Many of VICSD’s readers submitted the wrong answers to the Kitty Quiz. Here are the facts.

40% of pet cats have not been to the vet in the past year.

According to a 2011 report, more dogs have been to the vet in the past year than cats.  Only 15% of dogs have not been to the vet in the past year.  Cat owners are advised to be more like dog owners and take their pets to the veterinarian for screenings, preventive care, and treatment as needed, to improve and prolong the lives of their pets.

Source: Bayer Veterinary Care Usage Study, 2011.

The #1 reason that cat owners bring their cats to the vet, according to a recent pet insurance survey: kitty has a bladder infection.

The #2 reason is chronic kidney disease, and the third is overactive thyroid.

Source: Veterinary Pet Insurance press release 3/27/2012 – “Top 10 Dog and Cat Medical Conditions of 2011.”

All of these statements are true:

• Kitty’s brain is more similar to a human’s brain than a dog’s brain.
• Kitty has more bones in her body than an adult human.  A cat has 230 bones in her body. An adult human has 206 bones.
• Kitty mostly meows to communicate with people.   One of the most common reasons that cats meow is to ask their owners for food. Cats who meow excessively might have a medical problem, since some ailments can cause cats to feel very thirsty or hungry. Older cats can develop kidney and thyroid disease, which may cause lots of meowing.

Sources: The Pet Care Foundation, Pets 90210 http://www.pets90210.org/trivia.asp

The ASPCA, Virtual Pet Behaviorist, “Meowing and Yowling.” http://www.aspca.org/Pet-care/virtual-pet-behaviorist