As the scope of available medical care for cats has increased over time, so too have the costs associated with veterinary care. Here are our top tips for managing these costs.

1. The number one tip for managing vet costs is to carry pet insurance for your cat. We recommend Trupanion pet insurance as they cover 90% of care costs. Trupanion also offers direct payment so you are only responsible for paying what isn't covered by them. Most other companies require you pay in full and get reimbursed. Please note that Trupanion does not cover exam fees. 
2. When at the vet, ask for all options before making a decision for treatment. We can provide a spectrum of care options that may have similar expected outcomes. What you chose may be not only based on cost but other factors such as:                          - what will you cat allow you to do at home and how comfortable are you with providing treatments and monitoring?
   - how much time can you dedicate to at home care or if needed, trips to the vet clinic?
   - are you in a place in your life to physically and emotionally take on care of a sick or injured cat and if not, who will help you at home?
3. If you think there is something wrong, get to the vet asap. If you wait until the evening or the weekend, you may have to use the emergency hospital where their high overhead means higher bills for you.
4. If adopting an older pet, remember costs are higher in later years. If taking an older cat as a favour to someone, consider asking the donor of the cat for a contribution for the first year of vet costs for things like exam, blood work ,deworming, etc. We see very kind, well-meaning people getting surprised by the medical condition of a new (to them) older cat and associated costs.
5. Have an annual exam for your cat. This is basic care not an extra. Just like with people, if we catch it early there is a better chance that we can fix it.
6. Spend resources on a quality food and measure it. Dental and urinary problems are very common but can often be prevented by choosing the correct foods. An overweight cat wastes money on food and costs more for weight related health problems.
7. Spend time making your home as cat friendly as possible. Indoor lifestyle has been associated with higher frequency of stress related behavious and medical conditions in cats, such as feline interstitial cystitis and abnormal grooming behaviour. Visit our Health Info & Links page for tips on enriching your cat's environment. 
8. Prevent your cat from roaming. This will help avoid many of the expensive events we see at the clinic such as car trauma, internal and external parasitism, falls, cat bite abscesses etc etc. At a minimum, cats should be indoors at night during hours of darkness.
9. Avoid raw food. Always cook raw meats to 170 degrees F. We don't eat raw chicken and neither should your cat, and for the same reasons. Raw diets can cause salmonella, E. coli, and other food-borne illness in the cat with or without showing any signs. Babies, elderly people, and immune-compromised individuals can become seriously ill from handling animals that have consumed a raw diet.

Dr. Zajaczkowski and the team at Capital Cat Clinic