SCHAUMBURG, Ill., Feb. 18 (UPI) -- Cats don't get the same affection that dogs do and as a result don't get as much medical care as dogs, creating a public health concern, a U.S. study said.
The study, published in the the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, found U.S. pet owners generally have stronger bonds with their dogs than their cats and are therefore more attached to dogs and thus more attentive to their needs. Cats are substantially underserved medically, which presents problems not only in terms of their health, but in terms of public health, the researchers said.
Even cats sharing living quarters with the family dog are seen by veterinarians significantly less than dogs from the same household. One-third of the cats from these households did not visit a veterinarian annually, compared with 13 percent of dogs in the same household.
The study said many owners think their dogs are in need of more routine medical care because they are outside more often than cats and many cat owners are under the misconception that cats "do not get sick and ... can take care of themselves."
However, cats can hide sickness, so often cats don't see a veterinarian until they're profoundly ill.
