popular for cats.
Featured Image: Kirill Busargin/Getty Images
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