News Briefs for the Week of February 3, 2002
By Marcella Durand for Cat Facts
- A Tough Pill to Swallow
It has now been confirmed by scientists that, not only is getting a pill into your cat's mouth much like fitting a porcupine into your ear, but cats will actually hold pills in their esophagus for an indefinite period of time, throwing them up again as soon as you've turned your back. Researchers from Colorado State University found that, after five minutes, administered capsules reached the stomach in only 16.7 percent of the cats studied, and tablets reached the stomach in only 36.7 percent. However, they also found that giving the cats water or a small amount of food after the pill helped it down considerably -- in fact, 96.7 percent of the pills then made it to the cat's stomach. So giving your cat a little treat after her medication may be a good idea (if it's OK to follow up the medicine with food). Armed with this new research, cat owners may finally be able to convince their vet to please, please, please give them a liquid or topical version of their kitty's medication.
- Saying 'I Love You...'
You may feel a little eccentric if, every single day, you whisper to your kitty how much you love her. But according to a recent nationwide survey of 1,225 pet owners, conducted by the American Animal Hospital Association, 78 percent of pet owners talk to their pets in a different voice, 63 percent say "I love you" to them at least once a day, and, in fact, more than half feel their pets are better listeners than their spouses. And speaking of spouses, an astounding 90 percent of pet owners would not date someone who didn't like their pet!
Healthcare, unfortunately, doesn't seem to be as high a priority. Sixty-four percent of owners have not made any provision for their pet in case of their own accident or death, less than half of owners would spend $3,000 or more to save their pet in a life-threatening situation, only 21 percent would travel over 1,000 miles to obtain specialty veterinarian care, and only five percent of owners have pet health insurance.
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