To Vet or Not to Vet -- What Should We Do?

I have read a number of posts on list servers and heard a number of stories over the last few months concerning the health of cats at cat shows. Cats are coming home with a number of health problems that they didn’t have before arriving at a show. Health concerns have ranged from sniffles and sneezing to ringworm to Calici. I’ve heard of more than one cat that has ultimately died from a health problem it contracted at a cat show. If this trend continues, what will happen to cat shows? Are breeders and owners going to be willing to expose their animals to potentially life-threatening health risks? What can we do to help change this pattern?

The current policy, in general, is to hold non-vetted cat shows. This policy places the burden on the exhibitors and their agents, where it really should be. Unfortunately, not everyone acts in a responsible and ethical manner when it comes to bringing less than perfectly healthy cats into the show hall. I can understand how some problems that have not manifested themselves in visible symptoms might be overlooked, but I’ve seen cats in show halls that I, personally, felt had no business being there. When cats are vomiting routinely throughout the day, sneezing and/or coughing up discolored mucous, or are exhibiting other symptoms of ill health I worry, not only for them, but for my cats as well. Even cleaning out the show cages and sanitizing my benching area is no guarantee of avoiding potential health risks. Too many diseases and health problems are air-born and cannot adequately combatted in the show hall environment. All of my cats’ boosters are always up-to-date, but is that enough?

I understand how non-vetted shows became the general show theme – it costs money to have a veterinarian on hand to check cats for health problems. I know that there are times when clubs don’t have enough money up front or make enough money from the show fees, raffles, and gate to pay a vet’s bill afterward. At least one person in the lists and forums I’ve read said she was willing to pay extra as part of the show fee to have a vetted show and I’m sure there are others who would be willing as well – but is that the solution? Have we considered the amount of time it would take to check every cat entering a show hall for obvious signs of ill health? And that doesn’t even take into account the potential health risks where symptoms aren’t visibly apparent or a cat is simply a carrier.

An alternative option might be to have owners obtain health certificates dated within seven to ten days of the show that they can show upon arriving at the show hall. When a cat is flown to a show, a health certificate is required – it may not be asked for, but the owner or agent carrying the cat is required to have one. The cost for this service is normally $15 - $30, depending on what individual veterinarian’s charge for the office visit and paperwork. This cost would be absorbed by the exhibitor and vary according to the number of cats they are planning to show. Granted, it would take time for everyone to be checked at the gate, but it should help reduce the number of health risks presented in the show hall. As a frequent flyer, I routinely have my cats at the vet’s office to get a health certificate. I would have no problem doing this for every show if it meant reducing the chances of my cats contracting a disease or health problem. Would you?