That's also hard to say. The traveling of the worm itself may not be painful, but the inflammation it brings about inside the body can lead to some pain and discomfort and stress. Even people when they can't breathe too long or they have issues breathing, they lead to stress and anxiety. So in that aspect it might be discomforting or painful. Yes.

So here's a trickier question than some people may think, 80% of cats are asymptomatic from showing signs of heartworms. So basically what that means is that they will not show any clinical symptoms. So remember eight out of 10 cats won't show symptoms, but the ones that do show symptoms, they'll usually have more breathing air issues kind of almost sounds like asthma, like wheezing or dyspnea. It can be very subtle sometimes, sometimes not, a little bit more aggressive, any panting. Anytime you see a cat pant, bring them in. Cats do not pant normally so you have them examined if they do. Other things that are more extreme, it's rare, but they could have a pretty aggressive nosebleed. Sometimes some cats can get something called thromboembolism, where they throw a blood clot and almost their back legs go cold and they can't really move them too much. So these are just some of the signs, but more respiratory signs you would see in a kitty cat.

That's a really hard question because, as we said, a lot of cats don't even show symptoms, so it can vary from cat to cat. Just keep in mind if you're showing any kind of respiratory signs symptoms, or not eating, lethargy, eating less, bring your cat in and we can examine them.

With indoor kitty cats, get them used to playing a little bit, and I know it's easier said than done. A lot of people are probably looking at me like you come to my house and get my cat to play. But the feather players, the laser pointers, anything you can do to get your cat active and moving, try your best. It's great to start them early when they're kittens. Outdoor kitties tend to stay, from what I've seen, relatively healthy. They're out there stalking, playing, and preying, and bringing home lizards that they're preying on. So just continue to take outdoor kitties especially, indoors also, keep them going to the vet. Regular vet visits, I know everybody hates putting them in carriers, but when you bring them in when they're kittens, ask us how we can make that a more pleasurable experience. There are some tips that we can give you on how going right into the carrier is not a miserable experience. The first thing you want to do, I'll give you a quick one is don't put them in the carrier and take them to the vet every time. Put them in the carrier, walk around the house, give them a little treat. Let them come out, go back in. Because if the only place you put them is in the carrier to go to the vet where they get shots and get their temperature taken and all these not fun things, I wouldn't want to go in the carrier either. So get them used to being happy and friendly in the carrier. And we can go over more of that, and we have a lot of good information on that on our website as well under client resources so check that out.

That is very important for wellness because I'd say a lot of people just don't do it. And we do regular dental exams on cats. And we were just talking about how the wet food could cake on it. Ideally, the correct answer is daily, just as with people. There've been studies that show if you do it every other day, it's of some benefit, not as much. If you go every three days, it's basically not doing much at that point. So ideally for your cat's teeth to be brushed, daily. remember no people toothpaste we have special toothpaste for cats.

Personally, I love the pet owners that measure out their food. Free feeding to me is the number one way that pets gain weight. We've discussed this before and we've discussed it with many clients, they'll say, "Oh, my cat gained weight after the spay." Or she got fixed. And my number one question after that is, "Do you free feed?" 80, 90% of people say yes. Free feeding is the number one way these kitties have gained weight. If you leave me at home with nothing to do I'm going to run to the fridge 20 times a day, and I'll probably gain weight as well. So don't leave the food out, measure it, give them about 20 minutes to eat. If they don't eat, pick it up. If you're going to feed one, two, or three times a day, do that regiment. Measure it with a measuring cup that has increments on it so you know how much you're feeding. If they're gaining weight, back it up, if they're not, increase it. So that's probably the best nutritional advice I could give at this point. Wet food or dry food is a big debate. Some cats make their own decision on that. I personally prefer wet food, but make sure you're doing regular dental exams because that food can take on their teeth and they will need regular dentals.