St. Paul Pioneer Press 1/22/08

Why are fewer pet lovers bringing their feline friends to the vet? It's a question vets hope to answer as they break down barriers to cat care at the coming Catalyst Summit.
BY CHRISTOPHER SNOWBECK | Pioneer Press

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DOGS ARE LIKE KIDS. CATS, WELL, THEY'RE LIKE ANOTHER ADULT IN THE HOUSE.

For the nation's 88,000 veterinarians, this observation about how owners view their pets is more than mere conjecture. It may help explain why their revenue growth slowed dramatically during the first half of the decade.

Americans are more than willing to spend money on their pets - they shelled out $24.1billion for veterinary services for dogs, cats, birds and horses in 2006, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association.

That was 27 percent more than they spent in 2001. But that's less than half the 65 percent growth veterinarians enjoyed in the previous five-year period.

Pet owners tend to interact more with their dogs, and that almost parental closeness - contrasted with the relative independence of cats - could result in canine health problems being spotted sooner, says Jim Flanigan, marketing director for the American Veterinary Medical Association. Plus, Morrises seem to be better than Marmadukes in masking their symptoms.

The theory is among the topics to be explored next month at a first-of-its-kind professional meeting on the overall decline in the number of veterinary visits for cats between 2001 and 2006. Called the Catalyst Summit, the meeting in Palm Springs, Calif., is an attempt to break down barriers to veterinary care for cats.

Among the topics on the agenda: How can the existing stereotypes regarding cats in today's media be rectified?

"One-third of all U.S. households own a cat, yet cats see the veterinarian only half as often as dogs," said Jane Brunt, chair of the Catalyst Summit and a past president of the American Association of Feline Practitioners. "There are probably many factors, and as veterinarians and others who have a passion for cats, we must address this."

In 2006, dogs made an estimated 119.4 million visits to a veterinarian, a 2.1 percent increase from 2001. Cats, despite outnumbering their canine counterparts, made just 63.3 million visits to the vet in 2006 - a 10.6 percent drop from 2001, according to the veterinary association.

This suggests that Bev Mahlke of Rosemount is among a minority. She notes that in her household "we spoil the cat and the dogs equally - they're all babies to us.

Yet Mahlke sees the love from her dogs as "totally unconditional," while her cat Spooook exhibits independence. The bottom line, though, is that Mahlke tries to be just as diligent in getting veterinary care for her pets.

If there's a difference overall in spending trends and the use of veterinary services for dogs and cats, Mahlke wonders if it could stem from something that seems true in the world of pet-supply stores.

"There's so much more out there for dogs, as far as toys and coats and treats and collars and leashes," she said. "I think it's easier to spend more on a dog."

A survey by the veterinary association found that people who owned only dogs were more likely than people who owned only cats to describe their animals as "family members" as opposed to a "pet" or "companion." That distinction can have financial consequences and helps explain the overall growth in veterinary spending.

"People are willing to spend the money, as opposed to 20 years ago," said Dr. John Howe, president of the Minnesota Veterinary Association. "The mindset then was more that this is a pet - it's not a member of my family - and you can replace a pet."

Nowadays, though, people might be closer to their pets than their parents.

A 2006 survey by the Pew Research Center found that 94 percent of dog owners described the relationship with their pet as "close," while only 84 percent of cat owners used that word. That same survey found that 87 percent of respondents described relationships with their mothers as close, while just 74 percent of respondents said they felt close to their fathers.

Survey results aside, Flanigan and others say the decline in cat visits to the vet could have less to do with sentiment than science.

Vaccine technology has improved in recent years so that cats don't need to come to the clinic as regularly for their shots, said Michael Cox, an analyst with Piper Jaffray in Minneapolis who follows publicly traded veterinary companies. That is leading some cat owners to think an annual trip to the vet isn't necessary - a perception that veterinarians are fighting by stressing the value of other preventive services, Cox said.

It's a fight made all the more difficult when considering what a physical challenge it can be to get a cat to the vet, said Matt Sturner, a veterinarian with Parkview Cat Clinic in Mendota Heights. Veterinarians have worked with a vaccine manufacturer to address this, Sturner said, by publishing a brochure with transport tips.

Sturner opened his cat-centered practice in 1988, and saw growth every year for more than a decade. But between 2001 and 2006, client visits were down about 10 percent, he estimates.

"We deal with it by offering the absolute best care available to the cat, and letting people know what's available, whether it's dentistry or ultrasound," Sturner said.

That strategy is in keeping with how the veterinary market overall is growing, said Cox, the Piper Jaffray analyst. As veterinary technology improves, veterinarians have more up-selling opportunities, he said.

"There is growth in the number of pets owned," Cox said. "But it's not 5 or 6 percent per year, which is what I would estimate the industry is growing at."

While a decline in cat visits has clear financial implications for veterinarians, it also affects pharmaceutical companies that make animal health products.

A division of Pfizer Inc., the world's largest drug company and the maker of several cat medications, is sponsoring the Catalyst Summit. A company representative acknowledges the move could help the drug maker generate "commercial opportunities."