cat_Age Chart

	HOW OLD IS YOUR CAT?
cat		human	cat	human	cat	human
1		15	7	44	13	68
2		24	8	48	14	72
3		28	9	52	15	76
4		32	10	56	16	80
5		36	11	60	17	84
6		40	12	64	18	88

Just like your physician, blood work, urinalysis, and other workups may be necessary. Except the first two years of life when the cat matures very quickly, the average cat ages 4-5 years to our one year. Your physician probably recommends a comprehensive workup every 5 years for the under forty patient, every 2 years for the 40-50 age group, and yearly for the over 50 patient. In order to stress preventive health in the cat, we recommend annual blood testing and urinalysis in your cat. (every 4-5 human years!!) We hope to be alerted to possible problems and intervene earlier to maintain the health and longevity of your family cat.

WHAT'S IN AN ANNUAL PHYSICAL EXAM?
evaluation of the overall appearance of the cat - weight, demeanor, respiration, haircoat:

*eyes - clear, discharge, redness, discoloration of the iris, pupil size

*ears - cleanliness, debris - ear mites, yeast, wax, growths

*nose - discharge, congestion

*mouth/throat - inflammation, condition of teeth, growths

*neck - palpate for thyroid tumors, lymph node size

*heart and lungs - irregularities, abnormal rate, murmurs, abnormal lung sounds

*abdomen - palpate for liver and kidney size, masses, consistency of stool, size of bladder. May be impossible in obese cats

*skin - fleas, hair thickness, scabs, irregularities in skin (growths), dryness, matting

*weight - thin, ideal, overweight. Weight changes are subtle and usually not noticed by the owner until drastic changes have occurred.